davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-13
ccopyright, 1908, by Edwin A. Nye.)

1Copyright, 1908, by Edwin A. Nye.) Y Y Rs. HOWARD COULD spent MI s224ooo for pin money" in one lVX year. This fact was revealed in the divorce suit brought by her husband. She spent this tremendous sum for dress es. knickknacks entertaining, etc.
 Moreover
 Mrs. Gould, while making no denial of the fact that she had expended the vast sum on her personal wants, contended through her counsel that MT. Gould had tried to starve her out of Gould castle.
 Two hundred and twenty-four thousand dollars!
 Note A few figures:
 Tbs starvation allowance made by MT. co,ld would feed 100000 starving poor for several whole days. A If this sum of s224,000 were in silver dol lars it would require 14O husky men to carry it, if each man carried lW pounds.
 That. many silver dollars would weigh seven tons, fair load for six horses to pull.
 According to the census, the average ex- pense of an American family is about $4Oo a year. Put $224,o00 at interest at per cent and you could permanently pension 13 such families. The principal would keep 800 such families for one year.
 The census reports put the average price of a farm in this country at S4O0O. Mrs. Goulds yearly allowance would buy 66 such farms.
 Put 1t in the shape of dresses The av- craze woman would consider $50 the max imum price for dress. Mrs. Gould's an- nuaI expenditure would purchase dresses for 7466 women.
 well" you may say, ''the money be- Ionged to Mrs. Gould. Did she not have the right to scatter 1t according to her personal fancy?"
 Legally, yes.
 Morally, mo-
 Every dollar of that money, in the last analysis, represents somebody's toll and sweat, somebody's short dinners and pinching economies. It is part of the
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-13

condition relieved it only remains neces- sary to convince the southern people that their interests are one and identical with the rest of the country. Psychologists say that when the finger aches the whole body Is affected, and in like manner with the body politic. Instead of solid north and a solid south, antagonistic to each ether, there would be a United States, solid in its unity. The fact is there are very few Americans who fully realize the greatness of their own country. In wealth, population and area 1t is second to none on earth, and in possibilities 1t surpasses all. Census returns of mining, manufacturing. agricultural and pastoral products are expressed in figures beyond human comprehension which is probably the reason they fail to impress. To be an American citizen today is more than to have been a Roman citizen in the days of the Caesars, and every one knows how proudly and defiantly Paul spoke when he asserted that fact and appealed to Caesar, and with what respect that state ment was received. Rome claimed to be mistress of the world" because she held a number of nations in subjection by right
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-13

has been successful in the Philippines, in Cuba, on the isthmus as a paciflcator, and it is not at all unlikely that he will do as much at home. Just as the peace maker is blessed so is the mischief-maker aceGrsed. and, with this in mind, there will be found very few, if any at all, who will try to frustrate his purpose.
 The south has suffered much; 1t has much to forgive, much to forget. It was punished and, worse still, it was humili- ated. Its proud spirit was subjected to insult and oppression, but never for a moment did it bend its knee or bow it's head. Like the Prisoner of Chiffon, 1t is proud of persecution's rage, but at the same time is possessed of all the noble and magnanimous sentiments of a noble nature. Justice at least and, better still, generosity will do much to smooth the path toward perfect reconciliation.
 There is hardly any physical ill so irri- tating a grain of sand in the eye. 1t causes infiamma tion of the organ and puts it's victim in bad humor. It can be easily removed and immediate relief follows. Viewed on the corner of handkerchief a person Is disposed to wonder how such
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-13

HJHE current discussion of the plan of
 municipal government by commits 4 sion leads at once to the inquiry: How should such commission be chosen? This is really the most important question involved in the proposition, unless we shall consider the cost of 2S grafters as compared to that of three or more in the manipulation of matters municipal. This, of course, is another matter for consider ation-
 Call your governmental body what you will-council, board of aldermen or com nilsson: and make the membership small or great; but do not deprive the people of their constitutional right to select their governmental representatives.
 Civil liberty and self-government, guar anteed to the American people by the or ganic law of the nation, can nowhere be more highly enjoyed, or more safely exer- cised than in the management by the people of their own local affairs Who dare make the assertion that the people of a city are not more competent to judge of their own wants than can be centralizing appointing power
 Suppose that appointing power should be a governor who, previous to his in duction into high office, might have op-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-13

MT Madison were numerous in the audi ence, and they loved and admired him passionately; but the grief of his negro slaves was the most striking feature Of the funeral. It was evident that they were bewailing the loss of a lifelong friend-not tyrant and an oppressor."
 Paine Todd, whom knew well, was the son of Mrs. Madison by former marri- age. He was present-I think in some diplomatic capacity-when the peace com mission met at Ghent and concluded upon the terms of peace between Great Britain and the United States after our second war for independence"
 Both sides were desperately tired of the war We showed our strong desire for peace by sending some of our ablest statesmen to treat for it. Henry Clay had been one of the strongest advocates of the war Indeed, Clay, Calhoun and Cheves made the war. The New England states bitterly opposed it and, for once in his life, John Randolph stood with New Eng land
 Clay was one of the peace commission;
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-13

the pints (points): first. clean; second. saft (sofD: third and larstly plenty O Eiver" (cover).
 Of old Dr. Morris can truly say that he was one of the best haters that I ever heard of. For a long time he had huor- ished a pet hatred of a neighbor of the rame of John Christ. An infant child of this neighbor died, and Dr. Morris was called to preach the funeral sermon, which he opened thus: There's nora tion in the neighborhood that John Christs child Is dead; I've come here to contradict that report The child is not dead but sleepeth. We are done with the dead, and will now talk to the living"
 This recalls old Brother Bircher, who at a later day greatly distinguished him. self by his unique style of preaching at funerals His habit was to dissect the character and conduct of the deceased, telling impartially the good and the bad. notoriously wicked man died in the neighborhood, and the family were not willing for his character and conduct to
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-13

try church weeks. or even months, after the death.
 Let me here give one of my experiences as pastor of a country church. which had preaching once month. We had ap- pointed a protracted meeting, to begin the third Sunday in October. At my Sep tember appointment one of the brethren said to me T want you to preach my wife's funeral on the third Sunday in Oc- tober' 'fWhen did she die?' l asked. Last June" l then told him that l was confident the brethren generally would not favor my breaking in upon our protracted meeting with a funeral and l said; Let us appoint the funeral for the third Sun day in November" He very reluctantly acquiesced. On the third Sunday of No vember, accordingly. I came prepared to preach the funeral sermon. I entered the pulpit. and there in front of me sat the scamp. with a new wife whom he had married after the dead wife had been "funeralized'' by another preacher! My funeral sermon evaporated Into thin air, and preached-something else.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-13

either by license or by sufferance. It made Joe's gangrene possible.
 And
 Having cut off his arm. it will take care of the boy until his stub is healed and then it will turn him out in these same surroundings and let him hustle with one arm or beg or steal.
 Well some day, some sweet day, instead of cutting off gangrened arms, the state -"we"-will create conditions that will prevent such fostering sores.
 Ever read Jack London's White Fang?''
 In his Call of the wfld' London told the story of gently reared dog. stolen for the Klondilze trail, put to sledge uses and treated so cruelty he escaped to the wild wolves The dog degenerated.
 This book shows the opposite--the pow CT of good surroundings and kindness in bringing out gentleness and obedience,
 It is dog story You will read chap ter after chapter in which no man ap- pears.
 But it is tremendously applicable to hu- mans.
 White Fang Is partly wolf and wholly wolfish in predispositon. He is pure brute He fights for the sheer love of fighting. Apparently all affection and gen tleness are lacking in his makeup
 But
 One day White Fang fell into kind hands. That was the turning point. At first his new masters kindness appears to be thrown away on the dog. But Weeden Scott persists. Somewhere in the force full little beast is a tender spot that Scott finally finds
 The climax comes after the good-heart- cd master goes away for few days. White Fang pines and refuses to. eats He even refuses to fight the other dogs. When he returns White Fang meets him mblingly, and. miracle of miracles \ The wolf dog wagged his tail, x Read "Whte Fang" It will set you to esellinlxing, or, better. 1t will set you to
 yns.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-13

one who has read Tolstoy's War and Peace" will appreciate the sombre pie ture.
 "On the battlefield of Borodino lay 30, GOO half-devoured corpses, the result of that terrible battle of the Moscow cam paign.
 '..Death has feasted here said Mar shal Ney to the emperor, who was star ing gloomily at the field of the slain. May replied Napoleon; death has only nibbled here. After death has once feasted he will sleep
 Twill We not pause to bury the dead?' the glorious marshal asked a few min utes later.
 l" The wolves will bury them,' replied the Mars incarnate falling asleep on his great white horse."
 Such was the tender mercy of this cruelty great man who in 1872 led the gittering files of France across the Niemen river and Invaded Russia.
 Let the wolves bury the dead!
 Of what use are dead men to a gen. eral? He who played the game of war with master hand regarded men as mere pawns to be placed at his imperial nod. If they are dead. let the wolves perform the offices for the dead!
 The incident, which fits in so perfectly with all we know of him, gives look into the soul of Napoleon.
 Perhaps he had bowels of mercy. If so he did not reveal the fact. If he ever showed emotion it was for effect. No man knew better than he the way to the hearts of his soldiers. His bulletins are masterpieces of simulated feeling and high heroics.
 At heart he cared nothing for the men who died for him save as for so many units of an army.
 Napoleon lacked the nobility of great ness His brain was a marvellous mental machine, but his heart was atrophied. He was almost devoid of pity or sym pathy.
 Remember the little girl that went over his battlefield giving water to the wounded?
 She was infinitely nobler than he,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-13
HEART TO HEART TALKS-By Edwin A. Nye

, Joe Bulanda, aged IA, is little citizen of Chicago.
 Despite his tender years Joe is tough. His physical and moral system has been poisoned by his vicious life and sur roundings.
 Joe's right arm was injured. Because of the virus in his blood gangrene set in. The doctors said the arm must be cut off or Joe would die.
 Joe's father said he would not consent to the operation.
 He isn't much of father as you and I esteem fathers, but he knew Joe would have a hard time to make his way even with two arms. He said it would be bet ter for Joe to die than to lose one arm.
 And Joe also objected-said he would rather die. Poor kid! The world he knew was the kind that always pushes a boy down.
 Here the state of Illinois stepped in It got an order from the court ordering Joe's arm to be amputated.
 So the big state forced Joe onto the operating table. The boy fought the doc tors and the nurses. They smothered him with chloroform until he quit strug- gling Then they cut off the gangrened arm.
 Now
 It matters not about the lingo of the lawyers Tn tn1S strange case. lHey Shiu the state of Illinois stood ''in loco paren- tis''--that is to say, the state acted in- stead of Joes father.
 The state did not cut off Joe's arm to defy Joe or Joe's father. or to show It's power or to punish. It amputated the boys arm in order to save Joe's life for Joes good.
 So far so good. But
 What had the state-the ''we'' of IIli- nois--ever done to keep Joe from poison ing himself physically and morally? It gave him bad air and insanitary sur roundings and vicious environmont II put the saloon on the cornerz nor the tumble-down tenement in whiCX 1oe livea and the dance hall upstairs a1I the dives and the gambling resorts. Z< did tn's
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-13

your vessel headed in the general direc- tion of your destiny-and keep going.
 Learn to labor and to wait.
 Do not grow impatient. Move forward However little, move forward. Move slowly, carefully, surely. If the get-rich- quick sprinters try to pass you. let them. In the long run-in the long run, mind you--if you hold out faithfully, you will get there And some of the sprinters may not get there.
 If at the end of the week you have saved dollar, hang on to it. He who saves only a little-regularly saves--over what he earns is on the direct road to success.
 If at the end of the week you have learned some important thing about your business, hang on to it. You are making progress. Keep. on.
 And
 Some day when you have succeeded you will look back over the road and see how straight was the road and how narrow the way by which, you came.
 Can a young man succeed in business without cash capital?
 Yes. One young newsdealer in New York city is getting rich on a capital of personal courtesy.
 Where the tide of surging humanity rises highest on Broadway, near Trinity shurca, he keeps a successful news stand.
 His father came over in the sterage a few years ago. The son left school early to help support the family He is keen merchant.
 This young man keeps a full stock of newspa pers and periodicals and turns his cash every day-a possibility of profit shown by a. newsdealer in Carlisle, Pa, who died recently worth $10O,0O0.
 All sorts of people, millionaires as well as mechanics, buy, of the young dealer. And always. even though the purchase be of 1 cent-always there Is the sincere Thank you"
 He makes every sale, however. small, a dignifled business transaction. He is
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-13

said at table would correspond to the quality of the viands. If these were plain he would say curtly "For what we are about to receive. the Lord make us thank full" But if the spread was elaborate. the grace was enlarged accordingly, and heavens choicest blessings would be called down upon "the hospitable family who have provided so many good. nice, rich. sweet things
 never heard of the old man preaching in our ighbornood- indeed, any where else; nor do I believe that anybody who knew his manner of life would have been edifed by his preaching. Probably he never heard the word 'homletics," but he had homiletieal habits of his own. In his preaching days he had d way of di- vidlng his diseourses into three parts, which he named first. second. third and 1arstly Oastly), and the habit had got such hold upon him that it came out in ordinary conversation. For instance: T love to spend the night at Sister Scotts S. because Sister Seott's beds has got all
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-13

country as what is best for their souls and the only thing to be insisted upon is that they do conscienciously so be- lieve. If men could be brought to under stand the necessity of exercising their own judgment in political matters in- stead of solidly or stupidly following blatant leaders, just as boys follow a big drum, every state would be a doubtful state and it would take appeals to req son to convince an audience. not appeals to passion or prejudice. In the matter of solidity there are northern states just as great offenders as the southern states and to them MT. Taft might also direct a few words of friendly advice. To reach an agreement concessions must be mutual and the bravest man is he who first extends the hand to effect a re- conciliaton. Already the south has shown signs in that direction, the offer should be met more than half way. Expressions of friendship from platforms and in the daily press. fair treatment in the mat ter of appropriations, and, most of all a strict avoidance of irritating and infam- ing government appointments will soon
 accomplish that for which all patriotic citizens so devoutly pray.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-13
W.. H T
 VI " a

VVTHErHER this man was more Nk/ richly endowed with those quail
 w ities for which good men loved him than he was bounteously gifted with those attributes for which intellectual men admired him will never be known. He was the most brilliant mind with which my mind ever had personal com mlne and he was the knightliest man whose hand my hand ever clasped. He was the greatest son of the south during his entire public career and the north, as bitterly as the south, is filled with in- dignant horror over the deep damnation of his taking off.
 They who slew him builded fatefuler than they know for they completed Ten- nessee's immortal trio of demigods In yalhalla-Andrew Jackson, Nathan Bed ford Forrest and Edward Ward Carmack The legislature of Tennessee soon to sit in inquest on the affairs of that noble old commonwealth owes it to the good men and women of that state and to the en- tire south to take measures to have carved out of purest Carrara a statue of Carmack to place In the hall of the old House of Representatives at Washington to serve for exemplar that the youth Of future generations may strive to emulate his nobility of character and rival his splendor of genius.
 But Carmack survives in millions and millions of southern hearts and his in fluence is more puissant in death than 1t even was in life.
 Just 50 years and 4 days old, on that fateful Monday. November g, Edward
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-13

never too busy to be polite and attentive. And his open, frank courtesy makes one want to do more business with him.
 His stand is in close touch with Wall street, and the brokers buy of him, but he gives just as much attention to the poor woman who buys a penny paper as he gives to Pierpont Morgan or any other financial magnate.
 He is no flunky.
 He is a gentleman and an American citizen who is engaged in an honest busi- ness. There is no snobbishness in him. He treats all alike.
 Around his newsstand there converges perhaps more utter selfishness, more hardness of greed. more recklessness of hurry, than in any other locality of the world.
 And there he stands in vivid contrast with all this forgetfulness of humane things He is never too much in hurry to be urbane and kind and gracious.
 That is one reason why hundreds pat ronize him day after day. It is the in stinctive hunger for kindness and cour- tesy.
 So this young man is getting rich.
 The lesson to those who contemplate a business career or to those engaged in business is plain:
 Courtesy costs nothing.
 But it yields big dividends
 Combined With character, 1t forms the greatest capital known to the business world
 If you want to read something worth while, take up General Wolseleys ''The Young Napoleon"
 Woseley says of Napoleon that he was sthe greatest human who ever lived"
 That is great soldiers tribute to great soldier from a soldiers point of view.
 Woseley, "the greatest livino general" points out also the weaknesses and the lack of that great human who strode the world of his day like a colossus.
 In this connection the following incl dent of Napoleon. from Russian source. is told by Will l.. Comfort. Any
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-13

HHHE solid south finds it's counterpart
 in the solid north, and if the word
 4 ''stupid'' be substituted for "solid'' the relation will still exist. Election proph- cts have proved the truth of this stae- ment by their forecasts in which they set forth certain states as being sure for Taft and certain others as being sure for Bryan. A glance at the political map will show that the solid republican states are north and the solid democratic states are south so that it is case of "horse and horse as the sports say. Such condi- tion Is a contradiction of United States and is source of regret to every patri- otic American citizen. Proud of his na- tive state every man should be, but prouder still of his country. To be an American is more than being an Ala banlian.
 The honest and earnest attempt of Pres ident-elect Taft to remove this feeling of sectionalsm in the United States should meet with the approval and cooperation of all loyal citizens. President Roosevelt started the noble work when he visited the southern states. and MT. Taft could follow the example with good results. He
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-13

capital of society, the aggregated savings of millions. Now, for instance
 Has this woman the right morally to spend $224.000 on her petty caprices while 15,00O school children in Chicago go sup perless to bed? The spectacle of such wanton extrava- gance in the face of so much want and woe breeds not only envy but hatred of the very rich. And it is the sort of hatred that is dan gerous. Young man! Ever note a slow-moving freight train puffing on an uphill grade? If you are some distance away the train may ap- pear to be making no progress But it is inching along. After awhile you look. The train has disappeared over the hill.
 Be like that freight train.
 Be stayer
 Make haste slowly" Is an excellent old adage that is workable It may seem you are getting on in the world all too slow ly But if you are really getting on, hold tight! In the end you will win.
 Watch that sailing vessel loaded to the guards with lumber. It looks like "a painted ship on painted ocean," Is it moving?
 Well, that schooner was loaded up Green bay way. Here it is in midlake. Go down to the harbor in day or two. A little tug will be grappling that, slow going vessel to convey it up the river to the big lumber yards. It will have ar rived.
 Be like that sailing vessel
 Keep going.
 It is quite certain that during the voy- age the schooner will have to be tackled this way and that in order to get across the big waters. But it will never stand still. And it will keep moving in the general direction of Chicago.
 So you in your sailing course may be obliged sometimes to tack. That sort of sailing will be slow. Nevertheless bend your sails to the freshening breeze Keen
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-13

ID you ever think how young our country is? James Madison was 4 one of our colonial statesmen; and my fathers life was contemporary with his for s3 years. once heard sermon from the Episcopal preacher who preach ed MT. Madison's funeral; and I knew Mrs Dolly Madison. who survived her husband for many years and lived at Montpelier in Orange county, Virginia, only four miles from my old home.
 MT. Madison was most genial and ac- cessible man, and was almost idolized by his neighbors. His funeral took place at his old residence. and was attended by a vast concourse of the countryside. His negroes were present in large numbers, and wept like children over his grave
 I have heard staneh old advocate of slavery say: "I wish some honest abo- 1itionist could have been present at MT. Madison's funeral. I think the scene would have shaken him in his views of slavery in the south. The relations of