davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-19
WHY THE STEWARD QUIT.

From the New York Sun.
 The steward of a select hotel resigned last week and took place in another ho- tel. 'I liked the old place we'll enough for but one thing" he said. "The pro prietor is a splendid fellow and the sal- ary was high. The one thing I couldn't stand was the women's banquets and luncheons. That is the most popular ho- tel In town with women's clubs. Tn the social season there is some kind of femi- nine jamboree going on about seven days in the week. The burden of entertaining those bevles of ladies devolved upon me. It is the hardest thing in the world to prepare a special meal for a bunch of women. I'd rather get up a dozen ban quets for men than one for women. They want the best of everything, but they don't want to pay for 1t. Nine women out of ten object in most emphatic terms to paying more than s2 a plate, yet if get up q luncheon that can be served proitably at that price they denounce the shabbiness of the affair in equally em- phatic language. Three seasons of con- tinual laundering in the hot water that those functions stirred up was all I could stand"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-19
GREAT AUX AND ROC.
the New York Times.

From the New York Times
 Whether it Is due to financial depres- sion the world over or to change of taste among collectors, the ruling price of the eggs of the Great Aux, an ex- tinct bird of peculiar aspect but sup posedly tremendous dignity, has fallen to a pitifully low figure. MT. Middle brook, the London publican and an- tiquary, whose recently dispersed col lection of ancient and curious treas ures included the historic flag of the Chesapeake as well as the cloak Sir Walter Raleigh placed on the muddy pavement for the Virgin Queen to walk on, and a well-oharred plank of the burned deck on which the immortal boy stood, contained also a veritable if some- what ancient egg of the Great Aux, which once sold for s1575.
 Eggs are as expensive this year as ever they were, yet this fine example brought in the Middlebrook sale the trifiing sum of s550. The Great Aux has been ex- tinct since 1S44 It's extinction was in- evitable and has been mourned chiefly by persons of the poetic temperament, for the virtues of the Great Aux were purely negative. and it's personal appear ance, by reason of its large body and it's small wings, which were quite use- less for flying, was -droll rather than impressive.
 It must be that collectors are getting over their respect for the largest of tho Alcidae. There was rocs egg in the Middlebrook collection, MT. Middlebrook' s taste being broad and comprehensive, and the roc is a bird of richer associa- tions than ever the Aux could boast, though its name is not habitually spelled with capitals. We have Sindbad's testi- mony that the roc could fly high, a suitable accomplishment for a bird, and the carefully blown egg of a roc, as a lasting symbol of the great Aepyornis in embryo, ought to be treasured. Yet this specimen was valued at only S1S0. At this rate the eggs of the Great Aux will soon be within the reach of the humblest purse, while roc eggs will be a drug in the market.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-19
Automobile Fire Engines.

Claude Bunch, representing the Webb Motor Fire Apparatus company of Joplin, Mo, was registered at the Florence hotel last night
 The firm represented by Mir. Bunch manufactures fire engines, truck wagons, and other machinery for fire fighting to be operated as automobiles. He states that this novelty in the way of fighting fire reduces the cost and on account of speed is vast improvement on the present ma chinery.
 'The engine" says he, "gets to a fire faster than the engine now in use, and is just as effective. The power is trans mitted from the wheels of the machine when it is stopped to the machinery which pumps the water. The hose is connected with the water main in the regular way, and the stream is thrown just as high and just as strong as it is done by the old apparatus.
 This new equipment is in use at Joplin, Omaha, Kansas City and other places, and has proved an unqualified success.
 'I am en route now to Jacksonville, Fla, where I have an engagement to show to the authorities of that city the exellence of the new fire fighting ma- chine'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-19

ever. not so much to the comfort to be found in 1S 1-2 cents natural gas town as to the zephyrs which 1t starts over a hapless continent. It sends none of it's natural gas along. and the result is the continent freezes while the. people at Medicine Hat are warm and happy. Any town that has natural gas for Illuminating and heating pur- poses at 13 1-2 cents thousand cubic feet is. of course, happy. Situated in the wheat belt 1t is never hungry, and it's hot air at the rate mentioned keeps it warm regardless of weather condi- tions,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-19
Heroic Deeds Appreciated.

We often hear 1t said that sentiment is dying out and that heroic deeds no longer move humanity" remarked a cit- izen. But that sort of talk Is wrong The real hero Is as much appreciated now. as in the days of chivalry, and whenever a man loses his life in the discharge of duty, the heart of the public is stirred We see frequent evidences of this in the great cities.
 ''The other day the assistant chief of the New York fire department, Charles w. Kruger, lost his life in tragic manner while leading his brave men into a burn ing building. Expressions of tender sym pathy came from all classes. The artists of the Metropolitan opera house tendered their services for the funeral Nahan Franko and his orchestra did likewise. The obsequies were held in St. Thomas Episcopal church, and Bishop Potter de- livered an address in which he paid the dead hero feeling and fitting tribute Thousands of people attended the funeral, and among those who had seats in the church were representatives of the city government, the judiciary and all the pro- fessions. The floral offerings filed many wagons. The unusual demonstration was simply token of the peoples regard for
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-19
IN HOTEL LOBBIEs
The Iron Situation,

While the Birmingham iron market Is not as active as 1t was in January the tonnage sold here within the past few days is larger than 1t was in the first week in February.
 Vice President Mcqueen Of the sloss- Sheffield company said yesterday: aThere is some iron selling and tho best of it 1t, the price-$13 50 on No. basis Is be- Ing well maintained"
 James Bonnyman, general manager of the Birmingham Coal and Iron company said: We are making small sales right along at s1650. We have 16oo tons less on our yard than we had the first of the year, and as we have less than 20OO tons on hand undelivered it will will be seen that we are not accommodating stocks. Our new furnace will be ready for blast by April l."
 The Sloss-Sheffields No. 1 furnace at North Birmingham, which had been Idle since last summer when it was being re- paired. was lighted Sunday and made it's first run of iron yesterday. It has a capacity of 200 tons day. By the way, II IS ah Interesting ldct that d 10" s0ot9 ago furnaces in this district averaged only 100 tons capacity whereas today there are not many that make less than POO tons, and several are of the 300-ton class. MT McQueen remarked that it was not very long ago when the Sloss furnaces were doing good work when they made 100 tons each. Today each one of the seven furnaces of the Sloss- Sheffield company is good for 1sO to 200 tons daily. Every time a furnace is rebuilt it is en- larged
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-19
INTERVIEW A FAKE?
Harry Payne Whitney Says He Never
 Met Hetty Green.

From the New York World.
 F1nanciers and the public discussed yes- terday the remarkable interview given Friday. She said that during the re- cent panic she had loaned Harry Payne Whitney $1.000,Oo0 had helped the New York Central Railroad company, but had refused money to the Vanderbilt family when they offered her the family jewels as security.
 At the Chemical bank, where Mrs Green makes her headquarters during business hours, 1t was said that she was refused to discuss the interview. dis patch from Boston last night said Mrs. Green had left for New York.
 When Harry Payne Whitney was asked about Mrs. Greens statement that she had lent him a million, he said:
 Mrs. Hetty Green is a very old lady and must be suffering from delusions. I have never met her or seen her or had any financial transactions with her"
 A World reporter saw MT. William K Vanderbilt aboard the Kaiserin Auguste Victoria on the departure of the Szechen- vi party for Europe.
 will you either deny or affirm the statement attributed to Mrs. Hetty Green in today's World regarding the financial transactions of various members of your family in attempting to borrow money on jewelry?" he was asked.
 MT. Vanderbilt flushed slightly, but the hunor of the question appealed to him.
 You will have to ask somebody else about that. I really cannot be inter- viewed" he said, and fled into his fiat
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-19
Russia and Turkey

The chances are that the war talk in St. Petersburg andsConstantinople will subside without leaving any sserious trouble in it's train. It will subside simply because both Russia and Tur- key are in a bankrupt condition. Neither can borrow vast sums for war purposes, and when the sinews of war are lacking peace becomes a neces- sity.
 A part of the friction arises over the boundary line between Turkey and Persia, but the greater part of 1t re- dates to the control and government of Macedonia. When England was en- gagged in fighting the Boers the Mace donian question became acute. This was in 1901, or about the time that Miss Ellen Stone was captured by the Macedonian revolutionists. At that time the Macedonian question was left in the hands of Austria and Russia, and they drew up the Muerzteg pro- gramme under which reforms were in- augurated. By this programme the police in Macedonia were put under foreign control and Macedonian tax alton and finance were managed in a like manner. General di Georgis, an Italian, took charge of the police. For ty-five foreign officers are serving in Macedonia, representing all the pow CTS except Germany. This foreign con trol wants more power and the yari- ous committees" keep up an unceas- ing agitation. The entire province is in disturbed condition.
 Austria, too, wants railroad con cession that will enable her to com plete line to Salonica. A railroad to Salonica is greatly needed, but Rus sia threatens to build one to the Adri- atic sea from a point in Russia on the Black sea, and altogether the situation is tangled and full of schemes that threaten the European concert over Turkey. The Balkan peninsula has long been a breeder of troubles, and perhaps will continue to be, but so long as neither Russia nor Turkey are financially able to bear the stress and strain of war the chances are there will be none.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-19
Medicine Hat RebeIIious

Medicine Hat appeals for justice against the assaults of the paragraph CTS. It denies and def1es the allega- tions and the allegators. It cries aloud for fair play and the truth of it's loca- ton, temperature and environment.
 Where, then, is Medicine Hat7 It is situated on the South Saskatchewan river at the intersection of the Crows Nest railroad with the main line of the Canadian Pacific, 660 miles west of Winnipeg, 220 miles east of the Rocky mountains, 800 miles from Van couver, and 70 miles north of Mon- tana. And it has an abundance of natural gas which is furnished to con sumers at 13 1-2 cents a thousand cubic feet. It is used for both illumi- XEng and heating purposes. A town located in the wheat belt which has plenty of hot air at the rate mentioned can will afford to defy paragraphers and their reports.
 The truth Is, the Medicine Matters consider their town an earthly para disc, but they do not invite any of the paragraphers who have been slander- ing them year in and year out to come fin and enjoy it. They are mad clear through. and they are ready to fight the first conner.
 The trouble seems to relate. how
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-19
SUNDAYS OF SOCIETY

| Delmonico's or other restaurant men show much disposition to cater to Sunday trade.
 After that, however. it was very dif- ferent, and during the next five years Sunday observance in society underwent tremendous change. Men began to pay their dinner calls on Sunday afternoon, which meant that instead of an informal dropping in of relatives or neighbors of both sexes foy informal chat. drawing rooms began to fill up about o'clock with men mostly.
 "The Sunday afternoon parade fell off because every woman, young or old, wanted to stay at home to receive her men friends. It became an understood thing-up to within the last two or three years, mean-that Sunday afternoon was the most likely occasion on which ones men friends would call and the time that women would be found at home. These afternoons frequently were turned into 1 musicales, impromptu and otherwise, by the smarest hostesses, as everybody knows, and they were far from being as dull as the average weekday recep- tion is.
 What with the elaborate Sunday luncheons, Sunday afternoon at homes, late Sunday dinners followed by a pro- gramme of some sort-cards and music. or music without cards, or cards without the music-New York society's observ- ance of Sunday began to come in for a lot of uncomplimentary criticism, much of which was undeserved."
 About church-going today? How does that compare, in your opinion, with that of quarter of a century ago?'
 T think just as large a percentage of society goes to church in the morning to- day as went to church when I was a youngster. It is the poor who don't go to church, not the rich.
 Go to any of the large churches where society worships of a, Sunday morning and you will see nearly everybody there St. Thomas, St. Bartholomews, St, Georges. Grace, Trinity chapel, the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian, the Incarnation and a half-dozen more are filled with pew- holders who often have to listen to elo- quent sermons about keeping Sunday in Puritan fashion.
 No, I do not think church-going has fallen off at all. If there is any merit in attending church. New York society b just as good as 1t ever was"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-19
Confessional MiIIionaIres

A table recently published shows there are 32 millionaires in the United States Senate and 14 in the House. Every third man in the Senate is millionaire. Simon Guggenheimer heads the list, he being worth 60,000,- GOO, and Reed Shoot is at the foot of it, he having but solitary million. Only two of the 32 millionaire Sena- tors are southern men, the two being Senator Bailey of Texas, and Senator Martin of Virginia.
 Only eight of the 32 millionaires in the Senate are men of influence in that body. The eight are Elkins, New lands, Crane, Hale, Knox, Foraker, Lodge and Bailey. In the House only Millionaire Cannon has any consider able influence. Bourke Cochran is famous, but he is not influential. John Sharp Williams owns valuable lands in Mississippi but he is not a million aire.
 There seems to be but one lesson to be gathered from the list. Out of 32 millionaires in the Senate, but eight are men of influence. The other 24 are just simply millionaires. Mere millionaires are not wanted to that ex- tent in the Senate. They are too numerous, and none of them is ready to tell how he got there. Not one of them, it Is plain, secured a senatorial seat by direct vote of the people in a primary, and the way to reduce mil lionairism in the Senate Is to establish the primary in all the states. Direct voting will weed them out, whereas the convention system will continue to select millionaires simply because they are willing to foot campaign bills and possibly to buy a few members of legislature who would otherwise vote for man solely on his merits.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-19

From the Philadelphia North American. N EW YORK.-A comparison of the M present Sunday observance with Sunday observance 10, 20. 30 or more years ago shows, for one thing, the effect that rapidly increasing popula- ton has on New Yorks social customs. A woman, well known socially, traced the other day some of these changes from the time New York society was we'll with ing the 400 mark, and met socially three times every winter at Ward McAllister's s subscription dances held in the old Del monico ball room at Twenty-sixth street That was before the influx of new people had become very noticeable and before splendid private ball rooms began to null tiply, to say nothing of restaurant and hotel ball rooms easily hired for private uses.
 When I was child,' said the lady re- ferred to, "the Sunday dinner was quite a feature of the week. Usually 1t brought all the family together.
 Married sons and daughters came home for it; also unmarried sons whose busi- ness or profession kept them away on other days. Very few formal din- ners, though, took place on Sunday. It was not a favorite day for entertaining at dinner nor for making many calls in the afternoon.
 ''At that time society did more walking on Sunday afternoons than it has ever done since or probably will ever do again. Few of the richest people. who owned the finest carriages, dreamed of taking them out on Sunday. Church-goers walked to church and back, and after the dinner, which was apt to be prolonged, almost everybody but old folks went walking, the favorite promenading being up and down Fifth avenue.
 Twenty years ago, if one wanted to see any particular person of a Sunday aft ernoon, all he or she had to do was to take a stroll on the avenue. Nowadays. of course, fashion carefully avoids Fifth avenue of a Sunday, except at church time, but it was not so then, and the sight was very pretty one.
 No it wouldn't be possible to revive the custom for the reason that everybody Is now doing ssomething else on Sunday afternoon. Mind you, I don't mean that the Sunday midday dinner and the ab- sence of much entertainment were due to religious scruples only, for they were not. In society then as now there were many persons who had no religious scruples whatever.
 newcomers, with larger fortunes and disposition to spend money and have a good time made their influence felt, al- though they had to take many a snub from the conservatives before they made much headway. One of the first to insti- ute Sunday evening musicales I remem- Der was Mrs. Paran Stevens.
 "She had a splendid house, plenty of money, a decided talent for entertaining. Nevertheless, at first her invitations were refused right and left.
 "Then came the Sunday dinners in the new restaurants and hotels. which were opened and included small private dining rooms. At one time to dine even at Dell monico's of Sunday would have given society in general shock.
 Thirty years ago gay Sunday suppers at a public restaurant were practically unknown, and not till after evening din- ners on Sunday came into fashion did
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-19
VioIinists Discussed.

Musicians and critics who heard Kube- lik at the Jefferson theater Monday night were discussing the great violinist yes- terday and comparing his playing with other violin celebrities who won the worlds applause. While many persons resident in Birmingham have heard three or four of the famous violin virtuosos only two or three, perhaps, have had the privilege of hearing all who have ap- peared on the concert stage within the past 25 years. Oliver Chalifoux heard Joachim when that distinguished master was in his prime. He also heard Ysaye, and Sarasate, to say nothing of high class violinists of lesser fame.
 William Gussen has heard many of the OBrien never heard Joachim but he listened to Ole Bull, Sauret Wilhelmj, Camille Urso, the most brilliant woman violinist who ever lived and in recent years he heard Ysaye. With the excep- tion of Joachim, Wilhelm was the great est classic performer on the violin.
 The consensus of opinion seems to be that Kube1ik is a most dazzling player, but that he lacks emotion. As one of our older musicians of European education expressed it: "Kubeliks technique is marvellous, but his violin does not sing" Asked what he considered the Bohemian's s exceptionally strong point in the matter of technique, the musician quoted, re- piled: His harmonics Sarasate, like Kubelik, had prodigious technique, but his harmonics were not equal to Kube- hks. Even Joachim, who was the most satisfying of all violinists, did not impress me as accomplishing so much in har- monies as the young artist who played here Monday evening Indeed I think Kubelk leads them all in this respect. When 1t comes to verve and soulfulness that touches the heart strings, a number of the eminent soloists have surpassed Kubellk. I never heard W1eniaski, who was one of the greatest of them all, but I have no doubt but that he played his D minor concerto with more fire than Kubelik will ever be able to put into it.. And yet, Kubeliks execution of that work was altogether beautiful. The tone was produced with apparent ease and the facility with which technical difficulties were overcome as mere trifies, almost took one breath away I enjoyed every think Kubelik played with the exception of 'Traumere:' As the Age-Herald critic said. it was conventional, when it should have been a revelation or words to that effect I have heard Calman play tnat piece much better than 1t was played Monday night, and think It is safe to say that three or four of our local violin ists could improve in Kubeliks Trau- merei."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-19
FRENCH FAMILIES.

From Republique Francaise.
 The number of French families, that Is to say households with or without chIl- dren, is estimated at 11,315O0O. Of this total 1,SO4,720 families have no children, children, 1,649, ,425 have three, sS7. .Ss2 have four, 5667..s have five 327.241 have six, 1S2,99S have seven, s4,72s have eight, A, 7s have nine, 2O,63s have 10, SSO5 have Il, 35oS have 12, 1437 have IS, 554 have IA, 249 have 15, 7s have 16 S4 have IT, and finally, 45 families have IS or more.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-19
A PREFACE.

By Clinton Scollard. (From Blank Verse Pastels,' George William Browning. Clinton. N. Y) If four blank walls be mine, and every That goes careening through the vasts of
 sky Makes free with my shrunk easement,
 and my hearth iShows but feeble flames, and the bare
 floor Has but the dust for carpet am poorf Nay, am very Croesus! that-and morei For no swart Mede can rob me of my
 dreams Wherewith I hang a rapt Madonna
 there face Murillo painted-drape rich folds Of gold -shot damass- round yon oriel, And heap about me rugs of velvet pile Deft-wrought upon the looms of Kermans
 shah! Poor! Is he poor who has Gods gift q
 dreams?
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-19
Rettlnn on Roosevelt.

q am not politician, but I have an idea that President Roosevelt, in spite of his emphatic renunciation, win head the republican ticket in the approaching cam paign," said H. P. Helnike of Baltimore, who travels extensively through the east and the middle west. 1.-TWO weeks ago I was in Pittsburg and there I found Roosevelt sentiment strong. I happen to know that men in Chicago and Milwau- kee are beginning to put up bets on Roosevelt. I usually vote the republican ticket, and my preference this year is Taft.
 But I do not believe from what see that the secretary of war will be nomi- mated. On his failure to get the nomi- nation the Chicago convention will be stampeded for the President. In the event that Roosevelt Is the republican stand ard bearer I will vote for Bryan; not that l have anything against President Roosevelt simply will not vote to keep man in the executive office indef- initely"