davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-24

dueed designed to protect the better minority candidates.
 Governor Patterson and his friends denounce all three bills, and in his veto message he argues against all of them, predicting that they will bring untold woes upon the state
 Governor Patterson and his friends may not like to see the convention and caucus system swept away but he must see what the drift of public senti- ment is in all parts of the country. The old system is plainly marked for burial. It stands condemned, and Ten nessee is simply put by her three new election laws in line with the rest of the south, with a good part of the west and with no small part of even the effete east.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-24
TenneSSee'S Election Bills

The Tennessee legislature passed three election laws, all aimed straight at Governor Patterson and the peculiar machine" of that state. These three bills were promptly vetoed and were as promptly passed over the vetoes, q majority vote being sufficient for that purpose in Tennessee.
 The first bill provides for a compul- sory legalized primary law, in which every aspirant to office may secure d fair and even opportunity. Violations of the new law are punishable by fines and Imprisonment It does not, how ever, cover nominations of judges.
 Another bill takes from the gov ernor the right to name three state election commissioners and vests that power in the legislature.
 The third bill relates to county cleo tion commissioners, and is but an ex- tension of the present law on that sub- feet. Soma changes have been intro
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-24
WHEN IRON AGE PASSED.
Prediction That Alloys of Aluminium
 Will Be Equivalent to Steel.

 From a London Letter to the Boston
 Transcript.
 A notable lecture on ''The Mysteries of Metals" was delivered the other day by Professor Arnold of Sheffield university before the Royal institute of Great Brit ain. Speaking on facts within his own knowledge, the professor foreshadowed marvellous developments in the, steel and iron industries. He said that he was strongly of the opinion that in a very short time the best high-speed steel would be a back number. It was probable that a year hence there would be on the mar ket British steel with a quadruple cutting power of any now known to metallurgy.
 He declared with regard to MT. Carne- gie's prophecy as to the decadence of British steel metallurgy that this existed only in the imagination of that gentleman. So far as quality was concerned Britain was still first in the race for supremacy. It was true geologically that in a short time the coal and iron supplies of the world would be exhausted The age which would succeed the iron age would, in his opinion, be the aluminium age, since the crust of the earth contained an average of 15 per cent alumina. It was more than probable that metallurgical re- search would reveal to future generations some element which when alloyed in rela- lively small quantities with aluminium would produce metal equivalent to steel for structural purposes
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-24
MEMS FASHION NOTES.
Black Stitched White Gloves at Opera,
 Canary Scarfs, New Shirtings.
m Fairchild's s Magazine.

From Fairchild's Magazine.
 Just at the moment there is a revival of canary color scarfs, Some of the shops are showing them in knitted silk patterns of very elaborate character, both in solid yellow and also crossed by hori- zontal stripes of pale blue.
 A number of men at the opera are wearing white gloves with black stitch ing. The stitching however, is not very wide, but it is sufficiently striking for all that These gloves are remarkably smart looking, and in spiteAof the fact that they are not by any means univer- sally worn they look well and the chaps having courage enough to don them have quite a distinguished air.
 The men who have their dress shirts made in England are having the bosoms made to fasten with a single stud This is apt to be an elaborately jeweled af- fair Apropos it is interesting to note that King Edward, who wears a single jewel in his shirt front, does not wear pearls with full dress, it being said that his majesty considers the pearl a woman's s stone and one that should only be worn
  King. however, has been known to wear pearl stickpin with his frock coat
 The newest negligee shirts are made of fine silk in pale yellow, heliotrope or pale blue. The fabric, which is very sheer, is crossed by half-inch white satin stripes at intervals of about an inch and quarter, the space between being embel- lished with flower chain in white. They are made up with double French cuffs, two of the white satin stripes being in cluded in each cuff.
 Monograms are embroidered on the left shirt sleeve in the same color as that of the stripes of the shirt. They are, how ever, surrounded by an embroidered square of the same shade, the space be- tween the square and the monogram proper being filled in with hundreds of fine French knots.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-24

both This youngest daughter of fhe late
 Duke of saxe-Coburg- -Gotha came very near being affianced to a Spanish prince last year. but for some inserutable reason that plan fell through. The young lady Is said to have declined with thanks" though now, it is whispered, her diplo- matic uncle foresaw a more advantageous alliance for England in the very young king of Portugal. Be this as it may, the three princesses of British birth who will all eventually wear sovereign crowns one already does as the fair queen Of spain-are such pretty girls t would be a mistake to keep them out of the king row But with Ena on the throne of Spain, Patricia the wife of the Count of Turin, Beatrice, queen of Portugal and in the north her cousin within one of being queen of Sweden, it looks as though young queens were to be plentiful in EurOpe
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-24
From Roosevelt fS Taft

Pretty soon at the White House the old saying will be heard, "The King is dead Long live the King" All Wash ington is preparing for 1t, and the spectacle on the eventful day will per haps outrank all previous efforts.
 It is said President Roosevelt does not regard with joy the preparations that are being made to get rid of him and to welcome his successor. He loves office and power and he does not love spectacles that will drive him into exile among the wild beasts of Africa. No one perhaps ever enjoyed the presi- dential office as MT. Roosevelt has done. It has made no inroads on his abundant health and vigor, and as he is but 50 years old it is reasonably cer. tain that he will attempt to get back to the job he loves so well.
 But his trophies and treasures are packed and will soon be shipped to Oyster Bay, and all correspondents agree in saying that the President true to his habit of creating Presi dents, will not return with the new President to the White House after the latter has taken the oath of office It has been planned that as the official party leaves the east front of the capi tol Theodore Roosevelt, American citi zen, will be driven directly to the union station, but short distance away, and will there seek special car going to New York just as his sue cessor is escorted down Pennsylvania avenue to the White House, amid the cheers of thousands. Those cheers will simply mean, "The King is dead Long live the King"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-24
NOT so MANY DYING.
Undertakers Disposed to Be Pessimis-
 tic Over Slump In Coffin Trade.

From the Baltimore American.
 Manufacturers of collins, caskets and other funeral goods have felt the hard times as much as anybody" said MT. C. T. Baird, representative of an important Cincinnati house, at the Belvedere.
 "When financial slump comes, people practice economy even in the disposition of their departed loved ones, and thore is a falling off in the demand for the more expensive burial apparatus. This tendency does not find an outlet in the adoption of cremation, which is, after all the cheapest mode of disposing of the dead but rather in the purchase of less costly style of coffin. Cincinnati has one of the best cremation plants ever built and yet its increase of patronage from year to year is small, perhaps not over 100 cases in that period In flush times well-to-do people thing nothing of purchasing a sheet-bronze caslzet of the value of $2500, which is the best thing ~yet discovered as a final resting place of the dead, for it is practically inde- structible. The great weight of the bronze casket and also of the cast iron kind, is the principal objection to these metallic receptacles. Next best is a cop per-lined affair which is not nearly so heavy but which if used in connection with costly woods like mahogany, may cost well up into the hundreds. A ma hogany coffin with elaborate hand carv- ing and a lining of copper is easily worth $12o0.
 Cautiously enough the manufacturers have been affected by another factor that has no connection with bad times, and that is a reduced death rate all over the country. Not so many people are dying now, relatively speaking, as did few years ago. In New York city the decrease has been extraordinary It must be that more attention is being paid to hygiene than ever before, and that the masses of today are giving better heed to sani- tary laws than those of past generations"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-24
Motor Fire Engines.

"It is rather surprising that with all our boasted progress there should not have been a motor fire engine brought into use here in the south prior to this ' said a student of affairs industrial and progressive.
 'The fact is this class of fre-fghtlng machine has been in use in foreign coun- tries for some years. l recall that two years ago I saw in magazine pictures Of this kind of apparatus then for some time in use in Belgium.
 "The passing of the horse for this serv- ice will be welcomed by every one who loves this noble animal. It always grates on the nerves of a real lover of the horse to see these faithful servants of man. kind under the lash straining themselves for very heart blood at times dragging the heavy trucks and fire engines to answer to the fire alarm call.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-24
COST OF OPERA.
Impresario Says First Big Salary Was
 Paid to Mme. Tietjens.

London Letter to New York Morning Tel
 egraph.
 New York dispatches announce start ling disclosures of extravaganza in con- nection with the Metropolitan opera house, the artists. it is stated. being paid a remuneration far in excess of their market value.
 Colonel MapIeson. the operatic impress ario, has given an interviewer his opin- ions on the matter.
 "The salaries that Ire being paid in New York" he says. "are no higher than they were. In the season of lSS3-lss4 Mime. Patti toured all the principal cities of America, from New York to San Francisco, under our direction, and she received 5000 a night, and on one oc- casion, at the Cincinnati festival which was an addition to her stipulated number of performances, she was paid sSoeo.
 "In addition to this we built and equipped for her, at a cost of $60,0o0 a special car, the walls and ceilings cov- cred with glded tapestry, the lamps of rolled gold, the furniture throughout up- holstered in silk damask, the drawing room decoration in white and gold, it's ceiling painted with several figures by Parisian artists, the hot and cold bath of solid silver, and the key of the outer door of 1s-carat gold. True, we sold this car at the conclusion of the tour at a profit but there it was; we spared no>ex- pense on its equipment.
 we also paid on this tour Mime. Al bani 5000 night. Mme. Gerster 5000 signor Nicolini $500 and Mime. Minnie Hauk s150o to mention no others, and we made a profit.
 ''There is also the example of hignei salary than those at present being palo of Jean de Reszixe who received in Amer ica 5000 a night fixed and 2S per cen' on the receipts over s5o0o, which frequent ly brought up his salary to between $'o" and s4oe, and on one occasion to s4I2o, tne highest after Patti.
 "In 1902 this artist had to dechne, oi the ground of fear of fatigue in tri-Vci'ns an offer from ne, guaranteed by wealehs men in New York and Boston of Seso' night for 40 (criginally 1o0) concerts 1T the principal American cities, the offer be ing accompanied by the promise Of tray cling car as luxurious at Paths "Strakosch and I paid the first big salary in America, 5000 a night. to Mime Therese Tietjens, and even today Mime Melba's contract with MT. HammersteiI
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-24
FAME OF ROBERT BURNS

passions and a weak will We know the end of both stories-we are not called upon to judge it.
 Yet had they much in common. Truth fulness of vision, independence of thought, mastery over old meters, pe- culiar felicity of language, a flavor each of his own. Burns heritage has been one of love and yeneration approaching idol atry; Poe has been discussed and ana lyzed; approved and delaureled, but be- loved, never r Fundamental human emo- tions concerned the one, subtleties the other; a sense of the comic muse, the humor of rustic courtship are the theme of the Ayrshire peasant-to the author of Lygiea utterly and inevitbaly remote.
 It Is of the essence of Burns that his subjects are perennial and primary; they spring from nature and from the heart; they are never super-refined, rarely ana lyzed. His songs have the ilt the melody and the permanence of folk-musc, per- feet in form, haunting in rhythm; reck- less, rollicking and unforgotten. If to make the songs of people be reward enough, then has Burns met his due.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-24
ANONYMOUS TALENT.

From Harper's Weekly.
 Nothing is more difficult to find, and sometimes nothing more expensive, than the really competent anonymous writers who make the newspaper and keep it going. It Is an interesting fact that many anonymous writers are extremely well paid; one of them in one of our cities Is paid more than the famous Mark Twain, several times as much as William Dean Howells as much as the people pay to the President and about one-half or the cabinet put together; in short, very re- spectable salary, and all for anonymous work.-Mr. Brisbane, in the Evening Journal.
 The President gets $5o.Oeo. About one- half of the cabinet gets $54eoO, making the anonymous writer's salary $lo4'0OO
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-24
Business In the South.

q find business in the south, as rule, as good as it was this time last year, said l.. R. Wertman of St. Louis. T have visited six southern states since January l. and in some sections trade Is very good intleed. In every part of Texas prosperity was in evidence. If we have fine crops this year business everywhere will be brisk.
 "While the recovery from the effects of the panic and anti-corporation politics has not been as pronounced as had been expected conditions will improve as the summer comes on, provided crop reports are favorable"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-24
IN HOTEL LOBBlES
Cecil spooner Played Baby Roll.


 Tt was in her native state, Iowa, that Miss Cecil spooner. who is to play in this city and appear at the Bijou theatre for the next two weeks, first made her stage appearance" said a press agent
 'sThe play in which the spooner tot made her initial bow 10 the American theatre-g -goers required property baby The baby that had been in the play had suddenly taken sick, or became over strenuous, and it's tears could not be dried or paeified at the proper time to have it go on. Little Mistress spooner was nesting in a baby carriage in the rear of the stage. she having been brought to the theatre by her father and mother, Mir. and Mrs. B. s. Spooner, who were the owners of the company and played important parts of the drama. The stage manager quickly appreciated the sit uation. and what he most desired was baby that was not crying, so baby Cecil was taken before the audience for the first time. It was later years, however, when about or years old, that she was called upon to take the child's part of Peanuts and Under the Gas Light in Au- SuStus Ddiy : CoIupdHA. Iii6 iplS VI coh- nuts is one of the longest parts and most important parts ever taken by child of such tender years up to that time.
 "The first time that Charles E. Blaney ever saw her was in the company man. aged by her father At that time the name of Spooner had gotten to be household word in Kansas and Iowa. This was before the day of MT. Blaneys achievements. He was then the manager of his first venture. the farce comedy, "A Railroad Ticket which was playing on the Pacific coast. He attended the theatre in one of the towns where the Spooner Stock company was playing. Mr. Blaney was impressed with Miss Cecil the moment he saw her; it is said that he made the prediction that some day she would attract attention in New York. As young as she was, she occupied sufficient prominence in Mir Blaneys attention as to cause him to make a memorandum of her name for future use"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-24
From the Louisville courier-Journa

From the Louisville Courier-Journal. nN~ ~ HO do you think will be our
 WV poet now?" Those were the
 w simple words of simple Scots when they heard that Burns lay dying. We read how the anxiety of the people, high and low, was very great; wherever two or three were together their talk was of Burns, and of him alone. They spoke of his history, of his person, and of his works; of his witty sayings and sar- castle replies and of his too early fate." And they have never ceased.
 national bereavement they called his death a hundred years ago and more Is it less national, is it not rath- CT international, today? The birthday of Burns falls but short week from that of Poe; how widely divergent are their orbits.
 Some poets describes the Impossible and the Improbable; of those was Poe. Some of the Probable and a few the Inevit- able; of these was Burns Both had moral defects, both noble endowments of head and heart, sensibility, turbuence; both waged a perpetual conflict between wild
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-24
THE VISION OF MIRA
A BARD's SAD END.

A BARD S 6AD END. He wrote great quantities Of rhyme The Muse he seldom stinted; In fact he warbled all the time, But none of it was printed. The manuscript kept piling up Until it filled his attic And all the neighbors. when they'd sup, Declared he was cratic. At last when he was growing old And both his eyes were dimming- His heart 1t too was turning cold, Close written pages skimming. He thought, Alas, how great a fool l was to play the poet; Although I've followed every rule, The world will never know 1t. I might have made my mark in trade And built splendid palace" With which, his stylus down he laid And drained poisoned chalice.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-24
REFLECTIONS OF A BAcHELoF
From the New York Press.

From the New York Press
 Every lassie has her ladde and three or four more that would do if she didn t have him.
 The more anybodys principles are a comfort to nim the more he makes them a discomfort to his friends.
 Most people seem to think that if they preach a thing in a loud shout they needn't practice it even in a faint whis- Ter.
 When a man believes thing he inmed- lately begins to make everybody his ene- my for not agreeing with him.
 Womtn are So much more useful than men because they are willing to go ahead and do things without waiting for a crowd to stand around and applaud it.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-24
CHINA HELPS TO CONVERT HER.

From the Baltimore Star.
 Unlimited fields of speculation are
 opened by the receipt Of s2o from China
 for missionary work in the Episcopal dio- cese of Arkansas, whence comes the cy clones. Is John Chinaman poking sly dig in the ribs of Uncle Sam, or is he in earnest in his apparent desire for the rescue of .infdel" Arkansas? Is John
 hiating that missionary work, like char ity, should begin st home? Can the con- tributon be an intimation that he con- siders America as much in need of the | uplift as Uncle Sam considers China Verify, the heather Chnee Is peculiar" but his missionary donation leaves bit- ter taste in the mouth.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-24
Government Seeking Business.

''The federal government has raised the price of postoffice boxes 50 per cent" said business man.
 Every box holder is receiving circu- lar soliciting business for stamped en- velopes. nice folder is placed in the boxes giving the different sizes and prices and also telling of the good points of stamped envelopes Also a card design Is presented for persons desiring the same printed with or without return directions. There is no charge made for this work.
 'The government really does offer a better envelope than the ordinary com7 mercial stocks, and those buying in quan- titles get better paper with free print ing, and no danger of omitted stamping or the loss of a stamp carelessly affixed. I wonder that the ladies did not avail themselves of the baronial style for polite correspondence, high quality of stock, al most square in shape"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-24
THE MANICURIST.

THE MANICURIST. The pretty manicurist
 Has very taking ways; She'll take a fellows diamond stud And leave him in a daze She'll even take his heart, unless He knows a thing or two And hurries out the minute he Sees what she's bout to do. The pretty manicurist
 Has fluffy golden hair And, if you want to know the truth, A most alluring air. Her smiles would dazzle any chap Who isn't worldly-wise And thinks, poor fool, he really sees The love light in her eyes. The pretty mancurist
 Knows lots of millionaires And when she trips along the street
 Most everybody stares She seems a perfect lady and At times is demure You'd think a midnight supper was A thing she q not endure. The pretty manicurst
 Is bout the smartest girl Who threads her blithe, untroubled way Through all the citys whirl Now, take a little tip from me Who's been there understands, Don't look into her eyes while she Is working on your hands.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-24
TO LIVE IS HAPPY.

Euripides, Murray's Translation. Happy he, on the weary sea, Who hath fed the tempest, and won the
 haven.
 Happy who so hath risen free, Above his striving. Tor strangely graven Is the orb of lite, that one arcthei' In gold and power may outpass his
 brother
 And men in their millions float and flow And sesthe with a million hopes as leaven; i; And they win their will, or they miss
 their will,
 And the hopes are dead or are pned for
 still.
 But whoe'er can know As the long days go, That to live Is happy. hath found his heaven
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-24
Business Men,s Leaaue.

"The Business Mems league is doing much to further public spirit" said an officer of the league.
 At our last meeting of the board Is out of 19 directors were present. This was a remarkably fine showing and indicates very clearly the interest that is being taken in the movement to unify the mer- chants of Birmingham and extend the trade of this city. All the mercantile concerns are being enrolled in the league and practical results may be expected"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-24

for 5000 night is to be increased to 5000, and Mime. Tetrazzni is also receiv- ing from the Manhattan management $2o00 a night. There is nothing. there fore, exceptional in the salaries that the Metropolitan is paying; the real cause of the trouble being merely that they have engaged more artists than they want; and this l call bad management"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-24
servla Limits Passports.

Belgrade, February 23.--The Servian government has given orders that un- be issued to men under 45 years of age. The object of this measure Is to keep all men of military age at home.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-24

If the country must accept Franklin MacVeigh as Secretary of the Treas ury there should be an understanding as to the extent of it's indorsement of the use of benzoate of soda in articles of food,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-24
KING MANUEL A PRETTY BOY.

F
 It will be like 'robbing the cradle to marry King Manuel of Portugal to Prin- cess Beatrice, six years his senior; but as such disparity is never taken into con sideration with the dynastic marriage the match is as good as another for them