davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-14
BATHS OF pIocLETIAN.
Plan To Restore Them In Time For
 Roman Festival of 1911.

From Rome Letter.
 Among the many projects suggested for the celebration of the Festival of Rome in 1911 is the restoration of the Baths of Diocletian, ruins of which are fairly well preserved in the vicinity of the Piazza delle Terme. where, opposite the Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli, the Exedra of the ancient baths. may still be seen.
 The original edifice, which was dedi- cated in the year 305, covered a square mile. and was capable of accommodating 5000 bathers. The sudatorium and tepid- arium of the baths were converted by Michael Angelo into the Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli, and owing to the use of which it was assigned, the tepidarium, which forms the body of the church. re- mains the most splendid hall that has come down to us from ancient times. It measures 33e feet in length by 90 feet in width, and Is S4 feet in height, while the vault still bears the great bronze rosettes from which lamps were hung.
 King Victor Emmanuel is said to have offered s4O0O0 toward the restoration of the facade of this building, in which his marriage took place in 1896 to Princess Elena of Montenegro. The site of the baths also includes the beautiful National museum, with It's cloisters designed by Michael Angelo, in which are stored all the archaeological treasures discovered by building operations in the City of Rome during the last 50 years, and also the famous Ludovici collection of marbles. The rest of the site has been converted into institutions and dwelling houses-one of the latter being the studio of the Sculptor Ezelxiel-whose musical recep- tions, given in these unique and pictur- esque surroundings, are feature of Ro- man society.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-14
DANGEROUS YELLOW JOURNALS

From the St. Louis Times.
 On recent day J. Pierpont Morgan was quoted to the extent of two or three columns. The interview came from Paris "by cable" and was as wild an utter ance as ever came from a Herr Most in his warmest mood. MT. Morgan, whose made to say the most extraordinary things. Among his utterances was a de- nunciation of labor unionism and cry of defiance.
 The interview appeared in the Post- Dispatch of St. Louis and the World of New York. MT. Morgan was in the United States, and, as usual with men of his eminence, not hard to locate. Yet no opportunity was extended to him to confirm the authenticity of the astound- ing statements that were put in his mouth. The St. Louis paper which used the interview made the most of it, with embellishments of ''scare heads and a large picture.
 Now comes MT. Morgan. He says: "The interview is a fake from start to finish I never said anything it contained to anybody
 That is strong language, but MT. Nor gan does not let 1t go at that. He adds: T have never expressed any such views as are contained in the article They are so radically different from what think that it is not worth while to dis cuss them. You may say for me that the interview is made of whole cloth, and I am sorry that the World did not take the precaution to submit 1t to me be- fore publishing it."
 Precaution is not what yellow journals take. An interview such as MT. Morgan is credited with having given would be stopped by precaution, and that isn't what the saffron sheets want. They are willing to let their readers get the un- truthful thrills in large type, trusting to small type denial the next day, to make matters square.
 Newspaper patrons happily are learn ing how to differentiate between the journals that tell the truth and those that fake
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-14
New Orleans Sanitary Campaign

The New Orleans board of health has just sent out 27 crews of sanitary inspectors, each composed of three men. These men are to locate all un- screened cisterns, all yards, premises and lots, all low-lying, badly-drained places.
 The object is to eliminate all stag nant water against the warm season that is now approaching. When stag nant water is eliminated the mosquito is eliminated, and when the mosquito is eliminated all danger over yellow fever or malaria is eliminated. All rid of. The stegomyia is really no more harmful than is the mosquito that creates in human beings malaria.
 In Now Orleans the mosquito begins matching in March, and this is why that city's board of health is hard at work in locating stagnant water, for <Sery pool of such water Is mosquito farm or hatchery. The board of health is armed in all cities with full power to abate such places, and the New Orleans board of health proposes to abolish them.
 All it has to do is to locate the nui- sance, and the property holder must do the rest. Neglect on his part would subject him to heavy penalties. This work could be readily done in Birming- ham, and we would then have no mos quitoes. The cost of inspection is all that is needed on the city's part. Is it not worth while? Will it not pay? It would turn Birmingham into full fedged summer resort.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-14
Every County Has a Ea'lrsad

The extension of the Tombigbee Val ley railroad to Silas in the southern part of Choctaw county enables Ala bama to boast that every one of her 67 counties possesses railroad convent ences and connections with the entire railroad system of the country. The Tombigbee Valley road was extended to Silas about four months ago, and the line has been located to Butler, the county seat of Choctaw. Daily freight service and a daily passenger train IS promoting the development of Choctaw by increasing it's wealth and popula- tion.
 The Tombigbee Valley railroad is at present 62 miles long. It extends from deep water in the Tombigbee, crossing the Southern at Calvert, and extend ing northward through Washington county to Silas in Choctaw. Its friends are the friends of the railroad that ex- tends southward from Reform on the Southern to Carrollton and to Coch- rane in the lower end of Pickens county. This railroad is known as the Alabama, Tennessee and Northern. John T. Cochrane is president of the company and also of the Tombigbee valley railroad, and when the two rail roads meet the western tier of coun- ties will have new line extending from this district to tidewater This line will be 50 miles shorter than any of the present lines between this dis trict and deep water. Nearly 100 miles of it is built, and the other half of it will no doubt be constructed when times are favorable to new construc- tion.
 President Cochrane of the new line has a fine enterprise in hand, and he is financing it without any flourish of trumpets. He appreciates the fact that all roads lead to Birmingham at one end, and the most of them to deep water at the other, and he keeps this strictly in mind as he adds to his trackage section by section down in Choctaw and in Pickens.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-14
THE slNGER's PRELUDE.

By William Morris. Of Heaven or hell I have no power to
 sing,
 cannot ease the burden of your tears. Or make quick-coming death little Or bring back the pleasure of past Nor for my words shall you forget your
 tears, Or hope again for aught that I can say. The idle singer of an empty day. But rather, when a-weary of your mirthf From full hearts still unsatisned ye
 sigh, And feeling kindly unto all the earth Grudge every minute as it passes by Made the more mindful that the sweet
 days die Remember me a little then, I pray. The idle singer and an empty day The heavy trouble, the bewildering care. That weigh us down who live and earn
 our bread, These idle verses have no power to bear; So let me sing of names remembered, Because they, living not, can ne'er be
 dead.
 Or long time take their memory quite
 away
 From us poor singers-of an empty day. Dreamer of dreams, born out of my due
 time.
 Why should strive to set the crooked Let 1t suffice me that my murmurlns Beats with light wing against the Ivory
 gate,
 Telling tale not too importunate To those who in the sleepy region stay, Lulld by the singer of an empty day.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-14
GREAT ILLITERAcY IN FRANCE.

From the London (Eng.) Daily Chronicle.
 The world Is so accustomed to regard France as being in the vanguard of cul- ture that it comes as a shock to learn that there is a higher percentage of il- literacy there than in several other coun- tries of Europe. This Is the more strik- ing because France has had compulsory education for about a quarter of a cen- tury. The most recently published sta- tistics show that of 24,O0O conscripts sum- moned in the Seine contingent in De- tober-the section which includes Paris 67 could neither read nor write, 92 could read only, and 337 could scarcely be said to know how to read and write. At the present time the percentage of il- literates in France is 70 per 1000 men and 50 per 1000 women. In this respect France compares unfavorably with Ger many, which has only four illiterates per 1000 of the population, and with Swe- den, Denmark and Holland, where the illiterates number from eight to 45 per 1000.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-14
PITTsBuRe VIEW OF YARMOUTH

From the fltlSDurg PoSt.
 For some unknown price, Gaorge Fran cis Seymour. born a coof. by grace of Englands peerage Earl of Yarmouth, re- leases Alice Thaw from longer imprison- mefit with his loathsome carcass. He cap- italizes his own shame, sells back to the girl he dishonored the freedom of which he robbed her, exacts pirates ransom though he brought to the holy relation O, marriage but caricature of manhood, a titled mannfkin.
 In vain contemptuous words could be exhausted to describe this foreign oaf If British titles be marks of superior blood and mind, and insignia of heroic achieve ment, has not the peerage some correc- tive code that would spew forth this de- generate who befoaled his escutcheon? The Japanese in their proud system of Bushido would scourge this lbertine with scorpions and drive him an outcast into the wilderness for companionship with creatures of the slime.
 He sold his birthright, not for a mess of pottage. but for fair and deluded maiden. After holding her almost five years in a torture chamber, worse than Dante could depict in hell. he sells back to liberty the hostage, the sole remnant of his estate. What slave upon the auc- tion block ever met with treatment more inhuman? What pariah among Hindu castes sinks lower? The renegade and traitor move in an upper realm Possibly vaunted English justice could not interpose to dissolve the, sacrile- gious weuock and sptiulate that no ran- som be paid the blackguard buccaneer, but the American who encounters this beast abroad may be forgiven If he prac. tices the manly art. recognized by another marquisate name, upon the wretch who has insulted American womanhood.
 From the vestibule of the church to the court decree this perverted sample of Eng lands nobility bartered the shreds of an earldom for the fortune of swindled girl. Across the century still sounds loud and true the song of the Ayrshire blow boy:
 Ye see yon birlxie, cad lord,
 Wha struts, an stares, an a that Though hundreds worship at his word,
 He's but a coof for a that;
 For a. that, an a. that,
 His riband, star an a that;
 The emean of independent mind
 He looks an laughs at a that.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-14
STRAW HAT MADE TROUBLE.

From the Philadelphia Record.
 A man wearing a straw hat on Broad street yesterday afternoon shortly after 4 o'clock caused so much excitement that a detail of police from the Nineteenth district had to be called before the crowd would disperse. No arrests were made, but the venturesome man with the out-of- season headgear was peremptorily ordered to get off the street.
 The man refused to give his name, but said that he had made bet with a friend that he had the nerve" to appear in a straw hat on Broad street. He emerged from his boarding house on the west side of Broad street south of Pine and walked north to Locust street. The crowd began to gather and by the time he had reached Spruce street on the return trip oyer 100 people were jostlng each other to get close to the straw-hat man. Snow balls and pieces of ice began to fly in every direction, and the timely arrival of the blueeoats proba ply averted serious accident,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-14
Official PernIclous Activity

The federal officeholders continue to go up and down the land hunting for Taft delegates. The St. Louis Globe Democrat, a republican newspaper, says some federal officials recently travelled from St. Louis to a congress sional district in the western part of Missouri to speak and work for the administration candidate for Presi- dent. "This course," adds the Globe Democrat, violated two rightful politi- cal principles. One is the province of the district to act for itself. District conventions to name national delegates were arranged with the express idea that each should speak for itself. The other violation is of the civil service principle. If high officials in the fed. eral service mix in politics in this fashion, the subordinates will assume that the restrictions are insincere and that they may be shuff1ed aside when ever partisan or patronage ring point can be made"
 Instead of dealing out strong lan- guage over the subject the Springfield Republican, another republican news paper, thinks the President should
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-14
Annroyed By the White House

While no one really likes the Aldrich bill, and all know it is a makeshift measure that will, not prevent repeti- tions of the 1907 scare, yet it is better than no remedy at all, and it will doubtless be adopted. It will at any rate substitute legal for illegal relief after panic comes. All the clearing house and emergency devises of last November and December were outside the law, and even some of Secretary Cortelyou's measures were close to the line. The Aldrich bill would substi- ute for all such devices lawful emer- gency currency known of all men. No Wall street man will then have to throw himself into the breach in order to save the country. To this extent the Aldrich bill may prove helpful.
 The White House will get behind the bill in the House. While it is not con sidered an ideal measure at the White House, the President sees no way to get a better bill, and he has decided to push it through the House with the least possible delay. It is to become a law, although it has many opponents in both houses. All, however, see that in the heat of the preliminary presi- dential campaign it is not possible to pass better bill, and the Aldrich bill is to be passed because it is a shade better than nothing.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-14
ADRIFT WITH THE TIMES
SOON.

Soon we'll hear the willows swish Soon we'll bait the hook and fish, Soon we'll dream meath summer skies, Soon we'll fight our friends, the flies. Soon we'll walk in shady lanes With our Mauds and Sarah lanes, Soon we'll in a hammock sit, While love makes the most of it. Soon we'll put on lighter duds, Leave off eating beef and spuds, Wearing furs and overcoats,
 Having colds and bandaged threats. Soon we'll near the ice man say How much ice you want today?" Soon we'll trip upon the green, Where the chiggers bite, I ween. Soon we'll hurry to the shore, Where the waves leap OCT and o'er, Each one with a bathing suit Some rotund and others "cute." Soon we'll join the picnic crowd, Setting forth without a cloud, But when we come back again Twill be in a pelting rain. Soon we'll watch the frecl1les race Right across ClaTinda's face, Soon the bore will ask anew, ''Is it hot enough for you?"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-14
PHONES FOR THE SERVANTS

Special to the New ork World.
 Cleveland-That his servants may con- verse without annoying members of the family. with their "steadies' of either sex, Charles F. Brush. millionaire. cleo trical inventor, has installed a second private branch telephone exchange in his Euclid avenue home.
 The exchange. with Its special opera tor, connects with each of the servants rooms. It has connection also with the family exchange. that orders may b, delivered
 The Brush home is distinguished for its electrical appliances. Of the great organ only the keyboard is in the music room. Electricity operates the bass notes in tubes in the basement. while in the gar ret are the high notes. The house is filled with the music when the organ is played.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-14
AROUND THE COUNTRY

Youngstown Telegram: A wonder it is they didn't allow Thaw to select his in- sane asylum.
 Florida Times Union: The political sit- uation just now is not healthy one for the unemployed.
 Oregon Journal: Mrs Mae Wood-P Plat CD is another person whom the reporters are shamefully neglecting lately.
 Atlanta Constitution: Muldoon's train- ing is child's play to the scredule T. R. has mapped out for Big Bill"
 Atlanta Georgian; Japan needs thrash ing" says Cyrus Townsend Brady. All right. MT. Brady. go ahead and thrash her.
 Philadelphia Public Ledger: A certain novel is said to have spurred a judge to clemency but it never affected the critics that way.
 Washington Herald: The President says he has appointed great many democrats to office; which should be of some assist ance to the New York World in solving its problem, What is a democrat?"
 Washington Post: The New York wom- an who bought husband for SIP now de- mands her money back because he refuses to work. Next time she will pay at least sl5 and get a good husband while she is about 1t.
 Atlanta Journal: Texas women are at war with each other over the question of who will hold the fort of Alamo. Of course, no one will ever be able to stor the war, but somebody had better rescue the fort
 Kansas City Times: The Pullman com- pany has given its porters bonus of one months pay. That looks reasonably gen erous, but how long would the Pullman company stand it if it had to tip 'em every day as the passengers do?
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-14
REFLECTIONS OF A BACHELOR.

From the NeW fOrK FresS.
 The suspicious thing about the marriage lottery is how the prizes never come out Family life is give anu take. the head of it giving and the rest of 1t taking.
 The reason the average girl falls in love with man is she suspects some other girl of getting ready to.
 You may not be able to brag about the way an ancestor made the money you are spending, bvt you can have just as much fun out of 1t.
 A photographer that could show every girls picture with curly hair would earn enough money to make Rockefeller look like beggar.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-14
\ PEssIMIsTIc VAIL.


 Trouble takes a hundred shapes for me, Everything Is always going wrong, How twill end Is more than I can see That's the daily burden of my song Never had a chance to prove my worth, Luck was always dead against my
 plans,
 Guess my place is not upon this earth, Or it has become some other mans. When I really feel inclined to work Nothing ever turns up in my style, When I'm in the very mood to shirk Duty dogs my footsteps all the while. Poverty is still my sorry lot, Riches I may never, never own, Any wife is bothersome, you wot, So I go my journey all alone. Looking on the past I want to weep, Gazing on the present makes me tired, All the future days more troubles keep Bogs in which surely will be mired. Whats the use of anything? I say. What's the use of living, anyhow2 Leave me to my sorrow-go away You can't smooth the wrinkles from my
 brow
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-14

gage bondholders and it is the purpose of the men who compose 1t to raise all the money necessary for improving the properties and putting them in better shape than they were before they were shut down. I understand that the com- mittee will be ready to start up two or three of the plants within the next five or six weeks"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-14
TRAVELLING ON THE OCEAN

the stirring tales related of the early voyagers in wooden vessels on the Att lantic. The men on sailing craft must be credited with seamanship of a high order, because in spite of the toughest weather they continue at their vocation and render good service to their em- blowers
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-14

James J. Hill says all the country need do in order to become normal again is to cultivate restful state. He should have added that they should also take rest in the business of watering railroad stocks.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-14

Out of 600,000 women in Massachu- setts only 18,0O0 take the trouble to vote The suffragettes are generally fiercer in securing the ballot than in the exercise of it.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-14

When the baseball teams needing practice move southYard, we may know spring is here, no matter what the groundhog does.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-14

Dom Franco will go to almost any country before he comes to the United States.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-14
ARfsToCRAcY.

Tt is said that there are only 117 best families in Chicago"
 "That doesn't keep IF other families from thinking themselves just as good"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-14

Secretary Root has the good sense to know that he stands no more chance of becoming President than do some of his corporation clients.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-14

Smith college girls object to being represented on the stage by boys. A man decollete is not a pleasing spec tacle, that's fact.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-14
The Southern steel Company.

q am not creditor of the Southern Steel company, but like every citizen
 of the district. I am glad to learn that the reorganization committee. which in- cludes number of prominent and able financiers. is working out plan that will result in an early resumption of operations at the various plants of the bankrupt concern" said a manufactures.
 ''The committee represents first mort
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-14
Ir CAN'T RE REFuTEp.

Two baby shoes and bottle of whisky were the only contents of young drunk ards pockets when he was arrested by the Birmingham police. That sort of conn petition is the strongest argument in favor of strict prohibition.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-14

The Sultan of LII Mulk Bdr, who will soon be in our midst, should bring along key to his name.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-14

The authors are cultiyating politics as a side line. Winston Churchill set the fashion, and George Ade sec onded it.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-14

Bryan and Taft will not run on one platform while the tariff remains un. revised.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-14

Federal patronage has not in S6 years elected a governor or legislature in Missouri.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-14

The war between this country and Japan is unknown outside of yellow journals.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-14

The hope still remains that some patriot will show up who will accept in pinch the vice-presidency.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-14

Franco and Morse know the secret of flight and they do not have to dicker with the aeroplane men.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-14

Slowly but surely former Governor Pennypacker is becoming involved in the capitol graft scandal.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-14

Frank Hitehcock's benevolent agility would be called under other cireum- stances pernicious activity.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-14

Springtime Is moving this way de- spite all the adverse obstacles sent out by Medicine Hat.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-14

George W. Perkins favors federal
 supervision of corporations, and
 Chance Day may roast him alive. l.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-14

If George Ade is put on the plat form. committee he should learn to repress his habit of capitalization.