davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-02-07
Harmful Bill

The masters liability bill, commonly referred to as the employers liability bill, now pending in the legislature is another of those measures that would, if passed bear unjustly on every manu- featuring and mining company in Ala bama. It assumes to protect employees who may have sustained bodily injury while at work; but in its operation it would give many 8 person the right to recover damages when the plaintiff and not the defendant was to blame for the accident.
 It is provided in the bill that de- fendant employer in suit cannot plead negligence on the art of the employe. All that the plaintiff would have to prove would be that he was employed by the defendant and was injured in the defendants service. Now it often happens on the farm and in coal mines, furnaces and factories that an employe is warned not to do certain work in a certain way, because of the danger in volved, but not needing the warning, meets with an accident. And cases have been known where an employe de- liberately maimed himself slightly for the purpose of getting damages from his employer. Under the proposed law evidence to show the circumstances of the injury would have to be ruled out.
 When an employe is injured through no fault of his own, he is usually en- titled to recover something in the way of damages and under the present law the jury is very apt to give a verdict for the plaintiff. But the pending bill is manifestly one-sided and should not be passed.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-02-07
Unponular Bill.

The far-reaehing harm that would re- suit from the passage of the bill to pro- hibit the movement of freight trains on Sunday is understood by most people in this part of Alabama" said President J. c. Maben of the Sloss- Sheffield Steel and Iron company, "and l believe that when the public at large see just what the measure means to employees, as well as iron and coal interests they will not approve it.
 "In the first place the locomotive en- gineers and other trainmen are opposed to the bill and for various reasons. In the first place if trains were stopped on Sunday many of the crews would have to spend the day away from their fami- lies instead of being at home at least a part of the Sunday But, as a locomo- tive man remarked to me. the danger to life would be far greater on Monday than 1t Is now on account of the con- gestion all along the line resulting from additional trains crowdng the tracks to make up for the cessation of traffic the day before. I certainly would not run an engine on Monday, said the man. if that bill passes
 "No matter how well a law of the sort referred to operates in state like Georgia, 1t would paralyze the Birming- ham district, where we have more freight to haul than can be handled by the railroad companies when they move their trains seven days in the week"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-02-07
Years Output of Iro1

The year 1906 stands as the year of largest production of pig iron that this or any other country has ever known. The record is both national and inter- national, for no other country ever got within hailing distance of the Ameri- can output last year. It was 25,307, ,191 gross tons, as against %, 992, ,3S0 tons in the previous year. The gain was 2,314,- 811 tons, and yet about million tons of foreign iron were bought despite B heavy duty levied on it.
 The entire year was one of heavy production. The output in the second half of the year was larger by 142, ,691 tons than that of the first six months. The furnaces in blast at the end of the year numbered $40, or 27 more than were in blast one year before. Not since 1889 have so many furnaces been active, and the furnaces of today are of greater capacity in many instances than those of 1889.
 Production is progressing unchecked, and many believe that it will after q while equal consumption, thus putting an end to imports of pig iron and also driving away all fears of a serious iron famine. No one expects low prices during the present year, for much of the years product is already sold at current quotations
 In Pittsburg it is reported that the steel mills are booking orders for goods to be delivered in 1908. The mills of the Steel corporation are pushed to the utmost, and but 20 are idle out of 253, and needful repairs are to be hurried in order to put the idle mills in opera ton. The great industry is at all points busy, hopeful and full of energy and fat dividends.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-02-07
JOHNSTON AND cOMER.
the Montgomery Journal.

From the Montgomery Journa1.
 Like former Governor Johnston, Gov ernor Conner went into office with 8 storm brewing around him. The storm continued throughout the four years of administra- tion of Johnston. But Johnston proceeded to do what he thought right. He had leg islation enacted to his own liking. The re- suit of the work that he did is before the people,, and the people have had time since his retirement from office to make up a calm and honest verdict. We all know what that is. Governor Conner has no cause to be discouraged at the clam mor around and about him, He has one advantage over Governor Johnston. John ston had to hew out his own plans clear up the new ground and make ready for the planting and the harvesting. Governor Conner has had the good luck to have the democratic party indorse his proposed plans of cleaning up things and of plant ing and harvesting, and he has only to proceed in an orderly way to do things.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-02-07
Cold Wave Widespread

After a long adverse struggle Medi- cine Hat has conquered at last the en- tire east and cold weather is the rule from the Rocky mountains to the sea and the gulf. In all the northern states snow fell, and it is believed that the winter wheat in all the surplus states is protected at present by d white blanket In Philadelphia twelve inches of snow fell, in New York ten inches and in Chicago the snowfall is the heaviest that city has experienced in two years.
 The gulf and south Atlantic states do not need snow, and they got none, but the temperature in all of them ran down to about 20 degrees Fahrenheit. This is pretty cold weather but 25 de- grees above is vastly better than 20 degrees below, which was St. Paul's temperature on Tuesday night. Chi cago's temperature was nearly as severe, and in all parts of the country a cold wave and downright wintry weather are in evidence.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-02-07
Look for the Labels.

Ever at the risk of being considered crank" said man who takes bis meals in restaurants. "I always look to see If the bottle has the label on it when l wish to flavor my food with soma of the condiments scattered around.
 TT this pure food law is to have any force and effect 1t must be through the action of the people themselves in whose interest it was passed. Some person has said that eternal vigilance is the price Of liberty, Well 1t may just as truth fully be said that eternal vigilance is the price of purity so far as pure food is concerned. The label on the bottle or on the can is the only means we have of knowing whether the article is gen uine or adulterated.
 Another point worth considering is the likelihood of bottle which once contained the genuine article being reilled with an imitation. I am told 1t is nothing unusual in some saloons to fill up the empty bottles which bear different labels, from the same source, and that when two men call for different brands of liduor, expressing preference for their choice, the saloon keeper has to turn aside to hide the smile that comes over his face.
 If that sort of thing can be done with wine and whisky and beer, what is to prevent its being done with pickels and catsup and pepper sauce? It is a we'll known fact that one of the scarcest ar ticles to be had is pure vinegar and yet there are gallons of some chemical pro- duct which passes as vinegar being used every day. Olive oil has almost gone out of existence so far as oil made from olives is concerned, but the imitation flows around us In stream.
 "I read in magazine some time ago an article on the various food adulterants and saw that coffee Is generally adul- terated with chicory; that chicory is adulterated with grated bread-crust; that grated bread-crust is adulterated with ground brick-dust and the brck-dust is adulterated with red clay. It would be worth while trying to find out how much genuine coffee had been used in making cup of the popular beverage where all this adulteration had been done"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-02-07
Wcrk Before CCnuress

But four weeks remain of the Fifty ninth Congress, and yet, outside of ap- propriation bills, it has fully a dozen of important bills before it, only one of which has reached the conference stage-the immigration bill. The res toration of the army canteen Is a live wire, and if it is acted on in this Con- gross it will have to be incorporated in the army appropriation bill. The Phil ippine tariff bill has passed the House and is now in the hands of the Senate committee on the Philippines. All Sem ate committees are dominated by the standpatters, who demand their pound of flesh al every turn waiving not even a slight reduction for the promotion of trade in the Philippines. The Porto Rico citizenship bill is still before the House. The right of criminal appeal bill is House bill that has gone to the Senate, and is now in the hands of the Senate judiciary committed The Santo Domingto treaty is hung up in the Sen ate. The Appalachian and White mountain forest reserve bill is still in the House. It is House bill. The raiIrsad employers bill is Senate bill thaa is in the hands of the House com
 mjtfee on interstate and foreign com nerce. The naval personnel bip is still
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-02-07
MOVING IN A NEW SPHERE.

From the Rossville (kan.) Reporter.
 r. Gneotype Carr, who has been in the employ of the Reporter in the ca pacity of compositor for a year past, has ceased from his labors and Is now at rest No more will his high-low jig saw laughter be heard within the ala baster walls of the composing room or rudely alarm and make afraid the citi- zens of Main street During F. Lneo- types service in this office he has ab- sorbed so much Knowledge as to induce palpitation of the pancreas and an abs normal bnlgihg of the brow, Acting on the advice of friends he will join the Eighteenth Infantry band, Y. S. A., where 1t is hoped the navy blue vocsb- ulary of his associates and steady diet of cold beans wll reduce the sappy secretsans and thus preserve life so full of promise and self esteem.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-02-07
WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH ALA
 BAMA?

From the Atlanta Constitution
 Preserving her traditions untarnished, our sister state, Alabama, has yet kept abreast of modern progress, steering clear of the dangerous shoals of prejudice and intolerance and cultivating a commercial and a social intercourse which have raised her high in the opinion of her sisters
 It has remained for the Alabama senate to dim this luster. What sort of spirit of prejudice or intolerance could have inn pelled it to pigeon hole to death that very timely and appropriate resolution passed by the unanimous vote Of the house of representatives commenting the course of President Roosevelt in the Brownsville affair?
 State Senator Moody, who led the op- position. to judge by his remarks In op- posing the resolution, is one of the Illl- man stamp the stormy-petrel stripe, who finds his pleasure in fighting good action because he does not like the man. Why he or any other southern man. ex- cept Senator Tillman, should seek to join the Foraker band and the few isolated northern eranks who are given to negro E, IS Dtg OIu us tp uiieicAstdhu.
 What does the Alabama senate mean by flying in the face of the sentiment of practically all the south and the better part of the entire nation?
 Legislatures, civic bodies, conventions of all sorts, among them one of the great est gatherings of farmers assembled in the last decade-the Farmers union con vention in Atlanta, representing more than a million southern and western pro- ducers-have indorsed in positive and em- phatic terms, and by unanimous vote, the action of President Roosevelt in deal ing with the Brownsville case. From everywhere there has come unstinted praise for the very able, fearless and ap- proproate manner in which the Presi- dent dealt with that situation. The voice of protest has been so notoriously scarce as to attract curious attention, as would a tent full of sideshow freaks
 Is the Alabama senate going to take its place as one among them7
 If so, it is to be regretted, but we hope. ere it be too late, 1t will unpigeon hole the resolution which the represen- tatives of the people passed with one ac-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-02-07
ALABAMA PRESS

Gadsden Journal: The trial of mil- lionaire is surrounded with more red tape than the making of an international treaty.
 Jackson South Alabamian: Those voters who wanted governor who would have it in for the railroads are getting their satisfaction now.
 Mobile Register. Nebraska and Alabama are companions. in the railroad batting business, but Ne braska has the eredit-if credit 1t may be called, of showing Alabama the way. Nebraska says for 2-eent railroad fares; Alabama for 21a-cents fares; Nebraska makes the railroad rates that were in force January 1, the maxi num- and not to be raised. although the railroad commission may lower them; Alabama will fix certain classes, with maximum rates. the classes being change able by the railroad commission, pro- vded changes shall not increase the maximum of rates.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-02-07
DANGERS OF SUDDEN REFORM.

From Ll1e.
 .'Your husband must eat no food what ever for & month"
 "Y-y-yes, doetor.'
 But he must take as much as he can of broth composed of equal parts of slu- cose, cream of tartar, boracic acid, paris green and sulphate of copper"
 Why What!'
 Tn addition, be sure to sprinkle little arsenic in his drinking water, and you might put a pinch of strychnine in his broth"
 Do you want me to murder poor, suf- fering John?"
 Not at all, madam. I'm trying to save him. His nervous system is wreck. while he is also suffering from acute in- digestion His food agrees with him en- tirely too we'll and he is receiving an un- expected-I might say surplus-amount of nourishment.
 And should the case not respond promptly, give a large bowl of excelsior and chalk water each morning.
 We've only had these cases since the first of January, when the sudden turn ing loose upon the community of so much pure food resulted in this dreadful scourge. As the people get used to un- adulterated stuffs, however, they may be able to assimilate them. Let us hope for the best
 Good day, madam"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-02-07
COME, REST IN THIS BOSOM.

By Thomas Moore. Come rest in this bosom. my own
 stricken deer, Though the nerd have fled from thee, thy
 home is still here: Here still is the smile, that no cloud can
 oereast And heart and a hand all thy own to
 the last. Oh, what was love made for if 'tis not
 the same Through joy and through torment,
 through glory and shame? I know not, ask not, If quilts In that
 heart, I but know that I love thee, whatever
 thou art. Thou hast called me thy Angel in mo-
 ments ef bliss. And thy Angel I'll be, mid the horrors
 of this. Through -he furnace. unshrinking, thy
 steps to pursue, And shield thee, and save thee-or perish
 there. too,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-02-07
From the Boston Globe.

From the Boston Globe.
 NHE wonderful advance in the con \o struction of new buildings in the
 United States would be a source of greater satisfaction if there was not closely allied with 1t such an enormous loss of property by fire. The annual waste by fire is one of the most serious prob lems confronting the nation, and when 1t is solved hundreds of millions of dollars will be saved every year.
 The records and tabulations for 1906 have just been completed and show the grand total expended in buildings during the year throughout the United States reached $604 04,96O,o00 Large as this sum is it has fallen considerably below expec- tations. for it was confidently estimated early in the year that $725,O00,000 would be the total reached. The total, however, shows a gain of little over 2 per cent o1 the amount of building in 1905.
 This growth In building operations does not seem so gratifying when it Is learned that the fire losses during the same period were in excess of $500,00O,000. This fire loss in 1906 it is asserted, has never been equaled in any other country at any time.
 It is a lamentable state of affairs when so much property can be destroyed in a sir gle year That much of this loss was preventable is beyond question. Just what proportion could have been prevented is open to argument. Nevertheless, such an eminent authority as MT. F. W. Fitzger- aid, the executive officer of the interna- (; 1I nf I.,,t1l ffarn nrG maintains that nine-tenths of these losses are preventable.
 This expert contends that as the ma jcrity of buildings have been construct ed and are being built, there is absolutely no assurance that equal if not greater losses will not be the order of the day in the future; and that the energies of the authorities seem bent in the direction of providing fire-fighting appliances and in paying high fire insurance rates, rather than in building so that structures cannot be destroyed by fire.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-02-07
Fish and Coal Washers.

'I assume that the author of the fish and game bill did not realize what harm would be done to mining companies when he wrote the section prohibiting any one from emptying deleterlous matter in streams containing flnny creatures" said William B. Phillips, the well known metsllurgical chemist. Were we to have a law with such a section in 1t, the mine operator would have to give up the washer and that would never do. One coal washer is worth more than all the nsh In the streams of Alabama. This is not much of a fishing state anyway
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-02-07
Coal Trade.

The coal trade was never in a more fourishing condition than it is this win ter" said Belton Gilreath. All the oper- ators are kept busy filling their orders and but for the car shortage the output and the shipments would be much larger than at present.
 The steadily increasing demand for coal is creating a corresponding demand for coal lands. A few years ago inyes- tors in mineral property were not plen- tiful, but now it is an easy matter 10 find purchasers for good ore and coal acreage
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-02-07
REFLECTIONS OF A BACHELOR.

From the New York Press.
 What d girl likes about boys is that her mother doesn't
 It would be pretty useful if fat people could kind of moult.
 A good thing about being too poor to eat is you don't have to have cooks.
 man could afford to give away a lot of money to charity if it wasn't of any use.
 A man could save a few cents a day working around the house if he didn't know enough to make more at business.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-02-07
ANNUAL WASTE BY FIRE

I It is claimed that if but a fifth of the | sum involved in the fire losses had been expended m protecting the steel frames of buildings with hollow freproofing tile, windows with wire glass, closing off stair ways and elevator wells, and taking other precautions against fire, all the new buildings erected during the year would have been substantially immune.
 Whatever claims are put forth concern ing this or that alleged fireproof material it seems possible for builders to find proper appliances and materials whereby the ravages of the flames could be re- duced and large percentage of the de- struction by fire prevented.
 Building laws are being changed con- stantly, but they should be altered more with view to withstanding successfully all dangers from fire rather than being framed to suit the whims of impractical men.
 Now that the building laws of Boston are to be changed it is a good time to go over fire details carefully, taking into account the dangerous conditions in va rious parts of the city, and legislating wisely for the future Fire fighters them selves should be consulted on this phase of the laws. Practical men, like fire en- gineers, know all about the dangerous To- calities, and their advice is valuable to any community when building laws are being considered.
 The men who usually succeed in fram- ing mass of building laws that bewlder all who try to intrepret them do not have to extinguish fires. Neither do they know the danger spots or fire traps" in any fire district. Under past laws buildings have been allowed to be constructed in a too complicated manner and located without regard to surrounding fire con ditions, and when they were burned their boa sted fire-proof qualities proved lack ing No one knows as we'll as fireman to what extent the materials in burning building will withstand the flames. Fire fighters know the plans of buildings after construction. It might be well If they saw the plans before construction.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-02-07
RETURN OF GIBSON GIRL.

A new series of "Gibson Heads is now offered by the New York Sunday World These drawings are from the pen of tho world famed artist, Charles Dana Gibson The pictures are in India black, on a buff background, upon art paper, and each is ready for framing. The first "Gibson Girl' art supplement will be given next Sunday, and others will follow each Sun day. Get the set. Order from newsdeal- CTS in advance.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-02-07
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
Legislature All Rlaht.

Since my return from Montgomery" ]" said N. D. Nesbitt last night. Some of my friends have expressed concern as to the legislature. They seem to think that the body is determined to enact drastic legislation which will seriously affect the important interests of the state, I do not share in this apprehension. and would advise those who are doubtful of the legislature 10 run down to Mont gomery and look over the law-makers- size them up, as the saying goes.
 Tn my opinion, the present legislature is a truly representative body. It is com posed of men with strong convictions, but open minds. They are not disposed to act hostilely but to give all questions a fair hearing. There is, believe, great deal of unnecessary sollcitude as to the acts of the legislature.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-02-07
1.-THE LONG DAY."

Jack London says: Ut should be read by every man. woman and child who cherishes the belief that he or she is not selfish clod.' The distinguished author thus estimates ''The Long Day" a true story of New York working girl as told by herself, which began in serial publ- cation in The Evening Telegram, New York, on Monday, January 2s
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-02-07
PROBLEM MATICAL.

From the Chicago Tribune.
 There came ring at the telephone.
 "Herbert' asked a feminine voice, 'what time are you coming home to dinner?'
 q don't know, dear" answered Herbert, "All I can tell you is that I am going to start right now
 A few minutes later, with more or less firm reliance upon the protection of Providence, he boarded an elevated train and began his journey around the loon
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-02-07
New Orleans Also Suffers.

q noticed a cartoon in one of the New Orleans papers recently that struck me as being very appropriate, said a the atrical manager yesterday. First I must explain that trains into New Orleans recently have been as late as those into Birmingham and other cities in the south and other parts of the country.
 The cartoon shows the station master in New Orleans dropping dead in the station between two of the tracks. In the distance is a train steaming into the shed. and under the cartoon appears the explanation that the train is on time"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-02-07
GOOD SUGGESTION

From the Galveston Tribune.
 The Birmingham Age-Herald suggests that Connecticut is at loss to know how 10 label it's wooden nutmegs under the pure food law" How would "Pins knots, nutmeg flavor" do to comply with the law?