davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-08

Twill be seen that the fine was legally imposed and must be paid. No one stands ready to decrease it. No one has the power to reduce or cancel 1t. It must be paid. Judge Landis has said it. and public sentiment seconds the motion.
 Rebate-taking has received in this fine knock-out-blow, but the fine means more than that It means that the country Is tiring of a private no nopoly that crushed competition so that it could exploit eighty millions of people at will The Landis fine is Chapter One. The second chapter was written by Commissioner of Corpora tons Smith, and subsequent chapters will come on rapidly unless the Stand ard oil stops it's competition-crushing policy. When 1t does that 1t will not. however, be a Rockefeller-Rogers in- stitution, for they are essentially predatory
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-08
Midsummer Business

Time money commands 6 per cent in New York, and call money is firm at about per cent. These are high rates, and the stringency is wholly due to an apprehended demand from the west and south for the movement of crops, and no doubt reduces the num- Der of commercial undertakings, but there is enough business transacted from day to day to keep all the means of doing it busy. Goods are being sold and contracts made for next win iers trade on a liberal scale and no one anticipates any dullness outside of speculative circles. Bank exchanges are increasing, and the gross receipts of railroads were never heavier month for month. There Is dullness and pes simism nowhere outside of Wall street.
 Cotton is selling steadily in the chief markets at about 13 cents. This
 
 southern farmers, and it will not ma terially decrease consumption. The mills are making money now on 13- cent basis, and they will continue to make money and to hold up their out puts and to market them The entire industrial situation is satisfactory. The steel corporations latest report shows that orders to be filled here- after have been reduced about 25 per cent, but prices are reasonably we'll maintained, and there Is no expecta- tion of i6leness In any plant of tho great industry, either in this district or in Pittsburg.
 General trade is, in short sound and normal, and nothing lags except spec ulation, and the more 1t lags the bet ter off the country will be at the end of the calendar year
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-08
No Prouress at The Hague

The dreams of the idealists are not coming true at The Hague conference, and it is not probable that 1t will ma terially widen the use of arbitration Or minimize the resort to force.
 The temporary tribunal of arbitra- ton Is to be replaced by permanent court of fifteen members who will probably have to draw their own sala- rjes In the absence of other employ ment. They are, however, to sit at nll times for the purpose of passing upon "all differences between nations, except those affecting honor or vital interest"
 This exception renders of little value The Hague machinery, for it simply takes from diplomacy questions that rarely lead to war It leaves to force nll the questions that make for war, for any nation that desires to resort lO NdI Cdll LII HE lib eSiiVNohS "iehA' the exception. The zone of arbitra- ton may supplant In some cases the ordinary channels of diplomacy, but there is no prospect that war can be averted any more in the future than it has been in the past. The bloodiest wars of recent years were those of the Boers and the one in Manchuria, and neither could have been averted by The Hague tribunal. The Boers wanted independence, and the Japan csc wanted to get from under the Rus sian big stick, and all the tribunals could not have averted war in either case. And so, alas, it will be In the future-possibly to the end of time. Wars will cease when men cease to be warlike, and when they do that this world will be much nearer the millennium than it Is at present.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-08
Brinuinu Order Out of Chaos

Thirty-fve states have passed rail road regulation bills, and it is not a bit surprising that there should be some friction in putting the numerous rate bills into operation. Some of them are no doubt unduly drastic, and the railroads are puzzled to find a policy that will let them test the new laws in the courts without unduly an- tagonizlng the sovereign states that passed them.
 In the Virginia-North Carolina agree ment the true line was drawn-a line that saves all or nearly all rights and yet avoids the creation of undue pas sion among the people. Let us hope the hand of the grand jury will be withheld until the pacifcators on each side can get together and formulate a settlement of the tangle that has arisen over injunction on the one hand aud the forfeiture or a license on the other. The grand jury should not rush in until tho ambassadors ot peace and horse sense have a chahcc to do a little treading themselves.
 Respect for a sovereign state should no mere be lacking Tn railroad than In an individual, and Colonel Russell certainly will do nothing to pull down the good name of Alabama. He says he will not and The Age-Herald takes his word for it without hesitation. Let all be patient Alabama will be fairly treated Virginia and North Carolina are no dearer to the railroad heart than Alabama, where the greater tonnage Is found, and in short time no doubt the wires will bring us news of a settlement based on common sense and transportation economies.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-08
Third Annual Stafe Fair

The catalogue for the great October event has been issued, and The Age Herald Is glad to see that liberal pre- miums are offered to exhibitors of live stock. Every pen in the fair grounds should be filled, and visitors from all parts of the state should be given object lessons of the results of breeders efforts. Nothing is more at tractive or more instructive. Nothing would pay the state better as a study. Nothing Is more needed in Alabama than more stock and better stock.
 The management Is planning to &C., cure manifold attractions, but it should not neglect efforts to secure a finer live stock exhibit than the state has ever known. Previous fairs have been deficient in that respect, and Manager Barnes is plainly planning to give the state chance to see some of the best stock that can be found in the country. This need not minimize other attrac- tions, and it would assuredly attract to the fair many additional thousands.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-08
PROHIBITION DOWN SOUTH

ment in the south nor of the progress already made. In nearly every southern state are local option laws permitting either precincts (which are the smallest political divisions) or counties to vote on the liquor question, and generally per- hitting both plans, so that a county as a whole may vote prohibition. even though the county seat be in favor of selling liquor. Under such laws there Is Kentucky, and the proportion Is about the same in Tennessee, North Carolina and Texas, and to less extent in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. South Caro- lima has abandoned the compulsory sys- tenn of state regulation started by Till man, but many of the counties are pro- hibition.
 The recent rapid growth of prohibition Is undoubtedly due to u great extent to the desire to keep negroes from getting liquor. It Is a curse to the race in great CT degree than to the whites, and the new laws are largely to preserve unim- paired the stock of labor. Yet 1t is strong in the Appalachian region, where there are no negroes and where "moonshne' was formerly produced in large quantities. The prohibition sentiment is now strong est in the south, is still strong In some far western states, but in the east legis- lative and other work Is in the direction of mitigating the evils of drink rather than attempting to stop the sale of liquor entirely.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-08
A SPOON COLLECTION.
Curious Specimens From Many Coun-
 tries Owned by Mrs. Wells.

From the New York Tribune.
 Collections of spoons as souvenirs are common enough, but there are probably few If any like that of Mrs. Amelia H. Wells of Indianapolis Her spoons are not the souvenirs of gold and silver created expressly to furnish forth col lections and afford matter for converse tion at luncheon tables They are the real spoons of the people In the coun- tries or times from which they came.
 The oldest spoon is believed to date back over 2000 years. It is traced to the time of Nebuzaradan. and was pre- sented to Mrs. Wells in Jerusalem.
 An Alaskan Indian spoon, said to be more than hundred years old, Is made from the fork of a tree. Another In- dian spoon is about fifteen inch es long, and has the handle shaped to keep the spoon from sliding into the kettle.
 An Alpine spoon has the handle made from the hoof of the chamois. while the horn of the animal furnishes the bowl.
 From the Philippines came spoons of cocoanut and seash els. The shells form the bowls, while the handles are of wood
 A curious brass spoon from Benares Is in the form of a scorpion carrying an egg. the latter being the bowl, while the scorpion forms the handle. Equally curious is a spoon with the bowl form ed of kelp, a kind of seaweed, and the handle of braided sea grass.
 A Swiss butter spoon has the ngure of dancing peasant girl on the bowl. A spoon carved from walrus bone comes from Iceland, and another from the bone of the water buffalo is from Con stantinople. dainty little antimony spoon from Japan has ten lenf f~r " bowl, and from Jerusalem is spoon of olive wood. The spoon that starteu u.e collection came from Norway, and Is of a dark brown wood delicately and elaborately etched.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-08
Work of Our senatnrs-

"Some one familiar with many of the incidents of the careers of our great dead senators, should compile and print them for the younger generation, and for the naturalized foreigner" said Rich ard B. Kelly.
 I recall the great political excitement of 1876 when circulars were sent broad cast in the state, and the people were quite as much worked up as they must have been on the eve of the secession of the state.
 My father and mother, accompanied by myself and two other children, went to Selma to hear General Morgan speak on the issues. Several thousand people were in the throng. and the excoriation the carpetbagger and scalawag received was merciless. The great orator was excoriating the scallawag: seeing Nick McAfeo in the audience he pointed his finger at him, saying: There is one of them Nick hid behind q tree to avoid the glances of an indignant and aroused people.
 Alabama had two great nien In Nor gan and Pettus. As the years recede their fame will enshrine them, as is Webster in New England, and Calhoun In the south, of ante-belum days"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-08
From the Philadelphia Enquirer.

From the Philadelphia Enquirer
 fN Y decisive vote in both houses HN of the legislature, Georgia will hO become an absolutely prohibition state on the first of next January. All efforts by liquor men to forestall such action or to make the law less stringent failed utterly The law prohibits the manufacture as well as the sale of liquor, and though doubtless there will be heavy financial losses to those who have invest ed in the business, there is no suggestion in the law of any compensation whatever. The business will stop if the law Is made effective and there seems to be very ernor Smith is committed to the law in every way, although he is one of the heaviest losers by reason of his part own ership in the largest and finest hotel in the south outside of the Flagler resorts.
 Already Alabama is taking steps in the same direction. The lower house of the legislature ignored an unfavorable recommendation of a prohibition law given by the committee In charge and ordered the bill on the calendar, where it Is certain to pass. It seems doubtful whether 1t will get through the senate at this session. but there Is no doubt that in a few years that state will be absolutely prohibition, 1t is very large iy now.
 People in the north are not generally aware of the extent of prohibition sentl-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-08
FINED $2e, ,24o,ooo.

By W. J. Hampton. Gee whiz.
 Ain't that the pazziz, Or worse,
 For a reimburse? Amt that the hot wollop? Amt it the blocker? Amt 1t the swat scallop? And say. Won't they have to pay Those dollars Which otherwise might go to scholars |? Won't they have to go down in their
 jeans And drag forth the oleaginous means To liquidate The mortgage on their grease rebate? Won't they have to put up Or shut up? Won't they have to repair Their morality by giving a share Of their predatory wealth For the benefit of the public health? Of course they will; they always do; The Trusts are honest, good and true, And never lift resistant hands To any of the laws demards Amt 1t blame Shame To confscate A great estate Like that? Amt 1t a blunder? Is it " wonder That Wealth looks on with fearful eyes To see its pushing enterprise Slugged In the neck by Rubes who seem To think that money is a dream? s29, ,24o 0o0 Amt that lot? What? When do we get 1t? Oh, that's different.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-08

TN the first half of the nineteenth cen-
 tury a young Bnglishman named Henry Bessemer. though little more than boy, invented a device greatly sim plifying the process of stamping. So good was it that the British government, which till then had done its stamping In an ex- pensive old-fashioned manner, determined to adopt it, notwithstanding it's cost To reward the inventor he was made superin- tendent of stamps, life position that paid s400O a year. It was an unheard of piece of luck for so young man. Besse- mer fin his delight became over-zealous and forthwith spoiled his prospects by in- venting another system by which the old time arrangements for stamping could be continued profitably at no extra expense or special alterat tion. In other words, he 'improved' away the necessity of his own promised position. There was no longer any need of bis services. The government adopted his second invention and thereby saved much money. Bessemer received not one penny for his system and was out of his s40Oo office. All England laughed at him, for there is scant sympathy for A fool. and "fool' was the mildest of many terms applied to the youngster.
 He stood ridicule bravely and by means of several lesser inventions, including gold paint, velvet-making and Improvements in type casting, he managed to live Then came the Crimean war. England was poorly prepared. Bessemer contrived a long projectile for use In smooth-bore can non. His government would not adopt his invention. So he took it to France, where test was made, and the French military experts decided that the cast iron smooth-bore cannon then in use were not strong enough to fire Bessemer's oblong shot. For this reason his inven- tion was again rejected.
 What next? His projectlle having been rejected by two governments for one req son, the young inventor set out to over come the objection by another invention, which was destined to bring him both fame and fortune. He knew little about metals at this time, but he proceeded to was an alloy of iron and carbon in cer- tain proportions. So he fused pig iron, and then by driving blast of air through 1t he freed it of carbon. Then by intro ducng the proper proportions of carbon he had an excellent quality of steel. He could thus make steel far more rapidly than it had ever before been manufac- tured, and at a mere fraction of it's former cost
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-08
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
Let Us Be Consistent.

''In the elevator cars of the Birning- ham sky-scrapers negroes are allowed In only one-whites in all" said an office man. T would like to sec the railroad rule applied, so that no white person should ask admittance to negro-per- mitting car. That would be just and right. Every hour of the day the negro car Is crowded with race mixture. for which the unoffendlng negro IS in no wise responsible, and white people should not be admitted to those cars
 If the distinction is desirable, which believe 1t to be. 1t should be perfect; and l wish the managers of the sky-scrapers would give orders thar no white person shall enter an elevator car provided for colored people,"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-08
HENRY BESSEMER'S CAREER

In 1856 he patented in England his steel making process. It revolutionized the worlds most important industry. Shef- field was the center of steel manufactures. To Sheffield, accordingly Henry Besse- mer went with his invention. Here the pig-headed steel makers rejected his ideas as "impracticabe." So he opened Besse- mers steel works in Sheffield, and by un- der selling all rivals he soon brought the city to his feet. It was his innings at last, and before he retired from the field he had not only all England under him. but the queen knighted him, millions of pounds flowed into his exchequer and his name was honored throughout the world. Americans took up Bessemer's process and after making various improvements rivaled him in steel making.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-08

THE DREAMER. You run across him everywhere,
 The man who has a scheme To make him rich as Croesus was A golden tinted dream That keeps him wide awake at night, Pursues him through the day, And helps him bear the cutting words His friends and neighbors say. The years speed on, the future smiles As brightly as of yore, And still he stumbles after gold
 That ever flies before, His empty purse and ragged clothes, His gaunt and haggard face For tokens of prosperity
 Are sadly out of place. Despite the tide of bitterness
 That surges all around, He lives in hope that some sweet day His fortune may be found. And thus the fire burns in his soul And leads him far until He dies bare, unhonored death,
 But dies a dreamer still The judge of New York's night court Is a wise old owl.
 Bryan is stronger than ever,' TO- marks contemporary. Battling" Nel- son is a trifle peaked
 UTOPIA IN SIGHT Is the title of an editorial in the Knoxville Sentinel. The editor must be wearing a fine par of specs" these days.
 Until recently nothing was more com mon than edible poison.
 THE ALMOsT-NEAR-D
 STARS. The almost-near dramatic stars, Whose names adorn fve-cent cigars, IIowe'er they try, can't live up to The deeds press agents make them do. Forsooth, If they were half as clever As claimed, they'd be the smartest everi Carolyn Prescott boldly discusses "Women and Their Backs" In fact, there is nothing possible to words that Carrie won't discuss
 Large quantities of Saratoga chips are being bought this week. They are not the potato kind, either.
 LOVES WAY. Dear Love will light the darkest path And seek the lowest place, With a song of cheer upon his lips And the sunshine in his face How would you like to take a peeka- boo census?
 Every day is a busy day for the chig- ger. PAUL COOK.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-08
WROTE NOVELS FOR MONEY

From the Washington Herald.
 David Christie Murray, the novelist, who has just died in England at the age og sixty, was one of the most prolific writers of his age. He began life as a reporter on the Birmingham Morning News, worked for some London news papers, and acted as special correspond ent for the Times during the Russo-Turlk- ish war. Then he took up novel writing and kept at It steadily almost to the time of his death.
 His first novel, published in 1ssO was called "A Life's Atonement;" his last, "Despalrs Last Journey" published in 1901. Between those two he turned out novel a year, sometimes more, and in- numerable short stories and articles. in a lawsuit few years ago he testified that at his best period of novel writing he earned $12,50o a year. ana he admitted that after earning this for fifteen oi twenty years, his income had dropped to about 5000 a year. Still he always made living, and pretty good one. Fame, of course, never came near him.
 David Christie Murray had no ideals about novel writing. He turned to tha work as he would have turned to any other, merely to make money. Of over fifty of his novels, it is doubtful whether the average lover of fiction could name one of them off-hand. His work did not rise above the level of careful medi- ocrity. His stories were fairly entertain ing, not too sensational, clean enough, and-altogether ordinary. He was a pro- fessional novelist; he wrote for a living; that was the beginning and the end of 1t.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-08
A SUCCESSFUL PROPHET.
From the Travel Magazine.


 Across the water are the handsome res- idences upon the Neck" the settlement of which marks one more epoch in the his- tory of the town Marblehead Neck Is a small strip of land containing some three hundred acres, and a half century ago it was used for pasturing of cattle, being fit for little else. The land was barren and rocky, and it is small wonder that the good folk of Marblehead laughed when it's owner stoutly declared that 1t would one day be covered with gold dollars and at the less prcposterous statement of one of the smaller owners who declared that when his claim was worth ten thousand dollars he would sell It. It seemed pre- pos terous enough in those days, but the Neck today is worth a fabulous price, and the summer residences which cover 1t represent small fortunes within them- selves.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-08
New Bluff Park Driveway.

'I made the trip out along the new Bluff Park scenic drive on Shades noun tain last Sunday" said an automobillst. CT did not realize that there was such a beautiful place in such close proximity to Birmingham. The driveway extends for three miles along the bluff of Shades mountain. The county is now macadam- izing this road and 1t will undoubtedly be the finest driveway in the county when completed. It Is six hundred feet above the Louisville and Nashville rail- road and Shades valley offers a beautiful ly picturesque landscape viewed from the dizzy height. The new Bluff Park hotel Is located on this drivesay and numer- ous summer cottages are in the same VI cinity l predict that there will be many more as soon as Birmingham people find out what on ideal spot 1t Is for spend ing the summer vacation.
 Birmingham is accustomed 10 think everything In Jefferson county is new because the town itself is of such ten- der years. That there Is a historical in terest in Hale Springs and other points along the Bluff Park drive is evident on every hand. For instance. Sunday 1 stop ped at an especially picturesque placo called Lovers Leap It is an immense rock jutting out over the bluff with a sheer descent to the valley several hun dred feet below. By the light of the midday sun I declphered the following, carved on the rock in even and regular letters, which have begun to show the effects of time:
 "Thos w. Farrar.
 'Seraphne F. Farrar'
 ITO siren rocks, to muse OCT flood and
 fell,
 Slowly to trace the forests shady scene Where things that own not mans do-
 mlnion dwell,
 And mortal foot hath ne'er or rarely
 been.
 August 2Oth 1s27
 "I was told that the Thomas w. Far rar mentioned in the inscription was well known in the county during the early days and that lodge in Elyton still hears the name of this Jefferson pioneer ;