davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-17
HARD LUCK STORY.
Why Missouri Man Could Not Use
 His Automobile.

Macon, Mo.-Along in the early part of November Thomas Jobson sold a 16-horse power gasoline machine to Matthew Potts, a farmer up in Drake Township Potts spent the greater part of the day here learning how to run the thing. At o'clock in the afternoon he cut loose from his instructor and headed his new toy for home, some thirty miles up the country.
 Glad the farmers are getting over their prejudice" remarked Jobson. If Potts reaches home alive and gets so he can run it we'll sell a dozen machines up in Drake"
 T read an article in a paper the other day" said a friend, stating the farmers over in Indiana were selling off their road horses and adopting the auto"
 Level heads! They'll all get round to il by and by You can't stop the wheels of progress"
 No news came down from Drake Town ship for ten days. The local correspond ent up there chronicled no accident. It was evident that all was well with Potts and his red devil.
 Last Saturday MT Potts came to town driving four horses and a canvass-top farm wagon Stopping near the automo- bile sheds, he climbed out and slowly went into the office.
  and lighted his short brier pipe The members of the firm were relieved to mo- tice the absence of bruises and bandages.
 Pm the fellow you sold that runabout machine to-" said Potts. "Y-e-s. Anything wrong with it?" asked Jobson.
 No the machines all right, but the people won't stand for it.'
 But you have a perfect right to the roads. MT Potts; the law says you have, if you use caution"
 That's what l thought, but up in our parts they make their own law some- times. The Sunday night after I got 1t took the family to church. The minister preached on Vanity and did it in such way the congregation understood he was shooting at us. When he was through Deacon Dickson moved that it was the sense of this meeting that the Potts family be reprimanded for putting on airs and violating the Sabbath by riding in a wagon that makes a loud and unseemly nose.'
 That was a fool motion," observed JQbson.
 ''Thats what l told 'em with damn, added, and the deacon then moved to expel me from the church for un-Chris- tianike behavior. IL carried unanimous ly."
 That was mean, but maybe you can get in some other church." "Tm afraid not. I been doing too much swearing lately. Next the village-clover- dale-passed law making it a fine of $500 and six months in jail for anybody to come to town in any wheeled wagon that wasn't drawn by horses, mules, or oXen'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-17

All along the fifty miles of the route Of the canal is strewn machinery where 1t was dropped when the last French com pany stopped work. Much of this Is well housed. but the profusion of valuable ma chimes lying around everywhere without guard or care of any sort Is amazing to the practical American. They have been really safe from injury, except such as the weather might infict for they were Of no use to the natives, and except for the occasional stealing of a few parts they remained untouched There were actually over s29O00OO0 worth of these machines. s6O0O00 worth to the mile. lying in every conceivable position and locality. An enormous dredge, worth several hundred thousand dollars. was discovered at one point, resting peacefully on top of small hill How it ever got there Is one of the unsolvable mysteries of the situation. It is standing joke In Panama that when an engineer has nothing else to do, he goes out in the bush and finds few boilers. or locomotives, or perchance dredging machine.
 That the French company has main tained a force of workmen at Panama in spite of the overwhelming defeat of the plan is another of the marvels, but the fact remains that ever since the practical abandonment of the scheme over 400 men
 
 what seems like an almost aimless fash ion The later work has been confined to the Cuebra cut, the highest land on the isthmus, and up to within ten months of the time when the United States formally took over the franchise and property of the company at cost of S40.000. GOO. an av- craze of 57O0O cubic yards of earth per month has been excavated;; during the last ten months the work feel off gradual ly and when the commission took hold of if but 25OO0 yards per month were being
 removed This earth was dumped a short distance from the ditch at point which is within the possible limits of the projected
 canal. and may all have to be removed a second time.
 The charter of the New French com panv. which took over the property of De Leseps enterprise. and the arrange
 ment with the receiver. whereby 10 per cent of any profits from the undertaking were to accrue to the operating company, and the remaining 60 per cent should go to lioudate the obligation of the original company. is probably responsible for the continued work In the face of such hope less obstacles as confronted the workers. and the lack of organization indicates that the excavation was being kept up more as a matter of form than anything else.
 The United States engineers immediate ly hit upon the plan of using this work ing force as nucleus. and building upon it until 1t reached the desired and neces-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-17

been partially overcome, and relief on thls score is already in sight In fact, bids for feeding the men at the isthmus already have been received and opened by mem bers of the commission.
 Home opposition is another setback which strikes direct to the vitals of the enterprise. There are two classes of per sons to be found both in official and civil life who seemed determined upon thwart- ing the project. One is the crowd of "grafters," and political puppets, who for selfish reasons oft heir own, or those they represent, seek to delay if not prevent, operations, looking of course for financial gains As might be expected. officials and representatives of several big continental railroads are to be found In this class, and they exert a tremendous influence at Washington. They seem to have estab- lished a publicity bureau, and in sundry covert ways are giving out to the news papers of the country what purport to be reports and opinions of experts, denounc- ing tho whole scheme as foolhardy. The writer finds that few of these reports so circulated tally with actual conditions at Panama. The other class is composed of the chronic pessimists and 'calamity howlers," who, though doing more than anyone else to bring about the failure which they foresee, are still sincere in their actions. Between these two an anti canal bureau has been actually estaD- lished at Washington within the last six weeks for the purpose of discouraging in every possible way the work on the canal.
 Throw Up Their Jobs.
 Under such conditions as these 1t Is scarcely to be wondered at that hard headed. practical men like Engineer John F. Wallace have thrown up their hands and the job in disgust, declaring that un- less the American people adopt different attitude the work is impossible of ac- romplshment.
 While the engineering problems are
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-17

Peoples Savings Bank and Trust oom- pany as to my honesty for my contracts
 Fully three-fourths of my patients have been treated by some one else before call Ing on me to be cured. Why not come as soon as afficted7 You will save money, distressing pain and valuable time: be- sides, there Is satisfaction in knowing that the very best treatment is beins give1 you by an honest competent phy- sician l. have treated private troubles as a speciality in the city of Birmingham, Ala. since August 3, 1887. cure all man. ner of private diseases. I cure many pa- tients by mail treatment. w lte for prices and terms.
 do not use large advertisements ana false statements to attract patients which merit has failed to secure. If you fail ts be cured by such methods. give me a caN and get well.
 My offices are the most private and ouiet in the city tenth story of the new First National Bank building, corner of Second avenue and Twentieth street Rooms 1oo6 and lo07 Take one of the fine el-vators to tenth floor.
 offcs hours: s::o . n te t:o . - upndax.lQAUA&4A
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-17

work as the French engineers had orig inally planned it. The scheme was held subject to modification, as will appear later.
 Personnel of Canal Commission. The men who have been selected to as- sume the responsibility for the construc- ton of the canal have naturally been much in the public eye since the first step in this direction was taken. As matter of fact most of them were more or less prominent long before the Panama project was undertaken by the United States government, and this points out an Americanism-on of the many which will be responsible for the great work when 1t is finally completed. It is the American ism of "Busness Men for Business Enter prlses'' and has been carried out in a wholesouled manner by selecting the most eminent engineering experts for the engineering work, tried and able man. ciers for the final arrangements, proven experts for the sanitation, and practical builders for the actual work of construc- ton.
 Theodore P. Shonts, who now heads the commission at a salary rivalling that Of the President of the United States, has for fifteen years been one of the leading rall- road men of Chicago, and Is looked up to as an organizer and director who can handle men, and put through such gl- gantic enterprise with as little fattenins and lost energy any in the modern in dustrial world.
 John Flndlay Wallace, who, even before Mir Shonts was brought to the-nttention of the President as a possible head for the commission, was made chief engineer of the project, was eminently fitted Tor such a work, and that the commission ap- preciates the loss 1t has suffered in his departure is well proven by the feeling and expressive words of Secretary Taft on that occasion.
 The other members of the commission are: Rear Admiral John G. Walker, United tSates navy. retired, a member of the first commission created to approve the property of the French canal compa- ny; Major General George ". Davis, United States army, retired, noted en- gineer and sanitary expert; William Bar clay Parsons, the engineer who built the New York subway; William H. Burr of New York; Benjamin M. Harrod of Louis lana; Carl Ewald Grunshy of California. and Frank J. Hecker of Michigan all men of proven ability. selected by business
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-17
Machinery Lying Around.

ing quarters is as evident as their own carelessness and extravaganza.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-17

were all these, with the addition of as-
 phalt, macadam, sewer pipes water and
 gas mains in the streets of Manhattan ls-
 land, but there were plenty of good work
 men and no need of bothering with their
 housing, or their health. In recognition
 of the importance of this sanitary prob
 lem, the commission has given it the first
 consideration, with the result that an elab-
 crate scheme of sewers and water mains,
 hotels and lodging houses Is already par
 tially completed.
 The character of the negroes at present
 working on the job Is a serious drawback.
 They know absolutely nothing of engineer
 ing methods, or of the use and care of the
 simplest tools. They are constantly stop
 ping work to file a saw or sharpen
 chisel. and a characteristic of their style
 of labor Is that every negro who finds fanced bemish in any of his implements
 must knock off work and show it to every
 other negro on the job, and it is some-
 times half an hour before the lazy in- terest subsidies and the men go back to
 work again. One incident which came un-
 der the notice of the writer while in the isthmus, was the building of a flight of stairs in one of the new structures being erected along the line of the canal. Seven negroes were put to work under a white foreman and although the flight of steps
 had but seven rises it took the gang three uaNS 10 cOnplcte IL. It LOOK the same gang seven days to lay the flooring on a piazza four feet long by six feet, the
 lumber for which was lying within easy reach. piece of lumber which single white carpenter would handle with ease 1 must he carried by at least three negroes, with a fourth walking along to boss the job.
 Problem of Food Supply. The problem of the food supply is al-
 most momentous. Insufficient food of ex- ecrable quality has been responsible for much of the fatal sickness at the isthmus, and although this condition is being im- proved. the arrangements are still entirely inadequate. The chief trouble seems to be In the impossibiity of shipping in the right kind of food stuffs. and the limited facilities for storing such perishable pro- visions as meats fruits etc As a result the price of necessary food to employees is unusually high--in the case of the ne- groes almost prohibitive. Receipts of supplies at Colon have been small on ac- count of many vessels being held up for weeks at New Orleans during the yellow fever quarantine, and the lack of a mer- chant fleet to carry supplies around by way of the Pacific entrance. So much trouble was caused at the time the fran chse of the French company was made over to the United States-to effect which a new agreement had to be made with l the republic of Columba-that the Pana- ma government found opportunity to in- sert clause in the new franchise prohib- iting the commission from selling food supplies in competition with local mer-
 chants. Both of these drawbacks have
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-17

sary proportions, thus carrying out the work as the French engineers had orig inally planned it. The scheme was held subject to modification, as will appear later.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-17

Manchester . 5S,O0O,0Oo 65.50o, 900 26 Chicago Drain
 age ...... 53OoOO00 2S, GOO 9
 The estimated total of 275,O0O,OO0 cubic yards of earth and rock from the Panama cut would be sufficient to build a wall ten and a half feet high and six feet thick eneirclng the earth; or a eauseway lit- tie more than one yard in cross section reaching from the earth to the moon. These figures show that the Panama canal as an engineering enterprise, outclasses anything ever before attempted by man. Even the work of retaining large DOT ton of the Zuyder Zee from the ocean by dykes and pumping, at a cost of sT6,- O00,00O sinks into significance before the gigantic task of severing North from South America.
 Housing the Workers.
 As difficult as it may be for one born and bred in the temperate climate of this country to fully understand the difficult ties presenting themselves in tropic Pan anna, 1t is still more difficult to pick out any one difficulty among the host of those arrayed against the enterprise and declare 1t paramount. The writer was impressed' and depressed. by the magnitude of the obstacles on his first sight of the ground, and understood at once the discourage ment which has sent many official inves- tigators back to Washington with pessi- thistle reports. First, possibly, comes the problem of housing the workers, for the best of care must be taken of the men upon whose shoulders the great undertak- ing rests. Adequate quarters must be provided. with every possible convenience, and all modern sanitary deVices-no small task itself Until it is done 1t will be inn possible to get a force of men, of the class necessary to carry the work through successfully, to move to the isthmus. The building of the New York subway was an easy task, although on a much smaller scale than the Panama ditch, but If the same class of men who removed 5,250,0O0 cubic yards of earth from the heart of New York city would be induced to go to the isthmus and work under comparatively tolerable conditions the removal of the g, ,O0O,0O0 cubic yards there will be reduced to a proportonate degree of simplicity. But such men as these will never go until living conditions in the way of sanitation and ordinary comfort. are established and demonstrated, and until that is done the writer sees little chance for efficient pro gress There are rocks and stones and sticky clay in the soil of Panama; there
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-17
MAP OF CANAL REGION.

administration for a work requiring capac- ity and business experience of an unusual order.
 The idea of the work to be done at Pan anna and the preparations necessary be- fore anything like an ordinary start can be made as well as the almost insur- mountable difficulties In the way of the engineers are little understood by the pub lie which depends upon the daily news re- ports. and the statements of biased par ties concerning the work.
 In order to present a clear view Of the magnitude of the undertaking. let us make a comparison with the three next largest canals In the world:
 Earth Rem'v'l. Length
 Gu Yds. Cost. Miles, Panama (to sea
 leveD .... .... 275,oooooo S25o,0m,oOo S0 Suez 994000o0 93, ,000.0O0 99 North Sea-. 104, 4,600000 39OO0,UO 2912
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-17
OR. Y. E. HOLLOWAY
 SPECIALIST
 PRIVATE DISEASES,
guarantee

you a perma- nent cure of
 rivate troubles and that you may know my guarantee is re- liable l refer YOU with per mission. to tho First National lank, Alabama National bank, steiner Broth ITS. bankerA
 efferson Coun- ty s a V 1 n ' . bank and the
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-17
Putting Her to the Test.

From the Chicago Record Herald.
 Dearest" said the leading lady, T would go to the ends of the earth with you"
 Yes" replied the leading juvenile, but would you be willing to play one- night stands with me?'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-17
No Fun for the Students.

While some Cambridge students were pulling down a fence flor fun" the other day the owner of the fence entered so warmly into the humorousness of the oc- casion as to empty a bucket of hot tar over one of the festive undergraduates.
Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1905-03-16
A CONTINUAL STRAIN.

Many men and women arc constantly
subjected to what they commonly term
"a continual strain" because OF some
financial or family trouble 1t wears
and distresses them both mentally and
physically, affecting their nerves badly
and bringing on liver and kidney all
ments, with the attendant evils of con-
situation, loss of appetite. sleeplessness
low vitality and dependency They
cannot as rule, get rid of this "con-
tinual strain but they can remedy its
self-destroying effects by taking fire.
quent doses of Green's August Flower
1t tones up the liver, stimulates the
kidneys, insures healthy bodily func-
tions, gives vim and spirit TO ones
whole being, and eventually dispels the
physical or mental distress caused by
that continual strain" Trial bottle
of August Flower, CSC. regular size,
75c. For sale by Connell Brys
Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1905-03-16

Michigan Central Live Stock Yards
Detroit, Mar. IA. The demand for live
cattle Is fairly active week; re-
ceipts have been moderate of late.
The following prices are being paid
at Detroit Live Stock Market; prime
steers and heifers, $3.50 6o S 90; handy
butchers cattle 81 90 C1 44O; common,
81. 75@3.75; Gamers cows, $3.50 90 $50
stockers and feeders quiet 81 so 60 4 25
Mich cows quiet at S25 Coo 45 calves
lower at 81 so 90 100.
Sheep and lambs dull and lower;
prime lambs, s7.75 0o 7 90; mixed, 81 50
90 O. 90; Guile, 81 90 (63.OO
Hogs in light supply, trade is active
at the following prices: Prime medi.
ums, $500 OSLO; Workers., 81 IS GO sos
pigs $4.90 C6 4.95; roughs. $3.50 0 $50;
stays u off; cripples, 81 per cwt' off.
Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1905-03-16

change in our present tariff law that
would prove beneficial to all our peO-
pie. And, by the way, that is the
only change that should ever take
place. That is indeed the true test.
A change that might benefit few
or Il class and bring injury to an.
other class IS not the kind of revis-
ion we want, nor is il in harmony
with the spirit Of protection and
Americanism.
Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1905-03-16

Monday, April 3, should be a
marked date in the calendar of every
Michigan Republican. On that date
will occur the first state election in
President Roosevelt's new admins
tration The message that Michi-
can will send to Roosevelt should be
one of approval and encouragement
given through an unusually large
spring election Republican majority.
Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1905-03-16

I'm the contests and contentious
that may arise over village and city
and district elections Republicans
should not forget their state ticket.
Michigan cannot afford to have it
assumed that loyalty to the princi-
pies for which the Republican party
is now aggressiyely standing is
weakening or departing from our
stnln-
Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1905-03-16
Orleans Republican Caucus.

A caucus of the Republican cleo
tors of the township of Orleans will
be held at the town hall In Orleans
on SATURDAY., March IL, 1905, at 2 p
IN for the purpose of placing in noun
ination candidates for the several
township offices and the transaction
of such o her business as may come
before it. VIM. VanLoton.
Chairman.
Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1905-03-16

There is nothing to do bat TO boil
Die wafer We are told that every
e.as>fuI oftlo average drinking wa
cr contains sufficient Of microbes,
germs al4ac aud anamalculaeud d
ew other things to cover am acre
efficiently deep to provide a first
lass fegti izcr.= Otcoursc on, great
srmdmothcrs and fathers lived TO q
most green Old AGO without boiling
alter or worrying about the animal
.onfeht- but in those days the mi
robes had not been discovered or
NpIoIfad. they were Unknown and
here was no incentive for them to
cep themselves before the public eye
md multiply i'm numbers and vanity
Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1905-03-16
heath rate In New York and Chicago.

During November and December
1903, one fifth of the deaths in New
York and Chicago we're from pneu.
monia. Foley's Honey and Tar not
only stops the cough but heals and
strengthens the lungs and prevents
pneumonia, SO do not take chances on a
cold wearing away when Foley's Honey
and Tar VIII cure you quickly and pre-
vent serious results Sold by w. l.
Benedict.
Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1905-03-16

For Sale-6O acres of land near Bel
ding, buildings and nice lot OF timbe
on same. some improvement. Pay
ment down, easy terms on balance.
Address J. l.. Box 1856, Bedding
Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1905-03-16

I'm the court room Mrs. Chadwick
refused to recognize Mr.. Carnegie.
What is more important Mr. Car
ncgie refused to recognize Mrs. Chad
wick five million dollar note pur-
ported to have been signed by him.
Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1905-03-16
Advertised Letters.

March 10, 1905.
Mrs. Wara Bracy, Mrs. M. Elliott
Hows, Mis-, Pear Hubbard, Mrs. Nora
Johnson, Miss Frank Mcconnell, Mrs.
Della Mcdonald, Miss Ida May Sedore
Ed. Thompson, F. Wheeler.
ID. F.. WILSON, p. M.
Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1905-03-16
Start in business.

S200-will start you in business pay
ing 81 10 80 daily. President, Car
rier 80, Grand Rapids.
Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1905-03-16

Every family should have its house
hold medicine chest, ard the first bot
tie in it should be DIR. Woods Norway
Pine Syrup, natures remedy for colds
and coughs
Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1905-03-16
Sc z
The great Mob Scene
The funny Country Boy
The Arkansas Farmer
Fun from beglnnig to End,
Prices 25-35 & SOC.

William ShafIer, brakeman of Den.
1ison, Ohio, was confined to his bed
Tor several weeks with inhammatory
rheumatism. 81 used many remedies"
he says. Finally | sent TO McCaw's
drug store for bottle of Chamber
aims Pain Balm, at which time was
unable TO use hand or foot, and in one
week time was able TO go To TO work
D. happy as a clam" For sale by Con-
nell Bros Pharmacists.
Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1905-03-16
Piano for $500.

| have a second hand piano for sale
for $35, on any terms, fair condition.
Enquire at A. Wagner's Insurance of
fee. Chas. A. Wagner
Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1905-03-16
Repafring.

All kinds of repairing neatly done
Bicycles speciality.
A. L. Karshner,
Bricker Block.