The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-10-10
FARMERS. WILL
RECEIVE PRIZES
Commissioner Wilkinson Is
Preparing Rules
A USELESS FIGUREHEAD
Will Stevenson, Condemned Murderer,
Declares He Thlrsted for Blood
and Could Not Keep Himselfs
from Committing Crime.

Montgomery, October 9.-(Special. lin
line with an act of the legislature passed
Ito encourage a better system of agricul-
ture in the state Commissioner of Agri-
culture J. A. Wilkinson is preparing rules
and regulations for distributing prizes
TO the farmers who do well. In the main
the regulations of the prize corn and
vegetable contests now will be utilized,
and the papers will be sent out as quick
ly as possible in order that all who want
to contest for the wheat and the oats
trophies may get ready.
The law says: ITO the person raising
the best mule colt under six months of
age, $6; to the person raising the best
horse colt under six months old, SIS; to
the person raising the best acre of corn,
SIS; to the person raising the best acre
Of wheat, SIS; to the person raising the
best acre of oats. SIS; to the person rails
ing, the best acre of sweet or Irish po-
tatoes, $40; to the person raising the best
acre OF hay. So"
Mr.. Wilkinson is confident that this will
mean great impetus to the farmers of
the state and he is going to urge every
body to get busy at once and make it
a go.
Nobody Loves This Figure.
Orphaned and bereft, shorn of its dig
nifty and gathered with the useless, the
figure head from the battleship Ala
bama, no longer wanted by Uncle Sam
and unloaded upon Alabama, has gone to
storage at the capitol until as many as
have anything to do with it can decide
what to DO with it. Made of wood. sub
ject to decay in a short time, 1t is hard
ly worthy of special mounting, and there
is about It too little sentiment to make 1t
of value as a relic Of the past, notable
part Of the present, or possible item of
interest in the future. So the great
Griffin head, with its fail like arms that
fold about the bow of the ship, 1000 pounds
of wood, has been laid aside for the
nonce, waiting its turn, which may never
come.
Butler Commissioners.
These men have been selected as jury
commissioners of Butler county: R. A.
est Home; George Crittenden, Oak
Streake.
New OIL Company.
The Texas Oil company of New Or
leans, with capital of $10o, 00O has qualified
IN Alabama, with Palmer Pillans, Mo-
bile, agent.
Thlrsted for Blood.
viii Stevenson, who is to be hung at
Luverne, October %, for the murder of
his wife and step-daughter near Grady
early in September, says: Il was blood
thirsty. 1 wanted blood. prayed TO
God to deliver me from 1t. I got down
on my knees and prayed to Him. God
knows couldn't help It,"
All this time his aged father, ]. A
Stevenson of Calhoun county, was tell
ing of the early youth of the boy and
urging that he has been crazy for years.
"An his life he has been a source of con-
Germ. I am going to ask the Governor to
pardon him, as he Is crazy"
The younger man says he could not
help what he did and any man would
have done as he did If aggravated as he
had been, he said. A great many men
have become interested in the case and
tho pardon board on next Monday will
hear all the pleas.
For tho Amendment.
At a meeting held in the council cham
Der today the friends Of the amendment,
headed by w. A. Henderson, chairman
of the county, decided upon a house to
house canvass for votes and decided to
make determined fight to carry the
county, heretofore considered very much
a gainst fhe amendment