davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-03-08
Cats a Ia Carte.

Thomas A. Janvier, in Harpers Nigga
 zine for March.
 If ever take to innkeeping, I certain ly shall charge for the use of cats not less than half crown apiece a day; and I fix that figure because it is what I am willing to pay for the use of a nice cat myself
 Our little friend was attached to the Minerva in some confidential capacity that I never quite got to the roots of. Squib-such was the gentle creature s mildly explosive name-concevably prac- tsed the profession that he was born to; but his mousing-if he did mouse-was the least conspicuous of his employ ments All of his time-until I asked for, and was permitted to have "a share of it-seemed to bes passed at ease in the bar parlor; where a comfortably cush- toned chair was reserved for him, and his only duties seemed to be to cheer with his affection the dignified Lady Manager in her moments of loneliness
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-03-08
DO YOU KNOW WASHINGTON? Average American Knows Only the Barest Facts About First President.

Owen Mister, in the March Everybody's.
 Born February 22, 1732; died December IA, 1799; fought Indians-time and place little vague-was he not with Braddock? Married widow named Martha; was commander all through our Revolution; was our first president; and had two terms; wrote farewell address; knew Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson; crossed the Delaware at Trenton just before Christmas, and surprised the Hessians; beat Cornwalls at Yorktown; and was first in war. first in peace, and first in the hearts of this countrymen.
 These are all public facts What does the reader know of Washington the man More than likely it will be as follows:
 Cut down cherry-tree with hatchet; owned up to having done so saying, "Fa- ther, I cannot tell lie'' threw a stone very far across some river; climbed up
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-03-08
SAW MILL MAN
 UP AGAINST
THE ALCOHOLIC BUZZ SAW GAME
Sauandered Fifteen ThOusand-Te1ls How He Wasted His Entire
 Earnings in Dissipation.

Charles B. James. care James Sanato-
 rum, Memphis, Tenn.
 Dear Sir and F'riend-I am pleased to say to you that, although | had beea drinking hard for ten. years and had little or no confidence as to the cura tive properties of your remedies, yet I am now glad to say to you that I am entirely free from all desire for alco- holic stimulants of any and every kind. l am band sawyer by trade and have commanded as high a salary as any man in my state, viz: $7 50 per day, and should have been worth at least $15,000. having earned in the past ten years $23 400. But as a matter of fact, had wasted my entire earnings in dissipation. Fortunately for me my employers, Brodey Lumber company. of this city, thought enough of me to insist on my going to you for relief, and on leaving you my job with them was still open to me. l take pleasure 4 in recommending your Sanatorium to aIl who need treatment and who are earnestly seeking relief. With best .regards to all connected with the San atorium, am your friend
 GEORGE MUTT. Warren, Ark, January 13. 1906.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-03-08

darkest and dismalest of all the English year. have my doubts as to the com plete understanding of my explanation; but the essential fact was clear that as no doubt they expressed 1.-the gem tleman wanted to play with the cat; ana his infantile folly, of course. was mo- body's business but his own. And so my order for a cat for breakfast was treated precisely as would have been treated my order for buttered toast or eggs and bacon-excepting only that my cat came up-stairs in the maid ser wants arms and went down again on his own little black legs, instead of coming and going on tray. Thereafter. when we came down to breakfast, we found Squib engagingly stretched out on the hearth-rug before the fire in our sit ting-room: a truly heart warming lit tie black object: and all the more heart warming because of his eagerness to purr out to us his little morning song of love.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-03-08
the side of the natural bridge and cut his

the side of the natural bridge and cut his initials; worked hard at school, was steady; was very good all the time, and everybody looked up to him.; of course, very brave; of course, very wise, and a great patriot; was one of the greatest men in all history; was tall, strong, wore those knee brooches of colonial days, and a wig looked stern; would probably lec- ture you, and tell you to be virtuous and you would be happy. Such, if mistake not, Is the readers notion of Washing ton as man; cold. austere, unemotion- al, without passions, grand. not merely greater than human. simply not human at all; 8 sort of marble statue. A figure to prize, to be proud of as an American, figure to revere, but not character to love. to be drawn to, to feel any kinship with. In two words, immortal yet not living.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-03-08
FREE DRUG CURE.

Chas. B. James, 1S3 Poplar Ave. Dept. 23, Memphis. Tenn. Please send
 to my address, all charges paid, a
 free trial bottle for patient using Estate here number of grains used
 each 24 hours) .......... grains of
 (state kind of drug here) ...... State here if used by mouth or hypodermically ...... Name
 ................... ............ Town State Nearest Express Office l
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-03-08
JAMES HOME CURE REMEDIES

JAMES HOME CURE REMEDIES Tor Drug Addictions, Alcoholism, To- |acco and Cigarette Habits Nervous |sss and Insomnia, will be furnish ed the following prices:
 |rhisky, Wine or Beer ........ .S12.5 bbacco, Cigarette or Snuff. .. 500 |l forms of Nervousness or h. |somnia ..........4 ..-....... LOO Prices for Hypodsrmic or Internal s,e Treatment for Drug Addictions
 T;lrnish ed on application, with
 Npa1ple treatment. Express ae Is.' when requested | h usa Ha +o'Ig Addictions. Drunk
 .lng. h,r, uo |. eco and Cigarette ~,.n i n.,a testimonials, etcA MONTGOMERY &ld,iress charles " 4lO Alamo II atorium. 133
 oah 2S, Memphis.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-03-08
See Wm. Wise Go. price list.

TO S1LL-S Small boarding
 house/ care Age Herald.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-03-08

Blend A-Four full quarts, 100 proof rye, delivered in your home, $3.50. Campbell Burton O.. Box 358, Memphis, Tenn j.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-03-08

The tunnels under Manhattan Island and connecting it with Long Island and New Jersey will cost, when completed not less than $3O0,0O0,00 coo Already the tube construction has cost $20o, 600. when finished they will bring all the territory immediately roundabout Man. haitian in close communication and will almost annihilate distance, bringing those who live 15 or 20 miles away al most as close to the heart of the city as if they resided as many blocks from their destinat tion. It will be two or three years before the great bulk of this enormous investment begins to yield an income. Meantime the money has gone into the projects on faith
Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-05-13
KISSING FOR AN AUDIENCE.
1t Is often PerfunctOry and Always
I'm Bad Taste.

1t Is often PerfunctOry and Always
I'm Bad Taste.
"Now, Just to illustrate my point"
Betty continued her argument, when
Dora and came away from her house,
and she was expecting to be gone six
months, her two brothers came into the
Pullman to bid us good-by, and do ?ou
suppose they kissed her? Not they!
They shook hands. l thought 1T was
either Indifference or else a ridiculous
self-consciousness on their part"
"Oh, not necessarily" Frances pro-
tested. "L4ike as not they had kissed
her at home when you didn't know it.
I've read in some book or other a de-
scription of a father meeting his daugh-
ter at a train and giving her the us
ual perfunctory nip and can't forget
the expression. That's all public kiss
ing ever amounts to, anyway. At least,
If it's more than that, it's pretty bad
taste. To illustrate my point
Frances broke off suddenly, for the
lecturer had begun speaking at last, in
spite of the fact that many late COM
crs were still struggling in. From where
the two girls sat in a side balcony over
hanging the audience-roOm, they could
not help noticing how the confusion of
moving along" and finding places down
below was annoying the speaker. They
could scarcely hear his voice.
One stout, dressy woman in a front
hA1 r11o fnp
friend, was particularly conspicuous.
Every time she refused to allow any
one to take the seat she futtered and
twisted, and craned her neck to look st
the entrance to the hall, until she had
drawn the attention of every one with
in range.
Betty had just nudged Frances 10
look at her when the woman rose
back to the platfOrm-and began geS-
ticulating wildly. The long-looked-for
down the middle aisle, majestic dow
ager in black silk. AS she neared the
front, the dressy woman, all uncon-
scious Of the eyes upon her, left her
seat, advanced a few steps toward her
friend, and bending impressively, i'm
planted a loud smack on her lips.
"Oh!" gasped Betty, as even the lee
turer caught his breath in the middle
of an unheard sentence; but Frances
whispered, half-choking with laughter
and triumph:
"Just so. As 1 was saying, to illus
trate my point. Companion.
Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-05-13
Their Opinion.

The visitor had already spoken at
considerable length when he said to the
children, whose attention had begun to
wander, "And now l want to tell you
of a boy once knew.
'He had a good father and mother"
the visitor continued, when he found
several pairs of eyes had returned to
their survey of his face, land they did
all that lay in their power to make him
happy. But the boy was thoughtless
and selfish; he frittered away his time
and never thought of the future.
To-day, instead of filling an honor
able and useful position in life, where
do you suppose he stands, children, as
a MANI"
"He stands before us!'' shrilled all
the little boys and girls in prompt and
joyous unison.
Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-05-13
A ROSE FOR TRIBUTE

When in a comfortable state of sol
vency, the householder may suffer no
nervous dread at thought of the land
lord appearing at the door; still, rent
day is not generally observed as a fes-
tival and time of rejoicing, as is the
case once a year in Mannheim, near Ian
caster, Pennsylvania.
There, during June last year, youI5
lady Of Harrisburg, q lineal descendant
of Baron William Henry Stiegel, de
manded and received, from the ad-
thorities of the Zion Evangelical Luz
theran Church, one red rose, in pay
ment for rent of the ground on which
the church stands.
This quaint and charming ceremony
part of the annual feast of roses, has
been observed yearly since 1890 and
Is due to an ancient transaction In
ITO Baron Stiegel, founder of The
town, decided the land to the congrega-
ton, STIMULATING that, whenever demand
should be made in due and lawful form,
rental to the amount of one red rose
should be paid over.
The baron, it is recorded, claimed his
right but twice, his tenants" on these
two occasions responding cheerfully and
promptly. The ceremony was then neg
lected for more than a century-for
the descendants of the founder for some
reason waived their inherited rights
and was revived only recently.
The rent-paying is now made the oc-
casiOn for memorial addresses and gen
eral reviving of historic associations, az
we'll as for a delightful festival, which
has a most pleasing flavor in this day
and age.
Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-05-13

How much Of the enormous sum
which the immigrant sends back to his
native land could be retained in Ameri-
ca? The question is a practical and an
important one, for the drain upon our
wealth from this one cause is greater
than is realized. An investigation of
this subject of the immigrants use of
his money has been made in New York
and has already resulted In the intro
ductiOn of q bill in the State Legisla-
ture for the dissemination of informa-
ton among our foreign population as to
Industrial and agricultural investments.
IT has been estimated-thOugh the es-
innate probably is a greatly exaggerat-
I'd one-that some $3OO,OOO,O00 was sent
to Europe in 1907 by immigrants, and
the investigation disclosed the fact that
a large part of this sum might have
been invested in America had the i'm
migrants been provided with proper in
formation and proper assurances. 1t
is probably true that the bulk of the
money sent back could not be retained
here. This includes payments for adj
vances made abroad and for the main
tenance of families left at home. There
is besides a large proportion Of the i'm
migrants nowadays who do not intend
to stay in America. who hope to save
enough from their higher wages TO lay
up sum at home which, at home
standards of living, amounts to a COM
potency. But under present conditions
not only is nothing done TO check this
tendency by encouraging investment
and the idea of permanent residence
here, but there arc strong influences the
other way. That is. the immigrant
banks-of which there are said TO be
In Greater New York alone 1900 illegal
" formed and Operated-make their
profits from the immense aggregate re
Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-05-13

If the criminal is insane, let him be
committed to an asylum. If he is not
insane, let him be brought to trial and
dealt with according to the law and the
evidence. 1t is a travesty upon justice
to submit the question of sanity or in
sanity to an ordinary jury upon the
testimony Of paid experts as to the
probable mental condition of a person
committing a certain act under circum-
stances described in a Hypothetical
question" which 1t may take fifteen
minutes to read and which only q
highly trained intellect can follow and
comprehend. An insane person ought
not to be tried for crime at all, and if a
plea of insanity is raised I'm q criminal
case it should be passed upon by quail
fed authorities before any trial is held.
Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-05-13
OPERAS OF OUR GRANDMoTHERs

America Still Content with OId-Fash-
toned, PassfonIess Productions.
Because the city Of New York pos
sesses two great opera houses and be-
cause there are throughout the country
a number of pretentious musical organ
izatiOns whose concerts are largely at
tended, we are prone to believe our
musical taste is up to date As. a mat
ter of fact, in my humble opinion, this
is very far from the truth, says Mary
Garden in Everybody's. OF the great
modern school of music the American
public knows as yet scarcely anything.
and it is to-day quite content and(hap-
by with the operas Of it's grandmoth-
ers.
America is still satisfied with "tone."
as opposed to Interpretation This is
shown by the great popularity of Melba
and Sembrich, perhaps the last, and
certainly the greatest, opponents Of the
colorature school, which charmed the
world until near the close Of the nine
teenth century. To-day we see the be-
ginning of the great modern school. the
music of which deals with and carries
to the hearts of its audiences great hui
man truths. This modern music aims
not wholly at the senses, but also at
the mind. 1t does not aim merely at
providing a vehicle for the production
of glorious tones. 1t goes deeper than
tone. 1t strives for a musical interpre-
tatiOn of the impulses and motives of
the human mind and heart and soul.
1t represents not persons, but passions
In France it no longer sufiices for q
fine large woman to walk more or less
stiffiy through the scenes of a long
opera, until, at signal from the con-
ductor, she suddenly steps forward,
squares herself toward the audience
and emits the few glorious tones of an
aria. The top note may thrill and as
tonish an audience, may even gain the
approval of the critics, but this is not
art, it is mere vocal acrobatics, No
thought is conveyed. No one pure tone,
nor even a whole flock of pure tones,
can of themselves make an opera. Were
it not for the actors art modern opera
could not endure.
Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-05-13
TO RAE BIG STATION.

Acetylene Flame and Electricity to
Be Used to Bite Through Steel.
Razing of the great train sheds Of
the Grand Central Station, preparatory
to the erection Of the new terminal
shelters of the New York Central Rail-
road, Is expected to result in the adop-
ton of new engineering methods in con-
nection with the wrecking Of steel
structures and IN the handing Of mod
ern steel construction, says the New
York Herald. Within the next few days
tests will be made Of new devices for
cutting through steel piers and other
metallic beams used in construction
work of this kind. The result, so OK
pert engineers assert, may be to estab-
lish new and valuable methods in the
world Of modern building.
Heretofore cutting steel beams has
been slow. Saws tempered so as to
pentrate this metal have been used al
most exclusively. The new agents which
are expected to facilitate this process
are electricity and acetylene gas. The
task assumes all the greater difficulty
because the devices will be used in CON
Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-05-13
The Turret Battery.

Early in the nineteenth century, in
1912, Colonel John Stevens conceived
the idea Of the construction Of an iron
plated vessel of war with a saucer
shaped hull, propelled by screws so ar
ranged as to give a rotary motion to
the structure. The battery was to be
of the heaviest ordnance Of the time
and the plating heavy enough to resist
the shot of similar guns at short range.
The main purpose of the craft was
harbor defense, and the plan of action
was to moor the vessel by a chain lead
ing down through the bottom Of the
ship at its center and to spin it around
this center, firing gun after gun as 1t
came in the line Of fire, thus anticipat-
ing the later Timby turret, which in
turn was the germ of the modern mon
itor armoRclad. Such vessel was ac-
tually built half century later by the
Russian government and was a good
representative of the first Stevens bat
tery.-CasSier's Magazine.
Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-05-13
= H. e
~O>~~~~~~~

FL might be tempted If l could find
exactly the kind of person l want"
said the bachelor with the bald spot.
"Well, must look around for some
body to suit you, then" said the wOnI-
an who took an interest in him.
Couldn't you give me some idea of
your ideal?"
II might" replied the bachelor '%To
begin with, she must be young"
''Why youngY
Because there is a certain quality in
youth that attracts me-" said the bach
elor with the bald spot There are
several qualities, on the other hand,
that repel me and disgust me. Youth
full Stiffness is something that hate.
/ dislike giggling girls and girls that
are too fond of gayety. Consequently,
expect you would have some difficulty
In finding young girl who would suit
me. I'm afraid you will think me ex-
acting"
mot at ALL" replied the woman who
took an interest in him. "She must be
young. we will say but not foolish.
Does that express it?"
Exactly. And she must be we'll in
formed, but not a Questioning"
"She must have the knowledge on
tap, but not let it run until you want
to tap it?"
That's it. And l want her to be
feminine above all things. wouldn't
want a budding suffragette. I'd want
her to have spirit, though"
"Sou wouldn't want her to assert
herself against your wishes, for in
stance, but you'd want her to be able
to take her own part with anybody
else"
Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-05-13
II told you l might consider it IL /

II told you l might consider 1t II
could find the sight kind of person"
Then get off the mountain peak and
slide for the valley" said the woman
who took an interest in him. "My dear
friend, you just don't know where to
look for your ideal, that's all. &c
forth and wander in meditation among
the tOmbstones and read the epitaphs"
"Are they all dead?' asked the bach
elor.
''They may not be-" replied the wom-
an who took an interest in him, "but If
there was such a one what do you sup
pose she'd want of you? Honestly now
You wanted girl with some sense,
didn't your
II didn't suppose sense counted in
matters of that Sort" said the bache-
lor.-Chicago Daily News.
Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-05-13

'Now you're getting at it. But wom-
en- of that description are rather
scarce, aren't they?'
"Good gracious, no! I'm afraid you
haven't been keeping your eyes open
oil these years Go on"
"Well, perhaps 1 haven't been as OBJ
serving as 1 might. You think, then,
that you might be able to find some
body who would answer the few re-
quirements that 1 have mentioned?
Good! OF course, she would have to
be accomplished. Musical and all that.
You know l like that sort Of thing.
A woman should be accomplished, so
she had hold her own in any society,""
"a woman should be accomplished
and attractive don't believe l said
anything about her looks. l shouldn't
want a raving beauty-the kind Of girl
who would attract disagreeable atten-
ton wherever she went; but / should
like to have her beautiful, just the
same, and graceful. l should want her
to dress with taste. Not extravagantly,
but with taste and elegance"
Zone with the knack of creating dain-
ty and stylish little gowns out Of SIM
pie and inexpensive materials would
meet your views, presume? And you
would want her to be a good house
keeper, too, Of course?"
Are you sneering?" asked the bach
elor with the bald spot. "It seems to
me that capability for managing a
home and making it a place of comfort
and happiness is not to be sneered at.
If 1 couldn't have a home shouldn't
want to get married"
''Then you do want to get married?"
Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-05-13

Texas by legislative act recently
ceded to the United States a large ter
ritOry In the Panhandle for a national
parry. If Congress should accept the
gift, the country will have another Vel
lowstone. The tract is forty miles long
and contains part ca the Palo Duro
Canyon, a wild and mysterious gorge
which has not been fully explored. Near
the canyon is a private herd of buffalo,
which it is said will be given to the
government if it takes the park.