davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-09
The Educational Association

The Alabama Educational associa- tion, which is holding it's annual meet ing in Birmingham, is splendid body. In point of intelligence and culture it ranks exceptionally high, and it's work is characterized by an earnestness of purpose that cannot but have a far reaching effect on the destinies of the state.
 Pedagogy has long been recognized as a science, and since educators have caught the spirit of organization and cooperation the art or science of inn parting knowledge is growing broader in scope and more helpful in every way. Educational methods are pro- gressive and in discussing the work of the class room the teachers draw out new ideas and perfect those already in vogue.
 The address of President P. w. Hodges, which will be found in another column, is not only full of interest, but it is constructive in suggestion and scholarly in treatment. It should be read alike by teachers and the public in general, and if it has the wide read ing which it deserves, Alabama will be a decided gainer.
 Birmingham extends a cordial well come to the educational association. The presence of 1900 or 1900 visiting educators banded together for the com mon good is indeed inspiring. Such gatherings undoubtedly make for so- cial and moral betterment and make all thoughtful men and women realize more fully their obligation to assist in promoting the cause of education. Certain it is that any city should deem itself honored in being selected as the place of meeting of such body as the Alabama Educational association.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-09
Sweep of the Flood Tide of Business

The idle millions in New York are securities, and prices are advancing in Wall street. Railway shares scored net gain of points last week and United States Steel common was ad- vanced points.
 A similar movement is noted in France, Great Britain and among small investors also in this country. Idle money in their pockets is going into real estate. They are either putting up buildings or else are promoting the erection of buildings by buying mort gages or loaning money on real estate.
 These investments are signs of re- turning confidence, and the more they are increased the quicker will the flood tide of business be felt in general trade, and new era of prosperity In all branches of industry set in.
 Let no one of our readers think that building operations are confined to this district. In all parts of the coun- try much building is going on. This IS the natural result of the turning of in- vestments into real estate, aided by the fall in the prices of structural ma terial. The demand for structural steel is helping the Steel corporation to tide over a trying year.
 In the stock market many influences are promoting quotations. The settle ment of the Balkan disturbance has been helpful, and so have the optimis- tic views of James J. Hill and E. H. Hartman. The growing season Is well begun and this has a tendency to push up the prices of securities.
 All in all, 1t is safe to say that the flood tide in business has at length supplanted the ebb tide. and that the former promises to abide with us long time.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-09
CURIOSITIES OF AGE.
From the Chicago News

From the Chicago News.
 One of the most curious instances of longevity Is found in Miss Louisa Courte- nays Notes of an Octogenarian." A wit ness in a will case in which Bellenden- Ker, the great English conveyancer, was engaged. was asked if he had any broth CTS or sisters. He replied that he had orc brother who had died 150 years ago. The court expressed increduiity and docu- mentary evidence was produced in support of the statement. This showed that the witness father, who married first at the ago of 19 had son who died in infancy. The father married again at the age of 75 and had son who lived to appear in the witness box at the age of 94 and made the above startling statement.
 Mime. Edna Bertonelle, seamstress in the Quarter Montmartre, Paris is held to be the youngest great-srandmother in the world. She was married at the age of A. and her first child. a girl married at the same early age. When Edna was 31 she was a grandmother. Her grandson married at 1T a young woman a few days his junior. On her forty eighth birthday Mime. Bertonelle was a great-grand- mother
 Friedrich Thell, peasant of Rauda in Saxony, whose leisure hours have been devoted to the study of Greek, Latin. Hebrew, Sanskrit, Arabic and Gaelic, is 75 years old. He is beginning to study the English language. Thell is in corre- spondence with some of the leading philol- ogists of the day.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-09

cheerfully. The vote in the House was 126 yeas and 16S nays, but MT. Aldrich will pay little attention to a vote in the House when the promotion of the Standard On's profits comes up for consideration.
 The Standard Oil provision Is typi- cal of the entire Payne bill. The en- tire standpat machine crowd will fight for the Standard Oil provision, and the battle over it is by no means fin ished. As the matter stands now the House has voted out the countervail- ing duty of 100 or more per cent on crude petroleum and it's products, and substituted for it fiat duty of 1 per cent. Watch the outcome, and in that way ascertain the influences that con trol the republican party and the Payne bill.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-09
Not Like Hard Times.

'I doesn't look like there is much room for hard times talk in the face of the bids offered for Birminghams new issue of school bonds today" said City Clerk Horace E. Shropshire. Jr., yesterday aft ernoon. ''The price at which they were sold, 104.00s. .would be exceptionally good even in boom times, and 1t shows just how high Birmingham is rated to receive such an offer at this time. There Is another feature. The last issue of sewer bonds was sold at par, while the agreement under which they were sold placed the money in certain bank without interest. This money has been in this bank for several months and the city has not re- ceived one penny interest on 1t. With this new Issue the city can place the money in any bank 1t wishes and receive at least per cent interest on 1t while awaiting the time for Its proper disposition"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-09
Castro Again In Politics

President Castro was landed, not in Venezuela, but in Martinique. an island belonging to France. This island is a considerable distance from Venezuela. Castro goes to the West Indies avow- edly as revolutionist. He proposes to upset the Gomez government, and then trouble all along the line will be- gin again.
 President Gomez has already settled all questions in dispute that had arisen between Venezuela and other nations. Even the trouble with Holland has been put in course of adjustment. The claims of the United States are to be adjusted and good reta.ions between the two countries have been re-estab- lished
 Castro Is resourceful and aggressive. He has many friends in Venezuela, and he may become a factor again in Vene- Euelan affairs. He will, however, be closely watched How France can af- ford to give him an asylum in Fort de France when he is known to be plot ting against the government of Vene- zuela, is something she alone must solve. England, France and Holland all hold colonies near Venezuela, and if all three would act together Castro could not easily secure foothold for intrigue and plots near the Venezuelan coast. And France has decided to take steps to expel Castro from French soil, and he will have to begin an intrigue for a restoration of power in his own country. on a Danish West Indian island. or else abandon the enterprise altogether.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-09
Attraction for Visitors.

T had the pleasure of going up on top Of the Brown-Marx building today" said a member of the Chamber of Commerce, "and I regret to note that a rule is to be made excluding the public from the top of the building. l suppose the owners feel that there Is an element of danger in going on top and they do not want to run the risk of having any one fall But with the high coping around the roof it seems to me that it ought to be perfectly safe. There is a fascination about getting high in the air that appeals to almost every one, and naturally the city can be viewed In no other way so advantageously. For strangers coming to Birmingham from the smaller towns of Alabama there could be no greater attraction than to be al- lowed to go on top of the building, for 1t would be an experience never to be for gotten.
 T was In Atlanta recently and was pleased to find that visitors were not only permitted, but were invited, to go on top of the Canlder building, which is Atlan- ta's highest structure. I went up myself and appreciated the courtesy There was a porter on top whose only occupation is to pilot visitors on the roof and to point out to them the various things that make Atlanta's greatness"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-09
PHOENIX AND TUCSON.

From the Tucson (Ariz) Citizen.
 That overgrown, pestiferous village of Phoenix, which is situated at the capiat on a branch line of the railroad, has been trying of late through its newspapers to make itself appear some pumpkins by comparing itself with the jewel city of the southwest beautiful, progressive, met ropolitan Tucson. The latest bawl of the little one is for that certain theatrical shows 1t has turned out bigger houses than has it's larger, wiser and more beau tifuI sister. Theatrical people would laugh till they wept to hear this as- sertion. It is true that Uncle Toms Cabin," "Why Women Sin," ''The White Slaves of Chinatown" "Si Perkins and a few other shows of this type, which ap- peal particularly to agricultural communi- ties, have a vogue in Phoenix which they have never attained In the cultured met ropolls of the territory. It is also true that comparison of Tucson and Phoenix in regard to the very high class pro7 auctions, such as Richard Carle. 10. H. Sothern, etc, is impossible, for the reason that these splendid productions, which have appeared this season in Tucson, play in only the larger cities, and do not have Phoenix, Temple, Mesa or the like upon their routing.
 Recently the rural life commission said among other things that there would be a great uplift among the agricultural communities if they were visited by the really high-class lecturers and players in stead of gaining their ideas of art and the drama from medicine fakers and barn stormers How true this is and how will ing would Tucson be to go down in her pocket to get Carle or Sothern to go to Phoenix-if only they would go. But they won't, so the "uplift' is lacking, and each night after some performance oi the "Red Curse of Dennison's Dagger or "A Blind Girls Love-" Phoenix society gathers in a Chinese restaurant and con graduates itself on the fact that these two magnificent dramas had larger houses in Phoenix than in Tucson. And the pa pers repeat the talk. And Proenix waSes proud.
 Oh poor little unsophisticated sister!
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-09
Rankhead In the Cltx.

"There is nothing I can say" said Sen ator J. H. Bankhead, who arrived from Washington last night, and is stopping at the Morris. q left Washington Wednes- day. and you know what has occurred since that time. During the past few weeks your correspondent in Washington appears to have been keeping you pretty well informed as to what is going on"
 Senator Bankhead Is believed to have made his present trip to Alabama in con- nection with the federal judgeship for the Northern district. The Alabama senators have taken no part in the fight except to do all they can to have democrat ap- pointed to the place. Senator Banl1head stated last night that he will remain in Birmingham only today, leaving the city tonight.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-09
A WESTERN IDEA.

From the Washington Post.
 A new idea in public school life, the introduction of soup kitchens for tise pup ills, has been adopted at Indianapolis. The head of one of the schools of that city conceived the idea that if the pupils could be served at noon with hot bowl of nourishing soup it would benefit them physically and mentally, as they would study to better advantage than if com pelled to eat a cold lunch or go a long distance home to obtain a hot one; so he instituted the system of serving a plate of hot soup to those who wanted it, at a cost of cents a bowl The result has been very gratifying. according to re- port made to the school authorities.
 The enrolment of pupils in his room Is 69, and the daily average of soup eaters 6l. Bean, tomato, noodle, rice, barley and other kinds of soup are served alter nately, and the cost as given by the teacher is: For material, per week. $3; for labor Ca woman being hired to at tend the soup making), $2 50, making the total cost s5.50, or an average of a little less than cents a bowl. Each pupil re- ceiving the soup Is required to pay 10 cesses each Monday morning, or cents for each school day. Care is taken that the soup shall be of excellent quality both as to nourishment and flavor
 A committee of five mothers has been organized, and each superlntends the work one day each week.
 If further experience demonstrates the feasibility of the scheme, and that it's results are good, the plan will be adopted in other cities. Certainly cents a day for a good bowl of hot soup is cheap enough for anybody, and will prove much better for the children than a cold lunch eaten out of a basket. Then, too, many of the lunches prepared at home for school children are mainly made up of sweetmeats, not conducive to health, while soup Is always nourishing.
 The example might be followed with profit by the proprietors of some of the large department stores employing large number of clerks. and by manufacturers. They could well afford to furnish the soup at it's actual cost, as the improved condition of their employees would more than counterbalance the trouble.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-09
Sneaker Cannon and Standard Oil

The duty on oil has enabled the Standard oil to sell its product at about cents a gallon in this country above the price it sells oil in England for, and this enables 1t to earn and divide over $40. 100000 a year. And yet Speaker Cannon in the House in- sisted that this tax on American con- sumers should continue to be levied. Doubtless Senator Aldrich, who is re- lated to Standard oil by marriage. will second the motion The issue will be fought out in conference, and the chances are that the well-entrenehed Standard oil campaign subscribers will win out. The consumer gets Dbth- ing of value any way in the PaRe bill, and the right of the Standard Ctl to tax him indefinitely will no doutt be granted by the republican machine) and the President will sign the bill
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-09
MARY JOHNSTON.

From the Nashville American.
 That v.ry charming and at present, per- haps. greatest of American actresses, Julia Marlowe, is performing nightly to crowded houses in one of the thea tres of New York, sustaining the part of the heroine in Miss Mary Johnston's drama. "The Goddess of Reason"
 Miss Johnston is a southern writer of considerable note Her novel enti- tied, ITO Have and To Hold" was es- teemed one of the books of year In which it appeared, and 1t still has peculiar charm for many readers be- ing frequently called for by patrons of our libraries
 When this venture of hers into a new field first appeared in book form, the American predicted that 1t would add much to her fame, and this, whether it secured a stage presentation or not. She has been trebly fortunate in get ting it adequately staged in New York with the principal role in such very capable hands.
 Readers of the history of the French revolution who think that the heart of that dreadful movement consisted of the spirit which actuated nobility and peasantry. will, we think, be bound to confess that Miss Johnston has truly caught this, and those who witness Julia Marlowe's performance will doubtless as readily agree that the force of it is more than preserved.
 In his recognition of the wrongs in- f1icted by his class and his sincere de- sire to right them, with yet genuine loyalty to his king maintained, Baron Morbec, the hero. commands not sym pathy alone but also warm admiration. The Goddess. elevated by the frenzied populace to that rank because of her weird beauty and revolutionary enthu- siasm, is a peasant girl so inf1amed with the spirit of revolt against the existing order of things that a strong touch of jealousy of 8 beautiful mar quese Is sufficient to carry her headlong to her lovers Announcement before the tribunal of quick trials, Judgment and destruction. Remorse and vain regret force her to try to save him, but fail ing she dies with him, all-powerful love triumphing.
 The pathos of the tragedy lies in his unchangeable love for her and sadly misunderstood sentiments toward her suffering class, whom he would have helped could real reason have had sway.
 Julia Marlowe enthralls, but she does this only by truly and greatly inter preting the conception expressed in the beautiful and tragic lines of Miss Johnston, poetess of whom this sec ton of our country has abundant req com fo ha 11roud
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-09
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
Iron Market Improving.


 While the pig iron market is not as ac- tive as it will be little later on, there is an increased demand and the first ten days of April will show that considera- ble tonnage has been sold. Stocks are not accommodating and that fact of itself inda- eates more active buying The Sloss- Sheffield company has sold more than it's make this month, and there Is not fur nace company in the district that is with out customers Rogers, Brown x Co's Cincinnati report says:
 "The week shows an improvement in several particulars. There has been more general inquiry. less range of prices for given delivery, and the feeling now seems to be that the bottom has been reached careful canvass of the southern situa- ton shows that, contrary to general be- lief, the stock of pig iron on furnace yards there is much less than was SUD- posed, and is really not large, considering the output and consumption during the past two months. General consumption, and in some lines especially, is improving gradually and steadily, and during the week there have been fewer reports of
  down it has been found that the figures stated were approximate, and in many in- stances only obtained figuring In a round- about way on grades, deliveries and freights. Eleven dollars, Birmingham, is the minimum, with some furnaces so well situated as to place their scale 50 cents and in some cases $1 higher Various pipe interests have bought large tonnage and lower grades are scarce. There is more interest in the market than has been manifested for some time, showing that buyers are alert to any change and it is probable that in another week conditions will further improve. Offers on round tonnage at less than the present minimum are not being entertained with the alacri- ty that has been noticeable recently, and facing the low stocks in the south the in- evitable increase in demand which must ensue with the opening up of spring, it is hard to see where conditions can be cassed other than on the turn"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-09
ANOTHER HERO IN NEW YORK.

From the Chicago Record-Herald
 With an acclaim exceeding in vocifer- ousness and number of participants thai which welcomed the return of MT. Jeff fries, MT. John Johnson has been re- ceived in New York. Most of the welcom- ing throng in the latter case were of MT. Johnson's race, and New York news paper laconically suggests that the dem- onstration was of a kind that Booker T. Washington never could hope to arouse.
 It must be admitted, however, that there are few, if any, men of distinction in MT. Jeffries' branch of the human fam fly who are as great in the eyes of hero worshipers as the celebrity who slugged his way to the aforetime worlds cham pionship." It would be funny, indeed to see a crowd of thousands at railroad station to welcome the writer of the worlds greatest book or to witness the spectacle of the nations leading philan- thropist surrounded by policemen to pro- tect him from the exuberant adoration of a blocking throng or carried on the shoulders of admirers, followed by horn-tooting hundreds in automobiles, and with bands playing Hail to the Chief"
 There are several thousands of MT. Johnson's admirers who sincerely believe, to all appearances, thaVthe greatest boon recently achieved by the colored race is the wrestling of the heavyweight cham pionship from the white race And that an appreciable percentage of the popu- lation resents the passing of the title as a blow to civilization IS equally appar- ent The vital race issue of the day in- wolves the prize ring championship. If there be a fruitful field for Booker T. Washington's missionary work in New York there is just as much of field for a white Booker T. Washington in the same place and elsewhere.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-09
ALABAMA POLITICS.
om the Nashville Danner.

From the Nashville ASanner.
 Alabama elects a governor and legis- lature only once in every four years, which is great improvement on condi- tions in Tennessee, but when the quad rennial fight comes on in Alabama the politics of the state is very warm ar ticle. Lieut.. Gov. Henry B. Gray has been for some time an announced candi- date to succeed Governor Conner, and other possible candidates are appearing. MT Gray Is Birmingham Rnler and q man of fine address and exceedingly pop ular manners. He is comparatively young, able and aggressive, and 1t now seems highly probable that he will step from the second into the first place in the Alabama executorship.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-09
Higher Prices Here.

Elard Rice of Lexington is spending a few days with H. l.. Acton on South Fifteenth, street. MT. Rice was formerly in the retail grocery business and ex- pressed surprise at the prices of eatables here, saying there was great difference in the prices charged here and in Lexing- ton, Birmingham being about one-third higher than the Kentucky city. "Of course, Lexington is in the midst of an agricultural district while Birmingham is in the mineral" he said, but 1t seems strange that prices should be so material ly higher here"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-09

Bush, state inspector of prisons and cot- ton mills, at the Florence last night.
 Every visit one pays to the Magic Slty seems to increase his admiration of It. There is a spirit of push and hustle here that has undoubtedly gone long way to- ward making the city what 1t is' ana that spirit is perceptible to one who only remains here a day or so as have.
 'The city is a marvel in many respects and its unhampered bounds or prosperity have been most wonderful"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-09
Has Had Watermelon Already.

'sWatermelons in the early part of March are indeed a rare treat, but 1t was my luck to eat of one Just three weeks ago." said Louis Auerbacher last night. 'aThere is a German who runs a large truck farm near New Orleans. He has several hothouses on his place and he de- cided to try his hand at hothouse water melons during the winter. His patch was necessarily small, but he made most of that. and he raised about 30 fine melons. The one ate of was full ripe and of de- licious taste. I would like to be back in his hothouse tonight"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-09
REFLECTIONS OF A BACHELOR.
rrom the New York Press.

From the New York Press.
 A girl always longs for the sailor hat style except for sailing.
 The strongest argument In fayor or re- form is the hardest pain.
 The sure thing about a woman com plexion is maybe it isn't so sure.
 Every man has a chance some time to make money, but he has chance all the time to lose it.
 The reason a woman knows the bapy IS going to be a. great man is his teeth came in just like all babies.