davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-02

seem to most as 1t did to Swedenborg, the only rational explanation.
 How then can we ever, by any means, hope to prove identity? I reply: (a) By correspondence. (a) By information or critteria char acteristic of the supposed intelligence, and if possible in some sense new to the world.
 Cross s-correspondence - that is, the reception of part of message through one medium and part through another lis good evidence of one intelligence dominating both automatists. And iS the message Is characteristic of some one particular deceased person, and is
 received through people to whom he
 was not intimately known, then 1t is fair proof of the continued intellectual activity of that personality. If further
 we get from him piece of literary criticism which is eminently in his vein and has not occurred to ordinary people mot to either of the mediums, and not even to the literary world-but which on consideration Is appreciated as sound as well as characteristic criti- cism, showing a familiar and wike
 knowledge of the poetry of many ages,
 and unifying apparently disconnected passages in some definite way-then l say the proof, already striking, would
 tend to become crucial
 These, then, are the kinds of proof at
 which the society is aiming.
 So long as communications consisted of
 general conversations with what pur-
 ported to be the surviving intelligence of
 certain Friends and Investigators, we
 were by no means convinced of their identity even though the talk was of friendly and intimate character-such as in normal cases would be considered amply and overwhelmingly sufficient for the Identification of friends speaking, let us say, through a telephone or a type writer. We required definite and crucial proof-a proof difficult even to imagine, as well as difficult to supply. The ostensible communications realize
 the need of such proof just as fully as
 we do, and are doing their best to sat- isfy the rational demand. Some of us
 think they have already succeeded; oth- CTS are still doubtful.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-02
COMMUNICATION
 BEYOND THE TOMB
From Harper's Magazine.

From Harper's Magazine.
 When 1t comes to proof of surviving existence and of memory beyond the tomb, we are bound to discount the witness of anything that is in our own minds; or, as some think, in the mind of any living person.
 Thus is the difficulty of incontrover- tible proof of identity enormously in- creased. Even when the evidence en- ables a hidden thing to be discovered, of which no one living possessed the secret--as in Swedenborg's discovery of the dead burgomaster's private papers deferred teiepathy is sometimes ad- duced as preferable to what must then
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-02
D E P "A R T M E N
A STRANGE REFLECTION
 THE MANIA FOR DANCING

why 1t was to the shrines of St. Vitus that the afflicted came for cure.
 It was Paracesus who arrived near the truth of the matter. He diagnosed the disease as coming from several causes, fin which the imagination and animal de- sire were features, and his treatment was most efflcacious. He had his patients put on low diet and in solitary confinement. Misery and pain arising from the treat ment from corporal reinstatement, and immersion in cold water did what in- vacations and offerings of the saints had failed to do. By the 1Tth century 1t had died out completely in the countries so far referred to.
 Nevertheless, the dancing devil was not idle elsewhere. He played dreadful pranks in Italy and Spain. In Italy the mania was regarded as a disease due to the bite of a spider. the tarantula. Per sons nlpped by the tarantula fell into a dreadful state of melancholy, conceived passion for the set, a strange liking for one certain color. Nothing but music could arouse the victim. If the lethargy were allowed to continue the individual affected pined away with anxious misery, unsatisf1ed desire. But on hearing the tarantula music they leaped for joy and danced and danced until nature could hold out no longer and complete exhaus- ton put an end to the proceedings. Music was provided by the authorities. and the slralns echo down to our own time, going to the making of the Italian dance, which Is known as the taranteile.
 Tarantism held sway in Spain and Italy. md what with that and the disease in France, Germany and the Low Coun- tries there were justification for the state ment that Europe was dancing mad, and that during the 18th and 18th centuries nothing but one long quadrille prevailed in Italy. Tarantism was sad fact, but the question of its origin is disputed, reliance on the story of the spider bites being anything but absolute. certain persons bitten in this stage by the taran- tula do not feel the necessity of indulsing in saltatory antics of the kind described.
 We have not got rid of the dancing mania even yet In the 18th century the Fernch convulsionaries danced with fury. ",They threw themselves into the most violent contortions of the body, rolled about the ground, initiated birds, beasts and fishes, and at last went off In swoon." They stood on their heads-or tried to-and the ladies covered their feet with sacks. This sort of thing lasted for some 50 years.
 Then there nave peeh tne Jumpers .iie American Shakers, and quite recently the Pentecostal dancers In 17S7 some 3o0 young women working in Lancashire cotton factory were seized with convul- sions, all declaring that somebody had put a mouse down their necks, which had been the case as regards only one Of them And in Ohio within the last two or three decades an outbreak of dancing mania had to be put down by force.
 Probably the dancing madness was an expression of disordered nerves. It fol- lowed on the Black Death of the 14th cen tury. In Europe it carried off myriads of people and left the nations with their nerves out of order.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-02
Personal and General.

Dr. A. S. Fitzpatrick has returned from Nswberne, where he went to attend the marriage of a relative.
 Miss Alma Guy leaves next Tuesday for an extended trip to Chattanooga, Dan- vile, Va, Washington and other points.
 Miss Ella Polk leaves today for a two weeks visit to relatives in Atlanta.
 w. J. Long of the Long Hardware Co.. is confined to his home with illness.
 The United Charities will meet at the home of It's president, Mrs. E. M. Owens, on Monday afternoon at o'clock. All members are requested to be present as there is business of importance to be transacted.
 Miss Bessie Smith, who has been so critically i'll in Dr. Robinson's infirm- ary, for the past two weeks. Is now convalescent and was able to be moved from the hospital yesterday. She Is now the guest of Prof. and Mrs. J. M. Dill on Dartmouth avenue.
 Mrs. Rose Lea, who has been visiting her relatives. Prof. and Mrs. J. M. Dill, has returned to her home in Citronelle.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-02
B E z z E M E R

From the Detroit News-Tribune.
 In the year 1874 there arose in Bel gium a sect of dancers, who paraded the streets, entered houses and churches half naked, crowned in garlands, and dancing and singing, uttering unknown names, falling sennseless on the ground and exhibiting other marks of demoni- acal agitation.
 Not any particular class of people were affected; every section of the com munities, all grades of people in several nations fell victims The most sober minded and the least imaginative indl- viduals, stolid peasants, educated men of the professions of the day, hard headed statesmen-these would watch with scorn the hordes of dancers in the streets, but 1t was scorn that quickly changed to intimate interest, for the contagion seemed to be irresistible, and soon they were in the rout, leaping high, shouting unintelligibe jargon, whrling about, yaulting chairs and ta- bles in the houses, and finally falling exhausted. From village to town, from town to village went the dancers. Chil- dren left their parents, wives deserted their husbands and husbands their wives, soldiers were carried away from the ranks, and members of officialdom from their duties. all dancing through the country in the grip of this terrible plague.
 Nobody knew why 1t broke out, and nobody knew why it continued, nor ex- actly how to stop 1t. In the minds of the people 1t was put down to demoniacal possession, and the means taken to sub due the mania consisted In the solemn exorcism of the devil. In parts of Ger many the Magistrates decided to encour- age the plague to wear itself out, and they paid musicians to play for the af- f1icted, and men to foot 1t with them till they all collapsed.
 Some towns were seized with the ma- mia more than once. It took hold of Strasburg again in 141S. By this time it had come to be believed that St. Vitus should be considered in the process of curing the dancers, and so the latter were taken to the chapel of St. Vitus. where in solemn procession they were led around the altar. Other means adop- ted were drenching sufferers with cold water, thrashing them with sticks, and reading to them chapters from the gos- pei of St. John. And all the time the dancing mania made progress. The in- vacations to St. Vitus increased vastly in number.
 Why St. Vitus? Vitus was the patron saint of Bohemia. It was he who, in the persecution of Diocletian, nearly HOO years previously, was martyred. He was in prison and his father looked into his cell through chink in the door, saw his son dancing with angels. When Vitus came to pay the penalty of his Christian belief by martyrdom he prayed that peo- pie who might In the future be at- tackled by the dancing madness should, on invoking his name, be cured. The re- ply, we are gravely told, came straight from heaven "St. Vitus, thy prayer Is answered" Thus the legend, explaining
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-02
To Give Musicale,

Major and Mrs. White recently of Co., lumbus O., but who now have charge of the Salvation Army work in this dis trict as division officers, will conduct musicale at the Elks' hall Monday night at 8 o'clock
 Lieutenant Sickman, who has for many years been associated with Major and Mrs. White, will render several selections on the cornet, and she is also said to possess a remarkably musical voice, and will sing. The Jasperon sisters are on the programme that is to be carried out and 1t bids fair to be a most enjoyable entertainment.
 A silver offering will be taken at the door.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-02
The Rev. J..J. D. Hall Will Preach.

Tomorrow morning at Il o'clock at the Trinity Episcopal church, the Rev. J. J. D. Hall will assist the Rev I. O. Adams with the services, and will also preach a sermon. He will review the work he has been doing at the penitentiary, and as there are few people in the district who are not familiar with the great amount of good that the Rev. MT. Hall has accomplished in his untiring efforts to throw little light into the darkened lives of the criminals, a large attendance will no doubt hear him, knowing that he leaves within few weeks for another field in northern state.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-02

why 1t was to the shrines of St. Vitus that the afflicted came for cure.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-02
Burial Association.

National Cooperative Burial associa- ton Is the style of an organisation that will have Bessemer as It's home office.
 The following are the officers: '. H. Fielder president, Arthur Jacobs becre- tary-treasurer; advisory board: Mayor w. L. Rush. Bessemer; Mayor John D.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-02
MANY CANDIDATES FOR MINOR OFFICES Three Cernered Fight for
 Mayor In Bessemer COMPLAIN OF MIGRANTS 6essemer Seems To Have Plenty, AL though Some Plants Need Labor.
 Work at Big Pipe Plant.
 Other News.
By j., F.. LEE.

Bessemer, August 1-(Special. )-The members of the City Council are being approached by quite a number of as- pirants for the minor municipal jobs. There are three candidates in the field for the city engineers job. which will be made vacant by the resignation of Hugh McEniry. These are s. R. Batson, Phil Lacey and A. J. Grefenkamp, and as each one of them has strong friends on the board 1t is hard to predict which will be appointed.
 It is also said that Night Captain Ross will have opposition, Officer Partridge's name being mentioned as an aspirant for the place.
 For sanitary inspector, fire chief and as- sistant fire chief there seems to be no opposition to the present incumbents. who will apply for reelection.
 In the three-cornered fight for mayor the candidates are busy among the citi- zens and as there remain only six weeks before election, the public will be hearing from all three of them within a very short time, for matters are getting too warm for them to confine their campaign to private interviews. It has been ru- mored about the streets that one of the independents would withdraw, but this could not be confirmed. and 1t is possible that all three will make the fight to the finish.
 Mayor W. L. Rush has little to say re- garding his campaign, except that, being the regular nominee, he has no fears as to the result of the election.
 J. D. O'Gara has turned his campaign entirely over to his manager E. B. published a card, setting forth his req sons for entering the race. He says there are no democratic nominees for any of the offices, inasmuch as certain rules and regulations failed to be- compiled with in the recent primary, which are neces- sary before the candidates can be recog- nized as democratic nominees and that this being the case, he or any other cit- izen has the perfect right to run for an office, and expect the support of the voters without their varying in the least from their party principles. w. H. Den his, the other independent candidate. has made no public statement whatsoever, only that the time is not yet ripe for him to say anything regarding his campaign. U. 8. Cast Iron Pipe and Foundry Go.
 This is one of the large industries of Bessemer that runs right along regard less of the troublous times.
 T refrain from making any statements with reference to the amount of work we are doing" said General Manager Vim cent Ferguson yesterday, 'as it is so often the case that the facts are enlarged upon which Is misleading to the public, and has a tendency to cause an influx of skilled labor at time when 1t is not needed. thereby greatly inconveniencing all parties concerned.
 You might say. however, that while we are not doing any big things we have enough orders booked to keep us busy until the first of the year, small orders continue to come in and we are working full time.'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-02

Martin, Jonesboro; George E. Rutledge, real estate, Bessemer.
 Jacobs & Sons are the association un- dertakers.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-02
U. s. Cast Iron Pipe and Foundry Go.
Many Vaqrants.

At almost any time during the day one can walk down certain streets and ave- nues and find crowds of idle negroes. and yet a gentleman who Is high up in the engagement of one of the industries remarked yesterday that it was impos- sibe for him to get labor enough with which to successfully run the plant.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-02
Death of Margaret Wheeler Bancroft

Sad indeed is the death of little Mar garet Wheeler, the 15-months-old child of MT. and Mrs. George Bancroft, which occurred last night at their home in Brighton. The little girl became se- riously sick in Mississippi, where Mrs. Bancroft had taken her on visit to relatives They returned home last Thursday, since which time the best med ical skill has been in constant attend ance in an effort to save Its life.
 The funeral occurred this afternoon at o'clock from the family residence at Brighton, interment taking place at Cedar Hill cemetery, Jacobs & Sons in charge.
 Until recently MT. Bancroft was resi- dent of Bessemer, having been a mem Der of the firm of Harrison & Bancroft, druggists, when he bought a drug store at Brighton, moving there. Both he and Mrs Bancroft have a host of warm per sonal friends in Bessemer who deeply sympathize with them in their bereave- ment.
The sun., 1908-07-09
The Wonderful Petaluma Hen.

We are indebted to the Hon. Arthur
r. BRIGGS, president Of the California
State Board Of Trade, for highly en-
tertaining pamphlet wherein are set
forth some fairly dazzling. statistics con-
cerning the resources Of the State. There
is in this pamphlet much which interests
and instructs, but In turning over the
pages we find ourselves returning again
and again to that most fascinating OF all
whereon are related the wonders Of the
Petaluma hen. We find that the Peta-
luna hen, In the year 1907, laid for ship
ping purposes the staggering number
of 4,422,9es dozen eggs and at the same
time provided 59,19s dozen poultry for
the market stalls.
We find other facts upon which 1t is
pleasant to let the imagination dwell,
yet ever the Petaluma hen clucks back
our attention. 1t would be agreeable
and instructive to consider other sta
tistics in this pamphlet, for there are
some which are naught else than ro-
mantic in their suggestions. One could
with some little play Of fancy prepare a
feast. for a nation from menu items
easily selected from the tables Of figures
relating not to total production but to
shipments out of the State.
OF fresh deciduous fruits, to begin with,
there would be I, 7,+91 carloads, or for those
who preferred cantaloupe, 800 carloads.
The "groaning board would be we'll SUD-
piled with 10000 tons of raisins, 10000
tons of pr,mes, and of celery $500 car
loads. A supply of 4ls,eee tons Of or
anges and lemons would leave enough
of citrus fruits for the after dinner punch.
for which there would be 500 900 gallons
of brandy as base and 72SS9 tons of
sugar for sweetening. OF beef, mutton,
pork there would be an ample supply
from the stock ranches, where roam
4,GOs, ,28O heads, and with the meat there
would be $500 carloads of fresh vege-
tables Bread from Al 900, 900 bushels
of grain could be well buttered with A.
500 ,2ll pounds of butter, sweetened for
the young by s,70O,0OO pounds Of honey
or favored for the elders by 5,92s, ,942
pounds Of cheese.
Ofdry wines to suit the several courses
there are 27,5OO, 500 gallons, and Of sweet
$500, 900 gallons, and when the port is
uncorked there are $3.50 tons of walnuts
to be cracked.
The head waiter would have a large
check to present for such repast, but
there are $50 900, 900 worth of minerals,
including sis,792, ,452 in gold, to offer on
account.
We have merely outlined the dinner sug-
gested as the pages are turned. There
are many items which would make more
attractive the table, the golden skin of
the guava, with its bright red interior,
loquats and pomegraDates. But not ell
their beauty and SAVIOR keep Us from
The sun., 1908-07-09

once more turning back to that page
where ls too ooldly tabulated the noble
performance of the Petaluma hen.
The Hon. WILLIAM EwAnT GLAD
STONE should have lived to know OF the
Petaluma hen. She would greatly have
comforted his extended span Of life.
For forty consecutive years Mr.. GLAD
STONE, at annual gatherings OF Hawarden-
farmers, urged them to do something
for the hen, or rather to let the hen do
something for them. We recall reading
one Of those addresses. II was rich with
the figures of what Britons paid Holland,
France and Germany for the British
breakfast eggs. The sum amounted to
the interest on the national debt, II in
indeed II was not the principal itself.
The farmers, naturally supposing that
80 great O man could know nothing OF a
matter 80 trif1ing, applauded his annual
speech for forty years, but continued
Indifferent to the hen.
Petaluma adds to the glory which Is
GLADsToNE's and puts the farmers Of
Hawarden to shame. It seems proper
to explain that Petaluma Is a struggling
bit Of village, which suns itself on the
bank Of creek Of the same melodious
name, in the lower end Of Sonoma valley,
not far from San Francisco Bay. But
from that one little village where life is
lived with easy content nearly four and
q half million dozen eggs and 10000
dozen poultry were shipped last year.
and at the recent rate OF increase Of the
industry there the States total require
ment Of $4,000, 900 dozen eggs will soon
be supplied by Petaluma.
There Ia lesson here, it seems to us,
for the farmers Of New York State as
well as Of Hawarden.
The sun., 1908-07-09
The Cup That Cheers,

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Sir: II tea
is freshly made with fresh water that has
come to full boil and II not for immediate
use poured of the tea leaves In say Ave or
six min utes into another teapot-and use q
"cosey" to keep the tee hot-such hot tea
will cool you Off better than any Iced drink.
OF course we Americans favor cold drinks
In hot weather. and Iced tea with dash OF
lemon juice Is without doubt the most satis-
flying and refreshing Of summer drinks. No
typhoid germs are possible. for the infusion
has been boiled.
In the Orient the Chinaman and the native
Of Japan drink their tea hot. Hot water is
poured on the leaves In very small teacups,
and Ia slipped more or less all day long, bein &
ntinualy replenished with fresh tea when
the brew becomes too strong. Even Euro
peans after thin, tired out with stehtseein g,
find marvellous recuperation in slipping their
tea thus made.
There Ia no other way to make tea than to
make It absolutely fresh. As one hundred
and fifty cups can be made from one pound OF
tea 1t Is an immensely profitable drink to
sell at five cents cup or glass, and to
charge fifteen to twenty cents for a small
pot Of tea Ia to restrict the Use OF a bevera ge
that In hot weather should be obtainable
everywhere, even In saloons. without per-
mission OF any extreme Temperance advo-
cate YIK FoNo.
KINGSTON, July u
The sun., 1908-07-09

ginning Of the Presidential campaign Of
eight years ago, two hundred and sixty
Democrats and Republicans In the House
Of Representatives tumbled over each
other In their eagerness to vote for just
such discriminatory and unconstitu-
tional legislation as Mr.. GoMPERs Is now
engaged In promoting. The Littleaeld
antitrust bill was on that day, by vote
OF 28O to 8, amended In tho House by the
following exception to It's general pro-
visions:
Nothing in this act shall be 90 construed ss TO
apply to trade unions or other labor organizations.
organized for the purpose Of regulating wages.
hours OF labor or other. conditions under which
labor Is to be performed"
Having Joined together TO fasten
this discriminatory exception on the
Littlefeld antitrust act by q vote Of
28o to 8, the Republicans and Democrats
of the House Of Representatives in the
Fifty-sixth Congress actually proceeded
to pass the bill thus amended, by q
vote Of 274 to 1.
Let us be just and historically discern
ing. That disgraceful vote, recorded by
both parties combined In equal guilt, is
Mr.. GoMPERs's ample warrant for his
present enterprise. The agriculturlsts
and the horticulturists are, OF course, an
afterthought. The Republican party and
the Democracy are equally responsible
for GoMpERs. for his mission, his desire
to dict ia ond hio hopaa ~ alinremacv
over two boss controlled conventions.