davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-11
BY J. H. NUNNELEE.

for him. They went to work with a hearty good will and by the time that the day for tho election for solicitors had rolled around there was no opposition to him, and he was elected unanimously. And it all came about" added General Pettus, lon account of neighborly act that my father had done the representa- ty years before. It was like bread cast whether or not I would have been elect ed but for the incident related above. Of course felt proud of my election, but father had been the means of assisting thls representative when he needed help. It was one of those rare instances of re- paying a debt and this old representative from Limestone paid 1t and he paid 1t with interest ten times over. He would have done tho same thing for my father under similar circumstances, but he was one of those unselfish fellows who felt that 1t was debt that had to be repaid and he was greatly delighted when I was elected and felt that he had done something to wipe out tho debt that he felt that he owed'
 This was q beautiful little incident and started General Pettus on his career of greatness, which terminated only in his death. He was born at a time when Ala bama was the home of heroes and he died with the love and affection. not only of the older inhabitants, but of every young man in the state who loves and reveres greatness In all that the word implies.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-11

and said to his teacher: "sar. I Is got enough; vat your call him2''
 But of all the vagaries of our English photography and orthoepy. the following case is the most extraordinary that I have ever encountered: Ghoughphtheigh- tteeau spells potato As you may be slow to believe this here Is the proof:
 Ca in hiccough is pronounced p; ough in dough is pronounced O; phth in phthi- sis Is pronounced {: eigh in neighbor is pronounced a tte in gazette is pro- nounced t; eau in oeau Is pronounced O; and there you have potato.
 Has our language a word which con- tains ali of our six vowels. A, e, i. O. u, y? Ii has unquestionably.
 One of the most curious freaks of lan- guage that I have ever noted is the fact that our word let has two exactly cp- posite meanings-to allow and to hinder. Our authorized version of the Bible uses the word in both senses. Old Simeon, the prophet had been favored with a revelation that he should not see death before he had seen the Lords Christ" So, when the infant Jesus was brought into the temple, Simeon took him up in his arms and blessed God and said: Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant de- part in peace, according to Thy Word; for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-11

Are you any kin to John Pettus, who lived In my county"
 ''He was my father" was General Pet tus reply.
 'Then of course I will support you" was the reply of the legislator from Limestone. You meet me at the capitol tomorrow morning and I will see what we can do for you"
 General Pettus then went on to say that he met the representative from Limestone as he had requested. but he was hardly prepared for the little incl dent that occurred. He says that when he reached the capitol the representa- tive referred to called several representa- tives around him and introduced him to them. He then went on to say, IS near as l can repeat 1t:
 Now, boys, thi0 young mans father was my friend and l want you to vote for him. He was my neighbor up In Limestone a good many years ago, and I want you gentlemen to listen to a little incident that I have to relate and I think you will agree with me that have a debt to pay and that now is the time to pay it.
 John Pettus and I were neighbors, llv- ing on adjoining farms We were both poor in those days, I extremely so. l had a wife and two babies, a strong constitl- ton and a willing heart, and had started to farming to make living. l had a log cabin, two horses, some cows and hogs. a corncrib full of corn and a good piece of land cleared, on which was making
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-11

HHE London and Northwestern ex
 press, known as the Wild Irish
 A man." which left London carrying the Irish mail, was due in Holyhead at 23O a. m, and punctually to the minute she rolled into the station. "Olly-ed Ol- ly-ed," chorused about fifty porters as they ran alongside the train opening tho doors of the carriages. In a moment the platform was thronged. A rush is made for the refreshment rooms. Ding-ding, dongdong; ding ding, dong-dong. It is the first bell and only fifteen minutes are al lowed to get the mails and bdggage and passengers on board the royal mail steam CT "Leinster,' which is lying alongside the pier with steam up, ready to start the moment Captain Slaughter gives the word of command.
 While the mails and baggage are being rushed aboard and the passengers are struggling with such refreshments as the limited time allows, it is worth while to take walk along the pier and watch from a little. distance all the commotion and excitement in contrast with the smooth and silent waters in the harbor. Overhead the stars are twinkling in the vast black canopy of night. The gentle breeze blowing in from the sea has soothing influence on the nerves after the raclxing tension of train journey, tray
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-11

vast circle except for the entrance be- tween Bray Head on the lefthand and Howth Head on the right. At the far thest edge of this great circle. and still twelve or fifteen miles dlstanet. may he seen the city of Dublin, the tall spires of it's churches and the tall masts of the shipping piercing the sky. Everyone Is on deck now to admire the beauty of the scenery. and without fear of contra diction 1t may be said, that not less beautiful than the Bay of Naples Is Dublin bay, when seen under such con ditlons as are here described.
 The mall steamers do not go to the city of Dublin, but stop at Kingstown, whore a harbor has been built by running out two piers about two miles long and enclosing large area. Kingstown is about seven miles from Dublin, and is the popular seasde resort and residence of the wealthy citizens of the capital It would take a special chapter to describe the beauties of that suburb, and even then only a faint idea could be conveyed, but the present purpose Is to land the passengers and mail on the pier at Kings town and Into the mail train which stands ready to make the seven miles In seven minutes The song entitled 'The Rocky Road to Dublin does not apply to the
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-11

cling through the night at the rate of fifty miles an hour. Iris but few hours ago since the great dull roar of London, the worlds greatest metropolis filled the mind with thoughts of terror and won der; and now the gentle lappings of the water against the pier and the placid heave of the rising tide. The long row of empty carriages with doors swinging open recall the experience of an hour be- fore as the same carriages, tightly locked and freighted full of living humanity swept around the bend, and with a shriek like a woman leaping to her death, rushed into the jaws of the mon strous lions, growing and crouching at the entrance to the long, dark tubular bridge which crosses Menai straits, 150 feet above high water. These are mo- ments, counting like hours, during which a person holds his breath In contempla- ton of the awful catastrophe which could happen if a brass pin lay on the rails be- fore that wild locomotive as she frantical- ly plunges through the gloomy passage.
 Rushing as if pursued by demons, and with thunderous poundings like Cyclopean hammers on Vulcanian anvils, the scream ing engine dashes through and out again into the clear, starlit night. What sigh of relief Is that, and what a look of n1u- tual congratulation passes from face to face, now that the danger point is passed The Britannia tubular bridge,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-11

see what progress has been made with the mails and baggage and embarkation of the passengers. The steamers decks are thronged. The chill morning air and the desire for relaxation after the cramp- ing train ride sets everyone moving brisk ly about There Is vibrant and quiver- ing tremor over the whole vessel. Out of the immense tunnels clouds of smoke are rolling and occasional tongues of flame leap forth. The high-pressure steam es- caping throu .ne safety valves misses like nest of pythons. Wakeful and watehful the crew are at their stations; the captain is on the bridge; the last mail bag is aboard. Ding dong, ding-dong ding g-dong. Stand by the gangway Stand by fore and aft lines. All readyY' All ready, sir" Haul in the gangway. Let go fore and aft Port your helm. Easy ahead. Hard a-port. Quarter speed. Steady port. Half speed. Full speed Course" In the gray dawn of June morning the revolving light in the Holy head breakwater pales its intellectual fires The rapidly disappearing land behind makes us turn our eyes in the direction towards which we are sailing.
 The distance from Holyhead to Dublin is G4 miles across the Irish channel The mail steamers which make this passage in less than three hours, are built spe- cially for speed. About 800 feet long and 30 feet beam, they simply split their way
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-11

a good living, but in those early days men did not have great deal of money. In fact, we lived at home and boarded at the same place, were happy and content ed, and with stout hearts looked to the future for our reward.
 q had only been in this home a year or two, and was getting ahead a little each year, when one night fire came. The wind was blowing and l lived too far from my neighbors for them to be awak~ ened in time 10 aid me to suppress the flames, and in a couple of hours all that 1 had on earth except my wife and chil- dren live stock and land had been wiped out of existence It was about daylight before the neighbors saw what had oc- cured. and the first man to come up was the father of this young man. He went back home as soon as he saw that all that I had was gone, hitched his horse to a spring wagon and drove back to my home site and told my wife to get in the wagon and go home with him, and be his guest till we could decide what to do. My wife was sitting in the yard on stump, the smaller of the children crying at her knee and the other nestling close to her breast as if for protection, and it was one of those pictures of despair that are now and then enacted under sim liar circumstances
 My wife and children got into the wagon with my lSind-hearted neighbor and drove over to his home, while l remained around the smouldering ruins for an hour or two and then followed, not knowing
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-11

John Pettus had already mapped out and told each one what sort of tools to bring, and in an hour from that time he had twenty men at work Some were cutting down the pine poles to rebuild my log house, others were put to work to haul them up; few took spades and com- meneed to skin the logs; still others had cut down a large post oak and were saw ing the blocks to rest my house on, and
 altogether 1t was as busy scene as one would wish to see And the beauty of 1t all was that every man in that crowd worked with a cheerfulness and good humor that made 1t delightful to be the recipient of such generous kindness, and I did not feel at all embarrassed at the charity they were bestowing on me- It was all so delcately done that they made me feel that l was bestowing q favor on them, and by Friday night they had my houses finished, including crib and stables and everything that l had lost had been replaced In just as good shape as 1t was before They had gone down in their pockets and bought the flooring and other lumber that was necessary to build a home In those early days, and l was as proud a young man as you would wlsh to see.
 ''They all knew that I had no money, for what little I had accumulated had gone up in smoke with my other things, for we barely had times to escape with our lives, for people did not have banks to kep their money in as we have in cities nowadays. Well, as soon as the house
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-11
CROSSING FROM HOL YHEAD D TO DUBLIN

through the water. In the rough seas of the winter time the hurricane decks are as bare as the pavement. The waves break over the bow and wash over the stern. On tho bridge. 20 feet above the deck, stands the captain and his officers wrapped up in waterproof suits. Through darkness and snow storms. hailstorms and hurricanes the Dublin and Holyhead mall boats split their way across the channel At times they come into har- bor. having a crust of salt an inch thick half way up their tunnels. But this Is June morning and the sun rises about o'clock. The heardships of the winter months are amply compensated for by the pleasure of the summer time.
 Scarcely have the mountains of Wales disappeared astern when the peaks of the Wicklow mountains appear ahead. They seem to be floating islands so rapidly do they approach.
 The glorious sun rising out of the wa ter shoots his rays ahead and plays with calcium effect upon the scene. Straight and swift as an arrow the vessel speeds on. The Dublin mountains appear in view, on the left Kiliney glistening like polished silver, on the right Howth beau- tiful in it's verdure Coming nearer may be seen the tall white lighthouses, stand ing like sentinels on duty, and away n front the magnificent Bay of Dublin,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-11

A GREAT many interesting stories
 "A are now going the rounds of the 4 \ press about our late deceased senator Gen. E. w. Pettus. One of the best that I have heard about the general has not yet appeared in print, however, and that was how he was elect ed solicitor of his circuit, when he was an unknown man. The fact is, he only knew one man in the entire legislature when he went to the state capitol to get the place, and the manner in which he secured the unanimous election at the hands of that body makes story at once interesting and novel.
 General Pettus related the incident to me one day when he was in reminis- cent mood He was living in Pickens county at the time, if our memory serves us right, and had just swung out his shingle for the practice of law. He took a notion that he wanted to be solicitor of his circuit and when the time came for the legislature to meet, mounted his horse and rode to the state capital. He put up at the hotel and sauntered around among the legislators for the first day, but did not seem to be making much headway and was a little discouraged He finally met the representative from Limestone the county in which General Pettus had lived and spent his early childhood. After General Pettus had in troduced himself, the representative, whose name I have forgotten, asked:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-11

what elso to do. Pettus did all in his power to cheer mo up, but you can i'm aglne how a fellow would feel with wife and two little children on his hands with not a shred of clothing left and m place to shelter them fire m the suns or summer and the storms of winter. It was Sunday. and l do not think that | ever spent a more miserable day Tn all of my life. My fr.end Pettus would try to cheer me up and tell me that all would be well, but 1t was a big tasK tnal
 he had on hand I did not sleep a great deal on Sunday night and by daylight was up and had gotten a sack Of corn out of Johns crib and took 1t or my shoulder and went over to where my house stood and fed the stock and the chickens ano tben went bacE to where my distressed wife and little babes were. waiting Tor me.
 'eWhen I asked for Pettus they told me he had mounted his horse and had rode away. He was back by o'clock ana ms horse showed that he had done some hard riding. He told me to come In and eat some breakfast and that he would then tell mo his plans After breakfast he said that he had been around and notihed the neighbors to come to my place ana that they were going to rebuild my house and place mic in position where l could start the battle of live over again or course I could say nothing but express my gratitude to my friend. We went over to my place and by o'clock the neighbors had commenced to gather in.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-11

was finished the nelghbors wagons com meneed to roll up and each one of them had some article of household furniture In it. All had been arranged behind my back with so much secrecy and with such nicety that no two brought the same two articles, and my house was furnished very comfortably for me- Next came John Pet tus wagon, loaded down with corn, which he had his hands throw in my crib. Others did likewise and in q short time l had enough corn In my crib to last me till the next crop came in, all contri- buted by my generous neighbors. All the women folks of the neighborhood had been busy In the meantime and each one of them came over and brought my wife and little ones some article of cloth ing, and all so delicately presented that 1t did not wound our feelings. l tell you. gentlemen, that l have never seen such an exhibition of neighborly feeling in all of my life. and chief among those who did this for me was this young man father.
 Now. boys, the son of the man who did so much for me when l needed friends wants to be solicitor of his cir cult. I owe his father debt of grat- itude and I now propose to pay 1t to his son. I want every one of you to vote Tor him for solicitor, and l believe you are going to do it."
 General Pettus then went on to say that every one of the men in the sound or the voice of the representative from Lime stone promised to do all that they could
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-11
BY F. I. MONKS.

piece of roadbed between that city and Kingstown. Straight smooth and solid, the distance Is covered before e person has time to obtain a glimpse of the scenery that lies along the route. h. stead of having eyes in the front only of ones head, he should have eyes in the sides as well to observe the marine view on one side. the domains, parks. gardens and residences on the other and in front that grand old city with it's classic arch!- teuctural buildings which has earned for it the title of the Modern Athena
 Arrived in Dublin the tourist sees for the first time in his life a thing he has often heard of-the Irish jaunting car. He not only sees the car but he soon makes the acquaintance of the Dublin 'jarvey.' who boldly takes possession of him and his baggage, piles both up on the seats and tells his "honor" to keep a good "hoult' going round the corners.
 This is Dublin, as modern as yestei- day, ns old as the pyramids. For a de- cade of centuries before the Genoese nay igator saw the shore of Columbia; when the great American continent lay "swal- Q lowed up and lost In the wide womb of uncreated night" the city of Dublin had a history and to this day bears traces of the men who lived and tho things they did in those ancient days.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-11

He is not praying for death; for let test" is not in the imperative but in the indicative mood; and the prophet Is ac- knowledging the fulhllment of God s promise. He means Thou dost allow Thy servant to depart in peace"
 In the opening chapter of his Epistle to the Romans, the Apostle Paul writes Now I would not have you ignorant brethren. that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you (but was leD hitherto" !" Here was let" means was hindered.
 Tennyson, who was fond of old forms ai.. words says:
 Mine ancient wound is hardly whole,
 And lets me from the saddle"
 Here, of course lets" means flinders. In this last sense. the verb "let" is now obsolete; but let is still used as a noun, as In the phrase, without let or hindrarce."
 The explanation of the curious fact here discussed Is to be found in the cir- cumstance that let" to allow, is from tta old Saxon .1atan," to give leave, to permit, while let to hinder, is from the Saxon .lettan," to delay. In other words let" to allow. is not really the same word as let to hinder, just as Head" ]" to conduct, Is not the sa&e word as lead" a metal.
 One of the greatest triumphs of mod
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-11
BY J. C. HIDEN, D. D.

to a beggar. T ean5t give you anything" when you have your pocket full of money. A Roman said. mon possum," when he lacked the power, and ''nequeo" when he lacked the will. and this again was the honest way of stating the matter
 Many scholars have noted the very great differences in what may be called the tones of the different languages the grandeur of the Spanish, the melod- ious softness of the Italian, the guttural harshness of the German. Samuel Taylor Coleridge, who was a fine scholar, is credited with saying, Tn addressing an angel. I should prefer Spanish; in ad- dressing a lady. Italian: in addressing the devil, high Dutch"
 This recalls the scene in Jane Eyre. In which the three sisters are studying their German lesson together. and pronouncing the words aloud. The illiterate old nurse. stunned by the harsh gutturals, asks if there are anywhere Tn the world folks who really talk 10 one another In that sort of 1argon The sisters answer: Ger tainly there are" Then how upon earth do they ever understand one another%' is the old woman's rejoinder.
 The curious lessons to be derived from linguistic study arc barely touched upon here. The field is a wide one, and in a future paper I may find occasion to re- turn to the subject and to give 1t more elaborate treatment.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-11
SOME PECULLARITZES or ENGLISH

sion to use the word tomatoes" and pronounced the "a" broadly-"tomahtoe !" After leaving the platform I was encoun- tered by MT. Mills, who asked: Do you pronounce p-o-t-a-t-o-e-s, potahtoes?" To this I replied: NO; but your analogy will not hold. I pronounce rough ruff; p-l-o-u-g-h blow; h-o-u-gh hook; d-o-u-g-h doe, and cough coff." And here comes In the story of Frenchman who, upon settling in this country employed native master to teach him to speak English. 1t was agreed that every error that the pupil committed was to be corrected by the teacher on the spot At dinner the French man was asked if he would have some ham. Yes" he replied, "a piece near the how" He was at once told that though" was to be pronounced "hock.
 He promised to remember the instruction
 Having finished his piece of ham. he was asked If he would have another; and re- plied "Yes, the ham Is very nice; 1t Is not at all tock" He was told that tough was turf. After dinner, in walk with his teacher, he saw a man plough ing, and asked "how much land can that man bluff in a day?" He was told that plough was blow. When the pigs were fed, he noticed that one of them had his foot in the trow and was told that trough was troff. At this point he lost patience,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-11

ern science Is the construction of history out of the materials furnished by the comparative philologist. Guided by the well settled principles of philology, We can now go away back of all recorded history, and discover great deal about the domestic, the social-eyen the relig- lous life of our old aryan ancestors.
 Le me give an example of the kind of reasoning with which philology furnishes us. If any one should ask me 10 men ton some historical work in which the reader may learn whether the men of Germany wore hats at an earlier or at later period than that in which Ger man women used thmbles, I should be at a loss for d reply. But l could confident ly tell him that hats came first because In German. thimble" is "a finger hat
 In the same way I prove that shoes antedated gloves, because the German for glove is hand shoe"
 No linguistic facts that l have ever noted are more curious than the two following: l. The Hebrews, who are among the brainiest people in the world, had in their ancient language, no word for brain" The word brain" never oc- CUTS in the Bible, and 1t does not appear that the old Hebrews ever found out thai they had any brains. Indeed. the Arabic Is the only Semitic tongue that contains