davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-03-20

The growth of Birmingham for time was remarkable, but. taking It's history of thirty-three years together. has not been so rapid as that of many other towns. When the census of 1870 was taken the site of the city was a cornfield; in 1880 the enumerators found 2000 inhabitants in 1890 they found 26,17s; in 1900 there were 3S,415; and, according to the city dlrec- tory. there are now 61.0OO people in the city proper.
 Birmingham Is surrounded by a dozen or more little manufacturing towns, each of which has its furnaces or It's mines and It's own municipal organization. Bes- semer, for example, has 10000 population; Ensley, 5000: Pratt City. 5000 and a dozen others. more or less. They are all con- nected by 165 miles of trolley lines, and it is proposed to merge them into single municipality Greater Birmingham will then include the larger part of Jefferson county, which is practically one city now because its soul and its heart. the source of it's power and activity. is here. That will bring within the city limits about 210,000 people. according to the school cen sus. In 1870 the county had 12,342 people, and by the census of 1900 there were 140,- APO. It is believed that the increase dur ing the last four and one-half years has been greater than during the previous ten years, and that at least 60,0O0 people have been added to the population since the latest census was taken
 Accurate testimony concerning the pop ulation is found in the statistics of the la Dor organizations. Birmingham Is a union town. It is a center of organized labor; almost every craft is represented here by a strong organization, with three cen tral councils representing total mem bership. of about 25.0O0. With this as q basis fair estimate of the population may be formed.
 The famous bf om town is rapidly disap- bearing. Permanent and costly buildings are being erected on all of the principal streets, including several skyscrapers, which seem unnecessary in a state where there Is so much unoccupied territory. all though city lots are very valuable. The residence portion of the town is being rap idly filled with commodious and com for.able mansions, showing a higher de- gree of architectural taste and refinement than is often found in manufacturing cities. Most of them stand alone, with plenty of yard room around them and de- tached buildings in the rear for the color ed servants according to southern GUS tom. The topography of the residence section is broken and irregular, which the landscape engineers have taken advantage of in a slSllful and tasteful manner in laying out the streets. At present every thing Is new and has an unfinished ap- re; rance. but twenty years from now. when the newress is toned down. the architecture has rirened. the trees have grown and the gardens are mature. Bir- mingham will be one of the most beauti- full cities in the world.
 novel kind of building material Is used. which is economical and effective in lending itself to architectural display. The exterior of a house, built of ordinary
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-03-08
THE sTARFlsH.
This Peculiar Creature Can Neither
See, Hear Nor Smell.

This Peculiar Creature Can Neither
See, Hear Nor Smell.
Unlike man, the stnrflsh which loses
one of its "arms," Or properly its rays,
grows new one to take its place. I'm
der certain conditions it grows two to
take the place Of one. A starfish may
lose all its rays without losing its life,
and very often cripple with but sim
gle ray left is found by fishermen and
collectors. When completely broken in
two the starfish becomes two distinct
fish, and the growing process contin-
ues. The brittle starfish, it is believed,
in many instances breaks off its own
rays at the approach of danger. Tor
this reason it is difficult to obtain per-
feet specimen.
A starfish can neither see nor hear.
Neither has it the sense of smell. In
spite of these seeming impediments,
nevertheless, it seeks and devours its
prey Us neatly Us an ordinary fish. The
starfish lies upon its prey and folds its
"arms," or rays, completely about it.
Then 1t pushes its stomach out through
its mouth and will wrap even large
oyster and shell within the folds of the
stomach. The mouth of the starfish is
in the center of its rays.
Some great ships are today employed
almost wholly in seeking for starfish
specimens in deep seas, and there are
hundreds Of men who spend a portion
of their time in collecting starfish in
the interests of science. Many of the
specimens collected by ships are taken
from depths Of one and even two miles
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-03-08
HORACE GREELEY.
The Gentle, Brusque and WELDON,
Farmhouse Intruder.

The Gentle, Brusquc and Welcome
Farmhouse Intruder.
when Horace Greeley was first mar
lied and brought his bride home on a
VISIT" said an old acquaintance, "a
sugar party was given in their honor on
q neighboring farm. Ali the guests
had arrived, and we were looking out
watching for the belated bride and
groom. At last we saw something ap-
pearing In the distance. AS this same
object came nearer we discovered it
was the old white horse of the Gree
leys slowly picking his way through
the mud. On his back sat the bride
In brilliant yellow frock, with a
green velvet belt, and behind her,
wrapped in his famous white over
coat, sat the editor Of the New York
Tribune. 1t was the funniest sight
ever saw and set us off in fits Of
laughing. ] remember that simply
lay down and rolled upon the floor in
spasm Of mirth.
"Mr. Greeley came home every year
and after u day or two on the farm
would start out to walk miles and
call on people. He was never known
to knock at farmhouse door. No
matter whether he knew the inmates
or not he would push open the door,
walk right in, sit down by the fire.
place and fall to discussing crops and
other topics dear to the farmers
heart. Everybody was glad to well
come this gentle, brusquc intruder"
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-03-08
vALoR AND HERoIsM.
Proof That the Real Brand of 1t Ex-
lists In South America.


PROOF That the Real Brand of 1t Ex-
lists In South America.
"Every country has its heroes, and it
is refreshing to read something of the
heroic in the history of the countries
south of u.s." said a thoughtful man.
"In history of South America atten-
ton is called to number Of things
which tend to show that the popular
estimate of valor and heroism in that
section of the world may not be alto
gether the correct one. 1t is related
that once the Peruvian monitor Huas-
car fought against three Chilean ships.
"After both Admiral Grau and his
flag lieutenant were killed Captain
Aguirre took command, was killed, and
then succeeded by Captain Carbajal,
who was put hors de combat by shell.
The command devolved then on Lieu
tenant Rodrigue, who was killed; then
on Lieutenant Palacious, who was dis
abled, and finally Lieutenant Gareyon,
with the ship on fire, three feet Of wa
ter in the hold and with loss of half
his officers and crew, was forced to
strike his flag. On July %, 1879, the
Huascar was in action against the
Chilean ship Abtao. Torpedoes at that
time We're not much understood, and
one, being fired from the Huascar,
through faulty mechanism returned
back straight upon the ship. Seeing
this and knowing that if the ship was
struck she must sink, Lieutenant Diaz
Cansco jumped overheard and in the
water with his hands altered its course
just before it came in contact with the
ShinN
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-03-08
THE CITY OF cRocoDILEs.
An Ancient Site Said to Have Beer
Built lY phnrnnb

An Ancient Site Said to Have Been
Built by Pharaoh.
The crocodile, one of the most sacred
animals of the east, has given its name
to several ancient sites. OF the various
"cities of crocodiles," the names of
which have been handed down to us by
ucrodotus. Pliny and Strnbo, perhaps
the most striking was the "Crocodilopo-
lis" of the ancient Egyptian province of
Fayum, which, according to tradition,
was built by that pharaoh who "made
the lives of the children Of Israel bit
ter with hard service"
This province lies within an almost
complete circle of hills-a little oasis
in the midst Of the desert, where roses
and grapes mingle with figs and olives
and luxuriant palm trees grow almost
into forests.
Its capital is Medinet, and little to
the north Of the city are a number of
irregularly shaped mounds. Beneath
these are the ruins Of the pharaoh
built "Crocodilopolis," the getty of
Crocodiles," later called Arsinoe, and
the shrine of the sacred crocodile of the
neighboring Lake Moeris, which was
then $50 miles in circumference.
This lake held the sacred crocodiles,
and as each died In turn 1T was buried
in one Of the 1900 underground sepul-
cheers Of the world famed Labyrinth"
at hand, side by side with the embalm-
ed bodies Of successive pharaohs.-
Philadelphia Ledger.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-03-08
s.uietine n "Grcen" Horse.

The sight Of a big draft horse with
Its head entirely wrapped in q rubber
coat attracted the attention of hun
dreds of persons in the neighborhood
of Twelfth and Market streets few
days ago. Many stopped in wonder,
and not few inquired from the driver
the reason for this unusual proceeding.
He was an obliging young fellow and
was industriously hauling up ashes
from cellar beneath the pavement
and dumping them ir&o the wagon to
which the horse with the coat on its
head and meek looking gray were
hitched.
"Well, yon sce," said the driver,
this is the first day in the city for
that young horse. He is just in from
the west, and the strange sights and
sounds make him very nervous. When
stopped here he was pulling and
hauling, SO l just put my coat over
his head. Now he is afraid to start Ell
ther way"
1t seemed to be good idea, for the
powerful animal, although trembling
and Ill ut ease, stood still and gave the
driver no trouble whatever, and the
latter did not even hitch his team.
1t was an Illustration of how much
good the exercise of little judgment
and forethought will do.-Philadelphia
Press.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-03-08
A THRIFTY TENOR.
Ta1uagno Walked. but His Carriage
Bill Hud to lie Paid


Several years ago IL tenor named
Tamagno was engaged to come to
America and sing at the Metropolitan
Opera House, New York. He was paid
$1,000 night This is sum which
would make many people willing to
put up with small extra expenses. But
not SO Tamagno. Before leaving Eu-
rope he made u stipulation that he be
furnished with a carriage to and from
the opera house every night. This was
inserted in the contract.
When he arrived he found carriage
waiting at the pier. He rode uptown
always at the expense of the opera
company-and took a look around.
Then he decided to put up ut the MARI
borough hotel, which happens to be
only three short blocks from the Metro
politan Opera House. Every time he
sang he walked up to the opera house,
refusing to take carriage. He said
he had just as soon walk. When 1t
came time for him to return to Europe
he presented bill for over 5000 .'for
carriages to and from the opera"
but you didn't take carriage" said
the manager Of the opera company.
Tamagno bowed low and invited the
manager to look ut the contract. He
repeated the same suggestion whenever
anything was said about it. The re.
suit, of course, was that the 5000 had
to be paid. He stood out for it with
as much insistence as if he hadn't
seen dollar for n month, and all the
time he was getting $1,000 night.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-03-08
TEA A WEEK OLD.
The "Rcal Good Old Post and Rails''
of Australia,


The "Rcal Good Old Post and Rails''
of Australia.
The tea drinkers of Australia rival
those of China and Japan, not, how
ever, in the quality, but in the guam
tity, consumed. The men especially
drink the beverage in large quantities
and all day long and at strength
which would make the cue of tea
drinking Chinaman curl. On Sunday
morning the tea drinker starts with n
clean pot and clean record. The pot
is hung over the fire, with sufiiciency
of water in it for the days brew, and
when this is boiled he pours into ii
enough of the fragrant herb to produce
a deep coffee colored liquid.
On Monday, without removing yester.
days tea leaves, he repeats the process
on Tuesday the same, likewise or
Wednesday, and so on through the
week. Toward the close of the seven
days the pot is filled with an acrid
mash Of tea leaves, out of which the
tea is squeezed by the pressure Of Il
tin cup. BY this time the tea is tho
color of rusty iron, incredibly bitter
and disagreeablc to the uneducated
palate. The natives call it "real good
old post and rails" the smile being OBJ
| viously drawn from stiff and danger
Gus jump, and regard it as having beer
brought to perfection.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-03-08
BoRoRo INDIANS.
How the Boys of This brazilian
Tribe Get Their Nn,ueS

How the Boys of This brazilian
Tribe Get Their Names.
In an interesting article on the abo-
rhymes of Brazil in the current South
ern Workman the method of naming
boys is thus described:
The ceremony of initiation into the
rights and privileges of citizenship in
the Bororo tribe is interesting. The lit
tie bronze body of the baby boy is
more or less daubcd with gum or pitch
and plated with white feathers; then
of the sun the family and friends and
the priest or conjurer betake them
selves to an eminencc near the village
And as the sun, the supreme power,
sweeps majestically upward from be-
hind the eastern wilderness the con-
jurer borcs the lower lip of the en-
bryo warrior with an instrument made
especially for the occasion and beauti-
fully decorated with brilliant feathers
and at the same time whispers ''Piadu-
du" Cumming bird) or the name of
some other animal or object that the
child is to bear. "Piadudu," softly re-
peat the family and friends in turn,
and thus Piadudu, Il fayorite name, be-
Games the name of the little one. They
are very Jealous of their names and
will not make them known to aliens.
In order to become citizen of the tribe
person of alien birth would have to
reside with it for some time and be
initiated much as the child is.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-03-08

1t is not only cigars that vary in name
without varying in quality. The pres
ent writer was once told when hesitat-
ing between fresh eggs" ut ten 81
shilling and good breakfast eggs" ut
eight n shilling or something to that eff
feet that these two brands were pre-
cisely the same, but had to be sold as
two qualities because no customers
would buy eggs Mt shop where only
one quality was advertised. That may
or may not be so. The fact remains
that there are many qualities of eggs
known to all housewives before we get
down to what Il late comedian termed
briefly eggs. London Chronicle.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-03-08
Its remaining arm dd,tcd to dgt,t,, clutcl.
tho mans face and 1cck

with sinuous activity to again clutch
the mans face or neck. With the ax
he smote madly ut the curling fee,er
diverting its aim time and again. but
failing to deliver an effective stroke.
With agonized prescence the sailo
knew that he was yielding Were the
devilllsh a giant Of Its tribe he could
not have held out so long. AS it was
the creature could afford to wait
strengthening Its grasp, tightening its
coils, pulling and pumping at its prey
with remorscless certainty.
He was nearly spent In paroxysnl
of despair he resolved to give way and
with one mad effort seek to bury the
ak in the monsters brain. But ere liz
could execute this fatal project, for tho
cutie would have instantly swept him
into the trailing weeds, five revolver
shots rang out in quick succession
Iris had reached the nearest rock.
The third bullet gave the octopus
cause to reflect. 1t squlrtel forth q
torrent Of dark colored fluid. Instantly
the water became black, opaque. The
tentacle, flourlshing in air, thrashcd
the surface with lmpotent fury. That
around jerks waist grew taut and
rigid. The aX flashed with the inspira.
ton Of hope. Another arm was sew.
cred. The huge dismembercd coil slack.
ened and fell away.
Yet was he anchored immovably. he
turned to look at Iris. She never for
got the fleeing expression Of his face
So might Lazarus have looked from the
tomb.
1.-THE rope!" she screamed, dropping
the revolver. and selling the loose ends
lying at her feet.
She drew them tight and leaned back
pulling with all her strength. Tho
sailor flung the AK to the rocks ant
gasped the two ropes. He raised him
self and plunged wildly. He was free
With two conyulslve strides lie was n,
the girls side.
He stumbled to bowlder and drop
ped In complete collapse. After time
he felt Iris hand placed timidly on hlt
shoulder. He raised his head and saw
Ter eyes shining.
"Thank you," lie said. 1--WE are quits
| now"
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-03-08

well grown trees, where the ground
bore traces Of humanity in the shape
of wrinkled and widowed pair of
Chinese boots, wooden sandal, even
the decayed remains of pallii, or lit
ter.
AT last he reached the edge of the
pit, and the sight that met his eyes
held him spellbound.
The labor of many hands had torn a
chasm, Il quarry, out of the side of the
hill. Roughly circular in shape, it had
diameter Of perhaps hundred feet
and at its deepest part, toward the
cliff, it ran to depth of forty feet
On the lower side, where the sailor
stood, it descended rapidly for some
fifteen feet.
Grasses, shrubs, plants of every va
riety, grew in profusion down the
steep slopes wherever seeds could find
precarious nurture until point was
reached about ten or eleven feet from
the bottom There all vegetation ceas-
ed, as il forbidden to cross magic
circle.
Below this belt the placewas charnel
house. The bones of men and animals
mingled in weird confusion. Most were
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-03-08
Trtckcd the stamn r,end.

Stamp collectors are delighted when
they secure a specimen which was is
sued before some mistake in printing
was detected. During the Buffalo ex-
position the government issued stamp
to commemorate the occasion which de-
picted the Empire express train. A
practical joker cut out the central part
of one Of the stamps which contained
the train and CAREFUL. replaced it SO
that the train was IN an upside down
position. This he pasted oil III envelope
and mailed it TO friend who was a
rabid collector.
The practiced eye Of the stamp fiend
ut once discovered the misplaced posi-
ton of the train, but did not notice the
deception, and the collector was almost
wild with joy until he offered it fol-
sale, when he was informed that ii
was not q "rare" but a "cut out
stamp he preservcd.-New York Press.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-03-08
What the Fingers Tell.

Pointed fingers are said to indicate
love of luxury, combined in many
cases with n tendency to idleness. Here
may be seen the influence Of heredity.
Ancestors Of the past in easy circum-
stances had no need to work. They
had hard places smoothed for them,
and servants did the laborious tasks
So their skin remained fine and their
muscles unstretched and their finger
tips in fair shape. They bequeathed
the sign Of ease, rest, afiluence to their
posterity. Tramps of the genius
WEARY Willie" often have this sign of
pointed fingers. Money did not descend
with the luxurious instinct. Workers
bequeathed square, fiat tips to postcri-
ty and with them stores of energy.
Square fingers on well proportional
hand show much ability to reason and
to plan and to carry out plans. The
owner of the pointed fingers may rea-
son equally well, but is likely to lack
executive ability.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-03-08
THE ROMAN ARENAS.
They Were Not Mere Rings, nn Thos

They Were Not Mere Rings, aB Those
of the Modern Circus.
The arenas of ancient Rome We're
not, as some people suppose, mere
rings or 'ovals, such as may be seen
in the modern circus. They were
broken up and varied in character ac-
cording to the nature of the fighting
to be done or to the caprices Of those
in authority. On one occasion an arena
might resemble the Numidian desert,
on another the garden of Hesperides.
thick set with groves of trees and ris-
ing mounds, while again it pictured the
great rocks and caves Of Thrace.
With these surroundings the com
batants advanced, retreated, eacircled
their adversaries or kept wild beasts
at bay as occasion offered or as theil
courage or fear suggested. Men com
bated not only with the more common
brutes, but with such monsters us ele
plants. rhinoceroses, appropriateness
and crocodiles. On other occasions
focks of game, such as deer md wal
ostriches, were abandoned to the multi
tude, and in some cases the arenas
could be, turned into lakes, filed Will
monsters of the deep, and upon the sur
face of Which naval engagements tool
Dlaco
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-03-08

She was Wisconsin girl of more
than the usual share of this worlds
goods who became engaged to tile man
from Maine, civil engineer, whose
business was in the far west. Com
PEELED to separate soon after the en-
gagepent, 1000 miles soon divided the
two lovers. Business duties called the
man away, but frequent letters helped
to shorten the months of separation.
Turning her attention to cooking, this
girl of almost unlimited wealth soon
proved her devotion to her absent lover
by mastering the difficulties of cook
ing in anticipation Of that happy time
when she should have home of her
own. Triumphantly she wrote her
lover, II can make lemon pie, custard
pie and Washington pie all myself!'
Then did this man from Maine and the
land Of orchards assert his loyalty to
his home state most vigorously and
back over the wires, 1000 miles away,
came this telegram, brief, but emphatic,
''Try apple"-Lewiston (Me.) Journal.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-03-08
FoRTIFIcATIoNs.
They Play but n Secondary Role In
the Defense of States.

the Defense of States.
A fortress spells immobility and dis
persion. We should therefore look
askance at 1t until proof is given that
it has Il definite purpose to fulfill in n
reasoned scheme of strategy. We must
not allow ourselves to be led away by
the glamour surrounding Il heroic de.
Tense. We must look to the end and
leave panegyrics to poets We must,
in short. regard all fertilization as an
auxiliary and nothing more A for
tress, because it is Il fortress and be
cause it is ours, is not necessarily an
advantage and may be the reverse. If
we gain battles we gain the enemy's
fortresses; IL we lose them he gains
ours, whether they are in the interior
or upon the sea. In each case the lar
ger the garrison the greater the disas-
ter. Fortrcsses, and. in fact. all fortifi-
cations, have never playetlany thing but
secondary role in the defense of
states, and no nation has ever yet been
saved by them. They can rs auNil-
iuries occasionally assist an army and
tney Gull anu iluNill cdllt,i, WISELY III
vested and wisely used, to bear splen-
did interest. but they can never re-
establish moral superiority when once
1t is lost nor create 1t by the virtue at
taching to its parapets if it does not
exist. Over the portals of the fortress
or harbor of refuge should be written
in the largest and blacklist of charac.
tiers the words that Dante discovered
over the gates Of hcll.-Military Cor
London Times.