davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-13
Rooms Were Hard to Find.

Members of the 'Humpty Dumpty' company fared badly when they reached Birmingham Sunday night" said a man about town. Just at present the hotels of Birmingham are badly over crowded and many of the chorus girls had a hard time finding a place to sleep. They could be seen scurrying up and down the streets or chatting in the all night cafes until the early hours of the morning. l am told that several spent the night that way. Rooms and beds could not be had for love or money.
 By the way, the Humpty Dumpty' company is the largest theatrical organ ization that has ever visited Birming- ham. The company numbers over two hundred people and is quite expensive. When the show people arrived many went down to the Jefferson theatre. for lack of a better place to go, I presume, and stood about in groups while stage hands unloaded the scenery. An immense amount of "drop" scenery Is used in the production.
 "I presume that nearly all the 'Humpty Dumpty' girls have found a place to stay by this time, but they beseiged the boarding houses last night and a sur prisng number of young women with suit cases in their hands were to be seen about town"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-13

is best, to use the words of the Item, that Congress should wake up. Up this way we have been trying to wake it up, but appropriations for rivers and harbors are, alas. apportioned some what on the basis of population, no one state being permitted to get an undue proportion of pork. Alabama is, how, ever, entitled to an Open Warrior inl view of the fact that West Virginia has an Open Kanawha and Pennsyl- vania an Open Monongahela, both of which are trying to drive Alabama coal out of market Monongahela coal is fioated POGO miles in order 10 oyer- whelm Alabama eoal which is mined near the Gulf, and the government rem dered this possible. It should there fore set things right and natural by Opening the Warrior.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-13
From the New York Mail.

From the New York Mail.
 IT HAS come The issue will soon be joined. The stork is to be made a po- ' litical emblem. The ant-race suicide party is organizing. It begins on the spot where Elijah Lovejoy, fighting the battle of liberty with his press and types gave up his life to a pro-slavery mob In the year 1887. Mayor Edmund Beall of Alton' H., has announced his candidacy for Con gress on the issue raised by President Roosevelt in his utterances directed against race suicide. MT. Beall Is going to run at the next election, and as he is a very popular man in Alton, he may be elected. This Is his platform:
 I have decided to introduce a bill to make men who refuse to accept the re- responsibilities of parentage leave the coun- try srhey have no place here, and they ougfSso know it. The race suicide idea is a good subject for jest. but 1t Is also serious We want more babies of good American stock. The only way we can have Americans is to grow them-we can't import them.
 This is a spirited platform, well put as to its language. MT. Beall proposes to &C., cept the responsibilities of parenthood. This, presumably, includes childless hus- bands as well as bachelors. It throws them all out of the country. It does not con
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-13
Painters and Decorators.

This city is full of delegates who have come here to attend the inter national convention of Master House :. Painters and Decorators of the United States and Canada that will be opened in Armory hall today. The representa- tives of the men who make the build ings of nearly continent look attract i've inside and out are here, and they will today be warmly welcomed to this district and city.
 The convention Is doubtless the larg- est that ever sat here, and the interests it has charge of are extensive and i'm portant. Everything relating to the twentieth century painter and deco rator will be within the scope of the convention, and it's discussions will be carefully reported.
 The Age Herald trusts that between the periods of serious deliberation the delegates will find much here that will interest them. They will certainly find a warm welcome on every hand, and a general desire to render their stay in the city one that will be re. called pleasantly.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-13
USE OF SLATE BY ANcIENTs.
Introduced Into Schools as Writing
 Table at Very Early Period.

From the London Daily Globe.
 It Is not easy to tell exactly for how long a period slates have been used by school boys; but they were used as writ Ing tablets as far back as the middle ages, and probably, therefore, they were intro duced into the school of Europe at very early period in the history of education in this part of the world.
 And. indeed, it would be hard to find a more suitable substance for the purpose than the easily fiaked stone which yields a smooth surface with a minimum of trouble on the part of the workman. The ancients, as we know, frequently em- ployed waxen tablets for the purpose of writing letters or making calculations which were not intended to be permanent. and could easily be erased or smeared out of all recognition with the finger. Diligent housekeepers and clandestine lovers found these means of reckoning or communication equally indispensable; while, for the man of letters. whether orator or lyric poet, the tablets on which were jotted down the heads of a great speech or passionate stanza to some fair lady were almost as necessary as pockets (of which the ancient world knew noth- ing) to the modern man or boy.
 Compared with these perishable aids to memory, the slate was very long lived. For though the name implies a brittle substance easily broken off when the line of cleavage is discovered-being equiva- lent to the French ''eclat"-yet slate does not collapse like wax with the application Of moderate heat: and even if cracked by a fall might still be used if its frame -%. ..-I f6A al is not surprising, therefore, that the slate, when once introduced into school and do- mestic life. soon became popular.
 But slate is also a good roof covering.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-13
Southern Athletes.

e'rhe south will in all probability be represented on the American team which goes to the Olympian games in Athens Greece" said a man who is interested in amateur sports. "The chairman of the committee to arrange for the American team has asked the Southern Amateur Athletic union to aid financially in send ing the American team to Europe, and the south Is responding nobly It is only just that we should have representatives on the team. We have several men who, If they cannot finish first, have excellent chances of finishing second or third in several of the events.
 The amateur record for the 100-yard dash is held by Queyrouse a member of one of the New Orleans clubs, and the Birmingham Athletic club has two men who could compete-Whittaker in the long distance events. and Sid Jones' in the hurdling and pole vault Atlanta has couple of men who might be winners, and there are doubtless other southern men who might stand an excellent chance of making good on the team.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-13
 BERNHARDT IN A SNOW FIGHT

From the Pittsburg Dispatch
 Mme. Sarah Bernhardt engaged in a fierce snowball battle with as much fer vor as the boys of the Bellefeld school on Fifth avenue, who had started the fight Mme Bernhardt left the Hotel Schenley, where she is stopping in an open carriage, accompanied by her man ager. Frederic Mayer. She was bound for the Belasco theatre to play at q matinee. When tho Bellefeld school was reached 200 boys were having a snowfall fight Although Mime. Bernhardt was almost entirely enveloped in great squirrel-slSin coat, one of the boys recog- nlzed her and yelled Here comes Sarah! Two hundred snowballs whzzed about the carriage. many of them hit ting the actress. NJ, Mayer was furious and ordered the driver to whip up his horses, but Madame laughed and coun- termanded the order. Then, gathering mp the snow, which by this time filled her lap. shc was soon making snowballs herself and doing her best to hit her ad- versaries with them. When the carriage had passed out of range of the school boys Mime Bernhardt looked like a snowman. but she was laughing heartily and waving her adieus to the boys. M, Mayer failed to enter into the spirit of the fray, for his silk hat was knocked off early in the fight.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-13
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
Oak Hill Cemetery.

Few people," said F. c. Sheppard ap- preeiate how much is being done by this city towards beautifying Oak Hill eeme- tery. The trouble there all along has been the control of flood water in wet weather It has had a tendency to tear roads and walks, and even lots. But 1t can do so no longer.
 All the gutters are being cemented, and surplus water will slide out of the way in harmless and noiseless manner. Lots can hereafter be placed in excellent con dition with an assurance that they will remain intact.
 The good work should go on until every gutter in the cemetery has a rounded ce- mented bed. It is precisely what the cem- etery has long needed. and tine city au- thorities deserve praise for what they are doing in our City of the Dead.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-13
lndne pnnh in stcwah

In county that contained in the last census year 27,361 inhabitants, only 1866 of whom were negroes, Judge Lynch held court on Sunday morning, when a prisoner against whom no in dictment was pending was taken out of the county jail and summarily hanged.
 However much the mob of twenty five may have been incensed by the communication of the sentence of an- other negro. it is plain that the lynch ing in Etowah would not have taken place if the perpetrators of the butch cry in Limestone had been hunted down in a systematic manner. It does not appear that a serious attempt out side of paper-was made to punish the men who disgraeed the state at Elk mont. No detective was employed, no really genuine work was done there, and the lynehing at Gadsden followed naturally and promptly.
 A lynching era in Alabama has been inaugurated and it will go on until the authorities show a determination to bring the lawless to punishment. No such determination was shown at Elk mont, and it Is reasonable to presume that Gadsden will be treated in like mannpr
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-13
NO WATERS, NO TIPS, NO DELAY

From the Technical World.
 Ingenious automatic restaurants have yecently been introduced in Berlin. Cah- nets with glass fronts line the walls and through these glass fronts are to be seen rows and rows of little elevators. with the slots and mechanism for working them. On one side of the restaurant Is fitted an "automaf bar. where, by dropping the indicated price into the proper slot, the wished for drink comes to the waiting customer. Shelves, all around, on the little elevators, bring mp hot soups. hot roasts, cold Weats, pies, sandwiches, tea, coffee-in fact,>whatever is on the menu, and that is changed daily All the customer has to do is to decide what he wants, drop his com in the little opening, and await results. In less than minute, up comes his meal, raised by electricity from the kitchen in the basement, and 1t comes either steaming hot or ice cold, just as ordered and clean, fresh and sweet, with no dirty hande. waiter, with black cuffs and greasy napkin, to take your appetite away while handing it to you.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-13
Opening Alabama Rivers.

The Mobile Item is mistaken if it thinks the government does not build locks and dams in the Warrior and Tombigbee by contract True, the gov ernment Is now building lock and dam in the Tombigbee without the use of contractors, but that became neces sary because the contractors aban. doned their task.
 Appropriations for our rivers, as the Item says, "come in driblets,' often times being held up by the condition of the federal treasury. Let's all hope" says the Item, that Congress will wake up soon; the sooner the bet ter, if this great waterway link be- tween the raw products of Alabama and the construction plants of the Pan ana canal Is to be definitely completed. At least let the work be rushed fast enough so that Its completion will not be tagging behind that of the waterway across the isthmus."
 : This is sound doctrine, and if Mobile will help the up districts of the state perhaps Congress can be induced to hasten the work of opening the Ala bama rivers. A great deal of work has been done in the Warrior and Tombig- bee. and one good round appropriation would open both to Locust and Mul' berry forks. In order to bring into use what has been expended, and in order to let Alabama coal be carried to tide water at the lowest possible rates, 1t
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-13
The Mldshlpman.

Some of the dispatches from Annapolis ohont eleven midshipmen being deficient in a few branches seem to nave peeh HIS understood by many persons, All the ca dets referred to will receive their diplomas in the spring recent dispatch says;
 "A peculiar feature in connection with the failure of these named in certain branches Is that some of them stand very high in their aggregates of studies. Coffin has a general standing of 22 in the whole class. and both Cabaniss and Cake are decidedly above the average. There are several midshipmen who passed In all subjects and who will receive their di- plomas, but who are In the aggregate below any of those who will be held hack"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-13
ANTI-RACE SUICIDE
 PARTY IS ORGANIZING

sider at all whether they might not be put to some use-whether they would not make good soldiers for instance, Or road builders, Or laborers on subways. In great chain gangs they might pick the cotton on southern fields, or reap the golden grain in Kansas.
 There is always a chance for these rep rebates while they are in the country. From sheer resentment most bachelors wouf probably emigrate rather than marry under such duress. But left behind and made to toll for the community, the majority of them would probably change their minds.
 Besides. if all the bachelors and child less husbands were banished would not that leave just so many women unmated forever? Are we to suppose that Mayor Bealls programme includes polygamous marriage for the surplus female popula- ton Under such an arrangement? In 1900 there were in the country BPS ,269 bache- lors above the age of 30. To banish these, to say nothing of all the other men who are not fathers, would leave a great num- Der of women with no chance of marriage, except on the Mormon basis. If the vote of the women of the coun- try Is taken on this exiling proposition. 1t is fair guess that 1t will not be car- ried.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-13
popuIar Election of Senators

The Iowa legislature is trying to se- cure the calling of a constitutional con- vention which shall submit an amend ment for the election of Senators. Two thirds of the state can call conyen- tion. but any proposition the conVen- tion presents must be ratified by three- fourths of the staTes.
 An attempt to secure an amendment of the constitution Is scarcely feasible, for once a convention is called there would be no end of propositions that would be laid before it. Very many voters would oppose it on that account It is not possible to call a convention and confine it's work to any particular subject or subjects. This can not be dcne. There will n5t therefore be a convention.
 There need not be. There is no real reason why there should be one, sim ply because the senatorial provision of the federal constitution can be set aside precisely as the presidential electoral scheme was. Iowa has but to look towards Alabama this summer to see how 1t is done. Alabama needs no constitutional amendment, because the popular election of United States ] Senators can be had without it. The slow process of a constitutional amend ment interests no one in this or any other southern state, and when the people of Iowa become stronger than her politicians, that state will select United States Senators precisely as Alabama does.
 Alabama is in fact preparing to fore stall both the legislature and the gov ernoT in electing United States Sena- tors, and it's Is scarcely possible to carry the direct election of Senators even by constitutional amendment to a finer point. Let Iowa watch Ala | bama this year, and then she will know how to do 1t without resorting to the tedious course of changing an almost unchangeable instrument.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-13

and has been used for this purpose for eight centuries at least. Tiling, which still holds it's own to large extent, partly on account of the inartistic appearance of the modern slated roof, was practically universal in the towns of the ancient world which came under the influence of Greece and Rome. It Is interesting to note in this connection that time went on builders reduced the thickness of their states.
 Whether this was due to reasons oG economy-for heavy slates need to have solid timbers beneath them-or to other considerations. the fact remains that the slates used in the cheap house of the pres- ent day have a very cheap appearance. The difference is clearly seen by con- trasting the fiimsy look of Jerry-built suburban villa with the massive solidity of an old slate roofed farm house which has weathered the storms of centuries
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-13

c. J. closson of Montgomery, is at the Metropolitan.
 M. P. Hildrant of Talladega, Is at the Metropolitan.
 P. C. Fairchild of Mobile, is at the St. Nicholas.
 H. T. Harrison of Tuscumbia, is at the St. Nicholas.
 A. M. Holnster of Geneva. is at the Morris.
 J. A. Burgister of Tuscaloosa, Is at the Morris
 II. II. Harmon of Galveston, Tex, is at the Hillman.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-13
MY WIFE.

By Robert Louis Stevenson. Trusty, dusky. vivid, true, With eyes of gold and bramble dew. Steel true and blue straight, The great Artificer Made my mate. Honor, anger, valor. Ire; A love that life could never tire, Death quench, or evil stir. The mighty Master Gave to her.
 Teacher, tender, comrade, wife. A fellow-farer true through life. Hear-whole and soul-free The august Father Gave to me.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-13

TIcKLISH TASK. In saving up money
 This fact you'll find true: There's nothing that's harder
 For a chap to do,
 Unless it perehance is
 To say something wise When called on to look at
 The new baby's eyes. The arrival of the Marconi baby raises the supposition that the signor has not invented way to make it stop crying. WHEN THEY DECEIVE. "Figures do not lie,' And yet they often f1atter When they belong to women Which is a different matter. Ellen Beach Yaw has returned the high sea Her high "C" Is in e lent condition.
 BE AN OPTIMIST. Try to leave the old world better Try to do a little good; Try to shed a ray of brightness, Tho you be misunderstood. Try to fill your heart with kindness, Take of life a cheerful view. Try to leave the old world better, It's an easy thing to do
 PAUL COOK.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-13
sELF-RoosTiNG EDITORS.
Sansas City Star.

From the kansas Clty Star.
 A court judge removed John Temple Graves from the editorship of the At lanta News because Graves persisted in writing editorials laudatory of himself. general court decision of this kind in Oklahoma would knock lot of strong lunged roosters off the banyard fence.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-13
White Squirrel Caught.

From the Kansas City Journal.
 A freak of nature, in the shape of a white squirrel with pink eyes. has been captured alive by farmer boys near Mo- Comb, in Pottawatomie county.
 Two years ago Peter Gideon, living near Choctaw City. captured a white squirrel which had one brown and one pink eye
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-13
A BAD BREAK.

From the Sheffield Standard.
 A Tuscumbia dispatch says the bank rupt Tuscumbla Mercantile Company will pay 30 cents on the dollar. which in- dicates that "all is lost save honor
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-13

Will Minzer seems to be anxious to get the Yerkes fortune into good easy, ae- cesslble shape, and the trustees wholly disagree with him. Win finds this VexatiOus world
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-13

Colored church members in St Paul had a fight over the collection plates, be- cause money, you know, is the root of all evil
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-13

1olumDuS wants cfdChtI AdSboAy aAid the Savannah. Press opines that there are already crackers enough in Georgia.
  The first case of an Indian bankrupt Is reported from Sioux Falls. Heretofore the red man merely went broke" Medicine Hat keeps full line of sam pies of cold waves but it seems to have lost some of It's dispatehing power.
  The Connecticut library that has boy eotted Jack London,a book must have been worked by his press agent.
  one-fourth of New York's derelicts are college bred men 5till, they are no argu- ment against a college education. Thus far newspaper notoriety does not seem to have iessened the happiness of Miss Alice or our wigless Nick.
 ------.s.----- Readers of Jack Londons books in Derby, Conn, must apply to the book stalls This suits Jack
  It is rumored that James J. Jeffries may fight again. He is going to keep on until he Is knocked out. pr. Osler feels sore towards Alabama. His doctrine is not needed here in sena- torial contests.
 King Leopold Is charged with African graft There are few faults he is nqt charged with. The country library that has barred Jack London's brilliant books are entitled to his thanks
 Uncle sam owns sixty fine squirrels in Washington and Senator pettus helps to feed them
  A Portland man swallowed toothpick and has appendicitis. He ought not to be surprised. Chicago doctor is accused of robbing patient. The idea of suggesting such a thing!
 King Alfonso and Ena are as chummy over seas as our Nick and Miss Alice are here.
 Newspapering by injunction is an At lanta fashion that will never become pop ular
 
 There is nothing in name, to be sure but that of Admiral Goodrich sounds we'll
 
 The odor of gasoline from an auto comes high. and people begin to want it Count Boni will have to look elsewhere when he next tries to market his title.
  Johann Hook will be hanged at about the same time that Albert T. Patrick is
  Now they are accusing Datto Bryan oi having precipltated the Chinese boycott
  Longworth begins to wish there was no such thing in the world as cut glass
  In Japan the blind are taught to be masseurs. That beats selling papers
  A cold wave will not camp with us long in these closing days of winter.
 --s--- The cable with William Nelson Crom. we'll at one end of 1t should be cut -s-- | MT. Longworth needs a storage ware. house more than he does a home. The Cudahy boy cannot identify Pal Grove as his esteemed kidnaper. | 1 American heiresses want no Valentines this year from French counts l .s--- Marriages that have no money in then never go wrong | The grounding winter Is rather wild hammered.
 The season of repentance is drawing near.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-13
COMMENTS ON MEN AND
 MATTERS OF THE TIMES

Oklahoma because it said that she had sold a building to liquor firm. If the paper had said anything else it would not have been sued.
 An hour in the sunshine yesterday beat all the tonics ever compounded. Nature Is the nurse that humanity should learn to love-
 A New Jersey bride leaped from her bed without waking her husband and chased a burglar in her night clothes Betcher that is one woman who doesn't look under the bed and scream at sight of a mouse.
 SQUELCHED.
 His poetry was bad
 The editor mad
 A most unpleasant
 Time was had. The Princess Ena writes to her dear Alfonso every day, using for the pur- pose souvenir postal card, but the most upto-date feature of the royal courtship is that the two young people are really in love.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-13

The Philadelphia ". c. T. U. will not ask Miss. Roosevelt to prohibit wine at her wedding and thus escapes being made the laughing stock of the country.