davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-23
THE CASE OF "WANDAv

From the Louisville Courier Journal
 The cables tell of the arrest in St. Petersburg of a young girl known as Wanda" for participation in a plot to blow up the headquarters of the secret police on the Moika canal of which place the revolutionists tell terrible stories of torture. Wanda" say the police. planned to become a walking bomb. She was to wear a uniform stuffed with gun-cotton and dynamite Visiting the headquarters she was to destroy the building, the police and herself. That is the story, at least, of the police who made tho arrest. They may have been drawing upon their i'm aginations and inventing plots for the pleasue of imprisoning enemies of the court and giving the people a sensa- tion. but 1t is quite kelly that the tale is true. Russian women have shown decided willingness to sacrifice their lives in the cause of revolution Some of the most persistent fire brands of the political excitement in Russia have been women. They have been executed without number for participation in Niat to titHl were pdlTlOIlc deeuS ana to the throne crimes If the story is not true, the police have endowed Wanda, at any rate, with bravery that is re- markable, if misdrected. If true. she stamps herself girl of bravery, though misguided Underneath her out ward courage she may be fanatic, degenerate, born criminal or an anarchist against all government as distinguished from a patriot who is against only the oppression of cruel government. If she had succeeded in carrying out the plan ascribed to her she would have died murderess in fact, even though there would have been those to bless her memory as Il martyr. Her case calls attention once again 10 the old conflict between the views of what constitutes crime and what heroism. what is treason and what patriotism, what is malevolent and what benevolent. It illustrates also the capacity of the revolutionary Rus sians for self sacrifice, whether for a lofty or sinister purpose.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-23
MANAGER, ACTOR AND BUST
m the New York Evening Sun.

From the New York Evening Sun. Wallace Worsely tells of this early ex- perience he had with a summer stock company: The manager of the com pany was an exceedingly vain man, and gave far greater heed to the exploita- tion of his own name than he did to the merit of his performances.
 One week the bill was Romeo and Juliet" In the scene representing g Juliet's chamber, the manager, with ab- solutely no regard for the unities. added bust of himself to the decora tions of Jrllet's boudoir. Then he sat out "in front" and watched the re- suit. With considerable annoyance he observed that MT. Worsley, who was playing Romeo stood for the greater part of the scene directly in front of the bust, thus shutting if off from tn e view of the audience. He rushed back on the stage and said:
 Say, why do you constantly stand in front of that bust?"
 The business of the part demands it" explained Worsley.
 Never mind the business rejoined the manager. T pay. you $50 week, and that bust cost me 32oo."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-23
Fate of the Exposition

The government loaned the James, town exposition a million dollars Ill addition to the sums voted outright 10 promote the fair. The loan Of a mii' lion dollars was to be returned lh semi-monthly installments until the whole sum had been paid. But $l00,- 900 has been paid back and 1t is not probable that another S10O,000 will be paid back, for the gate receipts are still light and the gates are to be closed at the end of November.
 The Philadelphia Press says the government will take over the grounds and buildings under a foreclosure sale for the purpose of using them as revonue cutter cadet school. The To- cation is admirably adapted to that use. it being even better than the grounds about Fortress Monroe. As many of the exposition buildings have
 
 been substantially constructed, the government can certainly get it's monev's worth at the exposition if 1t desires to establish there a great school
 But national appropriations for ex- nositions will be sparingly made here after. The utter failure of the James town fair to repay money loaned to 1t has taught congress a lesson, and the chances are that no similar appropria- ton will be made, and this means that no more expositions will be held. The truth is, we have had quite enough expositions for at least a generation.
 The Jamestown exposition in itself Is not only highly creditable and well worth seeing, but in many of it's feat ures is the best of all. From the spec tacular point of view the electric dis play on the government pier far ex- i ceeds anything of the kind ever seen in the world. And when it comes to the educative side of the exposition, nothing in the historical line has come LID to the history building or the Smithsonian exhibit. The Jamestown l show is now in full swing and every body should see it.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-23
Reckless AutomohiIists.

q was glad to read the warning sound- ed the other day by the dairyman on the Pinson road to the reckless automo- oilists," remarked a man who drives d horse. q have heard much complaint along the same line, and l have never heard protest against those who saneiy and carefully handle their machines. The great objection is to the careless and indifferent drivers. The wild recklessness of the dangerous automobilist is, l know equally despised by other automobillsts and by the rest of the public
 ''rhe cure for the evil is clearly in the hands of sane automobilists, and they should act in unison to eliminate the reckless and inconsiderate scorcher. In fact, they are doing so in many communi- ties, with good results through the lnilu- ence of clubs which they have organized
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-23

and it is rendered worse by the fact that he is opposed to an income tax or a graduated inheritance tax. In these matters the great postponer was playing to the magnates and the mil lionaires, and he played a card that will attract them and that would, in case of his nomination, roll up for him, another great slush fund.
 Th,5 is a reminder that MT. Taft, in -o.amon with President Roosevelt aul he rest of his party, has post peaed he publication of campaign funds Publicity is the only remedy. Tle prohibition of contributions by ee.I4g&tions and trusts simply trans fer: subscriptions to the individuals of these organizations. There is no effectual remedy except publicity, and the entire republican party Is opposed to publicity simply because it would destroy their power to collect vast sums from the t.usts and from the benoficiaries of the tariff, and from magnates in general Just so long as the republican party postpones pub licity just that long will elections be controlled by vast slush funds, and the scandal will go on unchecked. It is idle to blame MT. Cortelyou or any other one person, for the blame rests upon the entire republicaZ party which consistently refuseS to make public thelr immense slush funds or 1901, 1oe0 and 1886
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-23
THE DISTRACTING HOBO.
From the Providence Journal.

From the Providence Journal.
 It is rather shocking to learn that the awful casualty record of American rail- roads includes nearly 24,000 trespassers killed and 25,00o injured during the five years ending in 1905. Such a statement is calculated to show that the career of the hobo Is not without extraordinary hazards and also that there Is an ap- palling number of the fraternity rowing about the land. What to do with the by the National Prison association the other day. An expert inquirer into the general subject pointed out that present methods err as lacking in helpfulness to the vagrant as well as in not being suffi- ciently oppressive. Everywhere it is ''moVe on' to the hobo, while the as- sumption that it is the pleasure and es- sential purpose of his nature to keep nov ing is not always considerate of possibly
 less restless impulses, somewhat obfus- cated, but still possibly susceptible of encouragement. There is not much ex- perence it sems, of value to guide the formulation of a plan to reconcile fairly the interests of the individual tramp and the community at large that he burdens. In a general way only may it be deter mined that the vicious trespasser should be dealt with severely and the harmless rover helped to become useful
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-23
SOME DRY SPOTS IN DIXIE

1 to s5000, and in addition given Jail sentence. if the gravity of his offense warrants it. His license Is also re- voked and he cannot resume business within two years of the date of his conviction. At that time, provided no one objects, he can re-enter the busi- ness, but a second offense forever pre- eludes the possibility of his securing a liquor license anywhere in the state If another saloon keeper employs him his own license is revoked
 Kentucky has amputated so many tentacles of the whisky octopus that 1t is screaming with pain and rage. Editor Henry watterson declared re- gently in facetious editorial that full ly 916 of Kentuckys 114s counties had gone dry" That this should happen in Kentucky may seem incredible-in Kentucky, whose vintages are known from one end of the earth to the other; in Kentucky, the stron ghold of the feud and of the frewater that nour- ishes the feud. In that state 1t is said any man is in danger of going out in the morning 'half shot" and coming home In the evening on a shutter shot. But Senator Beckham and Gov ernor Harris of Kentucky are both prohibtionists and Henry Watterson gentleman of quiet tastes and most temperate habits, despite the calum- nies of a careless and conscience1ess press, views the situation calmly, if reluctantly.
 The state legislature of Alabama at
  prohibition bills. measure providing for state prohibition was introduced, but not actively urged. The prohibi- tionists constituted 80 per cent of the membership of the house, and could have easily passed the bill, but were contented with the restriction of the liquor territory affected under the local option law. An early closing law and a bill to prohibit shipments of liquor into "dry" territory were passed. A great furry was created by the news of Georgia's action, and, had it come earlier in the session, would probably have resulted in the enactment of state prohibition law. Speaker A. H. Carmichael is the leader of the anti liquor men in the Alabama house.
 Huntsville, Ala, has a dispensary, which yields a net profit to city and county of s5O.Ooo a yeor. Sheffield and Tuscumbla have inaugurated dispen- saries. Florence and Dothan are the two largest cities which prohibit the sales of liquor. Other towns having dispensares are moving to have them abolished.
 Under the early closing law, saloons in towns of 10. 900 people and less must close at p. m. in towns having more than OOO people, at p. m.. and in all other towns at p. m.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-23
Cost Gi the Canal

The current statement that the Pan anna canal had cost to December 31, 1906. the sum of $S4,449,00O and that it was at that time but one-tenth dug, should be accepted with caution. Of the amount named $40,000000 went to the French company for it's franchise and other rights, and $1O,000000 was paid to the republic of Panama for canal property, right of way and T new franchise. There was expended for general administration $1,124,226; for government and sanitation, $4,3S1,- 0s9: for rolling stock. machinery, sec ond main track back to the isthmus, buildings and zone waterworks, S12,- 15S,S52, and but s9,729,554 had gone to construction and engineering.
 The small proportion spent in con struction-in actually digging a canal and in building locks and dams--is the most remarkable feature of the official report, but the figures really inspire the hope that the engineers estimate of $200,oo0,OoO for a com. pleted canal will not he exceeded. Hereafter construction expenditures should outrank all other expenditures, 7 for the actual work is in hand and Is the biggest ship afloat to pass through. the day may be when the first ship will pass through the canal.
 Let Us hope the canal will be big enouga when it is opened to permit the biggest ship aoat to pass through It is estimated, however, that the bat. ileships of seven years hence will have width of 92 feet. The Lusita- mia is S5 feet wide, and the locks of the canal are to be but 100 feet wide. Here, indeed, is a problem, and it is one the next congress should consider.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-23
John corrigan, in the Review of Rc
 

John corrigan, in the Review of Re-
 views.
 @ ssas's ' 'a. 'a';' ss 's; ass
 enabled gradually to restrict the sale of liquor to the large cities. This law was originally intended to protect the University of the South at Sewanee but the people have invoked it to protect themselves. The law was later amended to prohibit the sale of liquor within the prescribed limits, ex- cept in towns of more than 1000 in- habitants thereafter incorporated. Towns having less than 1000 persons, wishing to be rid of saloons, then sur rendered their charters and reincor- porated. thus applying the four-mile law. The legislature later extended the provisions of this act to towns of 2000 and under then to towns of 5000 and under. This year it was extended to cities of 50,000 and under hereafter incorporated. Knoxville. having over 5O,000. held an election and went dry" The countys representative presented NN new charter, prohibiting saloons. To- day no whisky is legally sold in Knox vile, Jackson or Bristol, and the sale of liquor in the state is largely con fined to the cities of Chattanooga, Memphis and Nashville, and to La Toilette a small mining town of 5000 people. Ex-Senator F. ". Carmack and a ct nrnhibi- - tionists. The state constitution forbids the adoption of the local-option plan.
 In Mississippi seventy of the seventy six counties are dry" The representa- tives from these "dry" counties elected to the next legislature are being pledged to support statutory prohi- bition, in accordance with a well-de- fined plan. It Is practically inevitable that at the next session a state pro- hibition law will be passed. Later it will be embodied, by amendment, in the state constitution. Today no liquor is being sold in the cities of Meridian, Jackson. Greenwood. Columbus, Aber- deen, Hattiesburg and West Point. These places are prospering faster than the cities of Biloxi, Gulfport. Vicks- burg and Natchez, which sell liquor, and comparison has firmly estab- lished the conviction in the minds of the people that, from a commercial standpoint the cities can get along better without the open saloon
 Under the new liquor law in Texas saloons must be closed from midnight to a. m. and on Sunday-Sunday clos ing being invariable in the southland no saloon can open in any section of any city, town on village without se- curing the consent of a majority of the residents of that block. If any saloon keeper is convicted of viola ton of the law he is fined from $l0O
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-23
AS TO EATING CORN.
From the Washington Herald.
 Says the Montgomery Advertiser

From the Washington Herald.
 Says the Montgomery Advertiser:
 One way to shatter loves young dream is to the dreamy-eyed girl you're in love with eating corn off the cob
 That is a sad mistake, and we are sur prised to see such a statement in so chivalrlc and courteous a contemporary. The Advertiser knows better It has been watching Alabama girls eat corn from the cob for years and years-ever since it's giddy and youthful days, in fact, which Is a very long time ago-and 1t let go the though tless remark recorded. we have no doubt, more as a petulant pro- test against the methods employed by some particularly annoying female not familiar with the gentle art of eating corn au naturel than it did with intent to indlct the fair sex in a sweeping or wholesale manner.
 As a matter of fact-and Grandma Ad- vertiser knows it-nothing stirs the heart strings of a youth more readily than the sight of well-bred. good-looking, and laughing girl eating corn from the cob heartily. ioyously, and mayhap, hungrily
 
 corn. anyhowl Corn boiled on the COD and eaten with real, genuine country butter, is as different from corn prepared in other ways as Is noon from evening tide It is impossible for girl to eat corn from the cob without smiling, dim bling, and showing her pearly teeth every fellows "best girl" of course, has pearly teeth Moreover, in choosing corn thus prepared, and taking 1t unafraid and undismayed, she shows her generous measure of good, common sense-and a suggestion of this, coupled with her nat ural coquettlshnss, Is never wasted on a level-headed man. Such girl would be sure to serve Irish potatoes with their jackets on, when rounded up finally and domesticated
 Even now, we are quite sure, the Ad- vertiser is sorry It spoke. Its language would be set down as high treason were 1t not for the fact that its long and hon. orable career suggests minimizing haste instead. No one holds the sweet and blushing maidenhood of the land closer to it's heart than our Alabama contem- porary-metaphorically speaking, of course and to be sure! We know. in truth, that this ever-youthful veteran would sit for hours in the sunshine at nnety-nine de- grees and watch a bewtching Alabama girl eat corn from the cob. and never for A moment grow a-weary. "Shatter loves young dream" indeed! It tends to in tensify 1t threefold. and then some!
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-23
WHEN JIM WAS DEAD.
When Jim was des

When Jim was dead, Hit sarved him right" the nabors sed, An 'bused him for the life he'd led. An him a lying thar at rest With not a rose upon his breast! An, menney cruel words they sed,
 When Jim was dead ''Jes' killed hisself," "Too mean ter live, They didn't have one word to give Of comfort as they lowered near An gazed on Jim a-lying there! Thar aint no use ter talk, they sed,
 Hes better dead!" But suddently the room growed still, While Gods white sunshine seemed ter III The dark place with gleam of life. An OCT the dead she bent-Jims wife! An with her lips close-close to his, As though he knew an felt the kiss, She sobbed-a touchin' sight ter sec An! Jim was always good to mel I tell you, when that cum to light It kinder set the dead man right; An round the wepin' woman they Throwed kindly arms of love that day, And mingled with her own they shed The tenderest tears-when Jim was dead.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-23
A WARM BATH.
m uarner's Weekly.

From Harper's Weekly.
 young man went into restaurant and ordered roast beef coffee and rolls In a few minutes a trim little waitress tripped up with the order AS she turned to leave the young man dis covered that the meat was about as cold as refrigerator
 T don't care for cold beef" he said. q should like to have it hot"
 The young woman took the plate and going to the dumb waiter shaft shouted down. "Hortense, I want this meat hot; pour some warm gravy on iti"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-23
Preachers' Salaries.

"I am of the opinion, remarked man returning from chufcf yesterday, that good, broad intellectual preachers are the lowest salaried of all professional men, and I am not surprised at the proposition of an Ohio pastor that the preache. should form a union and demand more pay.
 "One of the most unhappy effects of these low salaries that the number Of young men of first-rate ability preparing for the ministry, is growing less every year. They see so many preachers forced to plan and slSmp and figure on every penny to make both ends meet; and the situation seems to be becoming more acute every year"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-23
Old ade N eW.

.'The rejuvenated potato, I see, is the latest product of Yankee science and in- genuity," remarked man at the lunch table. and officials are pronouncing such potatoes adulterated food.
 "The dealer treats potatoes of the crop of 1906 with liquid that peels off the skin after the manner of new potatoes and at the same time gives the potato the characteristic pink tnge.
 Its a sharp trick and the innocent consumer of the food seldom detects the difference between the new and the old. '
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-23
PITTSBURG'S DEATH HARVEST

From the Reader for September.
 There are a good many phases to Pitts burg's gathering riehes-her brilliant in dustrial supremacy-and one of these is the coroner's log book, in which is re- corded the list of violent deaths. When this book was closed for 1906 there were noted in it 26eO deaths. Of these 91s were the result of accident in mill mine, or on railroad. Each marked the grim relentlessness of these iron industries.
 nen to this number was added the deaths occurring indirectly from the same causes, the total was sufficient to make deaths the cost in human life of the steel made in Pittsburg for 1906.
 The record for the present year prom ises to be even more appalling One thousand and ninety-ive deaths have, In five months, been recorded in the coro- ner's log, and of these S44 came violently in mills. mines, and in railroads. Thus the average number of deaths reported to the coroner each month is about 250, 60 per cent of which are directly or in- directly traceabe to the industries by which Pittsburg makes the millions that it spends, now with magnificent disn- terestedness and imagination, now with colossal selfishness and vulgarity. No other city in the world. 1t Is said ap- breaches this ghastly record. The smoke columns that make mysterious the Pitts burg sky. with every imaginable shade of gray, copper. violet, and rose, arise, it would seem, from funeral pyres, forever blazing with their victims, and 1t is not to be denied that there lies something in the instinct of man that cries out that these slaughtered workers should be avenged-not by human law perhaps. but by the memorable workings of des- tiny
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-23
REFLECTIONS OF A BACHELOR

From the New York Press.
 There Is no fool like the one who thinks he isn't.
 Ideals are what you thing you had be- fore you learned better.
 woman can worry about having noth- ing to worry about
 Widows have very neat way of pre- tending they believe men are unselfish.
 As most of that kind haven't any brains. what's the use of being proud of being well hornf
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-23
THE RACE IN CLEVELAND

the democrats are the enemies of John- son.
 All of the public service corporations of the country hate Johnson with a glow
 ing hatred, and they will watch the con- test with eager interest, for Johnson has made the public service corporations the servants of the public.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-23
About Persons.

L. B. Musgrove, Representative and Mrs. Ernest Lacy and Miss Douglass Rowe, all of Jasper, left yesterday for trip to New York MT Musgrove stated that he would feel the political pulse while in the east. Some time will be spent in Washington on the refurn
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-23
HIS PREFERENCE.

From the September Bohepian.
 'Now, Patsy. if it should come to real issue which would you rather lose-your money or your lfe?"
 Me loife, besorra. oim savin' me money for me ould age'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-23

The saengerfest concert at the Hip podrome tonight will be a grand mu- sical event and will attract large crowd. German-Americans from many cities are here in great numbers and all are heartily welcomed.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-23

Standard oil is protected by the Dingley tariff, and in that way it throws out it's chest and proceeds to absorb over one hundred millions of profits a year.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-23

The man with the hoe is harvesting crops that will tickle his soul and pad his bank account.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-23

Music and sentiments of Fatherland are rightfully in evidence In Birming- ham today. Here's to our German American friends.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-23

The saengerfesters are here and Bir- mingham extends them glad wei come. Music and good fellowship come first today.