davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-25
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
Friendly Assistance.


 of my recollection serves me aright," said one of "ye old time school. "it was one of the rules in whist to lead dia- monds when in doubt and I think the same rule holds good when it oemes to making a young lady a Christmas pres ent.
 Some young lady, I don't know who, will be the better pleased on Christmas morning when she finds a diamond pin among her presents than sh- would have been had l not ehaneed along at what is called the psychological moment young man, wearing a worried, woe-be- gone look was gazing around in a jew elry store when I appeared upon the scene. He told me of his embarrassment about the selection of a present for a young lady friend and l said play dia- monds' and he immediately took my ad vice, 1 even went so far as to aid him in the selection.
 As I trudged along the street after wards 1 could not help thinking of the effects of my advice, and I reeolleeted an incident of many years ago A German friend of mine who could talk fairly good English but could not write it asked me to write a letter to lady for him de- claring his love for her. In a spirit of pleasantly I wrote most effusive and gushing letter. fully believing the lady would think the fellow was crazy. About a week afterwards I saw my German friend rushing toward me and fearing he was going to beat me up tried to get away. but it was no use. He overlook me and grasping me by the hand said, She is mine. That letter did the busi- ness all right. How can I ever repay your?
 There are hundreds of young people who want a little friendly assistance in matters of the heart, and although I never had anybody to help me over the stile, which probably accounts for my be- ing an old bachelor still l have the con- solation of knowing that l have been the means of smoothing the path towards matrimonial happiness among many peo- pie who little suspect what service did for them"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-25
RUINS OF SOUTH AMERICA.

T rom the Ch1cago News.
 Prof. Hiram Bingham writes of his travels in Venezuela, saying of San Car los; Tn the time of Bolivar (about 1S10 1t was a place of great importance. boasted of 3O,OOO inhabitants and many wealthy citizens. Today it has barely oOO souls and a few interesting ruins. Earthquakes, revolutions and cattle plaques have combined against it. A few companies of sad-eyed soldiers and A handful of grating politicians hardly make up for its lost estate. The ruins of the grand house where Bolivar is said to have been entertained shortly before the battle of Carobobo are most extensive. and cover a city block. Part of the outer walls are still standing. The corner room has recently been roofed over and turned into butchers shop. The ruins of an- other house not far away remind one of Italy while those of the Casa Blan- queria' are almost Pompeiian. Painted frescoes, elaborate relefs, carved wood ceilings and tiled floors now shelter a polite, but poverty y-stricken family and their pigs and fowls. The exterior is dec- orated with caryatides that look like incas."
 Of the ants in Venezuela, Professor Bingham says: At one place on the sandy trail the ants had formed a living causeway over the fine sand of the path in order to facilitate the great speed at which the majority wished to travel The causeway was over two inches wide, and from one to three ants deep. So firmly did the 'brdgeites' hold together. lifted the causeway four inches from the ground by thrusting a stick underneath without breaking their formation"
 Concerning Colombian inns and paper money: "Corrazales is a small village of 30 houses. The innkeeper did not like our looks and denied the existence of food or lodging. Again we had to resort to compulsion The only money desired here is 'billetes' the Colombian paper. which Is at 10000 per cent discount. A Co., lomblan nickel coin was refused in pay ment for a spool of thread"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-25
"WORKING ON THE SUN"

zetner. Says he: q Will Go Down to Them and None Other, Tell It and Sell it-They'll Buy It Off Me" He shines in little heads for small and unconsidered stories. Once, when the Simple I.ife'' was being hawked through the streets at ten cents copy, six boys were arrested for stealing five copies thereof The story about it was formal thing, only a para graph long, but 1t was headed Exempted Beyond Their Strength" In these heads l make no doubt, Clarke shoots the gult between journalism and literature. bel tween the stringing together of careless words and the making of phrases, clauses and sentences, which are so welded with meaning that not a word could be changed. l have noticed that Sun men telling of certain old stories, mention them always by the title which Ross Clarke put upon them. This generation remembers that beautiful tale of pathos "A Little Child in the Dark" which an- peared in the Sun about three years ago. As "A Little Child in the Darl'' if will always be remembered; Clarke gave if the only possible name.
 Long ago the other newspapers got tired or making him offers; they preceived at last that the New York Sun was the life or selah M. Clarke. An office boy reported once that man who would not state his business wanted to see MT. Clarke at the rail. That rail is one of the properties in Jesse Lynch Williams "The Stolen Story which is imagined in the Sun of- flee. 'Tell him to come here if he wants to see me- said Clarke But the man persisted and at last Clarke rose and walked to the rail. 'Mr. Clarke" said the visitor, MT - says that if you'll ascer- tain the highest salary the Sun will pay to keep you, he'll double that salary" Clarke grunted and turned away.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-25
Fortune reiehs in gifts of the world, not in the lineaments of nature.
 As You Like 1t.
Graft In PlttSbur6

An American city wholly free from graft would be city in which the American city dweller did his whole duty as citizen. No American city is equipped with an electorate of that sort. The average urban voter neglects his public duties and the professional politician steps in and the reign of graft is soon inaugurated.
 Of late San Francisco has led the cities of graft, it's legislature and it's executive head being alike corrupt. The Ruef-Sehmitz trials have driven out it's grafters, but in the course of time they will return, for the American city dweller will not do his duty.
 Pittsburg now steps into the lime light, and pretty soon it will be some other city. All are full of graft be- cause the voter neglects his civic du- ties, thereby bringing on himself addi- tional burdens, for all graft in the end is taken from the pockets of tax pay ers-every dollar of it.
 In Pittsburg no franchise of value was put through the city council with out paying the grafters their respective tolls. In one case $45,000 was divided among 60 councilmen. Seven council men and two bank officials have been arrested because the German National bank handed over SIT, ,500 in order to become a city depositary. The evi- dence is ample and no doubt they will be punished.
 But will it do much good? The Pitts burg man who neglected his civic du- ties Is the one who should be punished, for he made possible the situation in his city. He alone did it, in the last analysis. The true and real and efi- cient remedy cannot be readily de- yised. The man who does not vote should be punished in some manner the man who is not alert when munich pal questions are before the people. The problem is difficult one, and thus far the American people have not been equal to its solution.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-25
A CHRISTMAS GIFT,

By the Rev. James E. Coyle. O! chill and cold was the night when of
 old
 On lowly pallet of straw A baby was laid by Mary the maid, And Joseph the Just gazed in awe And OCT Bethlehems hill, Peace to men
 of good will And glory to God o'er the earth" Sang in joyous acclaim, the angels who
 came
 On the night of the Child-savior' birth. "Glory on high,' sang the choirs in the
 sky,
 And ldw bowed the shepherds in fear, 'Your fears be allayed, be never afraid, Glad tidings we bring, God is here, You will find in a cave, the Child who will
 save,
 In a manager with straw for a bed" And they hastened away on that glad
 Christmas day, And they found as the angels had said. And lo from afar led on by a star, The Magi did offerings bring, Brought myrrh, We are told, and incense
 and gold, Fit gifts for the newborn King, And they greeted the maid and their of-
 ferings laid At the feet of the Babe newly born, O, never, I wis, was there morning like
 this,
 Like this, the first glad Christmas
 morn. That Babe, meek and mild, that weak,
 helpless Child Is the Word sole Begotten, the Son, Who in wonderful love from the heavens
 above
 Came on earth, that Gods will might be
 done, Came on earth, died for men, died to win
 back again All our forfeited bliss, that the loss Might be turned to gain though through
 anguish and pain, Thorn crowning, and scourging and
 cross. Sweet, gentle and mild, a weak, helpless
 child, Yet the Fathers co-equal, His Word, What gift shall we bring Thee, of all
 Kings the King, And of Lords, Thou the Ruler and Lord? O. we give Thee this day our hearts,
 and we pray That Thou bless us, o, Babe newly
 bornl Send us gifts from above, give us Faith,
 Hope and Love, And our souls with all virtues adorn. May we love only Thee, Thou, who once
 on the tree Died in anguish, that mankind might
 live, Cur hearts then we bring Thee, o thorn
 crowned King, Thou who to us didst Thine all give. May OUT hearts be afire with Thy love,
 q desire Son thy heart" thus of old Thou didst
 say So Thee then we greet with this gift that
 is meet, Our hearts love. this glad Christmas
 day.
 Birmingham. December, 1908.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-25
Our Christmas Weather

We would perhaps better appreciate the pleasant and enjoyable weather of this latitude if We could be lifted in an aeroplane and carried to that of Vir ginia and Washington and of all those parts of the country farther north. In New York on Wednesday last bliz gard ragged, so to speak. The mercury fell about 30 degrees and a shrieking razor-edged wind seemed to come from all points of the compass. All means of transportation felt the storm, and the people knew winter had fully ar rived. And so it was all the way down to Richmond, although each degree of latitude lessened the stress of the storm.
 The rain storm of Monday and Tues day in Alabama was not wholly en- joyable, and yet it was better all things considered, than New York's blizzard on the following day. A green Christmas may make full church yard in the states to the north of us, but in Alabama We are seasoned and hardened to green Christmases until we have come to want no other kind. And as a rule we get in &e weather line what we want. It is our general Christmas gift.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-25

soul, we name beauty, truth, goodness, Whatever violates harmony, disputes or denies relation, that is in the same phases ugly. false bad. All three are one. In- spired or insane, this was Keats view of the universe.
 Perhaps John Keats was 2 foolish dreamer, perhaps he was too wise a dreamer to fathom his own dreams. But certainly this faith of his was not intelli- gent. He did not reason out the relation of beauty to truth, he simply saw that they were the same. He did not thinki he knew. And here again he is Greek to his contemporaries and to us. For we are so saturated with the scientific habit of mind which was invented only 300 years ago that we can hardly conceive of a man knowing anything except through logical thought. We have nearly forgot ten a great human faculty. obvious enough to an Asiatic or an ancient the faculty of intuition Suppose Professor James were to declare, as Socrates did, that he trusted above his intellect a cer- tain divine voice that sometimes spoke in his ear. We should not pay him the com pliment of killing him. we should not even put him in madhouse; we should laugh and say "spirtualism.' Yet there is one possible way of conceiving how Keats could know without reasoning. How do you know that you are you? How do you know that you love your mother? How do you know that there Is a God? If you take refuge in saying that you do not know these things there is no an- swer. Some people do know them, but you have forgotten how and Keats had not
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-25

by the supreme court of that state were based on these indictments:
 That they have created and become members of a pool, trust, agreement, conderation. combination, arrangement and understanding among themselves for the following purposes:
 "1. To regulate, fix and control the price to be paid by retail dealers and others in the state of Missouri for the refined products of petroleum sold and offered for sale in this state.
 "2. To control and limit the trade in refined products of petroleum in this state.
 "S. To mislead the public into the belief that they are separate and dis tinct corporations and pursuing an in- dependent business as legitimate com petitors in the purchase and sale of the products of petroleum"
 The decision recounts the steps taken by the Standard Oil in securing and retaining from S5 to 95 per cent of the petroleum business of Missouri, and its methods of handling and eurbing independent companies are set forth at length in the decision of the court This far-reaching decision will be felt in many other states.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-25
ORIGIN OF DOMlNoES.

From London Globe.
 The origin of dominoes has been att tributed variously to the Greeks, the Chinese and Jews, but Paris contem- porary has discovered that the ever popular game owes it's invention to the Benedictines of Mont Cassin. Two of the order were sent into lengthy re- treat, and they hit upon method of whiling away the spare time without infringing the rules of silence by play ing with square stones upon which various dots were marked. While per- fecting themselves they perfected or rather evolved the game aud were ac- customed to frequently repeat, when playing in the evening, psalms from vespers, especially the first, that is Psalm ciX, which begins "Dixit Dominus Domino meo." When the retreat was over the game was soon known in the con- vent Then it's fame spread to the village and beyond. The verse was reduced to one word Domino" hence the name as We have received it.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-25
PHILOSOPHY OF KEATS.
One Word In Poets Language For
 Beauty and Good.
Brian Hooker in the Forum.

Brian Hooker in the Forum
 Keats was, in word, an ancient Greek in modern England; that is, he had one word in his language for beauty and good. He did not merely see as we all do, that beauty is a good thing and that evil is usually ugly he saw that what is beau- tful is good, and what is ugly is bad; that beauty and good are not two kindred things, but one and the same thing; and that what we call truth is merely another aspect of the same thing. Though we deny this nowadays, we may not condescend to understand intelligently it's meaning. The Venus of Medos is a marble woman har- moniously formed; every line of her an- swers and relates to every line of her. Now, whereas our senses perceive this harmony in her we call her beautiful; whereas our minds appreciate the relation of line to line we call her truly propor- toned; whereas our souls may be moved by her to glorify God and to love woman We may say that she is good There is one principle: Harmony, the idea of relation; which, as it appeals to sense, intellect or
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-25
SOUTHERN ADVICE TO SOUTH.

From the Chicago Reeord-Herald.
 More and more the influential news papers of the South are forcing attention to the fact that the way to obliterate the stain of murder and other crimes which affliet states in that section is to punish criminals without regard to their color. Execution by the mob when the offender is negro and no execution or punish ment of any kind when a negro is mur- dered by a white man are the extremes which it is felt shame more than one state in the union.
 Three negroes were killed recently in a Memphis saloon by a gambler-the latter a white man. The Memphis Commercial Appeal, in an editorial headed. Shooting of Negroes in the South Must Be Stop ped" demanded that the murderer of these negroes be indicted within week and that he be hanged before the new year. The editorial said:
 we must hang white men for killing negroes as well as hang negroes for kill ing white men. These murders come from the fact that there is no certainty of pun ishment for murder. There are some white people who seek to fortify a eowardly heart by getting a reputation as bad men through killing a nigger or two" They usually end by killing white men. We have got to put men in jail for carrying pistols and hang men for doing murder, regardless of who Is killing and who is killedn
 In conclusion the Commercial -Appeal urges that pistol toting' be made a fel- ony. It is certainly time that an end was put to the bad custom and the plea that th- paper makes for square deal should not go unheeded
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-25
Standard Oil 0uSted from Missouri

The supreme court of Missouri. fol- lowing the example of Tennessee, has declared the entire Standard Oil outfit a monopoly and has busted it from that state. There as elsewhere it goes un- der various names, but all grind grists for 26 Broadway. The court consists of seven judges and the decision was concurred in by the seven.
 Attorney General Hadley has been the force behind the prosecution of the Standard Oil in Missouri nearly four years, and in about a month it will be- come his duty to enforce the decision of the supreme court, for it will be- come his duty to enforce the decision of the supreme court, for he will then become governor of that state. The Missouri cases that have been decided
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-25
HE SAW NAPOLEON.
From the London Chronicle.


 Eighty-seven years have passed since the death of Napoleon. Is there anybody now alive who remembers having seen him? Only one perhape-a venerable ne- gro of 30, an interview with whom is pub- lished in recent issue of the St. Helena Guardian. This negro, native of the Congo, was Kidnapped in childhood, taken to St. Paul de Loanda and placed on board slave ship bound he knew not whther. When four or five days out at sea the shaver was captured by a British man-of-waf and taken to St. Helena.
 gentleman who lived near Longwood. the residence of the exiled Emperor. took the little black boy into his household, One day he was with man who was rounding up some horses when the man suddenly exclaimed: Look over therev' The boy looked and saw short, stout man in long coat, with his hands be- hind his back, watching the movements of the horses. That is the great Na- poleon," said the man to the boy; "he is a prisoner here.'
 Gen. Sir William Butler has boldly de- clared his belief that in sending Napoleon to St. Helena the British government of the period deliberately desired to do him to death. That may or may not be so, but if the weather at Longwood was tho same in Napoleon's time as it is today, it must certainly have shortened the life of the illustrious exile. An item of news from I.ongwood in the St. Helena Guard ian says 1t has been raining there 'in- cessantly for 2S days" There are, after all, worse places than London. "Long- wood" is now the site of flax mill, but this latter-day deluge has given the mill hands long, compulsory holiday.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-25
Great oranqe Crop.

"The orange crop has almost caused the old growers of Florida to forget the disastrous freeze which visited that state several years ago. said L. H. Alton, who owns several hundred acres of orange groves in Florida and who makes his resi- Gence in Tampa. Mir. Alton is visiting relatives in Birmingham, and his expres- sions are very optimistic concerning the future of his native state. He states that the orange industry is increasing each year and is predicting the largest orange crop in the history of Florida for next year
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-25
Case of Laziness.

Notice that tall fellow with the horn?" said Al Maloney, who travels for a St. Louis dry goods concern, with Birming- ham as his headquarters, yesterday. That fellow works in a general mer- chandise store in a small town near Bir- mingham and has come up here to spend Christmas. l was in the store where he is employed about ten days ago and while there l was struck with his general lazi- ness. So lazy was he that it made a de- oided impression upon my mind. Now, tonight, 1 have seen him probably a dozen tines within the past hour and each time he was striding along at a fast pace and blowing a tin horn with all of his strength. can't figure him out.'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-25
BOycOtting Before the Courts

Judge Gould of the District of Co., lumbia court had granted an injunction against President Gompers, Vice Presi- dent John Mitchell and Secretary Nor rison restraining them from putting the Buck Stove and Range company of St. Louis on "the unfair list" and Judge Wright of the same court steps up with a decision to punish the three men for violating the injunction. He based his decision distinctly on the proposition that were the injunction confessedly erroneous yet it must be obeyed.
 The drawing of the line between an injunction that must be obeyed and freedom of speech and the press is indeed difficult, and the three officials of the Federation of Labor have taken an appeal to the court of appeals of the District of Columbia. Presumably a further appeal to the United States supreme court will be allowed in so important a case, and when all the courts are done with the matter both the defendants and Congress will know better what to do.
 The battle between federal injunc- tions and the constitutional guarantees is on, and it will beyond doubt be car ried to finish. It is always best to know where we are at"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-25
v - A MISSOURI COURTSHIP.

From the Memphis (Mo) Democrat.
 One of our budding young gallants called on maiden few nights ago and valiantly offered to brave the dark ness of the backyard to bring bucket of water. He reached the yard. set the bucket down and turned a crank vigor- ously for several minutes. His efforts met with failure and he returned to the house with the statement that th0pump was out of fix. On inspection 1t was found that he had set the bucket down by q washtub and had been busy turn- ing the clothes wringer.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-25
A CHEERFUL BODY.

The favorite anecdote of Louis xI of France tells about a man who ordered that his horses be given no water, and that they be fed on quantities of salted corn. One day when his wife was riding along by the Seine the famished creatures rushed into the river, dragging the car riage and it's occupants after them and the 'bereaved' husband forthwith gave thanks to providence for ridding him of a disagreeable spouse in ''such a natural manner" It is pleasant to read about persons who are so pleasantly disposed that they can see the brighter side of everything!
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-25

Theodore Roosevelt saved no money in the White House. Nor ink, either. The Presidents salary should be in- creased, but his power should not be. This is the week when women want whas they want when they want it. "Tama Jim" Wilson is the best standpatter in the Roosevelt cabinet.
 
 The Dutch have quit capturing bat tleships along the Venezuelan coast. In the Turkish parliament ten Ian guages are spoken but not at once.
 ----------.s--------
 Senator Knox is getting a large share of the national bouquets. The truth is Castro does not know just where he is at.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-25
Youngsters Trick.

Gee, mister, but we're going to have a pretty Christmas My left third toe is twisted under the next one and it's a sure sign of sunshine. Christmas gift on you anyway" said small and some- what soiled newsboy yesterday afternoon as he approached a man near the Flor ence corner. The man responded with a small coin only to be greeted with a grin and dat third toe business sure does the work"