davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-27
Night Riders In Kentucky

The night-riding business in Ken lucky represents 27,000 tobacco grow CTS. The object of the big protective association is to secure better prices from the tobacco trust, and for that purpose they have pooled their tobacco, hoping by holding it to secure remuner- atiye prices.
 But there are some growers who remain outside the association, and Italy and some other foreign govern ments that conduct a tobacco monop- oly are accused of assisting the trust in depressing prices. The night riders have practically declared war against the independent growers and the offending governments, and they do not hesitate to burn or blow up ware houses and factories, to scrape tobacco weeds, and to pull young weeds.
 But on December they rode once lOO ilidHy, luT at tHdL lllle JHIe0 uuI- dred night riders we'll armed entered Hopkinsville, Ky, and then and there destroyed several big tobacco houses, including some tobacco belonging to the Italian government The Italian government naturally wants reimburse ment and assurances of safety for it's purchases hereafter, and this gives night riding an international char acter.
 In these hard times it is not easy to make the trust pay higher prices, and it is said the independent forces are increasing in number, but the fierce ness of the contest serves to render the night riders more desperate and reck- less. The end of the trouble is not yet in sight.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-27
Rear Admiral Evans Plum

The navy has an admiral and 23 rear admirals, but no vice admiral. There Is no law authorizing the ap- pointment of a vice admiral, and so a bill has been introduced to fill the gap between Dewey and the rear ad- mirals.
 The bill is probably booked for pas sage. because all feel that if Rear Ad- miral Bob Evans takes the white fleet to the Pacific through the dangerous Straits of Magellan without accident or material delay he will have de- served just before he is placed for age on the retired list promotion to q vice admirably.
 To take so large a fleet of big battleships 14,O00 miles is great task and an important task, for it will dem. onstrate to the world that Uncle Sam's ships are no holiday affairs in tended for use at Newport or Oyster Bay only. If the cruise is made on time and without injury to ship 1t will show that Uncle Sans big navy has a capacity for service anywhere and at any time. This is something worth striving for, and Rear Admiral Evans will deserve promotion if he executes his task in satisfactory man Ter.
 Let the bill be passed. It should be passed so that the coveted com mission can be delivered when the fleet drops anchor in San Francisco bay behind the Golden Gate.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-27
Speculative BankinQ

The failure of the Neal bank of At lanta owing nearly 10000 depositors $2,067 000 was due, not so much to the financial stringency, as to two specula- tions In which the president, D. H. Thornton, was gagged in carrying on. One related to the mine of pyrites near Pyritan, Ala, into which enterprise $200,000 of the depositors' money was invested, and the other was a scheme to buy Cuban lands at low prices to be sold at high prices. About $200,000 of the depositors' money was put into 1t also. These loans to two Thornton companies led to a refusal on the part of the Atlanta clearing house to come to the aid of the Neal bank and this is why its doors were closed. They will never be reopened.
 The Alabama and Cuban properties may become valuable and saleable, but they cannot be turned into cash speed
 
 fly. Even if Thornton had not been interested in the two companies, the two loans in question should have been rejected, simply because a bank should have on hand quick assets only. And this at all times-in prosperous times as we'll as in times of diversity. If the money that was put into the pyrites and Cuban lands had been put into cotton to be held for higher prices no harm would have come to the bank and it's depositors. Perhaps E. H. Thornton sees that now. It was just another case in which foresight was outranked by hindsight. The les- son need not be lost, however, on | other banks or other individuals. Ab- | solutely surplus money in the south should be loaned on cotton, the more the better. thus enabling the southern farm CT to carry his crop until he is ready l to sell It. Cotton is ever a quick col lateral
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-27
Girded with waist of iron, And hemn,'ed about with grim destruc- ton -I King Henry VI.
Japanese immigration

England is an ally of Japan, but Eng land permits Canada to negotiate her own treaties, and she has just con cluded one with Japan under which, it is stated, all Japanese labor immi- grafton in Canada will be prevented. And yet, it is also stated Japan re- fused to set any limit ~on the num- Der of Japanese that will be permitted to land in Canada.
 The statements leave the nature of the , Canadian-Japanese treaty uncertain, and there is nothing to do but to await a publication of the terms of the treaty negotiated by Rodolph Lemiux, Canadian minister of labor.
 The Canadian treaty is interesting to us in two ways. In the first place Japanese landed in Canada may cross the long boundary line at any time, and then, too, favorable terms granted to Canada will no doubt be offered to the United States. This country is represented in Japan by Thomas J. O'Brien He is an Ambassador, and doubtless he, too, will soon send home a plan for controlling Japanese i'm migration to this country. A peaceful and satisfactory settlement of difficult problem will surely be reached, for both countries desire solution of that nature. The trouble consists in saving from harm the pride of the Japanese while keeping out of this country Jap anese coolies.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-27
JOSEPH PULITZER,
'om the Broadway Magazine.

from Ine BrOaQWdy Magazine.
 He has been and is one of the most prodigious workers the world has
 known. Last April, when the heads of
 departments were gathered to celebrate
 his 60th birthday, MT. Pulitzer sent one of his remarkable cables-this man, who came to America as an emigrant, knowing not word of the language,
 has become one of the great masters of English--in which he announced his retirement from active direction of his newspapers. Every paper in New York printed this announcement except one the World. His editors knew he could no more give up work than he could live without breathing. Mr. Pulitzer was furious over his employees refusing to take his announcement seriously, but he was very care ful not to inquire who was responsible. He has a remarkable faculty for appearing densely ignorant about things ne does not want to know. He is not only a worker, but d work CT who is driven on and on by an idea. n fundamental thing he believes in. The fame and the wealth he has won were not the objective, but merely incl dental rewards. For nothing could be more misleading than to epitomize the career of Joseph Pulitzer from the viewpoint of personal achievement. He came from Budapest, Hungary, where he was born in 1S47, and in early man. hood began as @ reporter at meagcr wages on the Westliche Post, German r newspaper published in St. Louis; that he was frugal and inspired sufficient confidence in St. Lcuis financial quar- ters to obtain such loans as enabled him speedily to become managing edi- TOT anu part proprietor of the news paper; that in 1878 he bought the morning St. Louis Post and St. Louis Dispatch, combining them as the St. Louis Post Dispatch and making that newspaper a potent factor in public af- fairs in the west that in 1SSS ne bought the New York World and made it one of the most successful and most powerful newspapers in this country all these things lose their real sig rificance unless there is presented an outline of what he accomplished with his newspapers. rcday the World, with its combined morning and evening circulation of upward of S00,000 copies on week days and nearly 600,0n0 on Sundays. is enjoying the greatest finan- cial prosperity and power 1t has ever known. Besides his achievement in sharing with the late James Gordon Bennett the honor of being The father of the modern metropolitan newspaper, he originated newspaper Illustration as l it is done today, and also the color comic supplement and the short. snappy editorial. .
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-27
THE ORIGIN OF YULETIDE.

From The ftOuSeKeeper.
 Yule was the name of the ancient Scan- dinavian festivalNh at the time of the winter sols",e. The word Is of uncer- tain origin. but it probably is taken di- rectly from the Icelandic word "jol," meaning a feast It is curious to note how many nations of old marked the turn of the year. that Is, the Decem- Der solstice-by festivals. The Egyptians, the Hindus, the Persians, the Greeks and the Romans all had feasts at this sea son. but especially the northern nations the Teutons, the Scandinavians, the early natives of Britain-rejoiced at the event of the suns turn on it's course. The festival was kept with much eating and drinking and noisy jollty. One of the ceremonies was the placing of an enor- nous log of wood-often so large that 1t required the strength of several men to bring it in-upon the hearth fire in the huge fireplace. The burning of the Yule log was thought to insure<good fortune to the family. especially when charred pieces of the log burned the year before and kept over for that purpose were used to light it.
 The Pagan festival was held in honor of some one of the gods of heather mythology, wherefore, when Christianity was introduced into these countries it was set aside for the great Christian feast, that of Christmas, held at the same season of the year. But many of the customs of the old holiday were trans ferred to the new and among the com mon DeoDIe the name was long ret tSined Throughout the early literature of both England and Europe the name Yule Is given to Christmas.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-27

has accepted position with the Guaya- quu and Quito railroad, of which his brother, J. A. Cleveland, is vice presl- dent and chief of engineers.
 pr. T. ". Jones of Fayette is at the New Morris.
 Shaler Hauser of Anniston is at the New Morris.
 Dr. Shirley Bragg. state jail and con- vict inspector, is registered in the city.
 
 J. o. Thompson, internal revenue col lector has returned from Tuskegee, where he spent the Christmas holidays. w. R. McGavocS is spending several days hunting in South Alabama.
 Judge Oscar R. Hundley left yesterday for Huntsville, where he will remain un- til January 6. On that date he holds court in Tuscaloosa.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-27
THE RAILROADS.
Figures Showing What They Carried
 During the Year 1907.

From the New York Sun. According to the bureau of statistics, of the department of commerce and la- bor, heavy movements occurred in Octo- ber in the coal and grain trades. For the first time in the history of the coal trade, the anthracite shipment passed the 6,0OO,- 0O0-ton mark for the month. Lake traffic as measured by the volume of shipments from the various lake ports, Il, ,S26000 net tons, was larger than for any month during the season, except August and exceeded by 2S per cent the October, 19O6 total.
 The number of cars handled during the month by 3S reporting car associations.
 S,595. TOO, was over per cent more than
 the number handled in October, 1906, al- though even this larger supply did not
 prevent accumulation and delay of traf- fc at important trade centers.
 Live stock receipts at Chicago. Kansas City, Omaha, St. Joseph, Sioux City. St
 Louis and St. Paul were 34,422991 head 1 during the 10 months ended October, as compared with 33,9OS,o11 head during 1906 10 months, and 33, POS, ,104 head during 19O5 10 months.
 Packing house products shipments from | Chicago in October, 1907, were 24O, 40, ,43S l pounds, against 236, 790,912 pounds In Oc- l tober, 1906. The October, 1907, shipments consisted chiefly of 77,995390 pounds of cured meats, 96,725, 100 pounds of lard, sS,- l OOS,924 pounds of fresh beef, 7S26,175 pounds of canned meats, and 1,547,176 l pounds of tallow.
 1 Grain receipts during October, 1907. at l 15 interior primary markets we're 102, 432- | 993 bushels as compared with 96,034, $40 l bushels in October, 1906. | The grain movement from Chicago for | this season since January last was 10S.- l S090 900 bushels, against 95.347, 600 bushels
 in the same period of 1906. l Live stock receipts at Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore for l tine 10 months of this year aggregate 7,o2o,312 head, compared with 6,734s11 head
 received at the four cities during Che same months of 1906.
 l Grain receipts at the same four cities | the 10 months of 1907 were 210520, ,97S
 bushels. against 204,9i4,972 bushels in 1906
 10 months.
 l Citrus fruit shipments from southern l California for the crop year ended Oc-
 tober S1 totaled 27,49S cars, composed of
 23,9S6 cars of oranges and 35O7 cars of
 lemons, as against 25,956 cars in the 1905-6
 season, composed of 22,472 cars of oranges
 and 37S4 cars of lemons. Coke production at Connellsville for 43 | weeks of this year was 17,762,903 net
 tons, an increase of almost 9 per cent l, over the corresponding weeks of last | year.
 Production of anthracite and coke pig iron for October was larger than during
 any month of the year and per cent
 more than in October, 1906. The in-
 crease is most marked in the case of the
 works located in the central west.
 Anthracite shipments for the first 10
 months of the year, 55,661, ACT gross tons,
 are over 1O,OOooOo tons larger than for 1906 | 10 months.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-27
THE BUSY BEE.

From the New York World.
 The value of s25, 1000 OOO placed on the annual output of honey puts this farm crop only slightly behind raw cane sugar, which had valuation at the re- fineries of $2S000,0 ,000. Comparisons with the output of the GA beet-sugar factories, which have a capacity of 49,- 300 tons of beets daily, may seem odi- ous. Yet the product of this coddled and fastered industry-s45 O0O, 000-was less than double that of the busy hive communities.
 The bee In effect pays the interest on the public debt-$24 ,310,326 Shall not the insect which Napoleon made ar imperial emblem have some state recognition such as Massachusetts gives to the codfsh in its legislative halls? AS a matter of fact, the prod ucts of the New England fisheries, which have been the subject of treat ies and international conventions and occasionally raised the spectre of war, amount In value to only half the bees product.
 | At least the bee deserves a share in the natlonal aHectlcn Wnicn IS ldNiSneu | on the hen. This industrious worker maintained it's reputation during the year by giving poultry products value of s60O,0O0 1000. exceeding that of the wheat crop. That the dairy products | counted for more than any crop ex- ] cept corn testifies to the importance of | another of the humber farm industries. | The great proportions to which the 1 lesser agricultural products have 1 grown, the orchards with their minor item of 1,754927 barrels of cider, the
 s113,000,O00 worth of miscellaneous vegetables. the 5,000,000 tons of cot ton seed, once plantation waste but | now furnishing the equivalent in value | of the seven 20,000-ton battleships,
 make a nature wonder story or never failing interest.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-27
COFFEE AS REMEDY FOR ASTHMA

From the Family Doctor
 Coffee is a very excellent remedy for asthma. Those who do not know how to cut short their attacks and have not tried coffee should do so by all means. It often succeeds admirably when almost everything else has failed. There are one or two little points to be attended to in taking coffee for asthma
 In the first place. it should be very strong-in fact. perfectly black. Weak coffee does more harm than good. If made very strong, much of it need not be taken: a large quantity Is a positive disadvantage, for 1t is less rapidly ab- sorbed and only distends the stomach. Then it should be given without sugar or milk. pure "cafe noir." It should be given on an empty stomach. for when taken on full stomach it often does harm by putting stop to the process of digestion.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-27
Drills for Torpedo Boats.

Newport, R. l., December 26.-The mobilization of the largest fleet of tor pedo boats, torpedo boat destroyers, and submarine torpedo boats in the history of the American navy, will take place in Narragansett bay in the spring and summer of 1908. according to informa- ton gained here today. The fleet will be in command of Commander Charles c. Marsh, who will have under his direction about 50 torpedo boats and torpedo boat destroyers and the first and second fiotillas of submarines. The little vessels will go through an elab- crate series of drills, both day and night. and t is expected that much val uable data will be obtained.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-27
Keen Your Eve on the CamariIIa

The camarilla includes, it appears, not only Leonard Wood of the army but also Presley M. Rixey of the navy. Rixey is now surgeon general, and Wood will soon be the senior general of the army Both are, perhaps we should say were doctors, and both are confidential advisers of the President, who is long on favorites. He prefers 'em whether they are Rough Riders or slick doctors.
 Favorite Rixey, it seems, has been having a tustle with the bureau of navigation-the bureau that controls the navy just as the general staff does the army. And right here is where Ad- miral Brownson, after long and honor able service fell, never to serve on the active list again. Rixey had the ear of the President, and the bluff old sailor did not. The disagreement arose over the officering of the hospital ship Relief. Brownson thought line officer, instead of doctor, should sail the ship, and Rixey thought just the reverse. and the revHse proposition won hands down.
 The moral of the story is plain don't butt into the carmarilla- The MT. Cooly who is perambulating the south rounding up Taft delegates be- longs to the teunis camarilla, which
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-27
Industrial Revival.

"A great many things are concurring
 to bring about an early revival Of pusi-
 ness" said a prosperous manufacturer
 yesterday. "In the first place, the an
 nouncement that 10000 men in the Pitts
 burg district who were thrown out of
 employment several weeks ago will be
 put back to work in January has a far
 reaching effect for good In the next
 place. the policy of the United States Steel corporation to maintain prosperity wages as well as prosperity prices, Is signihcant\ and inspires confidence from
 one end of the country to the other These facts alone give bright outlook for the
 new year.
 "At one time 1t looked as if the pig iron market would open in January at comparatively low figure. Some theie were who would not have been surprised if it started off at s11. That was several weeks ago. Today everybody is talking $14 iron, and no furnace company here
 has any idea of quoting less than $14 on a No. 2 basis. It is felt that conditions will stand that figure, and a substantial buying movement once in progress, the
 
 speak, to s14.5O or $15. Less than two years ago such prices would have been considered by sellers decidedly fancy "The financial situation is improving s every day, and is fast reaching the nor
 nal point. Ninety-nine per cent of the | banks of the country weathered the finan- | cial disturbance of October in great shape. They proved to be absolutely sound. As for the banks of Birmingham, they were never so solid as right now. A director of one of the local banks told me today that his board would meet
 Monday to declare the usual dividend, and set aside large amount for the sur plus fund. He said the year 1907 had been one of the best in the banks history. "All these things taken together are wonderfully cheering. We are going to have good times in this district during the next 12 months"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-27
Richmonders Prefer Commission.

'"There is a growing sentiment in Rich- mond in favor of replacing the council of that city with commission similar to that in operation in Galveston" said a member of Birmingham's Virginia col ony. According to the Virginia consti- tuition every municipal legislative body in that state must consist of two chambers, an upper and lower, styled respectively common council and board of aldermen. No change can be made, therefore, with out an amendment to the constitution. The bi-cameral system is supposed to be an improvement over the one cham Der plan, for under the former, the two bodies meeting a week or more apart make 1t impossible to push a measGre through until the public has had time to consider it and protest if the proposed action be obnoxious or unpopular. But many citizens of Richmond seem to think that commission would be a decided improvement even over the present or der"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-27
GREAT MEMS FAvoRITE DIsHE'

From the Chicago Tribune. Peter the Great-Baked goose with ap- ples.
 Henry VIII.-Venison.
 Frederick the Great-Pork and cao- bage.
 Plus IX.-Eggs and bread. Lord Macaulay-Roast beef; baked po- tatoes.
 Henry Fielding-Currant tarts. Ben Jonson-Pork pie and Canary wine. John Locke-Fish and bread. Sir Walter Scott-Venison. Leonardo da Vinci-Oranges. John the Evangelist-Barley. Marlborough-Bsef and beer. Mohammed-Dates and water. Napoleon-Whatever was nearest ntm.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-27
eALLApE OF THE MIsTLEToE.

Clinton Scollard in Life. Christmas Eve! and shadows gray Hide the windows of the west Where the antic elves of day
 Cheerily have gone to rest;
 They have pranked, with perk and Jest. In the shine and in the snow;
 Dreams now crown their happy queet- Dreams of gleams of mistletoe. Christmas Eve! and frolics gay
 Madcap jollites-attest Other jocund folk than they
 Deem this night the merriest;
 Lad and lass, with buoyant zest. In the dances to and fro
 Hope for--softly tis confessed Dreams of gleams of mistletoe. Christmas Eve! to steal away
 To a dimly curtained nest! Kisses stolen!-what will say
 Youth and Love are not the best
 Gifts with which the fates have blessed Us poor mortals here below;
 For we have, at our behest, Dreams of gleams of mistletoe. |s ENVOY. Christmas Eve! An, welcome guest From the bourn of long ago. Bring this boon t3 every breast- Dreams of gleams of mistletoel
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-27
Boost for Greater City.

"The burning down of A. R. Thiemans S residence in West End Christmas night was the best argument for Greater Bir- mingham that could be made to the cit izens of West End,' remarked a citizen of that corporation yesterday. "Only good luck prevented a large portion of West End from being burned up The town can't afford a fire department and when a house is burning we just have to look on and see it burn and try to keep it from spreading. We haven't even got plugs for large hose. I have been op- posed to Greater Birmingham, but this fire taught me a lesson, and on January am going to the polls and vote for the greater city If we get nothing else but a fire department out of the deal, it will proat us."