davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-07-28
EARLY LEGISLATION FOR
 PENNSYLVANIA MINERS

through the mines with the inspector on his visits to the colliery during that year, and also the events leading up to the passage of the law.
 The Avondale disaster occurred on Sep- tember $, 1869, the organization of branches of the Workingmens Benevolent associa- ton had spread rapidly through the other anthracite counties as well as In Schuylkill. The new act. called the Ven tilation Bill," providing for an appoint ment of examiners md the appointment of mine inspectors for Dauphin, North umberland. Columbia, Luzerne and Car bon counties, well as for SchuylNill was passed by the legislature and was approved by the governor on the 3rd of March, 1870.
 For several years before tho passage of the mine law of 1S69 the editor of the Miners Journal of Pottsville, Pa, pub lished in pamphlet form each year a statistical report of the coal trade fer the previous year. It was called 'The Miners Journal Coal Statistical Register and contained many interesting articles as well as figures and statistics l suL- scribed for them and have kept some of them, and will quote from one of them to show that at the time the act of 1860 was passed, little was known of 1t out side of Schuyll<ill county. The Register for 1870 contains a paper on Mine Legis- lation," road by MT Eckley B. Coxe O. Drifton, Pa, at the general meeting oc the American Social Science association. '. at Philadelphia; in this paper MT. Coxe, among other things says: "Pennsylvania when the Avondale disaster occurred, had no mining law and no inspectors of mines. and very few people of that state had ever thought of either of them to be nee essary. During the excitement caused y this accident. the state legislature passei in haste and without proper study of the question, an act which Is both defective and incomplete. It Is known as the Ven tilation act. This with the exception of some laws in reference to the titles to mining claims on government lands passed by Congress, Is the only legislation I know of on the subject which has been enacted in the United States"
 The editor of the Miners Journal com- menting on the above part of MT. CoXe s paper, says Tt is strange that so ir- telligent writer should not have known that mining laws had been discussed in Schuyll1ill county twelve years ago. and were prepared for presentation to the leg islature That five years ago a mining law passed one of the branches of tho Pennsylvania legislature. And in 1869 q bill was passed for Schuylkill county and a mine inspector appointed by the gov ernor who entered upon hls duties and mad6 report to the governor which the legislature ordered to be published. An ef- fort was made to extend 1t to the other anthracite counties. before the Ayondale disaster occurred, but the members from those counties opposed it's extension"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-07-28
Afraid of Llvinq.

From the Wall Street Journal.
 Livery moment is a new delight. Oh, the joy of livlng!"
 The man who said this at the cup the other night was looked at as a curiosity. Something 1t was thought must be wrong with a man who could make such con fession as that. That a man might eXpe- rience joy in certain aspects of life, such as the Joy of success, the joy of play and even the joy of work was concelVaple readily enough, but that anyone should admit a joy in living seemed strange in- deed
 Stevenson, in one of his essays, says that we moderns, unlike the anclents, are afraid of living This may explain the great number of suicides; rear or hle oNef- whelms the fear of death.
 Perhaps Stevenson overstates the truth, but that in no small measure, the people who live in this eager, commercial age, have developed a fear of nVlns' IS uh- doubtedly true Life has been made lnore comfortable for the body at the expense of a greater strain upon the mlnd. Sur gerry has been deprived or much or the horrors which attended it In former years. We have better houses, better food, bet ter sanitary arrangements, better clothes. Travel has become a luxury instead of q painful experience.
 Rut all this has not prevented fear or living, due largely, no doubt, to the fact that life has become more complex' more nerve straining. The normal man loves work. but work under no horse power pressure develops the most terrifying or modern diseases, nervous prostrauoh. me normal man loves contest, battle, but not under practical conditions, not with the prospect of being made to walk the plank" if he makes the slightest mis. take. He is not so much enarmored or success. as he is oppressed by the dis grace of public failure. He does not love wealth so much as he dreaos poverty
 This fear of living so far as 1t exists is due for one thing to the increasing g speed of life. We live at the rate Of slxty miles an hour. But the fear of living is also due to a diminishing fear Of death' As long as people believed that success or failure in the life to come depended upon conduct in the present life, this present life possessed a dignity respoh- slbility. and an opportunity, and hence a nrivi1ege which it lacks at time of di- minishing faith In the future
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-07-28
From Mines and Minerals.

From Mines and Minerals
 There were no mine laws for the pro- tection of the mine workers in any of the
 United States before the year 1869 but
 for several years before that time there , had heen some discussion among the
 miners of Schuyll1ill county and in the
 newspapers of the country, particularly ] the Miners Journal, of Pottsville, which l at that time published a great deal of the | mining news of this and other countries advocating the passage of mining laws | for the protection of the health and l lives of the employees, similar to the laws | then existing in England and Germany, where the mines were under government Inspection. Several attempts to draw up or frame a law were made but failed.
 In July, 1S6s.the miners struck for an R. hour day. This is generally known as
 the 8-hour strike This was meant for
 government employees, and which went
 Into effect about July 1, 1868. The min CTS thought it applied to them and when l they found it did not, struck. The meth
 cd of managing a strike was for a few | turbulent spirits to arm themselves with clubs, stones, etc., and to stop their own
 collieries, constantly gaining recruits and
 so on throughout the region. At the timo and for several years before there was no regular union of the miners, although l there had been many local strikes and dis | turbances. Soon after the eight-hour strike the miners of St. Clair Schuylk,ll
 county. began to hold meetings almost | daily, which resulted in the organization ff bo ation (W. B. A.) at St. Clair, which soon spread over the county and later into the other anthracite counties After tho strike was settled and during the fall and winter, the miners in their organization in SchuylSlll county began to agitate for
 Il mine law and made it one of their is- sues and sent committees to Harrisburg to urge the passage of ventilation and inspection law at the legislative session of 1869. At this time the Workingmens Be- nevolent association organization was not as strong in the other counties as 1t was in Schuylklll; it was also said that their legislators were opposed to the extension of the proposed law into their counties. An effort was made in the legislature to amend the law proposed for Schuyllxill county so as to make it apply to the eu- tire anthracite region, but 1t was opposed by the representative from Luzerne coun- ty as he did not know that his constit
 uens desired such a law.
 The statement was made in the debate upon the law that N"the time may como
 when such a law will be needed This
 was corroborated only too soon in tho
 Avondale disaster The result was that
 an act was passed to apply to Schuyl-
 kill county only; this act was approved
 by Governor Geary on the 12th of April,
 1869; the governor then appointed Nil.
 John Birmingham, who was an inside fore
 man at Ashland, Pa, as mine inspector.
 and he began to inspect the mines on the
 first of May At that time l was an as-
 sistant inside foreman at collery at $
 Clair and remember distinctly travelling
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-07-28
A DANGEROUS OCCUPATION.
Men Who Work With Poison Acids
 Invite an Early Death.

From the Chicago Tribune.
 An unhealthful occupation, and in many instances a dangerous one, IS the chemical workers calling. It kills men by degrees where it does not kill them out fright and it gives back small wages ' except to those who spend years in ac- quiring technical educations.
 "-Jo boy of mine could go into a chem teal factory with my consent" said John Hange, who has spent thirty years as a worker and foreman in different plants, and who, by some. dispensation of Provi- dence has survived the deadly fumes and hazards of burns, poisons and ex- plosions Chemical makers subject them selves to a multitude of woes many of which are insidous but none the less real.
 "A few drops of strong carbolic acid will cause death If swallowed, and to touch 1t is like putting your finger against the stove, yet the makers of the stuff have to handle 1t and live in it's midst Fluroic acid Is dangerous to han dle It is poisonous and corrosive. It will eat up glass so powerful is it. A drop on the skin means an ugly wound The trouble with most acid wounds is their unwillirgness to heal. The acid eats the life out of the flesh, and many injuries of this sort are permanent.
 "The makers of prussic acid are in fminent danger for a small quantity will kill a man instantly. It Is singular fact that prussic acid is found in the leaves of the cherry tree-in minute quantities of course-and in almonds. Mu. riatic acid emits fumes that are irritating to the lungs of the men who work in the midst of 1t. man not accustomed to the vapor will come out coughing and with red and watery eyes. In addition. the acid burns the flesh if by any acci- dent 1t Is touched.
 "One of the most dangerous and intu- rious of all chemicals is phosphorus, and the worker is wise who refuses to have anything to do with 1t. It usually hap pens, however. that the men working on a particular product do not know ts actual effects. Phosphorus causes necro- sis when it's fumes are breathed for a considerable length of time.
 "Acetic acid has a peculiar effect on the skin of the workmen. I have seen men with their hands literally covered with blisters. It is poisonous as well. A chemical known as bromlne leaves big yellow stains that are removed only by time It, too, is poison.
 Ammonia factories are productive of
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-07-28

says was found at the foot of the hill down which the old hero rode pelI- mell, coattails flying and razor in hand, In his immortal escape from the redcoats of King George. Old Put was a fine figure of a man. with his race all lathered and fire in his eve. me razor slipped from his grasp in tne descent of the hill-Putnam Hill chapter sticks to the story that be urged his horse down n flight of stens but Mead the iconoclast. had if from nls iather, who was told by his grand iather, that the general did not take the steps, but, like an ordinary man in haste dashed over the brow of the hill.
 AS Tor the razor, Mead argues that the general was probably mot shaving at all when surprised by General Trv- on's men. for he had attended a. fyAnce at Pecksland the night before. and in day when the practice was to shave once week he must have gone to the party With smooth face. And Mea q adds insult to injury by maintaining that Putnam never was a patron of the Knapp tavern, now the Putnam cottage, because Knapp was a rascally rory and traitorous 1oyalist
 IT we were the daughters of Pnt nam Hill Chapter we should stnnN hv the steps and claim the razor. Sops ana Daughters of the Revolution mnsr rally for the old myths which are Just as good history as the presump tions of people with logical minds and meddling dispositions. We shall newt pc nearing that old Put did not go into the cave after the she wolf in Pom Iret and slay her. and that the savagas ! never tied him to the stake at Wooo { Creek to burn him to death We can not afford to part with a single inspir- Ing achievement in the career of this robust soldier of tho revolution.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-07-28

heart troubles. for the fumes keep the heart pumping abnormally. Corrosive sublimate, which is manufactured in large quantities and employs many men in its making, has fumes that are life destroying. Its burning qualities are well known. Chloride of lime Is a similar pro- duct.
 Chemical workers are paid as poorly as any class of labor. They are not skAled workmen, or at least. only a few ot them are Their places can be filled from the ranks of common laborer usual 1y for commercial chemistry is far above them. They come and go and often after they have worked in a chemical factory for years, they know almost nothing more about the business than when they started If they make s2 and s day they have reached the limit.
 At least ten years are taken from the average mans life by this occupation. Some, like myself, last a long time; largely a matter of constitution and the particular work man is called upon tO do"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-07-28
FOR sALE-NEw BARGAINS.

 8
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  in an twith writeus I you want n srance ar,.,vA ~eamss.s n ~A.r ] AanisQaIsk 0tals&9
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-07-28

summer engagement does not often re- su.. in a happy marriage.
 My housekeeper told me last autumn. with considerable elation that her young sister was engaged to be married As only a short time before the housekeeper had deplored the fact that her sister who salary, did not care much for young men and probably was destined to be an old maid. I expressed my interest and asked haw 1t happened.
 A Familiar Story.
 "It vas the familiar story to which 1 listened, and I didn't like it. The girl had taken a longer vacation than usual four weks, and spent 1t at a crowded seashore place principally because of the fine bathing there. To quote the house. keeper.
 The very first evening at the board ing house she was introduced to a fine looking young man who was her shadow until the morning she took the train to come homo, and before he had known her two weeks he asked her to marry him. It was love at first sight he said'
 How about your sister? I asked.
 " Oh, she Is engaged to him, all right. She said yes the night before she came away
 q asked some more questions and found that the housekeeper knew next to nothing about the young man, but at my suggestion she said she meant to in- quire Whether she did or not l don't know The pair were married few weeks latter and the housekeeper has ceased to be enthusiastic when I ask her about her sisters marriage.
 T am certain 1t has not worked well The courtship was too short. Goodness knows, I am not trying to put impedi- ments in the way of young people be- coming engaged. Far from 1t. But to my mind the summer engagement follow ing a few weks of love making amid scenes which promote sentimental yearn- ings is risky thing if 1t eliminates in marriage.
 My advice to young girls in every sta ton in like is thus; Don't say yes til after you have got back to town and had time to think 1t over and find out how the hero looks and acts in the commonplace environments of city scenes"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-07-28
The Light Bid That Didn't Fail.

Among the many passages of droll hu- nor in The Cruise of the Shining Idpht,' Is that which describes the questioninr of Moses Shoos, simple-minded and well. intentioned. as to what was the amount of the bid which won the contract for the carrying of the mall It is Dannie. tho hero of the tale, who Is questioning him:
 'Ay.' I complained but what was the bid?
 :" The bid9'
 "'Ay; the bid
 "'Not expensive. says he.
 " But how much, Moses@
 Well. Dannie he answered. with a sigh and a rub of his curly yellow beard, I lowed mother wouldn't charge much for servin' the Queen: for says he, en- livened, twould be too much like com mon labor t carry Her Majesty's mail at price. An I bld,' he added, eyeing me vaguely, 'accordin' t what 1 lowed moth CT would have me do in the Queens serv- Ice. Fac is, Dannle. says he, in a squall of confidence, T lowed I'd carry it freep "
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-07-28
Israel Putnam Razor.

From the New Y York sun.
 The most unpopular man in Green wich, Conn, today Is unquestionably one Isaac l.. Mead, who has brought down on himself the contempt of Put nam Hill Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution, by doubting the auth henticity of the Israel Putnam rn- zor, that famous place which tradition
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-07-28
An OdIous Comparison

From the Chicago News.
 But" protested the space writer. ''pei = hap, you could use this article if I were to boil 1t down?'
 Nothing doing" rejoined the man be- hind. the blue pencil. If you were to take gallon of water and boil 1t down to a oint. 1t wnuld still be water
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-07-28
Card of Thanks.

We wish to extend our sincere thanks and appreeiation to the Concordia society the Ttrn-Vereln and German United Singers, the Red Men and all friends who were so kind to us at the time of the funeral of our beloved F. w. Ram bow.
 Mrs F. w Rainbow and Children.
 c. T. Rainbow and Wife
 b. c. Behrens.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-07-28
Goldfish Arlstocracy.

F'ro.a the Chicago News. The Bass-These codfish are putting on a lot of airs since they heard they were so we'll liked in Boston.
 The Pike-I should say so. They don t even like you to call them a school of fish!Ea
 Thh Bass-Don't, eh?
 Thl Pike-No; they insist uppon being referred to as a "college of fish,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-07-28
THREE CHOICE STORES

Two Stores on 4th Ave-, be- tween 18th and 18th Sts.-25x 14O each and two stories high $50 per month. Good for gro eeries, fruits or meat. One store, 25x100, on 4th Ave-, be- tween 18th and 19t Sts., l. story high-$125.
 Jemison Real Estate & Ins. Go.
 2O24 Third Avenue.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-07-28
A Touuh Chicken.

From the Kansas City Times
 ''There goes that son of yours walking with a tough stride and smoking ci- garette."
 "Yes, that youngster certainly was matched out of a bad egg
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-07-28
More Business Than Sport.

From the Baltimore American.
 How did Miss Catchem ever manage to get hold of young Softly?
 "Oh, she said he was agood eaten ahl one day when he was fool enough to go out with her alone fishing, she hooked {, ,t
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-07-28

No disease bacteria in Glen Iris Depot products. Will re- open Monday in better condi- tion than ever
Evening star., 1907-08-20
TRYING TO SAVE ORCHESTRA.
Chicago Tax Board Ignores Plea Of
Thomas Organization.

CHICAGO. August GA letter received
yesterday by the tax board of review from
Bryan Lathrop. president Of the Theodore
Thomas Orchestra Association, in which he
attempts to arouse in the board members
feelings for the welfare of Chicago as a
center of the artistic and musical as we'll
as for its advancement in more material
manner. was unanimously tabled until some
future time when the board would be more
at leisure.
President Lathrop states emphatically In
his letter that the orchestra association
will probably fall into bankruptcy II pro-
ter reads:
Il have been informed that the assessors
nave placed valuation on the ground and
building of the orchestral association OF
$1.3oOOOO If this valuation IS allowed to
stand 1t will probably bankrupt this insti-
tuition, which is perhaps. on the whole the
lnest thing in the possession of Chicago
1t seems not unreaS Sonable to ask the
board of review to make the taxes as light
as possible to preserve to Chicago what
the world at large regards as its choicest
possession, and the strongest proof that the
people of Chicago are interested In some
thing besides material things and money
making.
II trust that the board will recognize the
public and educational character of this In
stitution and relieve 1t as far as possible
from burden of taxation which may prove
its ruin
Evening star., 1907-08-20
MEDICAL STUDENT A SUICIDE.
Shoots Himself in Hotel-Was De-
spondent Over Lack Of Money.

NEW YORK. August 2O.-Robert j.
White. twenty-one years old third-year
student at Cornell Medical College. COM
mitted suicide yesterday in the Hotel Brad
dock. 10th street and 9th avenue. by shoot
ing himself through the right temple. He
registered there at o'clock in the morning
under the name of R. c. Lewis and at .
o clock last night was found dead in bed.
pearl handled revolver was in his right
hand.
Policeman Birmingham Of the West 125th
street station was summoned to the hotel.
He examined the young mans effects,
found that his name was White and that
he lived at 3b7 West 117th street. which is
a boarding house. The landady said that
White had been Respondent for some time
over money matters.
She told the policeman that White had
repeatedly declared that his father and
grandfather had committed suicide with a
revolver which he had suspended from a
cord on the wall. The pistol found in the
hotel room tailed with the description Of
that which the boarding house mistress
described
The police said that Whites father died
eight months ago. leaving his son 81 300
which he quickly went through. OF late he
had been pretty hard up and only recently
pawned the revolver for $40. He redeemed
1t few days ago He owed several months
board and was in debt to several college
mates. White came from Lockport, N Y.
Evening star., 1907-08-20
SoUTHERN'S RATE HEARING
Experts Declare Railway Operation Is
Extra Costly in North Carolina

NE" YORK. August 2O-John NJ
Daley. superintendent OF transporta.
ton Of the Illinois Central railway
who has proven the star witness for tho
Southern Railway Company in its fight
against the state of North Carolina in an
attempt to defeat the pa cent per mile rail-
way rare law. resumed his testimony YES
terday. when Special Master w A. Mont
Somery continued the Investigation. at ~
Broadway.
The witness went into an explanation
showing that competition and not the vol
nme of business. was largely the cause of
estdp"sHinS railroad rates. He said there
We're no long hauls In North Carolina
MT Daley declared that 1t cost more to
operate railroad in North Carolina than
IL did 10 operate similar line in any other
state. explaining that North Carolina had
no large cities towns that would feed
any great volume OF either passenger or
freight traffic.
On behalf of the state Mr.. Justice took
umbrage at this, and began calling off
cities and towns and asked MIR. Da'ey 10
state the population of various places in
North Carolina. MIR. Daley began naming
cities but failed to pronounce their names
CORRECTLY. and Mr.. Justice said
Why. you haven't been in North Caro-
Ina long enough to learn the names OF the
towns. yet YOU come here and tell US that
you are acquainted with the operations OF
the southern railway"
Mr. Daey explained that in every large
railroad office the officials knew lust what
amount of business was being done By rival
companies.
W. ID. Bcymer. auditor of the Central
railroad of Georgia. in the course of his
testimony said:
on all the domestic business done by the
railroad. both freight and passenger traffic
the railroad realizes merely a profit of /.
cents on the dollar earned. IL other words
IL costs the railroad in expenses 81 to .;
cents on every dollar it earns TO move the
business
After Richard n. Taylor of Mobile. Ala.
and general superintendent of the Mobile
and ONO. had given some expert testimony
on rates. an agreement was reached to con
tinue the hearings here today and tomor
row and resume them in Washington or
Friday