davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-06
wELLMAN AND THE POLE.
Many Problems Will Be Solved By His
 Airship Expedition.
From the New York Tribune.

From the New York Tribune.
 It is announced that Walter Wellman contemplates making a fresh attempt to reach the north pole this year in an air. ship. Unless there is change of pro- gramme he will go to the spitzbergen Isl- ands a few weeks hence and there com plete his preparations. These will prob ably consume less time than was required in 1907, if the house which he then con- structed and the gas plant which he in- stalled have not suffered severely from the weather. It will certainly be an advan- tage to begin the aerial journey, on which so much depends, earlier than was pos sible two years ago. There would be a better chance of reasonably calm weather in July and August than at the opening of September. Besides the days would be longer and the temperature higher. The balloon which he employed before, and which was damaged by the wind an hour or so after his last ascent, has been repaired, and he is credited with great confidence in his ability to accomplish his long-cherished object.
 With the right kind of airship and the right kind of management, there is at lease chance that some explorer will yet reach the pole and return in safety. The chief doubts concerning MT. We'll mans success are inspired by uncertain- ties regarding his balloon. No self-pro- pelled vehicle of that class has yet trav- eed more than 300 miles. The distance from Spitzbergen to the pole and back is four times as great. If, before he starts on the all-important voyage, MT. Wellman should travel continuously for 1500 miles in the air, he would learn good deal which he probably does not now know about his means of transpor- tation. A practical test of this character would not only tell him how accurate are his estimates of the rate at which the gas will leak from his reservoir and of the counterbalancing loss of weight from the consumption of fuel, but would show whether his engines are powerful enough. It is also important to find out how far the cold of the arctic climate will affect the lubricants he intends to use on his machinery, and whether the interference with the action of the carburetters which owners of automobiles have sometimes experienced will impair the activity or his motors. Still another question which he could answer is whether a flexible gas bag like that which he uses is as we'll suited to struggle with the wind as the rigid reservoir of Count Zeppelin.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-06
A LOVERS ELEGY,

From the French of Charles d Orleans
 Translation by H. F. Cary. To make my lady's obsequies,
 My love a minister wrought And in the chantry, service there
 Was sung by doleful thought. The tapers were of burning sighs
 That light and odor gave; And round about in quaintest guise Was carved, Within this tomb there lies The fairest thing to mortal eyes," Above her lieth spread tomb
 Of gold and sapphires blue; The gold doth mark her blessedness,
 The sapphires mark her true; For blessedness and truth in her
 Were livelily portrayed. When gracious God with both His hands Her wondrous beauty made; She was, to speak without disguise, The fairest thing to mortal eyes. No more, no more; my heart doth faint,
 When the life recall Of her who lived so free from taint
 So virtuous deemed by all; Who in herself was so complete,
 I think that she was ta'en By God to deck His paradise,
 And with His saints to reign; For well she doth become the skies, Whom, while on earth each one did prisa The fairest thing to mortal eyes!
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-06
Cotton At the End of May

The department of agriculture re- ports decrease of cotton planting this season to the extent of 1,452,000 acres, or about AZ per cent less than last years acreage. The department says there are this year 31,91S,OOO acres in
 cotton, against 33,375,0OO acres last
 year. These figures are no doubt ap-
 proximately correct, 1t being well known that Louisiana, Mississippi, Ar kansas and Oklahoma have planted fewer acres to cotton, while Texas has planted more.
 Alabama's acreage last year was B. 625,00O This year the department sys it is but 3,552,0O0. The difference is about pr cent, and it is made good
 by the condition. which is reported as being points better than the TO- year average at this time in the season. The government figures are prac- tically sustained by the reports of Miss
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-06
Spreading to Other States

The Alabama legislative trouble is not confined to Alabama. Other states are afflicted with it, or at least one other state. Down in Alabama" says the Nashville American many of the acts of the last legislature are being found to be defective because of blunders or negligence in the senate Recent developments would lead one to believe Tennessee is going to suffer from the same complaint. Already the effect of defective laws is being felt in Nashville and other towns and cities of the state. It is unfortunate that states and cities and counties must suf- fer because of the ignorance or neglect of lawmakers, but the people are respon- sible for it, after all. They give too little care to the character and ca pacity of their lawmakers and money spenders."
 There is a good deal of truth in what  the American says concerning the re- sponsibility of the people. If the peo- pie elect incompetent lawmakers they should not paw up the earth if things go awry. Competent lawmakers would have selected competent officials and clerks. The initial responsibility rests on the voters, and nowhere else. The lesson in Alabama is a pretty severe one. It will cost fully S50,000-per- haps more if all the damages could be enumerated and charged up. The peo- pie will be pretty sure to select men next year that will know what a jour nal of either house should state, and who are alert enough to see that the journals do meet the demands of the remarkable constitution of 1901. The people will foot the $50,000 bill and they can be trusted to elect next year men who know a mistake when they see it and who will go where mistakes may be found. It is good guess that none will be made by the legislature to be elected next year.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-06
Reaardina Festival Works.

All music lovers are familiar with Rossini's 'Stabat Mater,," said a musi- clan. This was one of the works heard last Sunday Mrs. O'Neil and the chorus choir sang for the offertory at the Episcopal Church of the Advent the Infiamma tus' a most beautiful number of the 'Stabat Mater But the greatest musical setting of the famous old Latin hymn is Dvorak's. It is one of the finest works of Bohemia's most eminent composer. It had it's first per formance in London I believe in 1883, and it was given a few years later at the Cincinnati festival under the baton of Theodore Thomas.
 Nearly all commentators agree that Dvorak's 'Stabat Mater is at once the most spiritual and the most artistic work composed for the glory of the Catholic church since verdfs Re quiem.' The orchestration reveals marvellous gifts on the part of Dvorak and the entire work is charac- terized by profound and earnest piety, freshness and wealth of fancy, vivid coloring and telling contrasts.
 If MT. Damrosch conducts next years festival, and I hope he will, the chorus features will be made up of excerpts from Wagner's music dramas. He remarked while here in April that he would ask the Treble Clef club to sing the Dance of the Maidens' from Parsifar and the mixed chorus to sing the chorus numbers from the first act of 'Lohengrin.' But in 1911 we may be favored with Dvorak's 'Stabat Mater"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-06
cARUso's VOICE.

From the New York Times.
 Either Caruso's voice is as good as
 ever or it is not. You may judge for yourself from the more or less authen- tic reports or you may wait until the next opera season. He is either going to sub init to a surgical operation to restore his
 voice, or he is not, as no such oper- ation is needed, his voice being in a quite
 perfect condition. On the other hand
 there Is coherent tale that the opera tion has already been performed, with probable success, although the tenor of
 world renown must wait a week or two
 before using his voice.
 We all know what that means, If we
 have seen "The Climax" We may be justified in fearing that some senti-
 mental female physician, firmly believing that the stage is no place for Caruso, will use mental suggestion to make him
 believe the operation has failed and the voice with/which he has been wont to
 charm the daughters of the rich has van ished. But in the play the benevolent f~villain is vanquised, while Caruso does not | look like suitable subject for mental | suggestion.
 | The one thing we may be sure of about 1 Caruso's voice is that everybody who
 
 | York, Boston, Milan or Monte Carlo is | anxious to hear 1t again, and therefore l its condition is matter of large i'm | portance and general interest Caruso's | voice is real thing. It was not actually l manufactured by the press agents. It | belongs to no school of art and is not | exclusively associated with a temporary | fad. The grave music critics may shake | their heads over the Caruso- madness of l the multitude, but they nave the consola- | ton of knowing that the quality of the | voice and it's volume Justify a great l deal of the enthusiasm. Nevertheless we | may be permitted to suspect that the | voice of the resting tenor is now in the | hands of the publicity department | rather than under control of the surgeons and throat specialists. While he rests | he Is not to be forgotten a moment. While 1 the summer lasts rumors, and contradic- ! tions of rumors, alarms, surprises, and | disputes about the voice of Caruso will | be uppermost in the operatic news.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-06

the purpose of having consultations with his closest friends.
 The salary of the President of the United States has been increased from $50,0oO to s75,0OO a year. but he is now obliged to pay his own travelling ex- penses. He formerly received 0,000 and $25,0O0 additional for travelling expenses The salary is low enough at $75,O00 with out compelling him to pay his own ex- penses for travelling. The head of the government in most all other countries receives a salary many times larger than that given the President of the United States, besides more than sufficient to defray all travelling expenses The Amer ican people do not begrudge a proper amount for expenses in addition to the s75,0Oo salary and Congress should not have been frightened by any false cry of economy when it recently made change in this salary.
 It is necessary that the President should be able to go wherever he chooses in this country in the pursuit of informa- tion. He has the confidence of the people, for he has been chosen by a majority of them in accordance with the American custom. Once elected, he is the President of all the people. who desire that he should go wherever he chooses without being cramped for money for personal ex- penses.
 It is recognized now in all business circles that travelling is a wonderful aid toward increasing the volume of trade. prominent merchant in any large city or town looks for more success through generous treatment of his travelling men than from the practice of parsimony in regard to their expenses.
 Manufacturers who are anxious to en- large their business do not hesitate to send experts, not only throughout this country, but even into foreign lands, for purposes of observation and trade.
 All journeys by statesmen, fnanciers, merchants, salesmen and skilled artisans can be made very profitable when under taken for the sole purpose of securing useful information. Travelling does more to give men new and valuable ideas than all other agencies.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-06
Briqht Outlook.

"If the retail trade has been little quiet in southern manufacturing cities recently. 1t will be uncommonly brisk before the summer is over." said a commercial traveller. "A few months s ago business seemed extremely dull in the Pittsburg district, but when I was there last week conditions were buoy ant indeed. The activity reminded me of 1906
 Here in the Birmingham district find a large number of industries in operation, many of them having run right through the panic times, and by the early fall there will hardly be an idle plant in industrial Alabama"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-06
HIS "BAWTH, HAW, HAW!"

From the Washington Herald.
 .I had a bachelor apartment at one time with an Englishman, who was all ways talking about his 'bawth, you know" George F. Maginn, banker and broker, of New York who is at the Arlington, began. 'The first thing of a morning he said, I must take my bawth, you know. Really, now, I must take my bawth. Flaw, haw!'
 "He did so much talking about his 'bawth that I stayed one morning to see him take tito see if it was different from the bath of the American.
 Tt. was. This is what he did: First, he spread soft towel at the bottom of the bathtub, then turned on the water until 1t was about two inches high.
 So as not to chill his feet you know, haw, haw, he explained to me.
 'Then he stood on the soft towel in the two inches of water turned on the spray, sprang through it, leaped out and rushed for a towel.
 He had taken his 'bawth, you know, haw, haw!'"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-06
Preshyterlans and Tobacco.


 ''The northern Presbyterian general as sembly, which recently met in Denver, adopted resolution saying that ministers and laymen should abstain from the use of tobacco" remarked J. S. Bridges, a well-known office-bearer in that branch of the Presbyterian church. but it was not decree or delverance that actually prohibited indulgence in the weed. It was simply recommendatory.
 But speaking of this matter, the tobac- co habit among Presbyterian ministers and elders is gradually passing. I myself was a hard smoker some years ago. but cut out the habit. There are some con- gregations in our church now that will not have a pastor who uses tobacco, and the time will come when smoking among Presbyterians will be exceptional. There would probably be no serious movement against tobacco if it were not for the fact that so many small boys smoke ci- garettes to excess. If one were to put off cultivating the cigarette habit until he was "A or 25 years of age, there would be little danger of serious injury to his lungs or nerves. The trouble comes from boys scarcely in their teens learning to smoke cigarettes. Of course, few people are so fanatical as to contend that the use of tobacco in moderation is a vice, much less a sin, in the sight of heaven. But the general assembly in it's recommendatory action is looking mainly to the effect of example on our boys"
 The Denver general assembly has no or ganic connection with the southern Pres byterian church, but the majority of the Cumberland congregations shave been merged with the northern church. The First Cumberland Presbyterian church of Birmingham now belongs to the northern general assembly.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-06
REFLECTIONS OF A BACHELOR.

A girl wants a hammock on the piazza either because she is engaged or because she is trying to be.
 Even the man who cuts the lawn thinks the way he does it is proof he under stands public affairs.
 A widow has learned better than to trust a man. but she has also learned how to bear disappointment.
 The great trouble . woHan has about keepine a secret is that If she does 1t doesn't seem to here real secret.
 A man doesn't ueena to be able to put in a hook for the hammock upless tho whole family stands around and admires the brilliant way hA nerewu t iAs
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-06
Conviction of Sheriff CaZalaS

l '
 son, charged with the murder Of a deputy sheriff, was taken from the Mo- bile jail and hanged by mob. Sherir l Cazalas knew that strong feeling was running in the public mind against his prisoner, yet he went home on the night of January 21, where he slept soundly, although he had made no preparation for defending the jail in case of an attack upon it.
 l His case was not unlike that or Sheriff Shipp of Chattanooga, who is now in the hands of the United States supreme court. Another similar case has just arisen at Frankfort, Franklin county. Kentucky. where the negro Maxey was taken from the jail and hanged by a mob in the shadow of the statehouse. Governor Wilson of that state proposes to employ all the ma chinery at his disposal to bring the guilty and the delinquent at Frankfort to punishment.
 On the other hand Sheriff Van Pelt who defended recently his jail in Pen sacola against a mob even to the loss of several lives stands commended, as does the action of Sheriff Smith, who defended Hawes against mob in Bir- mingham about 20 years ago.
 All the facts in the Cazalas case were laid before the supreme court and the court held that he had been guilty of neglect under the constitu- tion of the state, and it at once ordered his removal from office. Five judges concurred in the sentence of the court, only Justices Anderson and Mayfield dissenting. The facts in the case are comprehensively presented by Justice Simpson. who rendered the opinion that removed for the first time in the history of the state a sheriff from of flee on account of mob action. Pend ing the swearing in of the governors appointee the coroner.-is now sheriff of Mobile county, the court having rem dered final judgment of conviction in the impeachment proceedings.
 It will perhaps always be question as to the extent a sheriff should go in defense of a prisoner, but 1t is plain that he should be more alert than Sheriff Cazalas was. The supreme court covers all such cases excellently when it says: When the state or county has provided suitable and well-constructed jail, with strong doors, not only to prevent escape of prisoners, but also to prevent unlawful entrance thereto, it is questionable whether it is not the duty of the sheriff, at all times, to make use of those means of protection against possible intruders. 1 The sheriff cannot presume that those who desire to invade the premises will | inform him of the fact, or make such | demonstration on the streets as to ad- yertise their intentions. However that may be, when a crime of peculiar | enormity has been committed exciting public mitigation, when it is known that such crimes always bring about suggestions that prisoners be taken out and lynched, and when, in addition to that the suggestion is made to the sheriff that there is probability of an attempt to take a prisoner and lynch
 him, some ordinary prudence would suggest that the sheriff should at least give orders that all doors, by which en'
 trance may be effected into the jail
 should be closed and take other pre-
 cautions when he leaves for the night
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-06
THE LIRE OF LINE.

O, the highways and the byways
 They are calling at the dawn, When the sun is on the mountains
 And the dew is on the lawn And the summer streams are singing
 As they journey to the sea, Joining in the happy chorus
 Every bird and bloom and bee. And it's hard to keep on working
 When, alas, you long to go Far away from care and worry
 And the eeaseless ebb and flow Of the human tide of toilers,
 Where you strive from day to day, With a heavy load to carry
 And a bitter price to pay. But there's little time for dreaming And there's little time for song And there's little time to idle
 As the old world rolls along. What though human hearts are weary, What though human hands are weak, And we stand no chance of winning
 To the earthly goal we seek, Every morn must find us ready
 For the task that lies before, Bravely lifting up our burdens,
 Learning patience more and more, Practicing the art of hoping,
 Though our only need is pain And the highways and the byways
 Shall forever call in vaini
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-06
CAUSE ENOUGH.

From Harper's Weekly. :
 An Alabama man tells of an old darky in Birmingham who became possessed of a seedy and forlorn-looking dog, to which he promptly assigned the name Moreover" fiA1
 Jefferson" the aged negro, was asked, 'how did you hit upon such a name as Moreover for the dog?
 "I gifts it outen the Bible" said the dsrky.
 "The Bible?'
 Sure. sah. Doan yo' member where it says, When Lazarus lay at de rich mans gate Moreover, the dog, come an lick his sores?'"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-06

Giles and the New York Journal of Commerce. Despite the boil weevil and the heavy rains and the lateness of the crop, it is well started, and the rest depends upon the action of the weather clerk, who can make or mar a crop that at present promises fair outturn.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-06

Opinions differ as to Mir. Roosevelt, some considering him a discreet naturalist and some an indiscriminate slaughterer. His shooting of monkeys will not encourage the former to per severe.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-06

MT. Hartman decided what caused the panic just before he departed for Europe It seems that Wall street and the spectators were simply innocent bystanders.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-06

Senator Lodge no doubt tells the truth when he says the republican party never had an intention to revise the tariff downward. It stands for the special interests first, last and all the time
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-06
ADRIFT WITH THE TIMES

SNAPPERS AND SAMPLERS. They're snapping and snarling wherever
 they go, ~ And leaving hard feelings behind; Now, really and truly. they don't seem
 to know
 What it means to be tolerant and kind. Still looking for flaws in the worthiest
 heart
 And quite disregarding the good, Their words and their sneers have
 merciless smart By "the world and his wife" under
 stood You wonder sometimes what they get out
 of life,
 They're always so grabbed and cross; In their bosoms the meanest of passions
 are rife
 And their hearts are filled only with dross The light-hearted toiling, the hoping and
 all
 That makes our existence worth while Means nothing to them-they are brim-
 ful of gall And never have learned how to smile.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-06

American millionaires respectfully decline to be taxed as English million aires are. The former control Con- gress, while the latter are only British subjects.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-06

The Wrights and Count Zeppelin are not jealous of each other. They are working up two radically different branches of aviation, and the success of the one does not imply the defeat of the other The gasbag has it's uses.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-06

Senator Aldrich rejects indignantly German official information because it does not support his class-interest views.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-06

The policing of the air with fly cops will soon become necessary.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-06

Dr. Nicholas Murray Butler is pushed forward for almost any old vacancy. He must be New York's first citizen this season.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-06

The government is now supervised by two baseball fans. Fan sherman is not, however, enough of supervisor to hurt
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-06

The Emmanuel movement should not begin to talk about curing cancer. It should stay on wholesome and pos sible lines.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-06

If the government does not intend to let midshipmen marry it should sup port them better.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-06
MANDY is BACK.

From the scottsboro Progressive Age.
 We welcome Mandy back in the Age Herald, and hope Blackman will 'ferguv de folks who sont him away"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-06

MT. Patten has given $25,00O to the Chicago art institute. The money in truth came from the pockets of the Pittsburg shorts.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-06

The Roosevelt campaign will have no successor simply because no one will go to the trouble to restock the jungles.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-06

A Seeing St. Louis" auto was wrecked last week and the occupants of 1t both saw and felt that city.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-06

The order that no more pictures shall appear in the Congressional Record does not apply to word pic lures.