davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-08
ROOSEVELT DOESN'T DREAM.
n the Washlngton Herald.

From the Washington Herald
 If dreaming Is the result of bad dges- tion the President of the United States ton, for, in reply to a question a few days ago, he told a visitor that not since he was child could he remember having had 8 dream, while asleep" The last words are quoted, because, according to The Heralds informant the President used them. MT. Roosevelt told his visitor that he frequently had wondered why his rest at night was not disturbed by dreams, pleasant or otherwise, as was the experience of so many other persons of normal habits, but that he could not recall single instance since he emerged from adolescence when his slumber was haunted by those strange operations of the mind called dreams. He recokened his immunity was due to habit he had acquired after determined effort of throw ing all dull care away as soon as he went to bed It matters not how crowded have been his waking hours, when he has fin- ished with the days work and drowsi- ness creeps upon his senses, he gives him. self up absolutely to sleep. He has &C., quired the faculty Napoleon had of com pletey shutting off the currents of thought, and in jiffy after he hits the bed" he is sound asleep and for an un- broken stretch of eight hours, in normal circumstances. his mind is as inactive as if he were dead. Frequently, of course, he does not sleep eight hours, but this oc- CUTS only when the press of public bus mess cr other engagements keep him up beyond his usual hour of retirement or necessitate his rising at an earlier hour than usual. Even then he does not have to be called, but wakes promptly at the time set. He says that he has never had to use an alarm clock, and seldom has had to be called. The visitor says that the President is unable to understand why everybody normally constituted can not regulate, sleep in this way.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-08
Tourinq the Sixth District

The educational and semi.officia1 tour that Congressman Hobson and his lieu tenants are making in the thirteen counties of the Sixth congressional district promises to be an important matter. Already plans have been made for the establishment of five additional rural free delivery routes in Tusca- loosa county, and the chances are that the entire congressional district will be shaken up and wakened up by the tour.
 It will secure it's proper share of iral free delivery routes, which 1t has
 ,t had. It will study intensive culti-
 ltion, especially of the cotton plant
 ith a cotton expert next fall as a.
 acher. It will get soil surveys in
 cry county. It will consider forestry
 oblems, and it will take a course in
 ,od roads.
 Odpldlu I1oDSOH 10 NdhiiS otCpo to organize county experiment associa- tions, so that the work of the present tour will be maintained and possibly progressed. The energy and magnet ism of Captain Hobson may in that way render his campaign of education valuable and practical in his district.
 The work that is going on in the Sixth district should be duplicated in each of the other congressional dis tricts of this state. The general gov ernment stands ready to furnish sclen- tific assistance and experts, and all that any other district needs is Con- gressman who will emulate and if pos sible exceed Richmond Pearson Hob- son as an educational organizer and leader. The Hero of Santiago is out. doing his efforts in war in good works at home.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-08
Demand for Office Rooms.

''One of the many evidences of Birming- hams substantial growth Is the demand for office quarters" said w. l.. Brennan q spent some time looking for office quarters in a steel frame building before I could secure what I wanted. The de- mand seems to be greater than the sup ply
 In business circles it has been commonly remarked that before another year rolled round there would be an office famine. '" Steel frame structures have filled up as soon as they were completed, and where ever a room Is found unoccupied 1t is due to some special cause, and is quick ly rented. Some of the old office buildings are being reftted and they like the sky scrapers, are pretty well occupied. Sew eral to the railroad companies, unable to secure adequate office space in any one building have had to place departments in various buildings, when they would have preferred an entire floor under one roof
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-08
PRESS POINTS

Chattanooga Star: Will the old adage that "all the world loves lover be verified in the case of Steel King Corey?
 Florida Times-union: MT Taft says we can have the canal within eight years. Win this be in time for scrap with Japan?
 Denver Post. But why should MISS Maud Sinclair and Miss Mabel Shaw be going to Los Angeles to attend the Moth CTS congress?
 Columbia State: A New York man who had sS0,0OO stolen from him on a subway train was robbed of everything, includ- ing the power of expression.
 Portland Telegram: While millions of Chinese are starving, the Chinese gov ernment has ordered 2OO0.OO0 rifles. The price of one gun would save the lives of several families
 New Orleans Times Democrat: An as trologer from Hoboken predicts that the enemies of President Roosevelt will be plotting his downfall on May g. He might have included the remainder of the calendar dates without endangering his reputation as a prophet.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-08
GIRLS WHO WANT TO SING.

From the Philadelphia Public Ledger.
 Some interesting comments on attempts of American girls to get Into grand opera were made today by Oscar Hammerstein. "One of my dreams when I was prepar- ing to give grand opera here" he said, was that I would help American talent to get on. I soon found I would have plenty of opportunities. Ambitious girls? There are thousands of them here, girls who have spent five or even ten years studying for career and dreaming of the time when they would step into the shoes of Melba.
 Well, a lot of them had found they could not get ahead without influence, and most of them did not want to pay the price for the influence, and they did not get anywhere. When I started 1t was not long before the musical peo pie of New York found that influence did not count for much with me, and that there was no price to pay if girls had the voice-and the talent.
 "Then came the deluge.
 "Imagine having a young woman come to you and letting you know she has all her hopes bound up in what you say and do. Imagine another girl who has been studying for years at great sacrifice to her family. You see the temperament in her face and hear 1t in her voice when she speaks, and you feel certain that she can learn quickly what to do She gets up to sing. You find that some charlatan | has been taking her money for years and telling her she has a great future-just a plain folly-and that she has not the voice. or, if she has, it has been trained so badly she can not use 1t. If woman comes to me I always try to listen. In a minute I can tell. I am always ready to learn if they have voice to balance the head and heart. When I find such I make them an offer
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-08
Improvement the Rene
he Washington Herald war

The Washington Herald war
 mends the views of Representlve Sam Will John upon pistol toting. "The carrying of concealed weapons" 1t says, lis one of the greatest evils of the times. The practice ought to be stamped out, if possible. Fines affect the situation very little, but certainty of imprisonment upon conviction would bring the pistol toter face to face with a very different situation. The sugges- ton of the Hon. Sam Will John of the Alabama legislature is timely and to the point. Alabama judges and judges of other states will do well to act upon it."
 But better than the suggestion of Mir. John is the suggestion that the law take away from the judge the discre- ton that he has abused from time out of mind. Make pistol toting, in other words, felony, and then you will in augurate reform of far-reaching pro- portion and value-a reform that is Impossible under present laws. Pres ent laws have been fully tested, and they are failure. Try then the plan that MT. John longs for, but which can never be secured through the judges.
 Has the legislature the courage to do what it knows should be done ? Will it, in other words, make pistol toting a felony? If it will not, then disarmament will remain dream, and homicides and acts of violence will go on unchecked in Alabama.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-08
Musical Art.

"One reason why musical art does not make greater progress in Birmingham than it does Is because so few pupils study seriously" said Prof. Henry Taylor Staats. "There is just as much talent here as will be found in other cities of our size, but neither parents nor the chill dred who take lessons seem to regard music as anything more than a light di- version. 'T
 Tn my experience of seven years in Birmingham I have taught many girls who had fine talent for the piano, but after they were grown they dropped their practice and what they had learned about music was thrown away. In northern cities and in some of the older southern cities 1t Is different. Music students in those communities have ambition and 1t Is not uncommon to find women and men, too. In fashionable society, who are good performers.
 There is nothing, in my opinion, that conduces so much to the creation of a musical atmosphere as ensemble playing in the home circle. In Germany one will find in almost every family chamber band. Ensemble playing helps the mu- steamship of the young members of the family and nothing could be more help ful in the way of culture"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-08
MIGHTY LONDON.
nm the Statistical Abstract.

From the Statistical Abstract.
 The six and a half million people in Greater London live in 92,00O houses. The population 100 years ago was just one fifth what it is now. Though the num- Der of births was nearly double the num- Der of deaths in 1904, the birth rate is steadily declining.
 The postal figures show that in 1905 there were 1928 postoffces in London and 2435 public telephones working. The total imports at London in 1904 amounted to sS49, ,oS6O0O, and the total exports s462,- 299, COO
 Some idea of Lopdons wealth is shown by the assessed income tax value in 1904 in the administrative county: Houses rep resenting $219 2640e0, trades and profess sions sS64, ,045 GOO, profits of companies and other interests s69s ,511 GOO, salaries (corpor- ate bodies) sl1o. 4,0oo, salaries (army and navy) S103, ,674,000.
 In 1905 there were 299S motor cars and 1852 motor cycles in London. Licenses to drive were granted to S070 people. the fees received amounting to $S6S00
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-08

present proportions. No previous wave equals it, or even approximates it, al- though as long ago as 1882 the num- Der of newcomers was 7ss,992. That year was, however, long a record That record has been lost in the great move ment of the century.
 How long the present wave is to last depends largely upon good times and general prosperity, upon development here and the customry overcrowding in the Old World. Possibly 1t would last longer if the newcomers could be landed in or near the districts which greatly need more labor. But that Is almost impossible. The gold-brick bill that Senator Lodge devised and that the President drove through Congress will soon go into operation, and under it's terms it will be difficult to divert immigration from New York.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-08
New Record of ImmIuration

In forty-eight hours last week 36,O00 newcomers arrived in steamers in New York harbor, enough to people an aver age Alabama county! A majority of these new citizens are under 35 years of age. They came here full of vigor and energy, eager to find and found new homes. They come to join at once the producing force of the country.
 It is believed that in May and June fully 100000 immigrants will be landed In New York, thus carrying the record of the present fiscal year to unprece- -dented figures. The arrivals of the last fiscal year were 1,1O0,795, and no doubt those of the present year will go to 100000.
 The present immigration wave started from an inflow in 1898 of but 229.299, rising by leaps and bounds to
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-08
Three Out of Five

At one time we were told that there would be no strawberries in Alabama, and yet the luscious berries are cheap and plentiful. And so it will be when the peach season eliminates. In twelve years in Georgia-years that cover that states peach-growing record there have been but three crop failures. The Atlanta Constitution fur nishes the details of the record, as follows:
 1s95-Good crop from small number of trees as compared with present orchards Georgia shipped about 900 cars.
 1S9s-- Complete failure; only 200 cars shipped.
 1ss7-Complete failure shipments very small
 1sss-Good crop; Georgia shipped about 2500 cars.
 1s99-Entire crop destroyed.
 190O-Good crop; state shipped 2250 cars. 1901-Fair crop; some damage from wet weather; about 2o0o cars shipped.
 
 1903-Fair crop; 1000 cars shipped. 1904-Largest crop in history of state 4SoO cars shipped.
 1s05--Fair crop; 219S cars shipped. 19O6-Good crop; some damage from wet weather; shipments, S4OO cars.
 1907?
 Instead of maximum crop of 5000 cars this year the best evidence points to a fair crop, one of about 2500 cars. If three good crops can be secured out of every five, there is," said Georgia peach grower recently, plenty of money in Georgia peaches" And what Is true in this respect of Georgia is true of our Alabama peach orchards, which are fast rivaling those of the home of the Elbertas.
 There will at any rate be peaches, and in August we will where the April freeze got in i No April freeze can kill peach' parts of two broad states.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-08
TALE OF TWO UNIFORMS.

From the Philadelphia Inquirer.
 Miss Clara Divine. who was recently appearing at the Alcazar d'Ete, nearly came into conflict with the laws of France by appearing on the stage in what loked like correct military uniform. Summoned by the police to pay fine. Miss Divine smilingly pointed out that there was one button less on the tunic of her uniform than was prescribed by military law. The police were discom- fited
 By the curious inconsistency which characterizes the laws of various na- tions, Fraulein Sofia Curti was recently summoned by the German police for ap- bearing on the stage in incorrect Prussian military uniform. The actress got off as a first offender but it was pointed out to her that. if she wished to escape trouble, her military uniforms in future must be correct down to the small est detail
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-08
THE BILLIARD CUE.

From the London Chronicle.
 Concerning the billiard cue and the old fashioned billiard mace" or billiard mast" as Cowper wrote the word, it may be noted that the original French term for the instrument of the game was ''masse" or billiard "Queue," accord ing to Llttre, was at first the name of the tapering tail or striking end of the less clumsy stick that subsequently, rose into favor, and eventually came to mean that stick itself. Queue" in the sense of the tail of wig, used sometimes to be written "cue'' in English; but we re- serve the French spelling now for this and for the tail of people at theatre door, giving the English to the billi>>l stick and to the actors "cue"-if that also represents tail" the tail of the pre- cedng speech. But, as the actors cue used to be written "a or "au,' it has been thought to represent the Latin "quando' (wher).
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-08
plsRAELps HOME LIFE.

From Kebbeps Tory Memoirs
 After an exciting debate and successful division many of the younger members pressed MT. Dsraeli to return with them and have supper at the. Carlton; but, as Lady Beaconsfeld told me afterward. with manifest pride and joy, Dizzy came home to me" And she then proceeded to describe the supper: T had got him a raised pie from Fortnum & Mason's. and bottle of champaign. and he ate half the pie and drank all the champaign. and then he said, Why, my dear. you are more like a mistress than a wifep" And I could see that she took it as "a very high compliment indeed.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-08
UP A TREE.
From the New York Herald.

From the New York Herald
 Dr. Aked seems to have made the hit of inc Season last Sunday. He may turn out to be a second Rainsford. It looks, however, as if he is going gun ming for bulls and bears and the little lamb in Wall street, whereas Rains ford went for grizzlies in the Rocky mountains. Aked is an excellent story teller and will be a prize for our fore most social clubs at annual banquets. He tells this on Spuregon, who used to prac- tice his students in extempore preaching: One of the eminent divines young men on reaching the desk and opening the note containing his text read the sigle word "Zaccheus." He thought minute or two, then delivered himself thus: "zac- cheus was up a tree; so am l. zaccheus made haste and came down. and so do IT.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-08
WHAT IS A "coNcERTow

From the May Circle.
 A concerto is a symphony wherein one instrument is given persistent prominence; in other words, an extended instrumental solo with orchestral accompaniment, often taking three-quarters of an hour to per- form. It is the deification of single instrument-the highest achievement it's player can attain. A concerto is to the pianist, violinist. or cellist what grand opera Is to the singer. It is a tone-drama in three acts-energetic, tender, then cl- matic. There are brief intermissions be- tween these three movements and dur ing these pauses the player receives ap- plause like a "star''-bowing and smiling until again the baton raises, the orchestra starts in, and the performance goes on.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-08
HYMNS PROPER TO THE DAY.

From the London Telegraph.
 It was Archbishop Temple who com plained that when he stayed with a par son they always give me The Churchs On, Foundation and cold chicken. and I hate them both.' A bishop of a more sentimental turn was recently staying with one of his country clergy About the breakfast hour he heard the strains of Rock of Ages sounding through the house. At the breakfast table he remarked how sweetly the hymn sounded. Then said the vicars last born. That was cook. ' The bishop expressed pleasure at the melodies of cook. "She always sings Rock of Ages to boil the eggs" said the child i; three verses for soft-boiled, five for hard.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-08
MIR. HILLS INSTRUCTIONS.

From Judge.
 It is distinctly forbidden among the railroads everywhere to haul dead bodies on freight trains. It was also as dis tinctly forbidden in the offices of the Great Northern to disturb James J. Hill attempt to violate the former rule re- suited in a fragrant violation of the latter.
 Application was made by an undertaken in a North Dakota town for permission from the local agent of the Great North ,ern to ship late 1amented to St. Paul. on an afternoon freight, the deceased having carelessly waited till after the passenger train had gone before cashing in.
 T can't do it. said the agent. "It's against the rules.'
 Ask the division superintendent" urged the undertaken.
 T will, but it won't do any good,' was the reply.
 The agent was right but the division superintendent asked the official next above him, and so on till the office of Mr. Hill was appealed to as court of last resort. 2 Much against their inclnations, the of- fee assistants referred the matter to the magnate, who was at that time (Q1 p. m) at his home between the Twin Cities. MT. Hill looked over the message and grimly affixed thereto the following indorsement over his signature:
 Hold corpse till you get full car
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-08
From the New York Mail.

From the New York Mall
 @HE preacher or the writer who kOD essays to formulate a rule tor
 marriage is hampered by the knowledge of scores of instances in his own experience which controvert his theory and his conclusions. Hymen Is as prankish an imp as Cupid and delights in making wisdom seem folly. The Epls- copalian rectors of the diocese of Massa- chusetts doubtless could find, in their own parishes, many instances of early marriage whose sequel has been long and bitter repentance at leisure, and as many made when bride and groom were well past their youth, which have ended In trus content Yet the earnest plea made by these clergymen at the annual con vention in Boston deserves not only respectful but a sympathetic hearing:
 The ambitious standards of social life and the increased cost of living which are largely responsible for the postpone ment of marriages, and late marriages are in part answerable for immortality. The average age of the first marriage of men has within a century changed from 22 to 27 years Public sentiment should honor young people who are willing to endure comparative poverty and privation in or der to establish a home.
 The argument is true though not new. Lecky wrote long ago of the prevalence of early marriages in Ireland as com
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-08
CLEARING THE- HEApLANp.

By Robert Louis Stevenson. They lit the high sea-light and the dark
 began to fall "All hands to loose top-gallant sailsi
 heard the Captain call. By the Lord, she'll never stand it, our
 first mate, Jackson, cried "Its the one way or the other. MT. Jack
 son. he replied. She staggered to her bearings, but tho
 sails were new and good. And the ship smelt up to windward, just
 as though she understood. AS the winter day was ending, in the
 entry of the night, We cleared the weary headland, and
 passed below the light.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-08
Cost off Iron Production.

While pig iron is bringing good price, the profits are not so large as the pub lie may imaglne.' said a manufacturer. within the past six or eight months the cost of making iron has advanced fully s3 a ton. While some furnace companies are making iron for little less than SIS the average cost runs about SIS probably S13.25. So long as the market is active at $1s to $2O no one is disposed to complain of the cost. When the wage earners make money over and above their living expenses the volume in circulation is relatively larger and the entire com munlty is naturally benefited.
 Tn periods of depression Iron can be made in the Birmingham district cheaper than anywhere in the world. It has been made here under s6 ton, but it will be many a day before the iron market gets down to rock bottom again. Some people predict that 1t will never again be as low as sS.''
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-08
IN OLD MADRID

IN OLD MADRID. The bishops and ambassadors are gathered
 at Madrid
 To wait the royal visit of the stork, There's something due to happen and the
 secret can't be hid It's talked about in London and New
 York The populace has trained itself to raise
 the proper cheer The minute that the news is giRen out, And there's a strained expectancy on faces
 everywhere,
 While all the court officials stand about And try to pass the time away as If they
 liked to wait,
 Until that tardy bird flies into view. Oh, everything is ready for grand dis
 play of state,
 But. alas that lazy stork is overdue! Tho watchers on the pale walls do scan
 the empty sky
 To draw some information of the bird, They gain not cen a glimpse of him, no
 matter how they try. And softly whispered wonderment is
 heard. The latter part of April, said doctor who
 was wise, And now it is the merry month of May!' Of course, we don't accuse the guild of
 ever telling lies And yet. it's hard to credit all they
 say. Unless that stork gets busy with his slow
 delivery
 There'll be lot of trouble. He forgets That all who put their money up are hop
 ing anxiously
 To make good accounting of the bets! Iris sweet to hear the watch-dog's honest bark" sang that immortal bard whom we all know, but not if the watch dog is after you.
 The girl "cabbie' has made her ap- pearance in Chicago. Fare, please" Of course she's fair! That little story of the preacher and the girl makes a fine dessert for those who kept up with the Thaw trial. Pittsburg has put ban on "The Bath,