davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-04-15
WROTE FAMOUS EDITORIAL.

In speaking of Frank r. Church, who died recently. the New York Sun said: For almost a third of a century Frank P. Church was leading editorial writer in the service of this newspaper. The late Charles A. Dana had been in con trol of the Sun for only about five years when MT. Church began to contribute to the columns of this page. How well he served the readers of the Sun during that long period of professional activity, with what truth of perception, vigor and origi- nality of thought and excellence of lit .erary art he did his share of the work that is merged in anonymity once every twenty-four hours, those few can under stand who are able to distinguish the in- dividual features that make the com posite. At this time, with the sense of personal loss strong upon us, we know of no better or briefer way to make the friends of the Sun feel that they too have lost a friend than to violate custom by in- dicating him as the author of the beau- tiful and often republished editorial article affirming the existence of Santa Claus, in reply to the question of little girl. These were his concluding lines:
 " You may tear apart the babys rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory be- yond. Is it all real? An, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.
 NO Santa Claus? Thank God he lives and he lives forever. A thousand years from now. Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of child hOod.' "
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-04-15
BUBBLES.

From the Philadelphia Bulletin.
 well known stamping ground-the post office.
 cart-wheel dollars are not the only kind that go.
 The bravest looking underwear some times has a shrinking disposition. During the darkness of the flood no doubt Noah rigged up an ark light It is not always good table manners to turn the tables. The man of letters cannot take his e's if he o's too much
 Some potters live by means of their urnings.
 The small boy with his first watch is having the time of his life. ss When some people harp on one string it is string of lies.
 It is preserving undertaken who ac- complishes all he undertakes. ,ss Man may want but little here below, but he often longs for it.
 Every dog has his day, but the fieas are on him both day and night.
 Love seems to resemble bottomless pit when some people fall in.
 Taking better half ought to be no half hearted transaction
 The fruits of the spirit are absent from many, B family tree .
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-04-15
Railroad Guides.

"A person never realizes what useful book the official railroad guide is until he learns to use it frequently and to depend on it." said railroad man yesterday. When 1 first started railroading the guide was a mystery to me and thought it the hardest book in the world to understand.
 After I learned how to use the book found it a wonderful convenience to me not only as a railroad man, but In other matters. It has all the time tables cor rected up to date each month. an accurate list of all the railroads and all the rail- road stations in the country. One can learn the location of a place easily by re- ferring to the guide, and also how to spell the name of a city.
 Tt requires an immense amount of work to produce this book monthly, as there are about 1000 pages of railroad schedules and changes are constantly taking place."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-04-15

Vulcan in reduced form could hold an honored place.
 Let the current laissez faire agita, tion therefore go on. It is absolutely harmless, even though Colonel Johns pours into it all the vehemence of his rugged Welsh nature. The century nearly is ahead, and Vulcan be trusted to await it's roundup before he calls for his pedestal. A pedestal is priv ilege, not a right, and Vulcan should be patient while friend and foe discuss in season and out of season his condi- tion- and position and outlook in this his favorite valley.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-04-15
IN HOTEL LoBBIEs
Give Boys a Chance.

T was very much impressed with some of the points made by the Rev J. R. Me- Mullen in his address at the Commercial club Friday afternoon on the subject of the Alabama Trades school for white boys said a leading Birmingham banker yesterday afternoon.
 Suppose we leave out the general idea of adding such a feature to the educa- tinoal advantages of Alabama said the speaker; ''and only consider the following facts quoted by Mir McNullen, taken largely from federal census figures, and by them measure the value of such a school to this section and the coming generation of boys that standard. 7 There are only about S3 per cent of the white boys between the ages of II and A years in the southern states who attend any school at all
 / we can take boy off a mountain farm and turn him into skilled workman in two years at a total cost of s166 a year.
 In two years from the day we open our school We will be able to add numer- ous native skilled worlSn1en to the ranks of Alabama industry.
 This will be the only school on the western hemisphere that offers to poor white boys of good moral character q chance to perfect themselves in skilled trades. There are any number of institu- tlons that will receive and train boys sent to them by the courts, but must we compel our poor white boys to commit a crime in order to get chance to learn a trade? 1 know some of the mountain boys who have given me their confidence and who dream of a better opportunity in life who would be willing almost to bring themselves into the Jurisdiction of the criminal courts to get such chance in life.
 "These are things worth considering" concluded the gentleman.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-04-15
GROUSE ATE DYNAMITE.
And the Birds Exploded When Shot
 By Hunters.

Monticello 6Mo) Cor. New York World.
 gang of quarrymen blasting for lime stone ten miles northeast of here ran short of fresh meat a short time ago and cast about for means to replenish their supply until the boss of the job could lav in a barrel of pork and some jerked beef. It would have been comparatively eays to shoot a deer, but the boss would not have it, so one of the men who owned a rifle of small caliber suggested grouse. To this the boss offered no objection.
 The birds were plentiful all about the job, being drawn by scattered grain about the barn where the draught horses were kept and by chips of rock along the edge of the new opening. The latter were greedily gobbled for digestives, and when the grouse were missing at the barn they could surely be found about the refuse heaps thrown up by blasts.
 Thorman, owner of the rife, chose a bright morning to replenish the pot, and he hadn't gone ten rods back of the barn before he saw a fine fat grouse hugging q limb of a hemlock. Taking careful aim at the birds head, he pulled the trigger. The result astonished him so that he gasped. A loud report followed the sharp crack of the .22-caliber rifle, and where the grouse had been sitting he observed A light cloud of brown feathers floating in the air. Not sign of the birds body could be found.
 The effect of the shot was so remark able that Thorman went for companion before he sought another bird. This, when fired at. also blew up and the men mar yelled. A third, shot through the head. came down in orthodox manner but a fourth simply disappeared off the face of the earth.
 q guess I can explain that all rlght, said the boss when the one grouse was brought to him and the story of the eX- nlosions had been told. "The same thing happened up on the Brace manganese job last year .,.,
 With a sharp knife he carefully stripped inc grouse and opened it's crop Out rolled four or five small pebbles of brown sup- stance, somewhat harder than putty.
 dynamite" he said laconicaily, Ihey have been picking it up near the blast house. and when you fired you shot low and hit the crop. You might as well shoot at a stick of the stuff.
 After that the men aimee hgn anu ii''u no trouble in getting what birds they wanted. In the majority bits of the ex- nlosiye were found in the crops'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-04-15
From the New York Mail.


 B nPnSn .asa an a.aes no0sngn.I ~ni.n I. Dnr sss s to be enforced in the United States army, raising the minimum height of officers appointed to five feet and five inches. The secretary of war has already referred this order to the general staff with instructions to prepare a regulation in accordance with it. This order of course, will not affect officers now hold ing commissions, but will exclude in the future all new men who are not up to the low-water mark drawn by the Pres. ident. Presumably it will affect cadets at West Point who shall not have attain. ed the height of i've feet and five inches before the date of their appointment as second lieutenants in the army although they may are eligible for admission to the academy as cadets at five feet and three inches in height, if between seven teen and nineteen years of age, and at five feet and four inches in height if over nineteen.
 This edict having gone forth, 1t Is in teresting to enumerate some of the men who would have been excluded from the regular army of the United States if they had, after the issue of this order, ap- piled for admission to it. The following may be named:
 !. Alexander the Great (probably).
 Napoleon Bonaparte
 William III. of England.
 Philip H. Sheridan.
 Earl Roberts.
 Joseph Wheeler.
 Frederick Funston.
 Napoleon the Great was five feet and two inches tall when he became first consul, and it is not likely that he grew any afterward Except in his own mind and in the worlds estimation. If re- ferred to his case is a proof that little men can become the greatest generals, President Roosevelt might, perhaps, re- spond that 1t would have been a good thing for mankind if Napoleon Bonaparte had been debarred from the military ser vice of his country on the ground of his stature. The same could not be said, how ever, in the case of any other distinguish ed soldier whose name is in the above list. Sheridan was barely five feet three inches tall when he entered West Point, at the age of seventeen. and 1t Is not of record that he grew any afterward It would probably have taken several months longer to fight the civil war to a successful finish if Sheridan had been shut out of the service on the ground that he was not tall enough General Shafter would also have been compelled to hustle in somewhat livelier way than he did at Santiago if "Joe" Wheeler had been debarred from that campaign for the same reason; and lacking Rob erts, few more months would probably have been added to the Boer war.
 In accepting the Presidents order cut ting out future Napoleons. Sheridans and wheelers. the general staff admitted that s.the necessity for raising the standard of minimum height is not apparent" but declared that they ''did not think that the adoption of the proposed standard would result in. excluding many in dividuals who would, if opportunity of fered, develop into great commanders They did not explain. however. why there
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-04-15
Peculiar Thinq.

q do not know whether Hobson is go- ing to win his fight against Bankhead in the Sixth district" said 8 man who spent yesterday in Walker county, "but l do know one thing, and that Is that the people are Hooking to hear the captain speak
 "A peculiar thing happened this after noon. Mr. Hobson was due to speak at Horse Creek and between 125 and 15O peo- pie went from Cardova on the train to hear him, It is unusual that such n thing occurs in political campaign. This party was composed of men, women and children"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-04-15

(k tE time having arrived for our IVY annual fishing edition, we will proceed with an editorial on the subject to-wit: Fishing, both as sport and as means of livelihood, dates from the remote past. If we wished to draw aside the veil of antiquity for twentieth century eyes. a fisherman would be dis covered on the banks of some prehistoric stream. Fishing Is about the easiest thing mankind has ever found to do. It con ssts principally of waiting and Is one of the best known resources of the lazy man. Fishing has always been popular. tho 1t was made famous by Izaak Wal ton. Etymologically considered, the verb. to fish, comes from the Old English word, fiseien, and the later Anglo-Saxon. fiscian, altho fishing is fishing, whether you mention 1t in Latin, Greek or San sl1rit. As sedative fishing is unexeell- ed and in the abstract is invaluable to comic poets who frame fishing rhyme when times are dull Strange to say. man began early to exaggerate the size of his catch, hence the adjective, "fishy." and the circus poster. The average man knows when fishing time arrives but if he is in doubt he can settle the matter permanently by looking into some fellows doggerel column While these few re- marks may be neither instructive nor entertaining, they have helped us this far toward the end of our column. WHEN THE CORK GOES DOWN. Who can still his glad hearts beating, Who can wear a gloomy frown? Who can hide his jubaton When
 the
 cork
 goes
 down? Where resides a man so sordid That he'd rather wear a crown Than to be supremely happy When
 the
 cork
 goes
 down? In this life what use to bother Over fame and cheap renown? Other cares are soon forgotten When
 the
 cork
 goes
 down?-' End of fishing edition. '"There is nothing remarked Col Biff yesterday that surpasses the fine, mild atmosphere of a friendly poker game" Don't be afraid to sing" remarks a contemporary. Whats the use of en- eeuraging any one in practice like that? "Samietzatielnaia storonar' exclaims Maxim Goriy as every turn. meaning. of course Marvellous countryr'
 BEST THEY COULD DO. 'Keep on smiling" said a poet
 Making an internal din. People who perused his verses
 Merely pulled a sckly grin. A Texas preacher used slang and whip ped two highwaymen with his fists. Peo- pie are shoelingly unconventional out in Texas.
 The question now seems to be, Was Andy kist, or did he ks?
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-04-15
Heavy Easter Business.

There will be more fine clothes worn in Birmingham Sunday than on any previous Easter said a merchant last night as the doors were being closed
 "The weeks business has been heavier than any Easter season I recall. The dry goods, clothing, millinery, shoe and haberdasher stores have been almost con- stantly crowded the past fifteen days. and this week, at times 1t has been difficult to wait on all the customers. the rush was so great.
 "We have sold high quality of goods. too. Birmingham people all have money these days, and most of them spend llb- orally. The weather has been quite pro- pitious, too. If we had had rainy week there's no telling how many dollars trade would have slumped. But everything looks promising all around now. Merchants are gratifled with the weeks business, and hundreds of people will rejoice tomorrow over their Easter clothes.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-04-15
ALABAMA PRESS

Marion County News: The election of a southern man as President of the United States would do much to help make this really one country. but another genera tion will have to be born before a south ern man will have much show of being elected President
 Tuscumbia North Alabamian: A chica- go professor is to tell only the truth for a year and will receive s25.OOO for the job. The truth comes high in Chicago.
 Alexander City outlook: Scarcity of farm labor is reducing cotton acreage faster than any other agency. A drive through the country in any direction win convince any one that a larger cotton crop than that of last year cannot possi- bly, be raised in this section. Many of the laborers' houses are vacant and much farming land standing idle.
 Baldwin Times: In Bryan's last article on the Philippines, he expresses himself as well pleased with the Northern Phil ippnes and their people. We believe he can do more good there than here Could he be induced to go?
 
 Headland Post: The Dowieites are de- termined to keep themselves in the lime light. The first apostles" spectacular performances having ceased to attract, the whole 'l1it and bling of 'em are making a spectacle of themselves.
 Atmore spectrum District Attorney Jerome's tirade against the exposure of trust corporation makes him look very much like a gentleman sneezing against a cyclone.
 Dadeville Spot Cash: An Oklahoma woman thinned her stove polish with gasoline and applied it to a hot stove. She doesn't live in Oklahoma now
 Fort Payne Journal To layman the idiosyncrasies of the law leave a sense of bewllderment, for no sooner has the su- preme court decided that trust officials must answer all questions put to them, than the trial court in the beef trust case decides that trust magnates cannot be convicted on the evidence they have given in an investigation.
 Greenville Living Truth: With HOO im- migrants in one day at Ellis Island, jt looks as though the stork might take a short vacation this summer without hurt ing the country.
 Attalla Mirror: A man at Richmond, Va, has found his third wife by adver- Using. He may decide later on that it does not pay to advertise.
 Talladega Reporter It is now the turn of Dr. Cunningham at the bat. He clear ly made many new friends in Talladega.
 Jacksonville Record; Attorney General Hadley of Missouri says he got all he wanted out of the Standard oil company. MT. Hadley is like the average citizen, satisfied with getting mighty little out of the Standard,
 Pine Belt News; Alabama has set the pace in the matter of selecting federal senators by popular vore. At least, the next thing to 1t, the choosing of men to be appointed to the places should the incumbents of the office be accommodate ing and die.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-04-15
Exposures and the People.

MT. Roosevelt was the Man with Muck Rake before the war with Spain, and he did good work. The country was then sleeping over graft and un- told corruption, and it was drifting to destruction as it slept. All this has been changed, and the so-called "ex- posers" have much to do in bringing about and working up the change. TO my .mind,' said Governor Folk at the Jefferson banquet in Kansas City, ''the most hopeful sign of the continu- ance of government by the people is the very exposures. The atmosphere will be clearer and the body polite cleaner for the stamping out and cure of civic evils. There is no secret rem edy for corruption. It cannot be cured by hiding it, when it is known the peo- pie can be trusted to apply the remedy swiftly and surely. The people are awake now, and as long as they keep awake there will be only white lights ahead for popular government. The developments of the last few years should inspire optimism-not pessim- ism as to the future. The punishment of rascals is not going to cause the overthrow of the republic. If things had gone on the old way, when brib. cry was considered conventional and when graft became so common as not to cause comment, when special priv ileges were considered right, then it would only be a question of time when our nation would have gone as other republics have gone during the flight of time during the ages. Now things are different. The old-fashioned ideas of honesty are being applied to the new-fashioned business. The command, tfhou Shalt Not Steal, has again be- come binding"
 < But the republicans have had enough of exposures. The president of the Indiana state republican convention decried them, and now MT. Roosevelt has gone over to the antieXposure crowd The real trouble is the ex- posures are hurting the republican party. They are endangering the elc- tion of a republican House of Repre- sentatives this fall, and of republi- can President in 1908. This is why an effort is to be made all along the re- publican line to put an end to them.
 But they cannot be ended. The peo- pie want to know the truth. But a small percentage of the rottenness of the period has been disclosed. The party and the magazines and the news k papers that add to the peoples stock of information in this respect will command support, and where support x is forthcoming the facts will be brought out.
 The democratic party is demanding all possible exposures, and every man who desires the overthrow of Privilege with big P should work for, subscribe l for and talk for more exposures-the more the better, no matter who is hit.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-04-15
About Persons.

G. L. Chamberlain of Maylene is stop ping at the Birmingham.
 John L. Williams of Talladega is at the Colonial.
 The register of the Metropolitan shows the names of the following Alabama vis- itors: G. A. Carter and wife of Hartsell c. D. Griffin of Coalburg, H. Allen Wyatt of Tuscaloosa w. D. McGnnis of Helena, R. B. Spear of Jasper, James R. Hall of Dadeville and J. H. Arnold of Gadsden
 J. c. Delong of Blocton is at the Nor ris.
 S. L. Field of Montgomery is registered at the Hillman.
 l.. O. Oblechain of Tuscaloosa is stop ping at the Colonial
 W. L. Humphry of Huntsville is at the Morris
 A. F. Jackson of Eutaw is stopping at the Hillman.
 Mir, and Mrs ", A. Cobbs of Anniston are at the: Morris. fsi -A s-. 2 < 4
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-04-15
REFLECTIONS OF A BACHELOR.
,om the New York Press

From the New York Press.
 There will be money enough in the world for everybody when it is no use to any body.
 On a nice spring day it seems like be- ing sentenced to hard labor even to have to yawn. @a
 A nice thing about having large family is you cant afford to have any other bad habits.
 A girl Is pretty sure you want to marry her if you tell her she has hair like some famous actress
 It's bad policy to prove man is wrong in an argument with you when you know saes has some other way. to get eyen-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-04-15
NEW MILK ORDINANCE.

From the Chattanooga Times.
 Birmingham, Ala, is growing in all re- spects. The City Council recently passed an ordinance against the sale of impure milk and requiring a weekly inspection. Such an ordinance rigidly and honestly enforced would be of great service in pre- serving the health of children. Health boards in nearly all the larger cities are requiring such inspection and the move ment may be expected to reach Chatta- nooga in due time.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-04-15
ARMY REGULATION CUTS
 OFF LITTLE GENERALS

is any more necessity that a military of ficer should be big man physically than a bank president or a college professor. The modern major general does not fight" in the sense of physical strug gle. He simply bosses others fighting
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-04-15
EASTER-TIDE.

BX Julia Nicely Finch. Bud and blossom everywherei
 Boughs new-leaved and growing green, Mystic fragrance on the air
 As of censor swung unseen. Birds beginning now to build;
 Mating seasons close at hand Nests with eggs will soon be fled
 Brooding mothers OCT the land
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-04-15

The Montgomery campaign against the Underwood judiciary bill is ended, for Referee Moody will doubtless hand up an opinion tomorrow. Tuesday is the last possible day.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-04-15

The czar is trying to choose between Witte and Durnovo, and he seems to be afraid to dismiss Durnovo, who protects him, or Witte, who is about to finance him.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-04-15

Senator Tillman is a busy man. At present he is toting the rate bill, the Barnes issue, and the dispensary ques- ton, but he does not complain of over work
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-04-15

The Washington Post estimates that one-fourth of the United States Sena- tors are being treated for deafness, failing sight or throat troubles.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-04-15

President Castro regrets that cir cumstances do not permit him to join the McCurdys and other American refugees in Paris.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-04-15

The banking house of Kuhn, Loeb & Go. makes more money than any other firm of financiers in the country.