davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-25
MISSOURI MAN IN JAPAN

yen are in currency of l. 5, 10 and 100 yen each The two denominations of money being just half American money, matters are simplified for tourists. But do not see but expenses of.travel outside of rail- road fare are fully as great here as in America. Hotel rates in some places are higher.
 There are some things which the Amer ican tourist misses in Japan and which makes the country seem queer. There are practically no carriages or buggies orr wagons or cows or hogs or sheep or birds, except crows and sparrows, and what makes the Missourian more lonesome than anything else is the absence of the Mis- souri mule. There are very few horses, and they are of an inferior kind shod with straw shoes, which have to be re- newed daily, and they are led, not driven to carts along the highway. Eliminate all the foregoing from country, from the rattle of buggy to the bray of mule, and you can understand how quiet it H all over the land
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-25

thus bringing the state crop up to about 1,150,O00 bales.
 The crop of the southeast is better than the crop of the southwest. Ala bama was about at the breaking point. Georgia and the Carolinas made excel lent crops, but the crops of Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana cut the total footings down to figures materially be- low those for the previous year.
 The size of the crop is now definitely ascertained, and the only question be- fore seller and buyer relates to the price of crop that is limited to H. 500,000 bales. If crop of 13,5O0,000 bales was worth 10 cents pound a crop of 11,5O0,OOO bales should bring 12 cents, and the regret should be that a larger proportion of the crop is not in the farmers hands.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-25
How many ages hence,
That West VirqinIa Injunction

Senator Culberson wants ln1ormaIion concerning the high jinks of federal district judges in West Virginia. Ills name is Dayton, and in October ne issued an injunction against John Mitchell. president, and other mem bers of the United Mine Workers de- claring that it is unlawful for any one in advise a workingman that his inter ests would be better subseryed by quit ting than to remain longer in the serV- ice of a particular employer. To talk to an employe under the Dayton in- innction would be to incur the penalty of summary punishment for contempt of court, and the Texas Senator pro- noses to bring out and to publish as Senate document all the facts in the case.
 Several republican Senators objected to this, and the matter was postponed hut it will be called up soon agan no doubt. and the Senate will either have to vote against Senator Culberson's resolution calling for information or else it will vote to put in black and white the astonishing action Of Judge Aston c. Dayton of West Virginia. AS the injunction stands and appears It certainly takes the cake, capping the long list begun by Judge Taft in Ohio and kept up by large number of other ..government-byinjunction" judges in various parts of the country.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-25
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
Sousa In Early Life.

was among the music lovers of Birmingham who greatly enjoyed Sou sass concerts-afternoon and night" said an old member of the Virginia colony. q have heard 'Sousa and his band score of times, and while the programmes have always been attrac- tive from a popular point of view, the two offered for this engagement were by far the best. Much of the music was such as Damroseh and other symph ony leaders give when en tour.
 T shall never forget the first time saw Sousa and heard his interpreta- tion of programme music. It was in Richmond in the eighties, on the occa- sion of the laying of the cornerstone of the Lee monument. Sousa was then director of the United States marine band. His reputation did not extend far beyond Washington. If he had published any of his compositions up to that time, I was not aware of the fact
 The navy department gave permis- sion for the marine band to visit Rich mond and play in the Lee parade. With the showy uniforms-red coats and light blue trousers-worn by the ma rine musicians, one can readily i'm agine the picturesque effect that the band made as it marched at the head or the column. Richmond was crowd ed with visitors and on the night of the cornerstone-laying the band gave concert in the armory Every seat was taken and the entertainment was high ly enjoyed. In those days the mem bers of the marine band received very small pay and they were naturally in- ferior to the. skilled artists that have made up Sousa's organization in recent years. Yet notwithstanding the com wears. Yet notwithstanding the compara- lively poor material he had to strug- evident that he was an indefatigable worker and that he accomplished what he did while in Uncle Sam's service by daily and exacting rehearsal.
 But to Sousa's appearance in that early period of his career. knew noth- ing of the bandmasters antecedents I took him to be Russian. He wore heavy black beard, not long or flow ing, but thick and box shaped, such as Russians in moving pictures wear. l have had the pleasure of a personal acquaintance with the famous leader for several years and know him to be genial, polished gentleman, but when l first saw him in Rich mond arrayed in fiery red, I thought him the picture of Russian a9archist. When I was introduced to Sousa a year or two later I laughed at my mistake in taking him to be Muscovite. He has Spanish and Portugese blood in his veins and it is blue blood, too, for he comes of dis tinguish ed stock-but he was born in Washington city and no more thor ough-going American lives than this gifted and popular musician"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-25
.hough it is still very promising.

though it is still very promising.
 The trouble with Governor Hughes is he is not magnetic. He is not a mixer. He is neither popular nor pic turesque. He is neither bis nor does he carry his cigars at an angle of 45 degrees. It is difficult to arouse much enthusiasm over a man who stays at home and does his duty. He declines even now to influence the vote of any delegate, but this position will not in terfere in the least with any effort put forth by his friends.
 The Hughes candidacy is variously received by republican politicians, but the Chicago Record-Herald, speaking independently, presents fair view of the situation within the republican party. It says:
 ''We may repeat what we have said be- fore on the significance of the Hughes candidacy-that, while certain reaction aries are unduly interested in it, it is not a candidacy that progressive ele- ments will resent or fear. Between the position of Roosevelt, or of Taft, and that of Hughes on the great questions of the day there is no vital difference. It is not to be doubted that Hughes would make an honest, independent, able, en- frightened President, and that the reaction aries would be sadly disillusionized in the event of his nomination and election. But circumstances have made Taft the lead ing and popular republican candidate and the cause of conservative, rational reform will be safe with him."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-25
Mir. Tawney's Biz Deficit

Chairman Tawney of the appropria- tions committee fears deficit of slOo'- 1000 at the end of the next fiscal year. Revenues are falling off and MT. Tawney thinks appropriations should he decreased in corresponding man. ner. He says a rivers and harbors bill and a public buildings bill are not to be thought of at this session. MT. Tawney asks Congress, in short, to scale down the appropriations for the next fiscal year as much as $100,OOO,- 900. This should mean reductions in both the army and navy appropria' tions.
 MT. Tawney's warning is after all hut a confession of the blunders that the republican party has made. Oscar w. Underwood put the blame on the national banking laws which the re- publican party had left in condition that almost invited financial strin- gency. But whatever the exact cause of the troubles that have come upon the country may have been, it is plain the responsibility rests upon the re- nublican party which has been in com. plete control of the government Il years.
 Many, many voters will surely say next November at the polls that while the problem is complex yet it is plain the democratic party did not fill the land with financial woes, and that therefore the republican party must bear the blame. It alone had the power to devise remedies against the coming of panic, and it did not act I'D to it's power and responsibility. MT Tawney's warning is therefore an open confession of the shortcomings of the republican party, and he cannot make the voters forget those short comings by cutting out needful appro priations for our rivers and harbor: and public buildings.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-25
Barn-Iike Houses.

s'Every cold snap such as we are now having, makes the recent conner from the north wonder why all the houses in the south are not, built with view of win ter comfort" said the head of a family, who was born and reared on the Ohio river. Many of the dwellings in Bir- mingham are we'll built as well built, in fact, as those in Cincinnati and Chi cago. They are constructed so as to keep out the cold air. But most of the houses for rent are like barns in winter. l have one of these barns. I pay high rent, higher than the Cincinnati rate. For the reputation of the city tenement houses should be constructed here as they are in other large cities. These airy houses fare all right for summer, but when freezing weather sets in in the south it is more penetrating than the same de- gree of cold in the north. It is on ac- count of the humidity. The farther south one goes the more the northerner suffers when the mercury drops"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-25
FREAK WILLS.

From the New Yorw World.
 MT. Henry E. Sullivan's testamentary directions for the conversion of his body into buttons, pouches and fiddle-strings is not unprecedented.
 In Morgan vs. Boys a will was upheld which directed that part of the bowels be made into fiddle-strings, the remainder sublimed into smelling-salts and the rest court drew distinction between insanity and eccentricity.
 Johann Ziska, blind chieftain of the Hussites, in 1424 directed that his skin be tanned and a drumhead made of it.. MT. S. Sanborn in 1871 bequeathed his corpse to Harvard university, and par ticularly to the two anatomical profes- sors, Oliver Wendell Holmes and Louis Agassiz. The skin was to be made into two drumheads for:
 "Warren Simpson, drummer of Cohapel, on condition that he should on the 17th of June every year, at sunrise, beat on the said drum the tune of Yankee Doodle on Bunker Hill The drumheads to be respectively inscribed with Pope's Uni versal Prayer and the Declaration of Independence. The re- mainder of my body to be composted for fertilizer to contribute to the growth of an American elm to be planted in some rural thoroughfare, that the weary wayfarer may rest and innocent children may play beneath its umbrageous branches rendered luxuriant by my remains
 1aft to Dr Southwood. Smith for dissection. The skeleton was stuffed to fit Bentham's clothes, a model made of the head and the whole inclosed in a mahogany case with glass doors. In his armchair, with his walking stick in his hand, all that was left of the great apostle of law re- form remained for some years in the house of Dr. Smith, who ultimately pre- sented it to the University college. In Neville vs. Geary, tried in Dub lin in 1878, the testatrx left numerous articles of clothing, including trousers about five inches long and three inches wide, with packets, swallow-tail coats, etc., flor the baby that should rise at the first resurrection"
 While such testaments may shock the feelings or reldtlVeSJ they uO not leave the sting which more vindictive docu- ments possess. A notable will contained handsome legacies for wife and sister with the provision that once week each should spend an hour with the other at the grave. "I do this" was the con clusion, because they made my life mis- erable with their eternal squabbles, and I want to be certain that they will tor ment each other for while after l am | gone.'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-25
Size of the Cetton Crsp

Up to January 16 there had been ginned 10,337 ,607 bales, as against 12,- 176,199 ginned last year in the corre- spending time. A loss of about 2,000,- GOO bales is thus shown, and as the crop of last year was, in round num- bers, 13,500,000 bales, so the crop of this year will probably prove to be just about 11,5O0,O00 bales, including lint CTS and city bales.
 The census bureau says that 1,070,- 193 bales were ginned in Alabama up to January 1e. Possibly 5o,ooo more bales are toPe ginned, and then about so.oOO bales df lnters must be added,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-25
MUSIC IN GOTHAM.
Gertrude Atherton, Writing of Tetraz
 zini, Scores New York.

 From the Chicago Tribune. London-Details of the reception given to Mime. Tetrazzini in New York have been lengthily cabled here and have been much commented upon, especially the statements that New York refuses to be influenced by London's verdict on the singer and the insinuations that hostile critics attacked her because London had approved her.
 Gertrude Atherton, who is now here, sends ag long letter to the Telegraph in which, among other things, she says: Tt is sheer nonsense to say that New York was not influenced by the London indorse- ment of Mime. Tetrazzini Musical critics in New York are independent, aggressive, and cultivated, but New York never makes up it's own mind about anything.
 While 1t disdains every other Ameri- can community, it is as deferential to foreign opinion, especially British opinion, as it is to foreign titles.
 Moreover barring the Germans, French, and Italians, it is not musical people.
 Music always has been mere pose in New York and I doubt if this pose would be assumed in any great proportions if the boxes of the opera house displayed gowns and jewels to as little advantage as at Covent Garden or the Paris opera house.
 "Nor is New York an enthusiastic au- dience It is hysterical, cool, dry, but it still is human. It is to be. hoped that Mime. Tetrazzini will not share the fate of so many of New Yorl1's attentions as to be rolled in the dust when that hysteri- cal city, which is never sure of itself suddenly awakes to the uneasy sense that it made a fool of itself and finds satis- factory revenge in punishing the magi- cian''
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-25
HOT TAMALE HUSKS.
Kansas City Times.

From the Kansas City Times.
 Do you know" said the tamale fiend as he steered his companion into an all. night lunch wagon and ordered a dimes worth of them hot" that a good part of the profit in the tamale trade goes to the farmers of Johnson county?"
 70, shucksl'' returned the other.
 Yes. that's just 1t. The farmers out there supply the Kansas City market with the corn husks the tamales are wrapped in, and it would surprise you to learn the extent of the business. Any old corn husk won't do for the purpose, either. If you'll look at these you'll see the texture is very close, the surface smooth, and that the lengths are uniform. Only the inner husk is used, the fine white cover ing that grows next to the ear The proper length is about nine inches, to al- low for the ends being folded over the tamale when it is steamed, as you see them now"
 Why, who'd go to all that bother for a dinky little business like this?" asked the listener incredulosly.
 Bother? Dinky? Say. do you know these corn husks are shipped in here in 50O-pound bales? That's quite a respect able sized industry, I take it. At any rate, the Kansas farmers have found it profitable enough to go to the expense of buying presses to bale the product and a large agricultural supply house in Kan- sas City finds it worth while to carry it in stock and cater to the trade of the tamale men,
 What is the particular advantage of using corn husks for this purpose"' asked the listener. Isn't there anything else that would do?"
 Nothing that would answer as many purposes. The corn husk holds the tamale while 1t is cooked and at the same time imparts a flavor to it. It also holds the heat as nothing else would.
 Well, it beats me!' said the other man, as they went on. "I never gave it much thought, but always supposed the tamale men bought up all the old mattresses to get their corn husks."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-25
ETRUSCANS AS DENTisre

From London P. T. o.
 A German doctor has established tbe fact that the Etruscans were accomn,,sh ed dentists, and that our dentists of +o- oay Know nothing that the old Etruscan n tooth doctors' of 2OOO years ago did not merely the details of workmansb,r showing any improvement. He has ax- amined numerous Etruscan skulls. and louno Tn some teeth which had been niieo With wonderful skill. Four are coy- cred with gold capsules. two covering natural teeth, while the other two were artificial grinders, real piece of bridpe work. Gall remarks: "The Etruscans were not backward about showing their teeth incased in gold, after the nlar of English and American dentists. The Etruscans were also acquainted with our modern filings. as one of the specimens I examined clearly proves"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-25
On Cold Morninos,

''Did you have to work up your courage tc get out of bed this morning?' asked a man last night. This sudden arrival of real cold weather made me do it, and
 I found myself educating my courage as I did when a boy. This education was counting to such a number, when I would
 spring out of bed. I would count to 50 and the habit grew on me so that 1t was impossible for me to get out of bed on a cold morning until had run through my count. finally managed to break myself of the habit and learned to jump out Of bed as soon as I awoke. It has been years since counted, but this morning l
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-25
Candidacy of Governor Hughes

The entry of Governor Hughes in the race for the republican presidential nomination has been followed by Sec retary Taft's prompt acceptance of the situation in New York. The latter declines to contest New York. He ad- mits that Governor Hughes is New York's favorite son, and the votes of the 78 delegates from tat state will not be cast for MT. Taft. As Governor Hughes is the second choice of the Indiana delegates and perhaps of many other delegates, he is at least pos sible nominee. The Taft boom has re- ceived, in other words. a backset. al-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-25
The Treble Clef.

'Those who failed to attend the Treble Clef clubs first concert of the season missed a great treat" said a well known critic. 'The second public concert will take place at the Jefferson February 6, and it will be an exceptionally attractive musical event. The Treble Clef chorus of 35 voices is finely trained and sings in more musicianly style than many of the opera troupes. The soloist engaged for the February concert is Madame Charlotte Maconda, an artist of distinc- tion, who has appeared before symphony audiences in New York, Boston and Chi cago. And wherever she sings she re- ceives great applause"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-25
Secret Societies,

Tn the statistical tables of secret socie- ties and fraternal organizations in this country for the year 1907, I find that the Odd Fellows lead in point of numbers" remarked an "order' man. Under the jurisdiction of the sovereign grand lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Eel lows for the United States, including a few lodges in Canada, the membership is stated at 1,316529.
 "The Masons in the United States and Canada number. according to the years report, 1,1SS,566 The Modern Woodmen of America come next with s51 Al mem- bers; mad next after the Woodmen come the Pythians, with 671, ,162. The Improved Order of Red Men are 406,774 strong, and the Maccabees SO0,0OO strong. There are nearly 80 different fraternal societies in this country, with total membership of 10,1O4, ,561"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-25
JOSEPH F. JOHNSTON.
rom the Clayton Record

From the CIaytOH FftCOru.
 Senator Joseph F. Johnston is showing by the stand he is taking in the Senate he is a man of great ability; also that the people of Alabama are not thef only ones that see in him a man who will no doubt take seat at the top when 1t comes to the affairs of state. As governor of Alabama he was great success, as even his enemies will admit. He is a man of well balanced mind a man of great experience, financially and politically, and has made success at both. He will not swerve from what he sees to be the right. We predict great things for Joseph Forney Johnston, and in the near future at that.
 If he never did any more his Boston speech would make him grea'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-25
GRIZZLY.

By Bret Harte.
 Coward, of heroic size, In whose lazy muscles lies Strength we fear and yet despise; Savage, whose relentless tusks Are content with acorn husks; Robber, whose exploits ne'er scared Der the bees or squirrels hoard; Whiskered chin and feeble nose, Claws of steel on baby toes Here, in solitude and shade, Shambling, shuffling, plantigrade, Be thy courses undismayed! Here, where Nature makes thy bed. Let thy rude, half human tread
 Point to hidden Indian springs, Lost in ferns and fragrant grasses.
 Hoyered o'er by timid wings, Where the wood duck lightly passes. Where the wild bee holds her sweets Epicurean retreats,
 Fit for thee, and better than Fearful spells of dangerous man. In thy fat joweled deviltry Friar Tuck shall live in thee; Thou mayest levy 1.-the and dole; Thou shall spread the woodland cheer, From the pilgrim taking toll:
 Match thy cunning with his fear5 Eat and drink and have thy hl: Yet remain an outlaw still!
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-25
Reaardina the Primary.

Many voters are expressing themselves as being in favor of a late primary in August on account of the fact that those voters failing to register now cannot have another chance to register until July" said politician last night. These people have evidently overlooked the bill which Representative Sam Jenkins of Baldwin county introduced and had passed at the last extraordinary ses- sion of the legislature, which provides that the registrators shall sit for two days just before every primary is held I believe when this fact becomes gener- ally known it will win over a number of men from the late to the early primary idea'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-25
REFLECTIONS OF A BACHELOR.

From the New YOrk Pres.
 A millionaire can afford all the lux uries, including .unpopularity.
 There's a chance for every man to get rich unless he's honest.
 The man you can trust is the man you can keep from a chance to betray you.
 The prettier girl is the better the chance of another who is not to get married. Pretty nearly any man would rath CT have government job than be able to earn his living.