davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Sharp County record., 1908-05-22
Probate Court Notices.

Notice is hereby given that the following
named administrators and guardians filed accounts
current at the March term. 1903. of the Probate
Court for the South ern District of Sharp county
for settlement with their respective estates. to-
wit:
w. H. Shirley. guardian and curator Alma Dun
can, minor.
W. r. Blagg. guardian Graham minors
And all parties interested in the settlemen,
of said estates must come forward and file ex-
ceptions to said accounts. if any they have on or
before the third day of the next term of said court
or they will be forever barred from excepting said
accounts or any item thereof.
Arthur Sullivan, Clerk.
Sharp County record., 1908-05-22
assessors
Notice.

Notice Ia hereby given that will meet the tax.
payers at the following pnees and dates for the
purpose OF listinp the personal property Of SHARP
county. towiti
Warrington township. Powell's Chapel. Monday
June |.
Cave township, Cave City Tuesday and weines.
day, June and d
Sullivan township, Brickle Springs. Thursday,
June d Sidney, Friday June .,
johnson township, Precinct, Saturday. Juns q.
Scott township, Grange Monday. June 10, SHAY.
era Tuesday June 10,
Big Creek township, calamine. Wednesday,
June IL
sSRawberry township, Institute Thursday. June
H.
Bia Rock township, Pouphkeepsie Friday. June
10, MI Piagah. Saturday, June 70.
Morgan township, Center, Monday. June 20.
Lebanon township. potson's School House.
Tuesday, June glI Heelstrins. Wednesday. June
~
Davidson township. King Mills. Thursday and
Friday, June 20 and ~,
Lave Creek township, Camp Ground. Saturday
June ~,
Richwocds township. Ash Flat, Monday and
Tuesday. June 20 and no.
Highland township, Highland schoc House
Wednesday, July 1,
Hardy tcwnship, Hardy, Thursday. Friday and
SATURDAY, July A. . and L.
iawer North township, Coats, Monday, July a.
Upper North tewnshn. wr'h, Tuesday, July 7,
North uhen township Ward seheol House.
Wednesday, Julya
South Union township Martins Greek, Thurs.
day. Julyg.
jackson township, williford. Friday and satur.
day July 10 and II.
pney Fork township, Evening Shade, from
Monday, July 10 20 Saturday, July &c,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-09-13

carry another practical scheme for putting down, or even for seriously checking, the predatory monopolists."
 Our political status presents anomalin, not to say monstrosities, little short of the marvellous The supreme court of the United States has, in substance, repeated ly and recently decided that the consti- tuition itself is unconstitutional What becomes of your strict construction" under ruling like this? It takes a wise man to tell us under what form of gov ernment we are now living. Our status if indeed, we can be said to have any recalls the chaos of the first chapter of Genesis "The earth was without form and vod.' We learned in our school days that the revolution was a magnifi- cent success; and that George Washing
 ton was a noble benefaetor of his coun- try. We learned that the Declaration of Independence was a glorious document; that the Virginia bill of rights was the finest condensation of the principles of guage, though it was drawn by George Mason. who was not a lawyer, but a riain farmer. We learned that the sepa- ation from the mother country was a great blessing to LIS as a people. We thought that these points were all per fectly well settled; and we all reverenced the regular, orthodox Fourth of July po- litical doctrines. But where are We now? You need not go far to find thoughtful men who have serious doubts on each one
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-09-13

France, he was doubtful as to the constitutionality of the transaction, and he wanted the constitution amended so as to warrant his action in the case Now, on the other hand, in a conversation with a distinguished United States senator whom 1 had known as a gallant soldier in the Army of Northern Virginia, 1 asked him:
 How can you democrats, in the Sen ate, vote away the peoples money as you do? A drunken congressman from call fornia dies in Washington. You appoint 8 funeral committee, and they take a pal ace car and make iunketing trip clean across the continent, drinking Rhine wines and smoking Havana cigars: and all tnls is paid out of the public treasury"
 He replied: "Why, MT. Biden, l don [ see how you can object to that
 But where is your constitutional war rant for t?" I replied.
 And he was silent; for he knew that he had no such warrant.
 That senator was one of the most dis tingushed orators in America, and q was he on the doctrine of strict con- struction?"
 In the scientific world we find the same unsettled conditions. What are we to say, for instance, to the theory, which was first conceived in the poetic fancy of Goethe, but which elaborate scientific in- vestigation seems now to have estab- lished, namely, that the bark, stem, flow CT and fruit of tree are all mere modih- cations of the leaf? That the luscious
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-09-13

datory trusts" for in one of his null titudious messages he substantially said: q doubt whether any law that Congress can pass will meet the case; but if you can do anything, pray do it; for the situation is urgent, and I am at my wits end.4
 How far, and under what conditions man can be trusted with his own destiny, is a question as deep and as dark today as it was before Roman civilization took possession of the world.
 We Americans fondly ina gined that we had safely settled at least some things in this direction but of most of these very things it may be truly said that some of the most though tful men among us are in as great doubt now as the sages of the world were in before our boastful American eX- pertinent was dreamed of.
 The best provision which has yet been devised against mobs and riots is, which our highest legal authorities pronounce to be mo law at all," that Is to say the abrogation of all law. If any one of our rising statemen wishes to make a great name by doing the most original and the most useful thing that has been down in politics for cen turies, let him devise and carry q working scheme for correcting and punlshing a mob-and if another is ann bit.ous to rival him, let him devise and
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-09-13

pineapple, in all its fragrance and ripe ness, is only an imperfect leaf? These conclusions are absolutely staggering. They destroy even the solidity of our de- votional hymns. What becomes of the beautiful hymn, Nothing but Leaves In the light of this modern science?
 What will ethnology do in the next 10 years? Some 50 years ago, l read, with great interest. Dr. J. l.. Cabi.4 j Unity of Mankind" a very able reply to the speculations of Nott and Glid- don, who held the doctrine Of "Divir- sity." The book seemed to be entirely satisfactory then, but is anything but satisfactory nov. Without taking sides on the theological issues which the ethnoIogical question seems to involve, and looking at the problem from q purely scientific point of view 1t must be admitted that the naked question of the descent of all men from q single pair has become 8 most perplexing one.
 The world of theological thought seems to be as misty as any other field of discussion. There are now so- called "orthodox" preachers, whose only creed seems to be: 'I believe that 1t is not necessary to believe anything in particular, and very little in gen eral." We have Free Religionists," :" who fellowship everybody but the devil, and doubt if there is any devil. John Stuart Mill, who notoriously re- iected the New Testament, found fault with its system of morals, and refused to deny that he was an atheist, has
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-09-13

of these points. Some of these thinkers are not sure that the revolution was not a gigantic blunder; that Washing ton was not well-meaning but deluded enthusiast; that the Declaration of In- dependence was not an unfortunate docu- nnent, and that the ordinary Fourth of July notions were not tissue of stupid and stupendous delusions
 Disguise 1t as we may, this doubtful negG tive, unsettled state of mind, as to these and many other questions of a like character, is coming to be more and more prevalent among some of the most thoughtful men in this country.
 Eighty years ago our ablest statesmen held that "the pest government is that which governs least" but now we are liv- ing in the midst of a powerful reaction toward paternal government Do the rail- way companies oppress us2 Turn the rallrc ads over to the government and ail will go right" Do the telegraph com pames overcharge us? Let the govern ment own them, and everything will run smoothly" Do rowdies blasphem on our streets? " Put God into the constitu- tion and we shall all be devout" Do d.unkards and grogshops abound? Let the government take control of the liquor business, and we shall all become sober" Such nostrums as these are advocated widely as panaceas for all the ills that flesh is heir to.
 When Thomas Jefferson more than doubled the area of the country by ac- quring the Louisiana territory from
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-09-13
D. D.
WIND TOSSED"-ames J. C. E1den,

been pronounced by a distinguig'..si American preacher to be "one Of tsa best Christians of our age" and that without the least regard to his relig- ious Cor rather his irreligious) belief
 The eighteenth century is frequently called "the age of skepticism;" but 1t Is hard to believe that men were more sBeptlcal then than they are now, or that their doubts extended to a wider range of subjects. Indeed it is not easy to see how any people, in any age. could have been more completely at sea in tEeu speculative beliefs, than are some of the most thoughtful mea Of the present day.
 But nave we nothing solid and sub- stantial to cling to?" This is a grave question, and to one who puts his faith Tn this world alone, it is a saddening one. I have purposely given, thus far, the results of an examination from a purely worldly point of view and 1t must be confessed that the prospect, when thus regarded, is dreary enough. But to one who believes in the New Testament, and especially to one who has a personal hope in Christ, all this doubt and instability in the highest results Of human tn linking need oc- Courage, brother. This world is God Almigntys, and not the devils.
 "Blind unblief is sure to err
 And scan His work in vain,
 God is His own interpreter,
 And he will make 1t plain"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-09-13

1 command gazing down imposingly over his ollar-propped chin. "Nix," returned Snubby, succinctly, as he rendered the letter.
 The butler took it and read the super scrlption.
 Any answer?' he queried.
 "Give 1t up," replied Snubby. Come again wit a easy one.'
 "Wot?" asked the butler severely.
 Snubby vouchsafed no reply, but sat down on the steps and began to hunt for cigarette. The butler disappeared into the house.
 "A letter for you, Miss Lucille Snubby heard him say.
 For me?" asked a sweet voice; voice so sweet that Snubby at once gave up his cigarette search and turned to look through the open door. What he saw caused him to stand in round-eyed, round-mouthed admiration. and then finally to burst forth, under his breath
 "A peachl A peacherinoI I'll bet she wouldn't get offn no cars backwards"
 The butler was forced to tell him twice that there was no answer, and even then it Is doubtful if he would have torn him self away had it not been that the ob- ject of his attentive admiration disap- peared into the darkness, leaving him gazing at an indstinct balustrade.
 And then he wandered off to the car and back to the office to tell his employer that there was no answer. And the look that came into his employers eyes caused the
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-09-13

In the last campaign, and had even been allowed to address one gathering of juve- nile politicians; hence being the political authority of de bunch," he delighted to hold forth upon affairs political.
 'I'd like tor see 'em try ter take de bread out O my mout',' he remarked, truculently. "I'd bite deir fingers off. An prob'ly git poisoned doin' 1t" he added thoughtfully.
 Snubby detracted a more than usually reluctant gob of hardened mud and sat holding it in his hand as he turned to his companion.
 ''Muggsy," he said, what do desc po- 1itical guys do when dey wants ter get some'n? Don't dey all get togedder some- how an get busy?'
 Sure" answered Muggsy. "Dey sends a delegation"
 What a delegation?" queried Snubby.
 "A bunch" replied Muggsy, tersely. "A crowd. A gang. I seen one start once," he added. fer Albenny."
 "What did it want?" asked Snubby, pat ting the dogs scared head and thereby evoking a few willing but ungraceful wags from it's other extremity.
 q q know" answered Muggsy. "But dey gets it."
 How dyer know?'
 q seen 'em when dey comes back" was the response. "An' anyhow, delega- tions always gifts things"
 'Always?"
 Sure. Ain't dat wot dey're fer?"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-09-13

work. If this fighting were to be con- fined to the army and navy; if ships met in mid-ocean and armies on vast plains and fought the matter out it might be possible to tolerate the terrible expendi- ture of men and money; but when the peace-loving inhabitants of prosperous cities find themselves and their property targets for the beseiger's shells; when the dwellers in humble hamlets and villages find rapine and slaughter committed un- der their roofs; when the farmer finds his crops trampled down or burned, his cattle killed or scattered and his land laid desolate; when all these misfortunes happen to people who by neither word Tor act provoked a war who never ex- pressed a desire for war, whose senti- ments on the subject were never consid- cred nor their inclinations consulted, they will rise in their millions and avenge themselves not upon the enemy outside their gates, but upon those whom they will rightly adjudge the clause of these disasters
 The armed swash-buckler who entered the tavern and declared he wasn't hunt
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-09-13

A HURRIED glaneeat the general
 A condition of things In our day is sufficient to convince any thoughtful mind of the unstable and unstisfactory nature of most of the aips and results Of human effort. It
 is frequent remark that we are luing in a an age of transition, but tie remark, as commonly understood, las really little meaning; for all periods are periods of transition in this changing world. I am not now Insisting upon the thought of transi- tion; but I desire briefly to examine some prominent instances of the in stability, the uncertainty. the unsatis- factory nature, the insuffieieney of tho results which we are supposed to have reached in some of the most important departments of human thought. In such an examination I think it will readily appear that the thinking world was never more at sea than 1t con- fesses itself to be in this so-called enlightened twentieth century
 The politicial problem--how to gov ern man-how to preserve, protect and perpetuate society without an initiating the rights of individuals and establishing despotism-was certainly never further from any satisfactory so- lution, so far as can now be seen. Even President Roosevelt, marvellous ly resourceful as he is, confesses his helplessness in dealing with the pre-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-09-13

strange feeling to come again, and so strongly that he had to go out into the corridor and tell the office boy next door what he thought of him and what he'd do to him next time he caught him alone; all of which caused the office boy next door neither self-esteem nor mental tranquility.
 Snubby sat on the curb picking daubs of mud from the matted hair of a stray dog which, after much diplomacy and patience, he had cajoled to his side and which now stood before him, timorously submitting to his good offices and trying its best to wag a tail rendered almost wagless by long enmity with the world at large.
 Beside him, Muggsy devoted lethargic attentions to an overripe banana that he had selected with much haste and conse- ouently little opportunity for picking and choosing.
 "Dem Guineas is always cheatin' us poor guys" he commented as he tossed a decayed end into the street. "Dey ain't got no business ter have such tings as dis on deir old push carts.'
 Snubby's mind was intent on other things He did not answer.
 Look at 'em," requested Muggsy, his remarks somewhat clogged by reason of the fact that the rest of the banana was in their way. "Dey comes chasin' over here ter woik fer nut an take the bread out O de mouts of honest woik- inmen." Muggsy had followed the trucks
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-09-13

friendly relations exist between nations, and yet, in refutation of these state ments, it is build, built, build; build bat tleships, build cruisers, torpedo boats. de- stroyers, submarines, airships. Last year the sum of $4OO, ,0o0, 600 was spent on naval construction alone and the sum of s1S5,- 100000 was voted by friendly powers anxious to preserve international peace, and today the probability of war is far greater than it was year ago.
 Every newspaper of importance, every prominent speaker, every scientific maga- zine is busy debating, weighing and measuring the relative strength of the armies and navies of nations. It hears and reads like the accounts of the phy- sical condition of matched prize-fghters which patrons of sport deyour with such avidity. What is the meaning of all this %Who raises an army" said Macaulay' Ifs like the man who raises the devil; he must find work for it." This remark is equally true of the navy, and the only work the army or navy can do is fight; and fight they will, for they must have
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-09-13

the punishment of crime. The citizen who violates these laws finds himself confronted by the power and majesty of the state, and his punishment is not entrusted to the person injured but Is inflicted by the state against the peace and dignity of which the offense was committed Why not institute a code of international law, violation of which by any one nation, no matter how great or how powerful, would draw down upon that particular nation the censure of all the others. If there is any sincerity in the professions of peace and the desire to maintain friendly relations which all nations are making why could there not be a compact entered into, the violation of which would be considered and treat ed as an offense against the peace and dignity of all the others?
 Nothing is heard in England or Ger many today but the talk of war between these two great nations, Who are they who are doing all this talking? Are the millions of common people in either coun try thrsting for each others blood? Has the peasantry In either nation attempted to invade the homes of the others?-Not
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-09-13
FRANCO-BRITISH

Y ONDON, September 12.-The Franco British exhibition is peculiarly in- A teresting to those who have lived long enough to have seen the develop mcnt of the exposition idea.
 To most of us the ugly palace at Syden- ham is very familiar, and\nothing marks tho change in taste and development of art more clearly than a trip to that which was once considered one of the seven wor rders of the world.
 The monster conservatory gleams on the hills, deplorable in it's ugliness, but strangely significant as a landmark of the taste of the early Victorian era, and not of the taste only but of the manners and customs of time which now seems to us remote.
 If any one will take the trouble to go there and hunt out the features which formed some of the objects of interest in 1851. they can verify the extraordinary change that has taken place.
 The statues of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, which stand in the en- trance, will be one of the first indica- tions, for no one would erect such ef- fgies in any building today.
 | There are still few relics which have . survived the years of various opJects or interest in those days
 One was deemed singularly comic and amusing, and consists of a large glass case of stuffed animals dressed as human beings . dog dressed a dentist eX- tractng teeth, a rabbit in a red hood led away by cunning fox, raoplt clad as an old woman, and so on and so on. It is enough to bring tears of ones eyes to remember that the sides of those who gazed on this glass case shook With laughter at what was then considered most extraordinary joke.
 What Is it that has made the difference Why is it that the mind of the simplest today is more subtle, and that such crude obviousness would fail to appeal now to the risible faculties of Sunday school child?
 Education has, of course, done some- thing, but that intangible thing which we call civilization has done more, and taste in all directions has caused life to De- come far more intricate and complicated. Whether this Is an advantage or not, l cannot say, but from the artistic point of view undoubtedly we have gained i'm measurably
 Indeed it is almost difficult seriously to believe, as we look down the great aisle of the glass building, that this ever could have been considered the glory of na- tior and yet it was so on the day when Queen Victoria in the full blaze of mid day sun opened it with the Prince Con- sort dressed in a pink silk gown, cut low on the shoulders. in full evening dress. The simplicity of 1t all brings smile to our faces today, and almost lump in our throGts.
 Then I can vaguely remember the first great French exhibition where the in troduction of native villages and houses was first made, and where the little Jap anese ladies in their reed hut were the wonder and admiration of Paris.
 But even there the externals of the exhibition were still crude and ugly. and indeed do not believe that the idea of CT eating a beautiful city in which to hold the exhibits of the world was ever thought of until Chicago opened her gates, and. cradled on the bosom of the
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-09-13

ing trouble neither was he running away from it." very soon found himself hip deep in it. He carried arms of course, as a means to preserve the peace, but others did so as we'll hence the melee. It Is as natural to rulers Of nations as it is to any other individual to preci- pitate a fight when they feel the sense of security which superiority and pre- paredness inspires. An unarmed man will most likely surrender his money and valuables to an armed robber whom he meets on the highway; but the same unarmed man will fight the armed rob Der if he attempts to invade his home. So it is with nations. Unarmed and un- prepared they are not as readily dis posed to enter into a conflict over a question involving the loss of property as they would if it were a question of invasion. The man who refuses to fight when his own country is invaded is a worthless coward; but the man who another is a robber and deserves a rob- bers death
 takes up arms to invade the country of
 States and nations enact laws for the preservation of life and property and
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-09-13
PREPARATION FOR WAR PROVOKES WAR-By F. l. Monks

at all. Yet it is from among those peasants that the men will be drawn who will grapple in the death struggle over a matter that does not concern them. Men and money by the millions will be pitted against each other to sat- isfy the love for glory which captains and admirals will enjoy. War has been called the sport of kings dog-fighting is known as the sport of ruffians, but no matter whose the sport Is the wound and fractures are the lot Of the soldiers or the dogs. The owners of the men or dogs will complacently pocket the stakes while the poor animals retire to lick their wounds and heal their scars. Just as homicide in self-defense Is excusable so is war under similar circumstances. Kings and Emperors and captain and admirals should be taught that the toiling millions are no longer the tools they were a century ago; that they will not cut other mems throats nor take the chance of having their own cut merely to satisfy the lust of conquest where the honor. glory and profit of victory rebound to the few while nothing but cuts and bruises reward the many.