davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-06-11
Campaiun Contributions.

The bill of Congressman Gaines of West Virginia has been reported favor ably by the House elections commit tee. MT Gaines is republican, and the republicans seem to be afraid to go to the polls in November unless they first pass some kind of publicity bill.
 MT. Gaines bill does not apply pub licity to political contributions below $50, and 1t is plain, therefore, that 1t will be of little value, for contributor could readily find twenty persons who would aid him in contributing 5000. Nor does 1t embrace disbursements below one dollar. It simply invites subdivision of items-that is all.
 A genuine and comprehensive pub licity and anti-corrupt-practices bill is greatly needed, but the republicans will never supply it. Much less will they take steps to uncover in a rigid investigation the slush funds of 1896, 1900 and 1904. If the country desires to have this dangerous form of cor ruption probed and raked, they must elect a democratic House. Such a house should be elected this fall, and in December, 1907, 1t would take hold of the subject, and in a short time the facts would be laid before the country. A mere table of contributions would show at glance what interests and what persons have dominated this country since 1896. If the republic is to stand this must be done. The cam paign contributions of 1896, 1900 and 1904 must be published soon or late. They must be published, but it is bet ter that they be brought out in time to let the people weigh and act on them in the campaign of 1908.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-06-11
Temperature Differs.

Tt is strange what a difference there is in the temperature on the Highlands and in the business portion of Birmingham, . said a visitor yesterday. "1 dined with a friend of mine on South Highlands today and it was comparatively cool at his house. The breeze was fairly good and l did not suffer to any great extent from the heat.
 About 5 o'clock came down town and as soon as struck the foot of the Twen- tieth street hill it seemed to me that the temperature was at least 10 degrees high er and I conld tell the difference imme- diately. There was practically no breeze blowing and 1t was rather stiffling.
 My friend said that at his house the family rarely suffered from heat even in the hottest weather and that at night there was nearly always a good breeze. He says his house is all the summer re- sort that he wants so far as he is per sonally concerned, and that 1t is much cooler at home than at large majority of the summer resorts"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-06-11
Henry Clew's Letter.

Henry Clews' New York letter of Sat-
 urday says:
 The stock market is in rather an un-
 usual condition. While sellers are ex-
 ceedingly optimistic, buyers are conserva-
 tive and more or less critical. General conditions continue excellent outside of
 the stock market, and are much in favor of holders. The local monetary situation,
 for instance, steadily improves. Funds are
 returning from the interior and large
 amounts fully $fS00o.Oo0 thus far have
 been sent back from San Francisco, so that our bank reserves ought to show rising tendency. Call loans have conse-
 quently been easy. indicating better
 supply of money for immediate needs. al-
 though time money Is still held at fairly
 good rates. In the foreign markets easy
 conditions also obtain, and the outlook is tor continuance of these favorable con- ditions. Nearly all unusual obligations
 have been satisfied in Paris and London, and the situation there Is favorable to further operations on American account should conditions remain as satisfactory as at present. In general the outlook abroad is cheerful. and 1t is quite prob able that the foreign markets would ex- pand their accommodations to sound
 American projects If called upon. No doubt many of our early maturing obli- gations will be renewed without difficulty. Railroad earnings continue to show lib- eral gains, the totals for the fourth week in May of "A roads showing a gain of about 1S per cent over last year. These are rather surprising gains considering that May earnings on some of the im- portant lines must have eben considerably diminished by the coal strike, shipments of anthracite in that month being only | S.250, 900 tons, against S.0Oo,OO0 tons in May, 1905.
 Another bright spot in the general sltu-
 atlon Is the iron and steel trade. The
 demand for all sorts of iron products con-
 tinues remarkably heavy and there Is no sign whatever of abatement. For months to come the railroads, which consume
 fully 60 per cent of the nations products.
 are going to be heavy buyers of iron and
 steel, not only for renewals but for very
 unusual amounts of new mileage. The
 steel rail product for 1906 is oversold and
 orders for over 100000 tons are already
 on the books for 1907. With such satis-
 factory conditions In the important de-
 partments of industry just noted 1t Is impossible to be pessimistic regarding the
 future.
 There is a large amount of money in this market awaiting investment, and
 nothing but the fact that shrewd inves- tors consider prices too high prevents a
 quick absorption of floating securities. A
 decline in time money rates just now
 would inevitably stimulate investment buying. July disbursements will soon be available. Last year they aggregated N35,-
 O00O0O and this year they will be even greater. June and July should witness a comparatively easy money market. but when the crop movement sets In higher rates must be again expected. No undue stringency, however. is probable while our credit abroad remains as strong as it now is
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-06-11
DOES STEEL GET TIRED?
Not If 1t Is Properly Made, Says an
 Investigator.
From London Engineering.

From London Engineering
 An interesting problem, often discussed, is whether iron or steel becomes changed in its properties by what Is termed fa- tigue. Most probably, according to R. A. Hadfield, 1t does not. if the material Is. in the first or original state. properly prepared
 Failures, so called, of this kind are generally owing to the steel possessing either internal flaws, which are often only detected by an examination of it's micro structure. or that 1t has not been in the proper condition when sent out to the user. So-called mysterious failures are generally due to improper heat treat ment and are quite apparent when ade- uuately investigated. A recent writer states that, after long experience, he has found steel does not change by fatigue that is under ordinary working loads; "once right, always right" is his ex- planation.
 This investigator took a large number of specimens that had been many years in use, some having given satisfactory. some unsatisfactory, results, and he de- tected no difference or breakdown in the mechanical qualities. Probably this con- clusion is correct.
 At Watertown Arsenal the official test ing department of the American govern ment, interesting tests have been made upon iron which had been submitted to severe mechanical treatment twenty three years ago-that is, 1t had been stressed close up to the elastic limit and then laid on one side No change in qual- ity could be detected. The characteris- tics of the earlier overstrained condition produced by the loads applied so long be- fore still remained
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-06-11

ceded on all hands that the Pennsyl- vania battle must be fought out on it's merits. The chances are that Penn sylvania Is about to accumulate an- other democratic governor Mr. Patti son is dead, but the state Is large, and another Pattison may be found In some man like State Treasurer Berry, who swept Pennsylvania last year. A dem ocratic victory in the state would be apt to seat several additional dem- ocrats in Congress, and this Is why the contest is of interest in all states.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-06-11
SCOUTING THE CLOUDS
 IN A BALLOON AT NIGHT

startled out of their sleep by the sudden advent of our great car among their nests, made an extraordinary clamor.
 we hallooed, and very quickly, what with our noise and the increasing cawing of the rocks, a gentleman put his head out of a bedroom window. Judge of his surprise to see us sitting in the top of his tree, with the great balloon towering above. conversation after this sort passed:
 Goodness gracious! Who are you?
 'Balloonists resting Where are we?'
 ""Twelve miles from Brighton going south. Are you stuck?'
 oh no. We're very happy. You don't mind us sitting on the top of your tree. do you?
 [" Not at all. Good night And then the window banged, and should think he was soon snoring. But the rocks didn't settle down so quickly" "It was during one of these rests by the way that we ate our supper. after wards reascending into the moonlight and lightning. But when we found ourselves on the south side of Redhill we trailed all the way, otherwise we should have reach ed the sea too soon."
 Near Brighton Downs the wind failed. The balloon stopped dead and in a few moments actually began to sail in the opposite direction. But the change was only temporary.
 | MT. Butler described the rooster as the "only sensible bird, for he slept until a. m., and then crowed in the dawn so | lustily that he could be heard as though l he were within six feet of us. Thoroughly charmed with their all- night journey. the party made a suc- cessful descent at Southwick. just out side Brighton, at 4:SO a. m.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-06-11
THINGS WORTH KNOWING,

From Judge.
 Morgan.
 John D. Rockefeller.
 Andrew Carnegie.
 Theodore Roosevelt.
 Your way home.
 When you are well off. That you don't owe a cent. How to live within your income. Enough to go In when 1t rains Where you can borrow ten dollars. When the rent collector is going to call. What your best girl will say when you propose.
 What cards the other buffer holds in his hands,
 That Bob Ingersoll was right about that future place.
 That your wife really doesn't care for expensive hats.
 What head you'll have tomorrow morning if you drink those other three. How to say no to Phyllis when she of fers you one of her own Welsh rarebits. Beans.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-06-11
IN HOTEL LoBBIEs
Another Theatre.

T would like to get a theatre in Bir- minghah to run musical extravaganzas. , said Ship Camp, monoiogist on the bill at the Bijou this week. T represent the Columbltn Amusement company of New York ana that organization Is anxious to open several other houses in the south. At present we have theatres in Memphis and New Orleans, and the jumps from one city Ito another are too long.
 We ark trying to get theatre in At lanta also and If we could get theatre in Birmingham 1t would complete the circuit we want
 The organizations that are sent out by the amusement company have thirty or forty people and play at each house for a week. We have a large circuit in the north and this class of show appeals to a large class of people
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-06-11
WORRIES OF LAvINIA.
Fair Street Car Passenger Has Little
 Troubles.
From the Washington Post.

From the Washington Post
 'If," said the gentle Lavinia. many more things like this happen to me, shall become a pessimist or a misanthrope or some other dreadful thing, I know.
 "Of course. girls do some times give the street car conductor cents for their fare, but they don't do this to be mean. They pay in cents in this way because they haven't any place to carry them, and they take up too much room in their purses and they want to get rid of them, and why shouldn't they pay them to the conductor?
 And why shouldn't he take them, and be glad to take them, to keep? But you know that the conductor always thinks they give them to him for spite; and whenever he gets a chance he always gives a woman cents in change, to get even. They don't seem to understand. they never do. I met conductor yes- terday that I thought would, but when 1t came to this he was like the rest.
 ''IIe was nice conductor, polite to me when I got on the car, and all that, ana really I didn't like to pay him in cents, though I had a lot of them in my purse. and I thought I would try him. Some how. he was so polite, I thought that he would understand, and when he came for my fare. I didn't give him coppers I gave him a dime; expecting that he would see and give me back nickel. But he didn't; he gave me for change five cop pers.
 Do you wonder that I look on life gloomily?"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-06-11
Are there no stones in heaven B what serve for the thunder?
 -Othello.
Education in Enuland.

The bill that the president of the board of education, acting for the Campbell Zimmerman ministry, has brought in confines the application of public moneys to undenominatlonal schools in England had become parts of the established church or of the Catholic church. Under the liberal government they are to become un- denominallonal But out of school hours religious teaching may be con ducted in them by others than the public school teachers.
 The question is a very difficult one, and the 'ins" are dealing in all sorts of statements in order to keep from becoming "outs." It is a fight for jus tice for all, for when all children and through them all taxapers are put on a common footing, no one will have Just cause for complaint. At pres. ent the child of Methodist or Baptist must submit to instruction by an Episcopalian or a Catholic, and the non-conformists constitute about one half of the population.
 The ministry is fully committed to the American plan of schools, and it will stand or fall by the fate of the bill. All churchmen socalled from one end of the country to the other can as 1 semble at London and parade and crate, but the course or terms of the bill will not be changed. It will be pressed to passage, and it will be forced through the House of Lords even if an appeal has to be taken to the country. The bill cuts deep in England where non-conformity is num- erically strong, and is yearly becoming stronger. The president of the board of education is strong man, and the street processions will not change in the least his plans. The premier will fight his first big battle over the educa tion bill. and he will doubtless carry the bill through the house of commons by good majority, although he will mot be aided by the Irish members.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-06-11

I gether in a large pen. Thence they were pricked persuasively, a few at a time, Into a smaller chamber, and there a man fixed tackle on their hinder legs. so that they rose in the air suspended from railway of death
 Oh! It was then they shrieked and called on their mothers. and made prom ises of amendment, till the tackle man punted them in their backs and they slid head down into a brck-hoored pas- sage, very like a big kitchen sink, that was blood red
 There awaiteed them a red man with knife which he possed jauntily through their throats, and the full-voiced shriek became a splutter and then fall as of heavy tropical raln and the red man, who was backed against the passage wall, you will understand, stood clear of the wildly kicking hoofs and passed his hand over his eyes, not from any feel ing of compassion, but because the spurted blood was in his eyes, and he had barely time to stick the next ar- rival.
 Then that first stuck swine dropped. still kicking. into a great vat of boiling water, and spoke no more words, but widowed in obedience to some unseen machinery, and presently came forth at the lower end of the vat and was heaved on the blades of a blunt paddle wheel, things which said 'Hough, hough, bought" and scalped all the hair on him. except what little a couple of men with knives could remove.
 Then he was agaie hitched by the heels to that said railway and passed down the line of the twelve men, each man with a knife, losing with each man a certain amount of his individuality, which was taken away in a wheebar- row, and when he reached the last man he was very beautiful to behold, but ex- cessivey unstuffed and limp.
 The dissecting part impressed me not so much as the staying They were ex- cessively alive, these pigs And then they were so excessively dead, and the man in the dripping. clammy. hot pas- sage did not seem to care and ere the blood of such one had ceased to foam on the floor such another and four friends with him had shrieked and died
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-06-11
Like Something New.

Dog fanciers. like the rest of people whose tastes are well defined, are given to the hankering after something new" said a man who owns many dogs. Horse low CTS are satisfied with the thoroughbred but the dog fancier Is more fickle. He has tried the whole canine tribe from the Newfoundland down to the rat-sized pock- ct edition. from the greyhound to the pug, and from the hairless Mexican to the shaggy St. Charles spaniel. If the dog tribe holds any more possibilities he will probably play them out.
 50 in time if the aboriginal dog were to walk the earth again he would not recognize his kind. The old-fashioned hound, the best of them all, is gone, or relegated to the coon hunter. You don't see any of them riding around in car riages like these freaky objects that
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-06-11
ODE ON SOLITUDE.
By Alexander Pope.

By Alexander Pope. Happy the man whose wish and care few paternal acres bound, Content to breathe his native air In his own ground. Whose herds with milk, whose fields with
 bread,
 Whose fiocks supply him with attire; Whose trees in summer yield him shade. In winter fire Blest. who can unconcerndly find Hours, days and years slide soft away; In health of body. peace of mind. Quiet by day Sound sleep by night, study and ease, Together mkt, sweet recreation: And innocence, which most does please, With meditation. Thus let me live, unseen. unknown; Thus, unlamented, let me die. Steal from the world, and not stone Tell where lie.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-06-11
WHAT KIPLING SAW IN THE
 CHICAGO STOCK YARDS
From His American Notes.

From His American Notes.
 WENT off to see the cattle killed.
 They say every Englishman goes to the Chicago stock yards. You shall find them about six miles from the city; and once having seen them you will never forget the sight.
 As far as the eye can reach stretches township of cattle pens, cunningly divided into blocks. so that the animals of any pen can be speedily driven out close to an inclined timber path which leads to an elevated covered way stand ing high above the pens.
 These viaduets are two-storied. On the upper story tramped the doomed cattle. stolidly for the most part. On the lower the scufling of sharp hoofs and multitudnous yells from the pigs, the same end being appointed for each.
 It was to the pigs I first addressed myself. Selecting a viaduct which was full of them. as I could hear though could not see, marked a sombre build ing whereto 1t ran, and went there not unalarmed by stray cattle, which had iiidhh61o NO NoAdpC HUH tAiC PiOpCA quarters. A pleasant smell of brine warned me of what was coming.
 Turning a corner and not noting an overhead arrangement of greased rail, wheel and pulley, I came into the arms of four eviscerated carcasses, all pure white and of a human aspect, pushed by a man clad in vehement red. When I leaped aside the floor was slippery un- der me. Also there was flavor of farm yard and the shouting of a multitude in my ears.
 But there was no joy in their shout ing Twelve men stood in two lines, six to a side. Between them and overhead ran the railway of death that had nearly shunted me through the window. Each man carried a knife, the sleeves of his shirt were cut off at the elbows, and from bosom to heel he was blood red.
 The atmosphere was stiflng by reason of the steam and the crowd. I climbed to the beginning of things, and, perched upon a narrow beam, overlooked very nearly all the pigs ever bred in Wiscon- sin. They had just shot out of the mouth of the viaduct and huddled to-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-06-11
PennsyIvania Politics.

Pennsylvania elects a governor this year, and the republican state conven- tion put in nomination last week for that office Edwin s. Stuart who twenty years ago was mayor of Phil Rdelphia, and who served term in That place without a scandal, at least one that came to the surface. He was then and ever since has been ma chine republican. And yet he is a man of blameless life and conceded probity. He was nominated, said one of the machine, because "in all fac tional struggles he has antagonized no pne." It was, therefore, hoped that he Mould be able to placate the Lincoln party, which has placed Louis F.. Emery, an oil producer. in nomination For governor.
 But he will not be able to placate the Lincoln party or any other party, simply because Senator Penrose and his lieutenants conducted the conven- tion in the old familiar fashion Elf Forts are in fact being made to unite In fusion ticket all those who want no return of the machine to power alike in the state and in Philadelphia and the chances are Mayor Stuart will have to face a ticket of that sort The Issue then will relate directly to the machine, and that is the real issue in Pennsylvania. It will be the under ground issue in all states, and no ma. chine will feel secure over the out come of the November election. The general charge and insinuation in the coming campaign will be that the ma. chine is in league with the trusts and monopolies-thatt the one supports the pther-that the one created the other. and that both should be voted down and out together. This is the general situation, and in Pennsylvania the situ- ation is acute and special. The Pen rose machine Is one of the worst the country has ever known, and the se- lection of Mayor Stuart as the head md front of the machine will conciliate no one. He stands high, but so did hoyernor Pennypacker, and it is con
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-06-11
Fuss and Feathers.

"The gubernatorial campaign in my state,' said the ex-Atlantian, lis all fuss and feathers. It will decide nothing, be- cause the democrats have not been per- mitted to select by plurality vote can- didate The politicians would not permit direct vote. All they will permit is the selection of delegates to a convention, which Is free to select any man, even one whose name has not been mentioned.
 This is what it will probably do, for 1t is conceded by all that cone of the five aspirants-Clark Howell, Hoke Smith. J. H. Estill, Judge Russell and Farmer Jim Smith-will control the convention. They will scratch and dicker in 1t, and then perhaps a dark horse will be brought in.
 This is as near as the democrats of Georgia have come towards having a primary and direct voting. After all. Ala bama Is the premier primary state of the Union'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-06-11
BIG MONEY IN HoRsE-BREEDINo.

One of the most profitable side lines in which the general farmer may engage is horse breeding. says Farming. It is a business for which great majority of the farmers already possess a part of the equipment as there are few who do not have at least one general purpose mare suitable for the purpose. Here is a great opportunity then to secure good profit at a small additional outlay. Now there are horses and horses some bred for speed, some for style and gait. some for work. It is with the latter class that the farmer had best deal if he wants to keep his peace of mind and a plump wallet.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-06-11
PAY UP, UNCLE SAM.
m the Boston Transcript.

From the Boston Transcript.
 Of course. if the United States owes Maryland s72,OOO loaned to complete the erection of the original capitol at Wash ington, the debt should be paid; but 1t does seem as if Maryland ought to have presented it's little bill earlier.
 The s'2,0oO was advanced in 1790 vir- ginia also loaned money for the same pur- pose. s120,O0 These facts seem odd read ing nowadays. but one hundred and six teen years ago the states had more ready cash than the federal government. and everything about the latter was new. even it's credit