davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1908-03-27
FIFTY.SIXTH DAY.

Aside from the sundry appropriation
bill conferences, the day was devoted to
miscellaneous bills Of all kinds, in both
branches. The House passed the Me
MILAN bill providing for the protection
OF horticulture by adopting measures for
DISCRIMINATING insect pests, and the same
body passed another bill introduced by
the senator from Carroll, the bill pro-
viding for the proper marking and weigh
ing of cotton by public ginners and cot
ton weigherS.
The Senate took up and pushed the
Adair banking bill, providing for the
strengthening of banks by certified cash
capital in hand, and for sworn state.
ments by officers and directors four
times in each year.
The conferroes on the Industrial lnsti-
tute and College and the Agricultural
and Mechanical College bills reported
that they had gotten together, the House
the Senate and the Senate conCeding 10
the House the Burkitt rider.
The privilege tax question came before
the Senate next and naturally brought
on discussion of a vigorous nature.
The bill as it came from the House,
had been considerably amended by the
committee. In addition to these, num-
crous amendments were added by the
Senate of which the tax on express ON
panies created more talk. As the law
now stands, it taxes express companies
$500, and $500 per mile on all first-class
railroad tracks. The Senate raises this
t.y Fra,, cEnn -, CT nnn and gtyiIpl piff
$500 per mile, and inserts in place Of
this $500 per mile.
The tax on meat packing houses was
doubled from 500 to 5000 a year, and
Mr.. Pollard moved to reconsider this
vote and opposed the increase.
The Senate went into committee Of the
whole to consider this bill. Mr.. Harper
desired to amend the tax on transient
vendors of patent medicines from 500
to $1,000, but this was lost.
The House doubled the whole list Of
items under ''peddlers," making it $50
instead of SIS for each foot peddler and
The Senate committee recommended that
The old law stand. Mr.. Brown sought to
decrease even these small amounts. The
old law was restored.
PISTOL cartridges" came up next, ana
it was desired to amend this by i~ncreas.
ing the tax on dealers in pistol cart
ridges capable Of being fired in pistols or
out of shells" from $40 to $50. This
was the wish Of a majority OF the Sen
ate and hence prevailed.
The tax on each sewing machine for
each company, SIS, was adopted.
The tax on skating and bicycle Kinks
was increased considerably, and on the
telephone companies was decreased ON
what for the smaller exchanges, and IN
creased somewhat for the larger ex.
changes.
Mr.. East offered an amendment fixing
an additional tax Of $3.50 on each tele-
phone company doing a telegraph bust.
ness, and the committee accepted that.
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1908-03-27
How Exact Position Of Heavenly
Bodies Are Fixed.

Star gazing is a trifle in modern as
tronomers' tasks. Their real job is to
fix the exact positions Of the heavenly
bodies. The object glasses of transit
telescopes are crossed by fine lines
made from the spiders web. Every
time the star under observation
crosses one OF the lines the astrono-
mer touches a button. which causes
the time to be recorded by a chrome
graph. Nearly all observers press the
key earlier for bright stars than for
faint stars, SO the work is now done
automatically. Besides the transit
telescopes across whose field OF vision
the stars move In procession, there are
equatorial telescopes for taking photo
graphs Of the heavens. Moved by
clock work, an instrument Of this kind
turns exactly round the circle In "a
hours, 30 II directed toward a pa-ticu-
lar star It follows 1t from rise to set.
ting. and a Photographic plate fixed In
Ne TELESCOPE would take q picture Of q
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1908-03-27


am surf these suggestions eau be
utilized at a 'stork shower" aud there
have been several requests recently
fer these affairs,
Take a good,sized clothes basket,
the real Old,fashiOued kind, cover first
with pink or blue cam5rtc. then with
dotted or plain Swiss, Put a deep friil
around the edge at top. bordercd by
narrow ribbon, On each handle taaten
great big perky bow. after winding
smoothly with a strip Of swiss.
Then make a mattress of Curled
hair TO exactly fit the bottom, or a
pillow may be used for this purpose,
though the hair is considered prefer.
able, being cooler The sheets may be
Of linen II the arrival is expected In
warm weather. Cotton mes are more
grateful to a winter baby. lIcmstitch
them, putting the Initial OF the sur
name In French embroidery just be
Tow the hem, which should be about
three inches In depth.
EIderdown buttonholed around the
edges makes the dearest blankets
lmaginable-so warm and fluffy. one
pair for dress up may be edged with
val lace.
The pillow cases for this downy
nest are made Of handkerehiefs. They
will be plain or elaborate according
to the 'muuchoirs" selected. Tie them
Oh the pillow Instead Of making but
tonholes. For the very best comfor.
ters use china silk In pink, white Of
blue; catch together with ribbon bows
and edge with either q pinked ruiiio
Or bind with wash ribbon, FIJI with
two or three sheets Of the best cotton.
batting and sprinkle beautifully with
violet powder, Nothing makes pref
tier spreads than pique with embrold.
cry and scaliops buttonholed. Cut the
top long enough to fall back over the
outside 10 the depth Of eight inches
All these articles will wash and stand
for every day use. The main point
to be observed In preparing a bed for
the baby Is to see that It Is very warm,
but very light in weight,
This bed Is a dainty, practical rest,
ing place for the little stranger.
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1908-03-27

omists would not agree that the tav-
payers would indorse such an appropria.
tion Of their money. and so the matter is
passed up for private subscriptions.
The committee on Agriculture, 10
whom had been referred the Senate bill
TO regulate the handling, inspection,
analysis and sale of commercial feed.
stufrs, sold or offered for sale, recom-
mended that the bill pass.
Mr.. Foster raised the point Of order
that the bill was out of the regular or
der, and had not been officially before
the House, but the chair declined TO rule
on the point, and objection being made
to its consideration, the bill went over,
Among the bills passed was that pro-
viding for an additional appropriation
in order to increase the salary Of the
secretary of the railroad commission
from $1,000 TO $500 a year, which re-
ecived a vote of 81 10 4.
Senate bill No, 45t, making an APP
preparation for the executive mansion
work, carrying $4,000, was taken mp
on the report Of the appropriation com.
mittee and passed after some opposition
tho vote being ~ to 9.
Mr.. Morrison called up the National
Guard appropriation bill, which the Sen
ate had amended by adding $4,000 II year
TO the support fund as it came from the
HOUSE, making the annual appropriation
$4,000. This gave some Of the members
a chance TO register their disapproYal Of
anything like il national guard, and the
feeling became 50 rampant that the
House refused TO concur by a vote Of
20 to ~.
Mr.. Cavett asked for a conference or
the bill, hut the majority OF the House
refused even that courtesy.
The House took up the Potter State
depository bill, The bill passed as it
came from the Senate and the committee,
all the amendments having been agreed
to.
Mr., Sample introduced s, 3. Asa, nm
act to appropriate funds to pay principal
and interest on money borrowed to carry
on State government in 1905 and 1909,
and the finance committee promptly
acted on it, and recommended its pas.
sage.
The general revenue bill was passed,
authorizing n siX-mill tax.
House bill 7i2, creating privilege taxes
on certain industries and occupations in
this State was next considered and
amended, so as to cut the tax on moving
pictures in cities from $50 to $25, in
towns from S25 to $3.50. On opticians
the tax was raised from $40 to $25, and
COCO cola is made to conform to the other
chapters on coco cola, and 30 fixed that
it can't slip in along with the soda water
privilege tax,
House bill 5s1, to add section $40 A
to chapter $50 OF the code, establishing
a standard weight for coal, 1000 pounds
to the ton and 200 pounds to the box
or barrel, passed next.
The report of the conference commit.
toe relative to the privilege tax on eN'
press companies showed that a compro-
mise had been reached, which would split
the difference between the two bodies of
some $2s, 600 total, as provided for by
the Senate, and $4,000 by the House, OF
q compromise on about $t4 900 revenue
from the operation of the two express
companies.
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1908-03-27
F"IFTY.EIGHTH DAY.

The features in the legislature today
we're the passing Of the Simmons land
tax bill, which was vetoed by the gov
ernor, who gave his reasons therefor in a
lengthy message, tho measure being
passed over the veto by a vote Of al
most four to one. The governor had
discovered certain features that seemed
unconstitutional, and while he agreed
with the spirit of the measure he was
doubtful as to the phrasing and wording.
The Senate seemed to have thought diff
%ferentIy.
The East bill to grant debtors the
right to redeem lands sold under trust
deed or deed of transfer within a year
after sale was indefinitely postponed by
the Senate.
The House passed the Hebron anti
convict leasing bill as applies to counties.
There was strong opposition to the bill,
but the preponderance of Judgment over
towering, the vote on passing being two
to one.
The regular order was the considera-
ton of Senate bills with favorable re.
ports, and several of these were disposed
Of.
Among the bills considered was the
Senate bill providing for the use by
families of mileage books issued for use
in the State, giving each member OF a
family equal right to the same book, rs
though they were the individual pur-
chascrs. Under the terms Of the bill the
father, mother, son or daughter may be
permitted to certify to their identity,
while the parents may certify ~ to tn
identity Of the minor children, The
penalty fixed to be inflicted on the rail
roads disrcgarding the terms Of the bill
is a maximum Of $50 and a minimum Of
S25, to be recovered by fine, on conyic-
ton in any court Of competent jurisdic-
ton. The bill passed.
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1908-03-27
CoIored Man Used Rod and Line TO
Escape Hard Work.

! had two hours to wait at a south
ern railroad junction for the other
train, and the first thing ! noticed was
a colored man fishing IN a little pond
near the depot, that was only two feet
deep. | thought it strange If he could
catch any fish in such a place, and
after a while | wandered down there
and asked:
well, Moses, had any bites YETI"
He shook his head without looking
up, and half an hour later ! repeated
the question. 1t was answered by
another shake. At the end of an hour
and a half, having seen no signs of
success yet, l went down to the place
and said:
=" don't see what you expect to
catch here"
Muffin, sah," he replied,
There can't be no fish here"
"No, sab" p
"And yet you've been fishing for Ell.
most two hours
Eyes, sab"
"Will you kindly tell me your CD.
iect"
Boss, does you see dat Guild lady
ober der?"
THE one leaning over the gate
watching you-yes."
"She's my wife, sah."
"Well?"
She dun wanted me to put shingles
on de roof of de cabin"
Yes, and you are here fishing"
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1908-03-27
HER SPRING SUIT.

A coat and skirt costume OF a novel
kind Ii carried out In a fine drap
souple with a satin finish. The color
chosen Is that pale shade Of lilac
which is always appropriate for the
early spring.
The skirt is made In a sensible
length for walking, and in the newest
and most approved shape. with a num-
Der OF box plaits all the way round.
and a trimming of netted buttons and
silk cord loops in the same delicate
tone OF lilac al the cloth. Entirely
novel, also. Is the shape OF the coat,
with It's long, semiHtting basques cut
UP into panels, and trimmed effective
ly with loops and buttons. The coat
is left slightly open In front, to show
a blouse Of Irish lace, finished at the
throat with a very wide satin ribbon.
In a dark shade OF violet, tied In a big
bow at the back. The sleeves are
quite new, too, and are very becom-
ingiy arranged, with draperies Of cloth
To the elbow. trimmed with large but
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1908-03-27
White elephant Party,

A big white elephant on a back.
ground Of red was indeed a startling
innovation in Invitations, and the com.
mand It contained was equally start.
ling, VIZ, to bring carefully wrapped
"A white elephant" in other words,
anything we didn't want.
Here was the longlooked for oppor.
tunity to get rid Of the terrible plated
card receiver with the malicious 1T
tie bird perched on the handle. True.
it had long been banished to ignomin,
ious retirement.
Well, that party is going down In
history az one of the ~jolliest affairs
ever given by this clever hostess.
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1908-03-27

board. The fittings around the pul.
pit were all very plain and simple. al.
though rich in their m~asslveness.
The only really new things were
these; the furnace heating appliances
mad been changed to steam heat and
The gas fixtures to electric wiring and
lights.
was tired, disguised, and quite
ready to believe the old clergyman
mentally unbalanced. Rand was bit.
terly determined to go on. Said he:
Duncan, | am going to fly In the
face OF facts in this matter. | pur.
pose to hunt for the impossible. Kind,
ly arrange to have the Callahan agency
send me 30 men at the studio to-
morrow morning to gather data on all
the other churches"
| did not see Rand that evening. 1t
fact, did not catch a glimpse of him
till Saturday evening. Then he was
white, worn, tired. and plainly unsuc-
Gessful as he came into the club din
ing-room, where | was awaiting him,
and sat down opposite me with a
faint. brief smile.
Rand toyed with the table silver a
momen before he spoke, then he
said, CURLY: VIII you go with me
to the Disciples church tomorrow
morning? | ask this because | have
written DR.. Coleman a note saying
that it will be necessary for me to
go into the pulpit with him, and |
want you to sit in the first row."
burst into a hearty laugh at the
idea of Rand's posing as a clergyman.
but neither the ethical nor humorous
phases of the situation seemed to
strike him.
The next morning Rand appeared
in church in clerical garb. The strick-
en- clergyman, his white head bowed on
his hand as he leaned on the arm of
his chair, never looked up, after pre-.
senting Rand as Rev. DR.. Carleton
Smith of Chicago, who would read the
morning lesson"
From my seat in the first pew, per.
haps 20 feet from the exact spot where
the speaker was standing, | could OBJ.
serve every movement that both he
and Rand might make.
1t was fully Is minutes before any.
thing unusual occurred.
Suddenly the old clergyman's voice
tool on a momentarily rasping note
an in%articulate cry of agony and des.
peration! He went on speaking me-
Chemically, with his eyes closed. Rand
sat motionless, but with the manner of
a tiger about to spring. He was lis.
tenlng, and | could tell from his face
that he also was hearing what was
beating in DR.. Coleman's ears-the
ROLLING anthem Of the unseen singers.
As for me, | could not catch the
iaintest sound beyond a low, confused
murmur. Rand removed the micro
phone, which he always carried for
magnifying sounds, once or twice
after a few seconds, then quietly drew
some sheets, apparently a small set of
notes, from his pocket, found some
thing, folded the pages, and instantly
was lost in the most profound thought.
Coleman was staggering, struggling
through his address. | stood ready to
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1908-03-27
Had Il Down Fine.

The housewife was showing her new
chambermaid through the upstairs,
when finally they came to a staircase
leading down into the rear yard.
Mary" said she, stepping out on
the landing, whenever you wish to
pass down to the back yard go down
this way"
Just then the speaker slipped and
was precipitated with a great clatter.
ing to the bottom.
Are yez hurt, num-" cried the af-
frighted chambermaid, staring Down
from above.
mo; It's nothing" came the return
as the d~isheveled mistress rose to her
feet, In proof.
"Thin we've got It down foine, mum;
but tn jobs too shtrenuous fer me-
Judge.
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1908-03-27

Girls whose compilations are doing
fairly well, thank you, and who wish
to keep them in that roses-and-cream
condition, may hearken to the voice
OF an East Indian beauty doctor and
adopt an egg diet, now that spring
near-gentle spring, draws closer. At
this season, asserts the seer, eggs pro-
duce clearness OF skin and delicacy
OF coloring. Raw eggs are swallowed
before breakfast and as often In the
day as one can relish them; chopped
yolks OF hard boiled eggs. with salads
fairly drenched In olive oil, are recon-
mended; so are s%oft.boiled eggs with
toast To these would-be beauty must
conine itself In the period Of complex,
ion treatment which lasts six weeks
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1908-03-27
Mississippi
Legislature
FIETY.FIETH DAY

The greater part of the day in both
branches was devoted to the passage of
local bills, with one or two general meas.
ures sanawiehed in between, this includ'
ing the Confederate pension bill by the
Senate, with House amendments, redue.
ing the appropriation by $4,000.
The Senate bill providing for definite
and distinct repositories in the State for
the funds OF the Yazoo-M Mississippi delta
levee board was in this class, the bill
being a long and carefully drawn docn.
ment, minute as TO detail, though, in a
word, it subjects the officers OF the board
to liability for indictment or punish.
ment for mishemeanor for any infraction
of its provisions, and absolutely pro-
hibits the l~oaning out of any Surplus
funds to private individuals. The bill
passed.
Another bill of the same class, apply
ing to a local condition or interest, was
in this category, that being the bill au-
thori2iug the boards Of supervisors of
the riparian counties. in their discretion,
to make donations to the Lakes.to-the.
Gulf Deep Waterways Association for
the purpose of carrying on its work. The
bill applies to all the counties bordering
IN the Mississippi or its tributaries, from
the Tennessee to the Louisiana line, and
there is nothing mandatory in its terms,
1t wa taken up without objection and
passed.
The bill to authorize boards of super.
visors at their discretion to employ the
county c%onvicts in laying out or main
tanning roads leading into the municipal
ties or market towns and shipping points
along railroads was called up and passed.
A message from the Senate by Secre-
tary Robertson announced non-concur.
renee with the House amendments to the
soldiers home support fund bill, and
asked for a conference, announcing
Messrs. Vance, SeNwright and Banks as
the Senate conferrees.
Then came the pension bill, with the
HoHse amendments cutting the pension
fund from $3.50 900 to 5000, 900 a year,
and it was adopted the Senate %concurring
in the House amendment.
d While a reduction from the original
bill, this amount is an increase of $780,
900 a year over former appropriations.
Inc Dill aPptoPilhtths No,oVo Il Seht
for the geologic, topographic and eco
nomic survey of Mississippi, as it came
from the House, passed. The Senate bill,
with the $4,000 appropriation, was
killed in the House, and the above bill
passed.
The Farmers Institute bill came up
next, and was opposed by Mr.. Price IN
the ground that the people aid not at
tend the Institutes. Mr.. Sanders spoke
earnestly for the passage of the bill, and
it passed.
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1908-03-27
FIFTY.NINTH DAY.

The same spirit that actuatcd a ma.
iprity Of the Senate in the matter Of
dealing with the message of Gov, Noel
in vetoeing the bill known az the Sim
mons bill, to invalidate and reliuquish
the States claim to land sold for delin-
quent taxes, which were not brought
forward subsequent to the abatement
act Of 1875, manifested itBeIf in the
House this morning.
After hearing an able and concise
statement Of the legal phases of the case,
and an analysis Of the veto objections
from Senator Leftwich, who had been
asked to present the matter, and a sup
Elemental statement on the practical
side of the question from Senator Whit
man, thu House, by a vote Of "a yeas to
20 nays, passed the bill over the veto.
In both Houses considerable progress
was made today in the work OF clearing
up the dockets.
A Joint resolution, which had pre-
viously been offered in the House, pro-
viding for a commission to act entirely
without compensation, with the purpose
in view Of raising by popular subscrip-
ton not less than $500, to be added
to the funds already in hand for the
battleship testimonial, was introduced
and passed the Senate unanimously. The
resolution was sent Immediately TO the
House.
The most important feature Of the
morning session Of the House was the
bill to authorize the establishment, UNI
.er certain safeguards and restrictions,
Of o clearing house association in the
state, which viii become a law at this
session.
Considerable progress wal made
today in both Senate and House, where
practically all Of the local bills were
taken up and passed.
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1908-03-27
F~IFTY-sEvENTH DAY.

Holding three long sessions today, both
the Senate and House disposed Of a lot
Of business.
Practically all the disagreements be-
tween the two bodies have been settled,
and there remains now such bills from
the two houses which are pending in the
other end, with favorable committee re
ports to be threshed out.
One of the most conspicuous Of thu
acts today was the failure Of the Hous
to pass the bill a%ppropriating as donation
the sum Of $4,000 for the battleship Mis-.
sissippi testimonial. The Senate lad al
lowed that amount, but the House econ
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1908-03-27
London Fog an Old Institution.

London, by reason of the exces.
sive GOODNESS of the air hindering the
ascent Of smoke, was so filled with the
fuliginous steam of the sea coal that
one could hardly see across the streets
and this, filing the lungs with its
gross particles, exceedingly obstruct.
ed the breast, so as one could scarcely
breathe" So wrote John Evelyn over
two centuries back.
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1908-03-27
As Fashion Knows Them.

The well.dressed woman has Ia
have a dictionary of colors this year
as the simple names are not used at
all There Is, for instance, no pink.
that went by that name, being shrimp.
salmon, coral, bengal. l%aurier, rose.
wood or ajacun. Other shades AFRO
beda, rose Of the Alps, co1uedcot, or
payot. Green Is that no longer, but
Volga, Niger, reseda, mahonia, Mousse.
bronze, myrtle, emerald, aloes, chart.
reuse, sage, Gauges, Neva or russo.
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1908-03-27
TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OF SKY

particular part Of the sky. BY this
means a great international work is
being done. Sixteen observatories In
different parts of the world have d.
vided among themselves the labor Of
photog.aphing the whole sky in both
the Northern and southern hem
ispheres and afterwards cataloguing
the stars. When the work is complete
1t will show the positions and magni-
tudes of at least Ave or six millions OF
stars, for all down to the eleventh
magnitude are being recorded. The
photograph reveals much more than
can be seen by the human eye.
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1908-03-27

Authorizing Coahona county to refund
to J. e. Moutroy, assessor, for certain
work.
Restoring right Of suffrage to James
De1ine.
To pay +. J. Hoffman costs in Louis.
lana boundary suit.
To allow H. J.. McLaurin to bring suit
against the State.
The "oyster" appropriation bill, as
amended by the Senate. This cuts the
sum from $4,000 TO $4,000, and thus
1t was left by the Senate.
For relief Of R. N. J. Annette. Of JET.