davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-12
THAT SOUTHERN MAN.

From the Cincinnati Enquirer.
 Senator Bacon of Georgia, if we may use a popular form of emphasis Is right down to brass tax" In the matter of a southern democrat for President of the United States. It is really a de- light to get this proposition out of the field of entertainment and speculation and hear words that burn." Senator Bacon openly and emphatically supports the proposition that the democratic candidate should come from southern state. He calls attention to the fact that no southern man has been Presi- dent for sixty years. Senator Bacon appears to look upon William J. Bryan a the only northern man available for the democratic nomination, and dis poses of him by the declaration that the platform sh ould shun government ownership and referendum. He asks for a man who stands for "old-fash- toned democracy" to be placed upon platform that demands such oldfash- toned blessings as equal rights to all and local and state governments free from domination at Washington
 It is hardly possible that Senator Ba- con could persuade himself that MT. Bryan Is the only available man in the north. He must have noticed the names of Judge Harmon of Ohio, and Judge Gray of Delaware, state only nominally southern. There are presi- dential quantities In full bloom, and there are many promising buds" in the north. The northern states have but few eligible stands on which to display their strong men. and they may have escaped the attention of MT. Ba- con. For years the democrats of the north have only had a few struggling governors. Here and there are but few democratic United States senators &C., climated to north ern attitudes But MT. Bacon may rest assured that the north has many great democrats pre-eminent- ly qualified for the White House, who only need little introduction and training. If, though, the time has come for south ern democrat In the presidency let him be nominated. The time must come when the last vertebra of the civil war must be smashd. Hit it now
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-12
The New Senators,

Alabama has been suddenly changed from the forefront of the forum in the United States Senate, to the line of practical politics." said a man fanrflC lar with public affairs.
 For near one-third of a century, when an atmosphere of constructive politics has pervaded both houses of the Congress, the south has sent her foremost publicists, in most cases law yers, to the ,enate. Time has eroded the ranks of great men steadily for years and with the passing of Senators Morgan and Pettus, of those famous In the forensic forces of the old school. only John W. Daniel, the lame lion of Lyunchburg, remains.
 The roll call of those most noted. carries the names of Lamar. Ben Hill, Beck. Hampton, George, Harris, Pugh Butler Walthall, Culberson, German Vance, Eustace and others
 From now out the state of Ala bama will have a practical political team in the Senate. Both senators are equipped for debate, and both are fla miliar with the practical needs of the state. It Is known to some that even In national affairs there is a material, often financial gain in knowing just how to accomplish legislation. For many years New England and the west ern states have had a business eye out
 Alabama has changed the order from this state. Our new senators will go out after this states part of public funds, for its development in all proper lines"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-12
GREEN FATHERS ANTICS
From the New York Evening Post.

From the New York Evening Post.
 IN these attitudes, the green bather
 is just now enjoying himself at every
 seaside resort. He causes both amusement and annoyance. If anything could be more extraordinary than his cos tune, 1t would be his behavior; and if his behavior were less noticeable, more a1- tenton might be paid to his appearance. His arms are abnormally long, his waist is unduly large, and his legs are slender. His poychromous bathing suit displays his pallor as well as his irregular pro- portions. The architecture of his figure is romantic rather than classic.
 On ordinary occasions he may be very well meaning and well behaved man. But when he emerges from his bath house he reverts to a type better known in Hawaii or at Asbury Park than in more civilized regions. Of course he knows how to swim. having learned in pond at home. Yet, unless the sea is particularly stag nant, he has trouble when he encounters the pillows of the Atlantic. Having heard that he should jump over the breakers, he jumps with consequences most unpleas- ant; and afterward bears about with him peclSs of sand and seaweed. His swim ming is of the overland varety-a great deal of arm action and splashing, but very little progress through the water. His diving is also interesting. If he de- scends from a height, he does not strike the water at the angle of least resistance; If he ducks modestly under the wave, he suffers from concussion of the brain. When he is enjoying himself to the ut- most, he emits loud cries which are mis- taken by those on short as calls for help. Many green bather has been unwillingly rescued from safe shadows simply be- cause he gave tongue to his emotions.
 Most untutored bathers regard nothing that they find in the sea as common or unelean. They do not see the scow d's- charging it's metropolitan cargo in the offing. and they labor under the delusion that the refuse is seaweed. Hence the green bather throws dead fish at his male companions, supposing that no fish thus
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-12
Law and LaWlessness

If there were fewer laws there would be less lawlessness. So long as laws are prohibitive of certain acts comparatively harmless, or restrictive of certain privileges which have been enjoyed heretofore or elsewhere, just so long will the violation of those laws continue and earn for the place where and the community in which these violations occur the unenviable reputation of lawlessness.
 Among the wise sayings come down to us from antiquity none holds a higher place than that one which tells us that "to err is human, to for give divine" but our modern school of philosophers say that to err is pure "cussedness," and punishment is the cure for 1t. If the remedy proposed by the new philosophy could be con- sdered a cure, or even a check upon the evil 1t seeks to overcome there might be something to be said in it's favor, but when 1t is found that null tiplication of laws results in multipli- cation of crimes, 1t would be worth trying how the reverse of the propo- sition would work.
 And not only should the criminal code be curtailed in it's scope and shorn of it's fringe of network, but higher and closer supervision should be exercised over the acts of those who execute the laws. The veriest tyrants the world has ever known were liberated slaves, and the great est oppressors of the poor have come from among their own ranks. Author ity is not alone big but a dangerous stick to entrust to the hands of the ignorant, who are not slow to use 1t for their own benefit as long as they go undetected, and who are quick to plead their ignorance in extenuation Of their abuse of power.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-12
ORIGINAL "HUcK FINN.v

From Mark Twains Autobiography in the
 North American Review
 For thirty years I have received an average of a dozen letters a year from strangers who remember me, or whose fathers remember me, as a boy and young man. But these letters are almost always disappointing. I have not known these strangers nor their fathers. I have not heard of the names they mention; the "reminiscences to which they call attencon have had no part in my experiences all of which means that these strangers have been mistaking me for somebody else. But at last have the refreshment this morn ing of letter from a man who deals in names that were familiar to me in my boyhood. The writer incloses a news paper clipping which has been wandering through the press for four or five weeks and he wants to know is Captain Tonk- ray, lately deceased was Gas stated in the clipping) the original "Huckleberry Finn"
 I have replied that "HuclSleberry Finn was Frank F. As this inquirer evidently knew the Hannibal of the '4Os, he will easily recall Frank Franks father was at one time town drunkard. an exceeding ly well defined and unofficial office of those days. He succeeded General" Gaines, and for time he was sole and only incumbent of the office. but after ward Jimmy Finn proved competency and disputed the place with him, so we had two town drunkards at one time--and 1t made as much trouble in that village as Chrstendom experienced in the fourteenth century when there were two popes at the same time.
 In "Huckleberry Finn" l have drawn Frank exactly as he was He was ignor- ant. unwashed. insufficlently fed; but ne had as good a heart as ever any boy had. His liberties were totally unrestricted. He was the only really independent person boy or man-in the community, and ty consequence he was tranquilly and con tinuously happy, and was envied by all the rest of us. We liked him; we enjoyed his society. And as his society was for bidden us by our parents, the prohibition trebled and quadrupled Its value and therefore we sought and got more of his society than of any other boys. I heard four years ago that he was justice of the peace in a remote village in the state of -, and was a good citizen and was greatly respected.
 During Jimmy Finn's term he UimmY was not exclusive; he was not flnical; he was not hypercritical; he was largely and handsomely democratic-and slept in the deserted tan yard with the hogs. My father tried to reform him once, but did not succeed. My father was not a pro- fessional reformer. In him the spirit of reform was spasmodic. It only broke out now and then, with considerable inter- vals between. Once he tried to reform Injun Joe. That also was 8 failure It was a failure. and we boys were glad. For Injun Joe, drunk, was interesting and a benefaction to us, but Injun Joe, sober, was dreary spectacle. We watched my fathers experiments upon him with good deal of anxiety, but 1t came out all right, and we were satisfied. lnjun Joe got drunk oftener than before, and became intolerably interesting.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-12
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
The Klckers' Club.

Gee whiz, did you smell the odor from that trap door?" said man on Third avenue. "The block along this avenue from Twentieth to Twenty-first street certainly needs disinfecting, judging the air that one has to inhale from these opened traps"
 Why don't those duffers who are going up to the higher levels stand away from the door so that they woSt be in the way of those getting in or out on the lower fioors,7 said pas senger in the First National bank ele- vator.
 The shop ladies are not all as polite as they might be in many stores" said male shopper. They are too much inclined to wear their fnniky ways and self elf-consciousness where they neither fit or appear well. There are some exceptions. I am proud to note'
 The salutation of the street is a varying proposition. I know a man who never seems disposed to notice me except when about three sheets to the gale on Birmingham ale" said a pers- piring person.
 Inspectors are the order of the day. It would be step towards the personal comfort of many passengers if the street car company would have the cigars and cigarettes smoked on trail- ers," said one who has inhaled smoke from cigars that suggested a garbage crematory.
 The soda water fountains are not holding up to the standards in their syrups and havorings. Again, the milk Is not as rich as 1t would be if not mixed with the non-ca -carbonated," said patrons of the fountains of temper ance.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-12
PIRATE LAFITTE's TREASURE.
His Hiding Place Pointed Out in
 Dreams by Ghosts.
From the Houston Post.

From the Houston Post.
 Since the French privateer and snug gler Jean Lafitte sailed the high seas and brought his treasures to the gulf coast and buried them. now and then 1t happenes that some sensation arises as to their immediate whereabouts.
 Thirty-four years ago the pirate of the gulf, as Laitte was called. ap peared in a dream to pr. Beazly and rather roughly taking him by the col lar told him to come with him and he would show him where there were gold and silver and diamonds buried. The doctor in his dream followed his mid night visitor and he directed him to certain place in the cottage which was then the Beazly home and occupied by the family and designated the spot under which lies the much talked of wealth of the privateer.
 The doctor having the same dream repeated twice in the same night, be- came wide awake after Laftte's third visit and much interested, the result being that he did, and perhaps, too, very shortly afterward, begin digging under the house in pursuit of the treas 
 ure.
 After getting to the depth of four or five feet, he found nothing of any moment except a very unusual stone in this part of the world, where noth- ing of it's kind was ever seen be- fore.
 Had he kept on possibly the treasure might have been found and the restless spirit of Laitte wherever 1t may be, might have been released from this bur den of secrecy, a burden from which, seemingly, he wishe ed to be relieved, as another visit has been made In the same house and this time in a dream Lahtte appears In the presence of a lady, urging her to get the lost jewels, gold and silver.
 After all of these years Dr. Beazly has at last consented to have some one else who believes in the undertaking Join him to find the treasures, and they have made arrangements satisfactory to all parties concerned and now in a short time MT. Mckay, banker at La Porte being the associate mentioned, will begin operations to find the treas ures slowed deep down under the old house.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-12
Two Polar Expeditions

Walter Wellman will get away in his balloon at about the same time that Commander Peary sails north ward in his stanch steamer Roose- welt. Both will leave terra firma about August 15 for the North pole. If Wellman gets there at all he will get there first but even if he touches the pole or walks on the ice over 1t or sails to it in small boat, or over it in a balloon, the interest in the fifth Peary expedition will not be lessened. The honor of the first discovery of the pole would in that case go to the intrepid Wellman, but the glory of combat with the surface clements will still be Pearys.
 The world at present does not take much stock In the Wellman enter prise The only balloon that ever set out to find the pole never came back, and public expectation looks at the Wellman polar expedition as some thinu extremely hazardous and un- certain.
 The Peary scheme is, however, battle between man and the elements. He got to point about 175 miles from the pole In his fourth expedition, and he thinks he can cover the entire distance before ice stops all opera tions about the pole this year. If he cannot he will fall back a few hun dred miles to return to the attack | next summer. The chances are that Peary will go to the pole before he returns, but the chances are much against the Wellman enterprise, dar- ing and well-planned as 1t is. Mir. Wellman has the hazards of pole hunting while Commander Peary has before him an abundance of it's hard ships.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-12
NEW RULES FOR READING

day the body of pe0le who devote themselves to guiding those who want to read so they shall cad above their level and be better fo- their reading. and not worse. Ther, are the news papers that are ephenfral. There are the weeki1es, scarcely less so. though touching more generic themes There are books that live forfve years, per haps, and then pass afay to oblivion. But there are the few lreat works and themes that have in jth emselves the vitality to live. and tha constitute the classic, the secular bilicaI literature of the world
 There was time-te need to re- member that occasionaiy-when noth- ing survived that had lot virtue. That was before printing. ,ne of the evils that printing has done4which is over shadowed by the good 1 has done-has been to keep alive grht deal of stuff that ought to have sum in the stream of time. Before printing, only that which had carrying powr vital enough to sustain itself. to betold by story tellers from generation to generation and rehearsed over andbver again till 1t grew large, and insteai of represent ing the individual soul represented the larger soul of the race only that sur vived. That sort of ting we today know very little of, wen everybody who has a thought hasens, often far too prematurely. to pt it down in print
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-12

found have already made a visit to the city. He also makes 1t uncomfortable for the other bathers by splashing the water about and scattering sand Ills conduct on the beach is even less agreeable than 1t Is in the water. He plays ball to tha peril as well as annpyance of those who are watching the batners from the beach. He runs foot races afd scatters his stored moisture all about, like dog. in ordi- nary dress he is mol vain, but when ont the beach he believe. himself to have the physique of Apollo, ss he struts with fold ed arms before tho stands where the bands are playing aId where crowds aie looking on. For stch an one, college colors and the largt initial letter of university on his shit are matters of su- preme moment
 When the up-countly bafher is joined by a female companion, the chances are equal of tragedy or a farce Naturally, the woman Is contentko stand in the shall low water, being kndwn as an "upland" bather. When the uIlander appears, ths man, of course, dragi her into the deep, whence they both arerescued by officious persons who have muth difficulty in get ting the better of the pndertow. If, how ever, the woman folljws her natural in- clnation and goes beiond her depth the green bather draws ler back to a placs where the breakers make her an easy prey. In fact, his wlole career on the peach Is a series of exciting episodes. It Is an alienation Pf wetting, half drowning, resuscitatidl, athletic sports. including leap frog. hand springs, ball playing, standing longjumps and "tumb- ling"
 He does not commf all these high crimes and misdemeamrs unscathed. His feet are cut with glas and shells: he will have disease of thu internal ear from the Judgment there of sand and water The sun will burn ray spots upon his neck and shoulders. Almost every one who frequents our bealhes has seen the green bather resuscltatd by being rolled on a barrel or turned lpside down to aI- low the waters of the 4tlantic to leave vacuum.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-12
A HOMELY TRIBUTE.
the Na sh ville American.

From the Nashville American.
 "She always kept the salt and pepper shakers filled and plenty of soap in the bathroom." Such is the homely, but ex- pressive tribute that Is to be cut on the tombstone of a Kansas woman. She may have made pleated shorts for the Fiji Islanders, but not till after she had sewed the buttons on her husbands shirt, darned the socks for the family, and taken scrupulous care to have her children looking as tidy and happy as an orphan asylum on holiday parade. Because homes and charity bazars had no attraction for her mind like the duties of her own household. The salt and the soap, emblems of purity and cleanliness are indicative of life that was careful, thoughtful, useful.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-12
DIVORCE IN OTHER COUNTRIES.

from the Boston Globe.
 The absence of uniformity in the di- vorce laws of the different states is held responsible for much of the looseness of the marriage tie. Undoubtedly, "a uni form divorce law would result advan- tageously in the strengthening of the marriage bond, and would diminish the abuses of the present divorce system.
 what shall we say, however, when it is learned that in countries besides our own the increase in divorce is alarming lY great? It appears that this country is not singular in the matter of the di- vorce evil. In five years the number of divorces in Germany has risen from 4675 to 6S56. while In France in twenty three years the number has leaped from less than 1500 to more than 160O0 The figures of divorce in England indicates the same progressive use of the legal means to release from unsatisfactory mar riage.
 .1 is evident that the evil of divorce is due to deeper cause than can be accounted for by the conditions peculiar to any one country.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-12

From the Book News Monthly.
 - AID Poe been born a generation "N later he might have been spared a life's anguish, and hls good name would have been unbesmircheo' III the light of modern science Poe belonged to a class of unfortunates now called dipsomaniacs Modern scientific investi- gation and research have disclosed the existence of malady underlying drunken phenomena, which 1t has christened in- ebriety or narcomania-a mania for mar cotism or intoxication which it recognizes as a specific disease. as is mental un- consciousness, that not so very long ago was believed to be a demonacal posses sion Indeed, in the jurisprudence of some countries, as Belgium, dipsomania is regarded as a variety of insanity.
 There can be no question whatever that, palliate the facts as we may, the end of Poe was the most dreadful in the his- tory of letters Francois Villon disap- peared into the night of Time after the career of a desperate criminal. His end can only be conjectured fearfully. But in Poe's case every ray that the twin lamps of circumstance and judgment can bring to bear upon the scene only serves to strengthen the plain testimony of his friend and physician. It was not record written for the eyes of relatives and friends. It was not a defense. It was the statement of a scientific man and hu- manitarian to eye-witnessed facts.
 As to the scenes in the hospital, 1t is best to draw a veil over what can but
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-12
Swimming Schools.

Now that compulsory education is coming in vogue in this country and athletic sports are found to be so nec- essary to the development of our youth, I think it would be wise to pro- vide for teaching swimming" said an educator. Every school district ought to nave a natatorium, natural or arti- hcial, and every child ought to be taught to be a swimmer.
 Tn the Scandinavian Kingdoms, that one shall learn to swim is as eompul- sory as that one must learn to read. The plan should be adopted here. When swimming becomes a universal knowl- edge 1t will reduce greatly the list of lost lives"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-12
Wires and Shade Trees.

"One of the many beneficial effects of putting wires under ground will be the protection of shade trees from disfigure- ment and destruction by the telephone, telegraph and electric light and power wires" said an advocate of shade trees, who wants to see more of them.
 ''The thinning out topping off and oth- erwlse interfering with the growth of our trees and the frequent deadning of the branches by wires Is not conducive to their growth, and is therefore draw back to health, beauty and comfort.
 Let us protect and encourage our shade trees"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-12
THE CARTOON.
Ernnl U

From the NaSnVllle Banner.
 The Mobile Register protests against the cartooning of MT. Fairbanks, who, 1t truly avows, is an average American statesman, and entitled to decent treat ment. But MT. Fairbanks Is paying the penalty of prominence in politics, and cannot expect to escape the often exasperating prodding of the cartoon ists should observe, and many of the best of them confine themselves to what many be called the legitimate lines of caricature, but not infrequent- ly cartoons approach the verge of the libelious. ard are otherwise offensive.