davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-05-30
Spreading information.

One of the handsomest booklets issued recently Is that which is now being sent out by the American Trust and Savings bank of Birmingham. Besides setting forth information about the bank it is a nutshell compendium of the Birming ham district. Ii is beautifully illustrated. On the second page is cut of the first building put up in Brmingham-a little shanty-and underneath the shanty is a fine picture of the Brown-Marx building, fifteen stories high.
 The booklet gives these facts about the district;
 Fixes price of iron for the world.
 Makes the best steel rail
 Is fourth iron producer in the United States.
 Has largest supply of Iron ore in the United States.
 Has S6l0 square miles of coal fields.
 Pays out ss,5oO,OOo monthly in wages. Melts 2oo0 tons of iron daily.
 Gives railroads 25,000,o0o tons yearly.
 Has slO0,00oO0 900 in industries.
 Pays one-sixth of the state taxes.
 Has l12 miles of street railway tracks. Has best sanitary sewerage in south. Has municipal tax rate of per cent. Has a death rate of only 91a to 1000 whites.
 Has a population of 100000.
 Has challenged Pittsburg for su- premacy.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-05-30
KentuckY's Home-C Coming Week.

The Blue Grass State is to have a ever widely they may have wandered will be expected to return home. This week is to be begun on June 13, and June Ii is 10 be Stephen Collins Foster day in Louisville at any rate, and doubtless in all the other towns of kentucky. Foster wrote My Old Ken lucky Home" in the house he was born in, and a typical Kentucky home it was. Perhaps this is why he wrote q song that touches all hearts. One day of the week is to be Daniel Boone day, and every patriot will celebrate that day
 Kentucky has never observed a Home Coming Week, but the one of next month will be sure to inaugurate a custom that will not die out Scarcely one has more history to recall than the Dark and Bloody Ground. Certainly not one has a singer who can sing his way to all hearts, be they Kentuckians or not. as Foster did. Next month the natives of the state will gather to sing one song at least for the old home where the sun shines bright
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-05-30
Chattanoooa at the Bar.

Twenty-fonr of Chattanooga's alleged lynchers will have an unsought oppor- tunity to explain their conduct to the nine justices of the United States su- preme court in October next. They have been cited to appear because they, it is charged, lynched Ed Johnson, a negro, who had been granted writ of habeas corpus by Justice Harlan. The afternoon papers of Chattanooga pub lished news of the granting of the writ and at night of that day a mob of seventy-fiye appeared at the jail, and took therefrom Johnson, and hung him., The supreme court Is not in the habit of having it's writs spurned in that manner.
 It Is currently stated in Chattanooga that the mob hung an innocent maa put the question of guilt or innocence ioes not enter into the present phase If the case. The issue of next October
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-05-30
Chief Justice Weakley.

A &committee representing the law y.erss of Jefferson county have in an ad- dress spoken In their trained way of Chief Justice Samuel D. Weakley they say:
 The standard set for q chief justice of our supreme court is high. By any or every test that can be applied Judge WealSley is fitted for the place. He Is physically and mentally strong and sound He is dignihed and courteous. He has large learning without pedantry. He is discriminating and accurate without be- ing too technical. He has the judicial temperament developed 10 a remarkable degree. As a man he is without fear and above reproach As member of one of the evangelical churches, he actively aids in Its work and his walk and con- Yersation is that of q Christian gentle man. Judge Weakley Is a democrat and has always supported the nominees of his party He is temperate, earnest and capable, and 1t gives his friends pleasure to say these things of him. He is chief Justice by appointment. The office be- longs to the people. and to no class of the people.
 The trouble Is, this does not do justice to a man for whom all good things could be truthfully said, and against whom not one thing has ever been, and cannot now be, said Judge Weakley is simply an ideal candidate for high judicial position. He is not tied to the corporations, and yet all corporations know that he would apply the law in all fairness and justice. No taint of corruption fingers near him, NO suspicion of ballot box practices, no vice of an invidual sort. When to legal learning of the broadest sort and a judicial mind are joined the virtues of an honest citizen, surely we have an iaeal candidate.
 That is Samuel D. Weakley, now chief justice of the state. It will be strange indeed if the voters of Ala bama overlook his merits, especially when in a bench of seven there is but one associate justice from the upper and mineral sections of the state.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-05-30
ODD SIGHTS IN THE zoo.
The Lonely Monkey Mlke-Two of the
 New Arrivals,
From the New York Times.

From the New York Times
 These warm days are much appreciated in the monkey house at the Geological gardens in Bronx park. Every morning the big monkeys are allowed in the outer cage. where they take sun baths, and il keeps them in the best of temper all day long. Mike told a woman visitor all about 1t the other day. Mike Is hooded Sapajou. and one of the prettiest monkeys in the house. He is dressed, apparently. in dark fur hood, with long, dark fur gloves and boots His small arms are well rounded inside his gloves, for he Is q muscular little animal. His eyes are set close together, and he has a pathetic expression when he talks.
 Poor Mike" said the visitor sympa- thetically Are you having a hard tlme?' Mike was struggling with a piece of bread He whimpered and chattered and whstled in answer, held out a piece of bread, and suddenly ran up on the high bars of his cage and began to seold for a negro was passing. He doesn't like the African race. and always says so when one of them appears.
 Mike likes all women, and was devoted to his mistress, who is a North Carolina woman. It is in that state that Mike lived before he was presented to the Zoo. His mistress comes to see him regularly every few months. brings him fresh fruits to eat. and everything good that mon keys like, and goes into his cage to talk with him. Then. when 1t Is time for her to leave, Mike holds her hand and cries.
 Mike Is not alone in having private visitors. There are other monkeys who have been graduated from private homes riage visitor. She brings with her an other monkey, who has a delicate odor of perfume about him. having come from a perfumed bath.
 Regular visitors do not see the mon- keys at their best. There Is big Dohong, the ourang outang, who is a funny fel- low. It is he, with Molly, the chimpan- zee who take their meals in public, sit- ting at table on pleasant Saturdays and Sundays. but few persons see him wres- tie with his keeper. Dohong, whom his intimates call "Bum'' for short, is all legs and arms, and so strong that holding with his feet to the trapeze he lifts his keeper bodily from the ground where they are wrestling
 Two new and valuable arrivals at the Zoo are a couple of wolverines from British Columbia, which were received Thursday night. The one wolverine that the Zoo had previously acquired notoriety through his several escapes by crawling through small holes
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-05-30
Great Fortunes.

Fortunes which sometimes look exces- sive may be the result of rendering great services to the community said Thomas F. Ryan. the New York capitalist in dis cussing great fortunes in the Independent recently.
 Fortunes which sometimes look exces- sive may be the result of rendering great services to the community. If a man by intense mental application or natural apu tude can introduce economies into rail- road management, he is worthy of a large salary. The salary would not In any case absorb the entire saving made to the stockholders of the railroad and to the public by the reforms introduced.
 Tn some cases this claim of the i'm ventor is compensated by the royalties paid under the patent law and there are many services rendered in the matter of organization which are not patentable, but afford as striking benefits as pat ents. Among these for instance, may be suggested the reduction of the cost of the manufacture of steel by MT. Carnegie and those associated with him in the up building of the industries now combined in the steel corporation.
 Prom such. services have come many iof our great fortunes. If their possessors receive what amounts to a commission on the services they rendered, 1t is only a small part of the sum of benefits they have conferred on the community.
 Take away the opportunity for winning either money or distinction by rendering such services, and few men, as human nature Is constituted, would render them.
 Tt is right that competition between men should be brought within constantly narrower and narrower rules of justice. This is possible without taking away the initiative which makes men do things, and seems to me the direction in which, in spite of obstacles, humanity is tending
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-05-30
ALABAMA sENAToRsHlP.

Washington Co of Nashville American
 Representative John H. Bankhead left for Alabama Saturday night When MT. Bankhead returned to Washington after his campaign In the Sixth district which ended with the nomination Of Capt. Rich mond Pearson Hobson to succeed him in the House, it was rurnored that he in- tended to get into the race for United States senator, in the list of those who are candidates for the succession to Messrs Morgan and Pettus. Mir. Bank head then said that he had not decided as to his course, that he would confer with his friends on the subject. When he left Saturday night he still was un- decided. It is believed, nevertheless. that he will respond to the urging of his nu- merous friends he has in the state and outside of it to enter the race and that his determination to that effect will be announced soon after he reaches Ala bama.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-05-30
COST OF ARC LAMPS.
Those Plants Owned and Operated By
 Municipalities.

From the Louisville Courier Journal
 The cost of electric arc street lamps per year in Detroit and in Cleveland, where the electric light plants are owned by the city, Is given at between $3O and $40 for an all night service with 2oOo candle power. In Louisville, under the reduced rate recent ly made by the Louisville Lighting com pany, the rate is s74 year for lights of the same candle power In other cities of about the same size as Louisville. where the city does not own its lighting plant, the price varies from sss a light in Milwaukee to $50 a light in Buffalo. In Baltimore, where there now Is competi- tion, the price for lighting has been re- duced greatly and the result has been an increase in the amount of business done by both companies.
 The vayying prices charged for cleo tric arc lights, which are a fair basis for all electric lighting in making com parisons, is shown by the recent offer of the lighting company in Milwaukee. In that city the prices per arc light was formerly s99 a year for lights with underground wires and ySI year for overhead wires. Recently the company offered to furnish the same quality of lights for $65 a year If the city would make a fve-year contract, and s60 a year or lower If the city would ata int Nai+ these offers has been accepted. and the company now announces that it will re- quire the city to pay the old and high CT rate.
 The situation in Milwaukee is some what similar to the condition in Louis vile. where the lighting company has made a cut of sl0 a light conditional upon the city giving it an exclusive priv ilege. In Milwaukee it is claimed that the company cannot exact more than reasonable fee for lights and that if the company goes into the courts to collect its books can be brought into court, and in this way. 1t can be told what is reasonable rate for the street lamps.
 In six cities, all of the same delative size of Louisville, it has been shown
 
 conclusively that a reduction of prices in gas and electricity always follows competition. In each of the six cities from which reports have been received Detroit, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Balti- more, Milwaukee and Buffalo-the cleo tric lighting business has been in the hands of one company for years, or still is in the control of one company. The re- suit was high prices in each case, and in those cities where there mas been conrfpe- tltion. recently. there has peen a mate rial reduction In the price of electricity. both for light and power. In two of the cities named municipaliy owned plants are used in lighting the streets and the saving to the city has been great In the other four the city has experienced the reduction as a result of one or more new companies entering the field.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-05-30
Canal Plan Before the Senate.

The Senate is now discussing from day to day the nature of the Panama canal-whether it is to be equipped with locks or to be of the sea level type-and the presumption now is that the session will not be adjourned until the great question is determined the one way or the other It is really the greatest issue before Congress, and it's consideration will necessarily consume weeks of time. Congressmen are paid, however, to stay in Washington to con slider great questions, and they should not adjourn until the type of the canal is settled.
 There is a great deal to be said on both sides of the great question. A lock canal can be built in less time and for less money, but it would be subject to damage by earthquakes, and the canal will lie in the earthquake belt.
 Two years ago public sentiment leaned towards the building of lock canal, but the changes have been as rule in the other direction Possibly today a majority of the people favor tide-water canal. The canal is to be worlds work to stand for all foresee- able time, and many now think that the needful time and money should be expended to make 1t fully adequate and useful.
 But the country will be satisfied if Congress will exhaust canal talk and canal politics, and proceed to name the kind of canal we are to have. The peo- pie are tired of commissions and de- lays and personalities, and there is a general demand for a settlement after a full consideration of the subject It does not matter what the President de, sires, or what any one else wants. Eighty millions of people want canal, and they expect Congress to say before adjournment what the nature of the canal is to be.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-05-30
FRANKS OF A LOOSE BEAR.

Sr. Louis Special to the New York Times
 4@-pound bear, two and a half years old escaped from his owner, Mike Kant CT, saloon keeper, at Al Franklin ave- nue, at midnight last night.
 Bob, the bear is we'll known. He has been petted and spoiled till he feels that he is the real ruler of the district. His home up to a few days ago was in the back end of the saloon, and when he was removed from there to a shed in the rear by order of Excise Commissioner Mulvi- hill Bob resented the order bitterly and began to show his first symptoms of a temper. Last night the longing for com pany became too strong for him. He broke his chain, smashed open the door of his shack. and fled up the stret.
 Through the throngs on the sidewalk he dashed, head down, paws waving, eyes staring Screams, shrieks and oat.hs filled the air. Policemen came running from all sides, but none cared to get in the way of bruin. Finally a stout color ed woman blocked his way, though not Intentionally; she did not see Bob com --fe S Sr'Ne gnu HhsSsu Ter, dnu her startled shrieks curdled the blood of all who heard them. No one volunteered to go to her assistance.
 At this juncture Bob's owner came running up, and the bear, dropping the woman, took refuge up a telegraph pole. He refused to come down. and Kanter started up the pole after him. Bobs fear now besame so great that he lost his hold on the pole and came tumbling dcwn, striking his master in his flight and bearing him with him to the ground.
 Kanter was badly bruised by his fall but he grabbed Bob, administered some wel-merited chastisement before the de- lighted crowd, and dragged his thor oughly cowed and remorseful charge back to the shed.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-05-30
From Augusta 10 the Gulf.

John Skelton Williams has picked up several short railroads in Georgia, and he is preparing to fill in two short gaps, when he will have almost an air line from Augusta in Georgia to Madi- son in Florida. From Madison the line is to be extended to some gulf port. From Augusta it will be extended-to some city or port in the north.
 No doubt this is system just born. It is believed that Mir Williams has his eye on Cedar Keys, and 1t is intimated that the man behind MT. Williams is none other than Mr. Harri- man. The distance from Cedar Keys to Augusta is about three hundred miles, and that length of rails would make a good beginning of a big sys- tenn. It is well known that MT. Will Hams is looking northward of Augusta for he has already picked up two or three railroads in North Carolina.
 MT. Williams experience In railroad management and extension will serve him well in his new enterprise, and he may, if things go well. establish in the next few years another big system in the southeast. If he does he will have to build into this district, for it is an accepted rule in railroad circles in the southeast that all roads lead to Bir- mingham.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-05-30
IN HOTEL LoBBIEs
Believe In Dreams.

As usual thing I do not put much faith in dreams, though dream once saved my father from financial ruin, 7 said Jack Homer, traveling man from Louisville at. the Birmingham hotel last night.
 My father was in business in cincin- natl and had something like slSo oe0 on deposit in bank in that city One night he dreamed that the bank was closed and that he had lost his entire fortune in the crash. He told my mother of the dream next morning and was in- elined to laugh at the matter, but she took 1t more seriously and insisted that he withdraw his deposit.
 After two weeks she prevailed on him to take his money from the bank and two weeks later the bank was closed and the deposltors received only about 10 per cent of their deposits My father con- graduated himself on his good fortune and ever since that day my parents have been great believers in dreams
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-05-30
BAER SAID TO BE BOOKED
 FOR A. J. CASSATT'S PLACE

pendent coal operators and will run. Much money and influence have been pledged to his support and he will have little politi- cal opposition from the republican organ ization. He will be sent to Congress purposely to fight for railroad legisla- tfon and to act in the interest of the coal operators.
 Three years ago Mir Bulltt declared that the independent shipping interests of the country were being taxed tolled and ex- plolted for the special benefit of individu- als connected with the Pennsylvania rail- read. All that MT. Bullitt charged against the Pennsylvania railroad at that time he now lays with equal weight against the Baltimore and Ohio, the Chesapeake and Ohio and Norfolk and Western railroads and it is now proposed 10 probe these properties with every arm of the law.
 Mr. Bullitt lives In the Fifth district and has been a lifelong republican. His father, the late John C. Bullftt. was the author of the present charter of the city of Philadelphia and ranked with the lead ing lawyers of the country. MT. Bullitt is lawyer, but has devoted all of his adult years to the development of coal and railroad properties.
 Since MT. Baer's name has been brought forward as Cassatts successor 1t is as- serted that Mir Baer's remarkable ad- dress at the dinner given last Tuesday night to w R. Taylor, secretary of the Reading railroad. in which he declared that the Reading is the only honest rail road in the country, was really a decla- ration of independence from the Cassatt rule and an open declaration of war
 Furthermore, that speech presaged MT. Baer's policy regarding the present Penn syivania railroad bureaucracy with the following open threat:
 Our system of promotion is the best of the railroads anywhere The honest the deserving secure It. No favoritism rules in the Reading. I often compare our men with those of other companies and feel exnltant in the knowledge that our staff officers are the truest and best in the land today
 That MT. Baer would dare eriticise his theoretical overord so openly shows that he has made up his mind and is sure of his strength.
 The campaign has been carefully or ganized Not only are the stockholders in the east massed against the Cassatt rule and the domestic financial interests aroused but agents have been sent to England and are now organizing the stockholders there As fully 40 per cent of the railroads stock is owned in Eng land this part of the scheme is very im- portant. The agents report much suc- cess.
 Most revolutionary of all the conse- quences attending President Baer's eleya- tion to the Pennsylvania presidency will be the overturning of the promotion sys- tenn of that corporation. In it each man moves up in rotation. Firse Vice Pres ident Green would In the natural course of events step into Cassatt's place when he steps down; Second Vice President Pugh would step itno Mir Greens shoes and Third Vice President Req move up into MT. Pughs chair etc
 MT. Baer will, it is asserted surround himself entirely with his own men. sweeping out the old cabinet.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-05-30
MIR. HoWlE's ANNOUNCEMENT.

From the Chattanooga Times.
 The announcement of Congressman Bowie that he will not be q candidate for renomination, alleging as a reason that he wants to devote his time to the practice of his profession and to educating his children, illustrates the uncertainties and proitlessness of the public service to men of large abilities and high qualifiea- tions MT. Bowie fears lest, later on, he may be retired by some ambitious poi- tieian at time when it would be exceed ingly difficult to rebuild his professional practice. The unsatisfactory emoluments of his present office, its care and exac- tiens are sufficient In his judgment to demand his retirement to private life where he can with more certainty and satisfaction provide for his family and prepare for a rainy day All of which commend the patriotism and self-sac- rifice of those able and faithful men in the public service who are devotIng their lives and their talents to the public well fare There may be many undeseryers in the Congress of the United States but there are many true and unselfsh men there who are and will ever be the glory of their country and the pride of it's people
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-05-30

is one that relates to the dignity and power of the United States supreme court. If it's writs are to be superseded by Judge Lynch whenever and wher- ever he happens to sit. then the United States supreme court is not a great court after all. The federal constitu- tion becomes delusion, and Judge Lynch stands supreme.
 Although the sheriff of Hamilton county, Tennessee, knew that Johnson Lad been granted a writ of habeas cor pus and that the rabble in Chattanooga would be incensed thereat, yet he took no precautions whatever for guarding the jail on the one critical night The supreme court says Sheriff Shipp, 'is responsible for that lynching." This is the issue, and the trouble is, the supreme court of the United States is to try that issue, and it may hold itself blameless, on the ground that the mob in question had something to do with it, and that the sheriff should have guarded well the jail on the particular night. On October 15 Sheriff will have a full opportunity to explain his off. eial action at the jail on the night of March 19, when he left the jail pro tected by one man only. One man can not defend jail against mob that comes thirsting for blood.