davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-14
Admiral Evans at Rio

The fleet of Is battleships has tra- versed 4500 miles in it's long journey of 15,O00 miles, and it is anchored to- day in the beautiful bay of Rio de Janeiro The harbor of Rio de Janeiro is considered one of the finest in the world. It is deep, capacious, and great mountains rise from it. The city itself is modern, containing about 10000 people. Brazil holds about 20,000,000 people scattered over an area larger than the mainland of the United States. In the noble harbor the fleet will stay 10 days, when it will steam out tossea. On January 22 it is billed to start for Puneta Arenas, Straits of Magellan, where it will meet midsummer in a cool climate.
 The city of the River of January is giving the fleet warm welcome, and no doubt the stay there will be one Of the brightest of the memorable jour ney. President Penna's country is prosperous and Rio itself is growing rapidly. The exports of Brazil far out run in value it's imports. It is far and away the coffee-growing country of the world, and perhaps also the chief rub her producing country. Out of this abundant prosperity and a kindly feel ing the chief republic of South Amer ica will no doubt make the big fleet of the chief republic of North America very welcome while it stays in the beautiful bay of the capital city.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-14
THE "GAL" PRESIDES AT COFFEE
 URN.

From the Atlanta Constitution.
 The Gal in the Fountain" will hence forth reign supreme over the coffee cup, for it has been decided by the Piedmont hotel to convert the bar into handsome tea and coffee room, where business men can assemble in the day to procure quick meal It was opened Thursday.
 There is at last a chance for the ladies of the city to have a look in, for while they have heard much of the Gal in the Fountain they have never been able to have the pleasure of seeing this famous piece of statuary. When the coffee room is opened, everyone of the feminine sex in the city and elsewhere are invited to take a look, and then take cup of tea.
 The hotel management expects to run one of the most expensive coffee resorts in the country, as they start off on an outlay of $2oOO0, the price of the room Anything from milk, sugar, coffee, tea, and sandwiches. to pies of all sorts can be obtained with the greatest rapidity.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-14
In the Musical Set.

Frank Croxton, the basso, gave a song recital at Cable hall last night and those musicians and music lovers who attend ed spoke of it as being an entertainment of rare excellence; and yet the audience was singularly small. A well-known rep resentative of musical art said after the concert: MT. Croxton is one of the finest singers heard in Birmingham in many a day. He is a real artist and his recital was thoroughly delightful. It is a shame that such talent is not more appreciated. The hall should have been crowded, but as a matter of fact less than 50 people were present. I do not expect to see the general theatre-going public rush to hear music unless the singer or performer has worldwide fame such as Nordica, Sembrich, Schumann- Heink, Calve, Paderewski, and Kubelik; but one might expect to see members of music study clubs, teachers of music and advanced pupils at a recital such as MT. Croxton gave. People of the musical set could not plead ignorance of CroX- tons high rank and ability, for an an- nouncement was made Sunday afternoon where a free musicale attracted a very large crowd I looked over MT. Crox- tons audience and failed to see a single pupil and but one voice teacher.
 How can we hope to see Birmingham become a musical city when those who are supposed to be devotees of artistic music manifest such indifference when an artist appears? And while I am on this subject I would like to say that students of music who do not avail them selves of the opportunity of hearing fine artists, miss what they especially need hearing artistic music interpretated by artists. While Kubelik, who is soon to come, will draw we'll on account of his popular reputation, it is safe to predict that violin pupils in the audience will be few and far between. But coming back to the subject of Croxton, if he ever returns to Birmingham 1 for one will take a day off and do my best to draw up a crowd for him, and I am certain that every one who heard him will feel like doing the same"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-14
TEXAS WIDOWS.
the Houston Post.

From the Houston Post.
 We did not dream that the mere fact the widows of other states and cities were as a rule freckled and angular would lead misguided brethren to at tempt to discredit the unrivaled and au- reoled widow output of Texas. Nor did comparison of our widows with those of the pagan world stretching away from the borders of Texas because we had no desire to wound anybody's feelings.
 observation had long ago taught us that the widows of Boston were spec tacled and sharpnosed; that those of Manhattan were tow-headed and af- ficted with the cigarette habit that the Washington relicts were either bony or obese and invariably flat-footed: that the widows of Milwaukee generally had im- pedimenta in the shape of from six to IA children; that those of Charleston and Richmond were either termagants or con- firmed bridge players; that in Louisville they were given to boastng eternally about the virtue of the departed, a most discouraging symptom; that in Atlanta
 
 biscuit makers. while in Nashville it was impossible to appraise them because of the smoke nuisance. The snuff widows of Maryland and the m-chewing widows of Alabama and Florida were never con- sidered at all.
 But whether it be Welsh rabbits or 'possums, S0-pound watermelons or win ter strawberries. country sausage or rab- bit-fattened bass, hens that lay enough eggs on the way to distant markets to pay the freight or the fathers of 40 chill dren, cloudbursts of pure cream or tidal waves of strained honey, 12-foot collards or red-headed and dimpled widows the superiority of Texas is not open to ques- ton.
 "Grand Old Texas! The rare, radating, rambunctious, rampageous, ravishing, reachless, reciprocating, reconstructed, rectifed redeemed, refrigerated, re- formed, refined, refulgent regenerated, regulated, rejuvenated. reverberating, rhapsodical, rhythmic, roaritorius, robor- ous, robustious, rock-ribbed, romantic, rosaceous and russety realm of red-head- ed rapture!'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-14

ehangeable within the state, covering 800 miles, and good in the hands of any member of the family.
 No matter what state originated this acceptable reform the Southern rail- road should receive credit for promot- ing it. The Southern has consistently favored an adjustment of rate troubles in the southeast, and it is about to see it's great work in that direction brought to a satisfactory conclusion. Give the Southern railway due credit, even if you do disallow the claims of Georgia and her capital city.
 Undoubtedly this settlement will lead to uniform rates all the way from New Orleans to Washington, including the outlying sections of the southeast, and the importance of it cannot well be overrated. The people and the rail roads will now proceed to cooperate, and the best of relations and good will should spring up between them. This will certainly be the case if the rail- roads which are now out of politics will stay out In that case April 1 will become, to use the words of the Atlanta Journal. "a red letter day in the history of Georgia and the south"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-14
Army Officers.

T have several old personal friends army and have long taken an interest in everything pertaining to the regu- lars" said a civilian, ''and from my ob- servation talent in both staff and line is becoming scarcer and scarcer every year. There are relatively fewer officers of West Point training below the rank of major today than 10 years ago. One has only to read military periodicals and New York dailies that devote space to army matters to learn the chief cause of the increasing num- Der of resignations. It is the insuf- ficient pay as compared with the sal
 aries offered men of the West Poin. calibre in the industrial world For an unmarried man the army pay is suf- ficient. Even a second lieutenant with out family can live well on his pay and save something besides. But as the cost of living is advancing, if a lieu tenant marries it will be next to inn possible for him to make both ends meet. Now, surely Uncle Sam does not wish to develop a rule of celebacy in the army. Congress will not increase the pay of officers at this time but unless it does do something in the next two or three years to relieve the situa- tion, the army will deteriorate rapidly"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-14
Veterans Reunion.

T lived in Meridian a few years ago, and although it was dry town, there was no effort made on the part of the authorities to prevent wine being served al public banquets," remarked Confed- crate veteran. "Masons had liquor at their annual dinners and I attended state reunion of the Confederate veterans when wine flowed like water. Some of the strongest opponents of the whisky traffic in Meridian thought it was all right to have the law relaxed on special occasions, such as l have referred to. While there is considerable blind tiger business in Meridian, the anti-liquor law words, Meridian is as dry it is pessi- ble for the police to make it. but yet when the hospitality of the people is eX- tended to a large and representative body of visitors liquor is as plentiful at the social board as if the city were wet.
 .I hope a liberal view of the social glass will prevail in Birmingham during the great Confederate reunion to be held in June. The old vets come to these gatherings for the very purpose of meet ing old comrades and having a good time generally. For many of them & reunion would be a flat failure if they were not to have the privilege of indulging in few drinks"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-14
soPERsTITloNs OF THE STAGE,

From London Ilt-BltS.
 Apropos of the description of Miss Lena Ashwells animal mascots, which recent ly appeared in these columns, it is curious fact that on the French stage nearly every actress regards the number 8 with fear, and Jane Hadng, on one occasion remarked that she "wouid go hungry to bed rather than sit down as thirteenth guest at any table, Mime. Pattie is firm believer in the f'epi eye,' and cross-eyed conductor Would have frightened her off the stage, a supersti- ton shared by Sarah Bernhardt, who ab- solutely refused on one occasion to go on with a play because one of the actors was cross-eyed Mime. Albani thoroughly believes in the virtues of the black cat. The fact that she attributed all the sue cess attending her debut as singer at Covent Garden in 1872 to the sudden ap- 5 pearance of big black cat in her dress ing room is well known. In other ways the famous singer was superstitious, and firmly believed in the good luck which followed upon the occupation of the same dressing room every time she appeared at COyent Garden.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-14

From the Cincinnati Enquirer.
 Rev. A. C. Jeffries, the father of the pugiiist was contradicting again the ru- nor that his son would return to the ring.
 "Jim," said MT. Jeffries. 'is strong. When he makes New Years resolution he sticks to it. When he says he'll do a thing that settles it. My boy is never going to fight again.
 Jim doesn't vacillate like old Ephriam Caldwell, a quondam friend of mine. Ephriam vacillated even in his choice of a home He was always on the move.
 They said that when Eph moved he tied his chickens legs together for con- venence of transportation, and in time the chickens got so used to this that whenever he entered the hen house they would all lie down on their backs and hold up their slim yellow legs to be tied.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-14
Money Is Abundant

After a struggle lasting Il weeks the associated banks have overcome their currency troubles, and they now hold a surplus instead of a deficit so far as the legal reserve is concerned. The deficit reached its maximum on November 23, when it exceeded S54,- 100000, and the banks have since that time been striving to secure cash equivalent to 25 per cent of their de- posits.
 The task was titanic They had to issue $9O,OO0,0OO in certificates, to facilitate the importation of $95,000,O00 in gold, and to deposit bonds upon which to secure $5O,00O00O in govern ment deposits. All these great amounts would not have suffieed, however. Loans were contracted, and at last the interior banks began to ship currency to reinforce their reserves in the cen traI reserve cities This won the bat tie.
 Instead of a scarcity of money the danger now is there will be too much money. This at any rate is the story of previous panics. Six months after the panic of 1893 had occurred the associated banks in New York held a surplus reserve exceeding $111,000,000 Money became a drug. Time money commanded but 11a per cent. Trade was at a standstill, and gold exports became inevitable.
 But history may not repeat itself There are signs of a general revival in business, and profitable uses may be found for all the money that will accumulate in New York, although the treasury statement shows that there are today $2O2, 100000 more actual s money in the country than there was befoor the October panic occurred.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-14
Uniform Rates In the Southeast

4 Atlanta, in accordance with it's habit, claims to have originated the move ment which on April 1 is to lead to uniform passenger rates in the south east It matters little from whom or where the movement had it's source. The people are interested alone in the outcome, which is to be a flat rate of 21s cents mile for intrastate passenger travel, with Interchangeable 2000-mile books thrown in. The latter are good in the hands of the heads of firms and employees not exceeding five in number. Interchangeable intrastate books GOV ering 1000 miles, good for the pur- chaser only, are also to be issued. Books at 2A cents mile are also to he issued. and these are to be inter-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-14
THE SANDS O. DEE.

By Charles Kingsley O Mary go and call the cattle home And call the cattle home, And call the cattle home Across the sands O Dee The western wind was wild and dark WI
 foam,
 And all alone went she. The creeping tide came up along the sano' And OCT and OCT the sand, And round and round the sand, As far as eye could see; The blinding mist came down and mid the
 land,
 And never home came she. 70 is it weed, or fish, or floating halr, tress O golden hair, O. drowned maidens hair, Above the nets at sea? Was never salmon yet that shone so fair, Among the stakes on Dee, They rowed her in across the rolling
 foam,
 The cruel, crawling foam, . Tho cruel. hungry foam, To her grave beside the sea: But still the boatmen hear her can tAe
 cattle home
 Across the sands O Dec
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-14
AGE-HERALD ECHOES

Youngstown telegram: "The days are growing longer' sghs the Birmingham Age Herald. Particularly, no doubt, since the dryness.
 Montgomery Times: Alabama postmas- ters are to meet in Birmingham on the 18th "Does it mean politics?' asks the suspicious Age-Herald
 Washington Herald: Portland has politician named MT. Cake says the Birmingham Age Herald. Doubtless he is as fond of pie as any of them.
 Montgomery Times: The looks and get up of The Age-Herald of late fall to re- feet anything of Birmingham's alleged depression. It has every symptom of wholesome prosperity.
 Richmond Times-Dispatch: The Br- mingham Age-Herald suggests "an ex- purgated edition of Mrs. Glyn's opinion of America What the country really needs. however, is an emigrated edition of Mrs. Glyn.
 Marion Standard: "The owners of ann phibious automobiles remarks The Age Herald, should send them to Georgia, where the water wagons are in demand. Well, why not let the governors auto head the procession?
 Austin Statesman: Everything is com ingdown, even the fashionable handshape. Birmingham Age-Herald. What abont the fashionable womans hat at church? Do you see any prospect of getting it to come down, neighbor? If so, pray tell us, that we may be comforted
 Gadsden Times-News Ned Brace, 1n Sundays Age-Herald, says that Birmng- ham is the "wide-openist" town in Amer ica. that man or boy can find place to bet any thing from $10 to $lo,OOo and that he can get what he wants to drink
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-14
AROUND THE COUNTRY

Nashville American: If necessary the Countess of Yarmouth may also put in the insanity plea.
 Newark Star: The marvellous feature in recent operation over in Berlin is that the surgeon died also.
 Philadelphia Ledger: It seeIns 10 be the duty of schmitz and Ruef to sue the grand jury for islander.
 Columbia State: The prince may sue Boni for a franc, but frankly speaking, he will probably not get sou.
 Atlanta Georgian: So far Admiral Brownson has not expressed himself as favorable to the third term idea.
 Houston Post: An Iowa widow has just married her fourteenth husband She has about the largest sworn circulation of any lady we know.
 New York Telegram: It's d wonder Colonel Roosevelt doesn't sentence Ad- miral Brownson to ride horseback for the balance of his natural life.
 The Commoner: It seems that Justice Harlan and Justice Brewer belong to that old-fashioned crowd that believes the constitution tot mean just it says.
 Norfolk Virgnian Pilot: In the vast majority of cases the man who, in com hitting suicide is alleged to blow out his brains really only punctures a vacuum. 
 Portland Telegram. The Japanese deny that the little brown men have been or dered home What difference does it make why they go, so long as they con- tinue to hike?
 Washington Post; It is reported that counterfeiters at Trenton, N. J.. have been passing glass dollars. New Jersey folks must be getting nearsighted if they can't see through a game like that
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-14
Secrefsarv Taft On Lniunctions

When seclyetary of War Taft was a judge of the Uhsited States circuit court at Cincinnati heeN granted several in- junctions in labor casesS, and these led the secretary of the ohieo Federation of Labor to fire three pointedAquestiofs at him.
 In answer to one question he 9.ays he would approve law defining Nhe cases in which temporary restraining order may issue and defining in spte- cific terms the language in which sucAh an order may be framed" He says int answer to another question that he thinks the old rule forbidding ex parte injunctions should be restored. No injunction, he says, should be granted until after hearing is had. If ex parHe injunctions are abolished it does Il ot matter. he says, when the final hearing takes place.
 All this is good. Taft admits that there are abuses of the injuncfive power, and he thinks such abuses should be eliminated, but opinions and actions are two different khings. Congress is full of his friends} and. he sits in one of the seats of bower at Washington. Why does he not see
 
 that bill is introduced covering the points named and pressed through to passage? A law that puts injunctions on a reasonable basis is wanted much more than an opinion from a presi- dential aspirant at the opening of a presidential campaign. The republi- can party is, however a manana party alike in tariff and injunction matters. It has strings tied to it and it dare not cut those strings.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-14
Graft In San Francisco

The appellate court in San Francisco has decided that blackmailing and graft in an official is not a crime. Through Abe Ruef, a party boss, the then Mayor Schmitz eXacted large "feesa from the French restaurants. These fees were shared by Ruef and Schmitz. Ruef long since admitted his guilt in a public confession. In return for the sums paid the French restaur- ants were permitted to violate the law. If was a case of unmitigataed official rottenness and graft, and yet the ap- pellate court says no crime was com- mitted. and Schmitz has asked to be permitted to give bail.
 Judge Dunne, who tried the Schmitz case. questions the impartiality of the appellate court The members of that court have relatives and intimate per sonal friends under indictment by the grand jury for offenses similar to those of Ruef and Schmitz.
 The entire business shows how cor rupting politics had become in San Francisco. Either California needs new laws defining graft and it's punish ment, or else she needs new appel late court. The situation is distress ing, for no one doubts for moment the guilt of Schmitz and Ruef. No de- cision can clear away their stains. The work of reform is not completed, it is plain, in San Francisco. More earnest efforts are needed, and they will no doubt be forthcoming. San Francisco will yet secure honest administration despite corrupt politics and it's appel late court.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-14
IN HOTEL LOBBlES
ForeIan Loans Offered.

"Of the many evidences of returning prosperity, few have struck one so forei- bly as the readiness of representatives of large corporate capital to lend money on improved real estate at low rate of interest," said a business man. A cer- tain prominent broker in Birmingham has just received notice from one of the great life insurance companies in the east au- tAorizing him to place loans on real es- tate here. These loans, it was stated, could be negotiated at cheap interest rates, and practically unlimited amounts
 With this favorable condition in the loan market. new building improvements on an extensive scale are likely to be in evidence in Birmingham during the com ing spring"