davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-11-24

r oNDON, November 23-(Special Ca-
 ble.)-No play of recent years has - been received with more affection ate enthusiasm than Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch" Last week 15O0 Mrs. Wfggses were to be found in the Adelphi Theatre on the occasion of the two hun dredth performance, when Mrs. Madge Carr Cook invited 15oO laundreses in LoE- don to enjoy the story of their proto- type. The play was received by these critics with the most heartfelt enthusi- asm. They occupied the gallery, the dress circle and the boxes, and the talented authoress must have been gratified at the tears, the laughter and the delight which her presentment gave to those who should be connoisseurs in the profession, but perhaps the most thrilling moment was the realization that Mrs Cook, when she acted to that strange audience. was al- most overcome by the pathos of it-that make-believe heroine of humble life fac- ing those who were really bearing the drudgery and toll of the existence which her genius represented.
 The solid foundations upon which the dress of men has hitherto been built are being seriously threatened Life, we are told, has lost it's picturesqueness since men, from the prime minister to the hum- blest clerk. don precisely the same cos tune. The artist and the literary man,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-11-24

Turning to "fiddle,' I was not much en- frightened, nor much edhed to learn that it was "a stringed instrument of music; see violin.'' The Photographers "defni- ton" did not define. It was just as true of guitar, of banjo of a piano, and of a variety of other instruments as 1t was of a violin. I am tempted here to risk definition of my own Photograph CT, stupid, patient drudge; see ass.
 Now, few words are so widely or so sadly abused as are the words mature and natural Time and again We hear and read of what nature does, and of what natural law accompishes. The laws of nature cause the planets to keep their orbits and their relative distances from the sun." 'The law of gravitation causes a bah thrown into the air to de- scend to the earth.'', Now, in all such statements there Is a sad confusion of terms, for in every one of them mature and law are assumed to be forces.
 The law of gravitation is not force, D It is simply the way in which the force of gravitat tion uniformly operates; or, in other words, the conditions under which forces uniformly act constitute the laws of the universe
 When a ball is fired from cannon, eel tain forces acting under fixed conditions cause that ball to describe a certain math- ematically ascertained curve called parabola. If you should say to a friend:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-11-24

spice cove, or two, or three, or four. Then surround that goose. so prepared, with a wall of clay such as brick are made of roll the thing, now nearly as big as a whisky barrel, into the furnace whence the fire had been drawn; put the coals back over the mass, sit down and play a game of seven-up with three other good fellows and good players, with stakes just big enough to excite in terest and too small to ars1se cupldity; keep the thing up till a couple o'clock in the morning, when the crockery is drawn from the fire, broken with A sedge, the skin and feathers adhering to the crock cry and there you have dish that, had it been set before him. would have caused Adam to reject the apple. Imagine that with pumpkin bread possum, and moonshine whisky in which you could taste the corn silk!
 Sometime ago I tried to tell what should follow d feast of pot-licker, a broth of equal excellence with 'possum or goose, and as promotive of felicity and longevity. I allude to a quid of tobacco I have not now that composition before me; but when l saw it in print l realized that I had been guilty of a series of omis sions, and as I havo been asked to repeat
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-11-24

the thing by sundry persons, who never knew 1t except from hearsay, l shall now propose a new and more accurate edition, as follows, viz:
 In the first place, the "barrens' of Ken lucky Is the land where the tobacco plant attains it's acme. There, on frosty mornin' in autumn. the virgin wood ex- udes saltpetre and the soil is fertile enough for hemp or turnlp without en- barrassment to it's exhaustless energies. That was when l was a boy. Rocky, rough a sinkhole on every tract; subter- ranean streams, draining every square mile; the Mammoth Cave, just across tile line; the vegetable growth, scrug nick ory, scrub post oak, wild grapevine, dense hazelnut thicket, here a black walnut. there a red dogwood-everywhere May apple perhaps from the mandrakes with which Leah hired Jacob of Rachel
 Go here and clear a patch in the late June or early July, digging up all the stumps possible; pile the brush and get all the rails you can of the post oaks and haul off the fire wood. Leave the debris to rot till dry spell in January; then set 1t afire and dig up the remaining stumps. Now blow it with jumping cutter ahead of a very narrow "bull
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-11-24
AMAZING THEFTS FROM
 STREET RAILWAYS

time when our irons supplies will be eX- hausted is not yet even dimly discerni- ble; and Nefore it comes science will have ample opportunity to find satis- factory substitute"
 Down at Warrenton, Va, far from the scene of financial stress, half q dozen New York millionares are enjoying the fox hunting season. At that place is the most exclusive hunt club in America. It is composed of a dozen milionaires. the initiation fee is S1o,oOO and the annual dues 5000. The club membership as 1t now stands includes, in addition to F.. H. Hartman, the President, August Bel mont, J. R. Townsend. Peter Gerry. Rob- ert Gerry, Robert Goelet, Frederic KeT- nochan, r. R. Hitchcock, all of New York; Miss Mary Hartman, Miss Kath- arine Elkins of Washington and Lathrop Ames and John Ames of Boston. Each of these favorites of fortune has from three to five horses in commission. Two enormous barns equipped in the most modern fashion and built in the same at tractive shingle as the clubhouse, consti- tute the chief feature. at the kennels.
 Inside the house life can be made very attractive after a hard days run, or when forced by indictment weather to give up the chase. wide hallway at the south end of the building opens into reading room on the left, a drawing room on the right, both furnished in warm red tones, with yellow woodwork along Colo nial lines. A collection of English prints, portraits of men, women. and horses fa- nous in hunting circles. few well-chosen paintings suggestive of outdoor life, with a portrait or two, adorn the walls, which are a rich cream.
 Only seven hours from New York, and less than two from Washington, every thing In the way of food and refresh ment is brought in by rail and taken off the car at the door-one reason, and the only good reason, it would seem. for placing the club house in the village on the corner of two streets, with no ground to speak of.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-11-24
BY LADY HENRY SOMERSET.
MRS. WIGGS LNLONDON

point than the letters of Queen Victoria which have just been published. It would be hard to underrate the difficulty ofthe situation to which the young girl Queen succeeded. The ignoble monarchs. George w and William ", had degraded the English court, but this woman not only raised it, but as Lord Rosebery has re- gently said, "I queathed it to her son, bright with the 1ustre of an imperishabc renown' The public enthusiasm which surrounded the girl who stood the prom inent figure of great people was finally described by him when he said, speaking of her accession "1nen, at that time, the child, the darling of her people. she lived to become their Vonerated mother" The book is of such historic value, not only to the people of this country, but to the whole English-speaking world, that I shall hope to deal in u subsequent lettsr with the work, and with the impression it has produced here
 The worst that could be dreaded by it's enemies with regard to woman suffrage has come in Holland, and the terrible prophecies which have been so often made by those who oppose the political woman have been fulfilled in that coun- parliament bill rendering it possible for the establishment of universal suf- frage, votes for women and the elgi- blity of women to sit in parliament. Surely the movement has grown apace when this contemplating little nation can seriously entertain such proposal.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-11-24

the hairdresser and the shop walker are all clothed exactly alike. They have given up any outward and visible sign of their calling or their profession. One man alone stands as the prominent exception. George Bernard Shaw appeared before the cur tain on the first night of his play clad in a yellow suit of Jaeger wool and fan mel shirt He was careful to explain to the press that his socks had separate compartment for each toe. If MT. Shaw has done nothing else he has at any rate bravely blazed the way for new depar- ture in the dress of man. Indeed, had Mr Shaw been clad like other mortals, If he had worn silk hat and frock coat it is probable that many of the admirers of his plays would not have been so ardent to say that the genius was uncommon, nor would they have so rooted a belief in the courage of the man who can turn almost all things under the sun into ridi- cule.
 Years ago MT. Shaw used 10 b. called the Wolf in Jaeger Clothing" The world has certainly had occasion to know something of the fang which can snap at its follies and devour its hypocrisies. He is undoubtedly the pioneer of new open question whether he will be equally successful in promulgating the sensible and health-giving clothes which he has the sagacity to wear.
 No book of recent years will prove more valuable from tile historic stand
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-11-24
ARs AGO -MEN AND MA TIERS AMAZING

holders we will have. It seems now that about everybody must have some of our stock, but there seem to be others that want to get aboard
 United States Steel fell during the year from 479s to 221s.
 Mineral Resources of the United States, 19O6," which has just been is- sued contains an interesting chapter on iron ores by Edwin c, Eckel of the Uni ted States geological survey. MT. Eckers s article is especially interesting in view of the report two years ago of a Swedish geological expert that at the present rate of consumption the world should run short of iron ore within the present cen tury. Such a surprising prediction natur- ally attracted a great deal of attention.
 Mir. Eckel declares that estimates pos sess little value when the large pos sibility of error is taken into considera- ton. He believes. with other experts, however that the constantly Increasing demand for the ores of the Lake Superior district will reach 50,000000 tons year before 1915 which will mean that the known ores of that district will be ex- hausted by the middle of the century. But it is his belief that long before that time fresh deposits of ore will be found in the Lake Superior district and in other parts of the United States
 Very little is known of the extent of the ore deposits in the Rock mountains and the Pacific states. neither can any accurate estimates be formed of the sup ply in New York, New Jersey and Penn sylvana, but In the latter states it is safe to say that large deposits not now being developed will eventually be opened In the southern states the work of the geological survey has been very complete and the estimate of 100oo,00O GOO tons is probably not far from the correct figure. Thus 1t will be seen thnt the Swedish geologist's estimate of 100 ,oO0,Ooo tons for the entire United States was far too low. According to MT. Eckel, "it is probably safe to say that the United States has from 10 to 20 times that reserve of iron ore.'
 Experts are not alarmed by the out look Said one of them recently: "fhe
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-11-24
FINANCIAL STORM OF
 SEVENTY YEARS AGO

ably inspired by their resentment at failure to make use of it for political purposes and for the satisfaction of place seekers. The many lucrative jobs in the gift of the Bank of the United States, and the vast amount of credit at It's command, were very tempting to the "Kitchen Cabinet
 The democratic party owes it's origin in part to the political turmoil over the renewal of the charter of the bank. At that time the democrats were known as Jackson men, and were the immediate successors of the so-called republican democratic party. of Which Jefferson had been the accredited lead CT. The bank lost its federal charter by limitation in 1836 but had con- tinued a very voluminous business un- der a charter granted by the common wealth of Pennsylvania. It was the successor of the first bank or the United States, and a financial writer has said that both of these banks dld serve the purpose of regulators or the currency; that they put an end to grave disorders of the natlonal finances, and that they were useful In many ways and gave entire satisfaction to the business community"
 There is not space here to give a com plete history of the fall of the second bank of the United States, but 1t may De interesting to recall a few episodes or lts strenuous career. Two members or Jack sons "Kitchen Cabinet" had taken deep ofsense because certain things that they wanted done at the branches of the Bank of the United States at Portsmouth, N. H.. and Louisville, Ky were not done These men, Amos Kendall and Isaac Hlli' wrote letters of complaint and melted pc titions against the bank, which were used as the opening wedges for the campaign of abuse and misrepresentation that was now begun President Riddle had, up to this noint. kept the bank out of politics. Jackson had specifically criticised the charter Of the bank in certain respects, and it was hoped that when 1t came to an issue as to a new charter he himselr might father one drawn according 10 ms
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-11-24
,POSSTJM AND GOOSE-PUMPKZN AND TOBA eco

tongue" and harrow, piling the roots. Repeat this operation when the winds of March have made the ground dry enough for the blow after the rains, the sleets, the freezes and the thaws of February. Get every root out of the way, and again in April go over 1t. blow and harrow. In May. about the 10th, blow and harrow fourth time, Hay the ground off as for corn three feet each way, and then transplant the tobacco from the bed. They used to make hills for this, but that has been found to be useless labor. When the plants have been set for some IS days go over the ground with the hoe and de- stroy all vegetable growth but the to- bacco, and be sure that your plant Is or the yellow prior variety. If you neglect that precaution all your labor is vain. Your tobacco will not be fit to chew.
 Now put the cultivator to it-that IS, blow it as you do corn, and cultivate It with double shovel and hoe frequently this tobacco Is for local domestic use, not for market Early In July prime the plant, and prime" high enough-that is, take off the bottom leaves that rest on the ground By the 10th of August top" the plant leaving from IA to 16 leaves on 1t. Now "succor" it and worm 1t daily, and q successful way to worm Is by prevention, as follows: Grow jim son weed on the edge of the patch. put in the blossom a sirup In which a pinch or two of cobalt had been dissolved It Is a great labor saver
 Keep the suckers off and the worms off, and let the tobacco get dead ripe. The dews of cool early autumn nights help it immensely. giving 1t body and rlpening the nicotine. I heard man who knew nothing in the world about tobacco sing the praises the other day of pipe that took the nicotine out of the tobacco before the smoke got to the palate. I yentured to say to him that l would as soon smoke corn fodder or drink whisky from which all alcohol had been ban ished. Nobody ever chewed or smok ed or snuffed tobacco except for it's nico- tine, and nobody ever drank whisky or wine or beer except for the alcohol af it--as well drink stump water.
 Then. on some glorious morn of splendid October, the season of incipient Indian summer, when the fodder Is in the shock-but ere the frost is on the pump kin-when the dew is heavy and the air is crisp-when the magnificent sun of such day Is well on his course in the heavens-go into the patch and cut the tobacco hang 1t on the stick. and never let 1t tuoch mother earth. Take 1t to the scafforld, imprOVised in the patch. of rails or poles. and let it there 'yaller' until it is as the hickory leaf turned golden at the first touch of autumnal breeze Let 1t hang for 2l or 4s hours and then house it in barn tight enough 7to exclude the air. Two days later fire it by means of charcoal. heating the building to that degree that drives the
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-11-24
BY J. c. HIDEN, D. D.

he will find that difficulties will crowd thick and fast upon him. Even to clear and satisfactory thinking, to say nothing Of conduct, God Is necessary. Do they not tell us that His hand Is
 seen
 In all that is. in all that yet hath been? The falling sparrow, and the shooting
 light
 Which, blazing, hurres OCT the vault of
 night
 With such strange splendors that we
 wonder how The gem was shaken from some angels
 brow;
 The falling sparrow and the bursting
 star,
 One at your feet, the other gone afar Each follows some decree of His-some
 law,
 Which in dead bird, or shooting light we
 saw"
 When we come to deal with the serious problems of life, where our powers are weak and our sight Is dim-what com fort 1t is to believe that a personal God. who can see and hear. Is looking down upon us and that a glorited Savior is not too high above us to sympathize even with our infrmties, And what soul that has ever really and practically struggled with these problems can fail to exult in the mighty sweep of that glorious sen tenee, All things work together for good 10 them that love God?"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-11-24

own ideas. But Henry Clay, who was nominated for President at Baltimore in 1881 in opposition to Jackson, had now returned to public life after a retirement of two years. He was led to believe that If the bank assumed an aggressive atti- tude some large breaches could be made in the ranks of Jackson's followers, par ticularly in Pennsylvania, which was both strongly for Jackson and for the bank. He even thought that Jackson was afraid of the bank issue.
 Riddle was induced to write memorial to Congress asking renewal Of the charter. The bank was popular enough to command majority in Congress. But, not content with passing a bill for new charter, it's advocates added a resolution in the House which amounted to a chal- lenge to the President to sign or veto the measure instead of letting 1t die upon the expiration of ten days after the ad- journment, then at hand, as he mlgA have done. The result was characteristic of Jackson. He vetoed the charter the very next day. Riddle predicted that this veto would help Clays chances in the Presidential election, but Clay WAS defeated, and with him the last hope of the bank as a national institution.
 Jackson and his advisers tried to kill the bank at once by withdrawing from 1t the government deposits and placing the smoney in state banks. The President and the Senate waged a hot war for sev- eral years, one of the most important cpl sodes of which was the passage by the Senate of the famous resolution intro- duced by Henry Clay, censuring the Pres ident for having assumed the exercise of a power over the Treasury of the United States not granted to him by the Constitution and laws. and dangerous to the liberties of the people" The contro- versy continued through the whole of Van Buren's administration, and well into Tyler's, though Jackson had stripped the bank of it's semi-official national charac- ter. Although "Old Hickory" had failed to kill the bank 1t proceeded to kill itself by failing to reduce it's capital 10 the amount that could be proitably used in it's new sphere.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-11-24

While the rich man sits with bowed head in the financial gloom the poor man has been quick to seize the golden opportunity offered to him-the invest ment of his savings in standard railroad and industrial securities, which, hit by the panic reached new low levels. In the last six months the number of stockholders of record of some of the railroad and industrial corporations has increased 50 and 75 per cent, and in 0 great many cases the unprecedented increase has been principally in the last few weeks. These new stock purchases average 20 and 90 shares, and have run in many cases as low as one, two and three shares. Ac- cordng to financlers, there can be but one meaning to this and that is that the small investors are putting the stocks away in safe deposit vaults for the rise, which is inevitable
 Some of the figures of the increases in holdings are startling to those who are not familiar with the conditions. The stockholders of record of the New York Central have increased since the first Of the year nearly 100 per cent. On January l the books of the company showed the stock of the road 10 be divided among about 9500 persons. N;en the August dividend was made up the number had jumped to 15,527 and since that time It has increased to more than 1S,000. On Thursday, November 10, 1906 New York Central closed at 12s1a. On Friday, Mo- vember 15. 1907, 1t closed at 93ia.
 Since October 1 the new accounts opened on the books of the Northern Pacific have numbered more than 5000; Philadel- phia and Reading over 200, Southern rail- way more than 1000. and so on.
 At the offices of the United States Steel corporation It was said that the exact figures could not be given. but that the increase i'm stockholders had been great in the last few weeks.
 An officer of the Steel corporation. when asked If there seemed to be any signs of q falling off in the number of buyers of small blocks of stock replied in the negative. Tt Is more on the in- crease than eyer he said, 'fand if 1t keeps on l do not know how many stock
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-11-24

In a population of S0,O00,OOO it is a difficult matter to rise above the null titude upon merit or worth, but the ranks are always open to any person who can devise an original act, after the fashion of vaudeville performers. The elopement is tame and to make it deserving of printing the names and pictures of the participants there must be novelties In the shape of shootings and suicides. The divorce must be at tended with features repulsive to every canon of common decency; the scan dal must have trans continental trim mings. The victims of the craze for notoriety are driven to the extremes of possibility if they wish to secure the public attention for the moment and still the unsuitable maw of the vulgar craves for more. In the presence of such a flood of competition the gentle