davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-31
TAis ls My 6IstBRtRday
 Nathan straan.


 Nathan Straus, merchant and philan- thropist. was horn in Bavaria, January S1. 1S4s. Tn 1854 he came to the Unit. ed States with his parents, who. settled at Talbotton, Ga, where he received hi searly education in the public schools. Later he attended the public and business schools in New York City and Joined his father in importing pottery and glassware. The business prospered and in course of time the firm of L. Straus and Sons took front rank in the commercial life of the me- tropolis. Tn politics MT. Straus is tden. tined with the Democratic Party, ana in 1894 he received the nomination for mayor, but declined It. Tn 1898 he was appointed by Mayor Grant as park commissioner of New York City and estabIlshed many improvements in the nartS system of the city. MT. Straus has been Identified with many practl- cal charities. notably that or the dis frIbutfon oe pure milk to the poor peo- pie of New York. Paris and other large cities.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-31

Why will editors write and print Tot when they could easily avoid it? Here is The Butte Mountain re- ferring to Lincoln as the First Ameri- can, the inference of course being that he stands before and above all other Americans. Lincoln himself. if he were living. would be among the first to disapprove such bosh,
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-31

The more or less famous J. Ham Lewis is among the jingoes. and tells the country that American trade in vaslon of the Orient will lead to con bad.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-31

A negro woman died Monday in Columbus who claimed that she was one hundred and twenty years old There Is no mention that she nursed George Washington, however.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-31
PRICE OF COTTON.
CorreSpOnaIemt Tells of Result of thS
 Faruners' Movement.

 Editor The Advertiser:
 Seeing an article in The Advertiser of the 27th inst, copied from the Cot ton and Cotton oil News, which criti- cises all persons, papers and farmers organizations for agitation and legis- 1ation against bucket shops" and which attributes the low price of cot- ton the present season to said agitas ton and legislation. and which is lia- ble to mislead those who have not the statistics before them. herewith sub. init some facts which think will com. pletely refute all such argument.
 give below the average price for middling. cotton for eight years while the "bucket-shops" were In full blast, and before there was any thought of legislation against them.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-31
Nst Far.

Net Far. It ain't so far from right to wrong tn trail aint hard to losei There's times I'd almost give my horse to know which one to choose. There aint no slgnboards on tn road t keep you on tn track; Wrongs sometimes white as driven snow an right looks awful black. I don't set up to be no judge of right an, wrong in men; I've lost tn traII sometimes myself--I may git lost again. An if I see some chap who looks as though he'd gone astray. I want to shove my hand Tn his an help him find tn way. u W. Foley in New York Times.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-31

The Baltimore Sun suggests that Roosevelt might use the secret service men to hunt down the big game for him in Africa. Good idea; sleuths ought to be good at discovering cats, tigers and other game.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-31

The Abbeville Times sarcasticany remarks that MT. Bryan does not know what he will miss if he fails to stop in Dothan while in Alabama. Wherefore?
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-31
SWORN CIRCULATION.

The Montgomery Advertiser guarantees lss advertisers land makes it part Of sne con tract when requested) that It's daily cMsu lAtion is larger than that of any motnins -. newspaper printed in Alabama--and tnas lss Sunday edition has the largest eiFeaiSsa sas1 of any edition of any newspaper printed aA Alabama without exception. x.,.
 The figures for December printed gstoM represent the actual net clreuiations eh " turns having been deducted.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-31

Wonder how many good places there are to be given out to Southern Demo crats who are trying to snuggle up to Taft?
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-31

We will now soon have the ground hog joke in our midst, as one may express 1t, and thereil he floods of wit. or near-w wit distributed about It.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-31

We're not going to guy the cold wave any Hore-not right now, for vga'p4 Anrs had touch of 1t.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-31

Will Taft follow the example of Roosevelt when at Panama and seize shovel and pick and make the dirt flys
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-31

Or the basis of & bushel of corn producing 2.5 gallons of alcohol, # has been figured out that last years corn crop in the United States was snfficient to furnish 20,00O.000 horse power for ten hours a day for an en- tire year
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-31

Net Daily Average, Deeember, ieeS ..ss.SS sss.sSssS Net Sunday Average, December lSVss .Ass1op 0, l. FiniKan. Circulation Manager of Ine Montgomery Advertiser. being duly s""sA' The foreKoinw statement of The Adver- ffseKse circulation for the month or Decem~ her. 1908. is true and correct, and eemVu- ed after all returns from news boys, neWs arents spoiled and leftover copies naFs
 Circulation Manager. avxurn to and subscribed before me tnis sfh day of January, 1909. .,.
 RIGA ALEXANDER. Notary Pubic
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-31

I also gIVe DtIOW tAs aVeraBe prIce since the agitation was begun,
 lyO3 .'.. ...-,....... lz S0 l9O4-5-... .... ... ......... S.SS !SVO-S' = .. ''s....'...i i.y tJUo-I-. -lU 56 l think further comment is unneces- sary. Yours truly.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-31

Many In this section who have killed hogs have lost most of the joints. this scribe being among the unfortunate ones--Joliy Cor. Griffin (Gr) News.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-31

Mareoni all at once has become tine hero of two continents. Few of us realize what a valuable thing the wire less telegraph is lN9
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-31

The most ignoble character In the world is the mere money-gettinE Am srican.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-31

Trouble is one thing that even blind man can nnd without looking for.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-31

The mockIng bird and robin have the 8 warbling Q the roses Q the May.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-31

Many of us forestall our vision of the higher things by an abnormal self apprecia tion.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-31

That weather was something to blow about.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-31

Chicago has a society which has for fts sole purpose the cremation of it's members when they die. ChicaSeans appear to be as fond of burning their dead as they do of burning their mon- 0y.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-31

Mir. Taft has just made his eighth trip across the isthmus and Is being greeted by all Panama. Don't know at this writing just what kind of banquet will be served up to him, but he Is probably glad that 1t won't be 'possum.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-31

Speaking of ssfast friends" if the av- craze young man had fewer of that sort he would be better off.
The National tribune., 1909-01-14
~rHE AMERICAN NAVY sEcoNp.r

Everyone waits Eith the greatest In
teres. for the yearly compilation OF ma
val statisticsGmade. by Pitman Puisifer'
the Clerk to the Senate Committee on
Naval Affairs. Mr.. Pulsifer has won
great reputation by the care, compre-
hensiveness and accuracy of his annual
reports. The, volume which he has pre-
pared for the use Of the Senate for the
past year has the very pleasant revela-
tion that the United States Navy now
ranks second among those of the world.
This is an astonishment to most peo-
pie. who have supposed that we were
still behind France and holding
doubtful place with Germany.
Mr. Pulsifer's tables, in which he re-
capitulates the naval information gath
cred from all maritime Nations, ex-
cludes all Tar vessels under 20 years
old, unless they have been reconstruct
ed and rearmed since 1900; also those
not actually begun, altho authorized,
and all transports, Golfers. repair ships,
torpedo, destroyers, merchant vessels
and vessels of less than 1000 tons, OK
cept torpedo craft The number for
each Nation that he includes among
his fighting ships, with their tonnage,
The National tribune., 1909-01-14
SQUEEZING OUT The WATER.

People have not given sufficient no.
tice TO the splendid work which is be-
ing done by the courts in squeezing the
water out of swollen corporations and
laying down sound business principles
They are also meeting the new issue OF
what is ''confscatory," which has
proved such a stumbling block in the
way of railroad legislation. Railroads
have met the laws intended to regulate
their rates by the legal subterfuge that
such regulation would be ''confsca-
away their property, since If they are
prevented from earning dividend upon
their stock it is rendered valueless. Now
the courts are examining into the real
value of this stock, and show a strong
disposition to prune away that which is
unduly swollen. If railroad, for ex-
ample, invests s1,000,0OO in an enter
prise it should be entitled to earn
enough to pay the interest upon that
million dollars and also, we may say,
on another million or two million of
stock issued as an inducement for the
investment, and to be a proper guaran-
tee against the losses and fluctuations
of values of the property. Just how
far this reward should go is a proper
field for the courts discretion, and the
courts are entering upon it with much
earnestness. They are doing what it
has been proposed should be done by
physical valuations" of railroad prop
erty. In recent case in New York, in
volving the Metropolitan Gas Company,
the court examined very severely as to
the actual value of the property, and
refused to allow it to Capitalize" its
franchise; that is, its issues of stock
based on the profits of its monopoly of
the field. The Gas Company claimed at
first that it should have the right to a
return from $4O,000.000 valuation. At
the first pass this was reduced to s24,-
100000, then to $17,000,O 900, next to
$12,000,000, and now there is talk of a
valuation of only $7,0O0,000. This, we
presume, represents the actual expendi-
ture of the company for plant and fix
lures, the capital invested in develop
ing the company to its present position |
and fair return from such capital |
All gains beyond this on its inflated |
stock are unwarranted, and will not be |
sustained by the courts. This will
have a most healthful effect in pro-
noting safe and sane business oper-
ations. While it viii diminish the spec
ulator's gains. it will add to the legiti-
mate returns Of investors and promote
the stability of business in standard
ing and confirming values.
The National tribune., 1909-01-14

The italian disaster has given fresh
impetus 10 those grievous Affections, the
prophets, astrologers, soothsayers and
similar pretentious humbugs. They are
predicting all sorts of disaster. While
sensible people pay as little attention
rows, yet it is unfortunately true that
a great mass of the men and women
are not sensible. They are nervous,
tjmid, depressed, and any prophecy Of
disaster has most alarming effect
upon them. We all remember how a
few years ago crazy negress in Mem
phis produced a panic among her color
by predicting that on a certain day a
black dog would leap out of the Court
House window, when the whole city
the waters of the Mississippi rush over
the doomed town. Nothing could have
been more absurd, and yet the negros
rushed away from Memphis by the
thousands and subjected the people to
the greatest Inconvenience and hard
ships in the loss of household servants,
labOrers, drivers and other exceedingly
necessary helpers. 1t goes without say
ing that no man or woman can predict
an earthquake, cyclone, a great fire
or any other cataclysm. All that We
can do, however, is to visit these an
noying frauds with ridicule and stern
condemnation.
The National tribune., 1909-01-14
PROTECTION FOR VETERANS.

At the Toledo National Encampment
the Committee on Legislation was
instructed to present the following
amendment to the laws of the United
States:
Section -. On and after the pas
sage of this act, employees in the class
flied service of the Government who
served in the Army, Navy or Marine
Corps of the United States during the
War of the Rebellion. and the widows
of such persons, shall not be removed
from said service. except for misconz
duct established by hearing before an
impartial board.''
Last Monday, Past Department Com
mander George II. Slaubaugh, of Wash
ington, accompanied by Past Com
mander-in-Chief John r. King and
Past Department Commanders Thomas
s. Hopkins, Israel W. Stone and John
McElroy. appeared before the Senate
Appropriations Committee to advocate
it's adoption ComrfSde Slaubaugh made
the amendment, pointing out how the
veterans in Government employ We're
practically helpless when they were dis
missed. They had lost all connection
with their former home places and
business relations, and were at an age
when it was exceedingly difficult to find
and take up new employment. The
amendment, he said. would not inter-
fere with the discipline of the public
service nor. diminish it's efficiency, but
when a veteran was found incapable of
the higher place he might be filling,
he could be placed in lower grade,
but could not be dismissed without a
fair trial, at which he would have an
opportunity to defend himself Com
rade Slaubaugh was followed by the
other comrades accompanying him with
brief arguments supporting his conten-
ton. The committee gave no indica-
tion as to how they would view the
amendment
The National tribune., 1909-01-14
FOR DEPARTMENT COMMANDER.

The veterans of the Department of
Virginia and North Carolina are con-
sidering favorably the choice of Can't.
George C. Round, of Manassas, for De-
partment Commander. Comrade Round
has everything to recommend him for
this selection He served thru the
earlier part of the war in Connecticut
regiment which spent most of it's time
in Virginia. Then he was promoted
into the Signal Corps. and as Signal
Officer accompanied the Twenty-third
Corps to the East, and at Raleigh, N.
c., sent the last signal of the war. He
settled down at Manassas at the con-
clusion of the war, and has since been
active and inedfatigable in everything
that promised development of that
part of Virginia. He has been in the
real estate business. and attracted
many Northern purchasers. He was
from the first a strong advocate Of edu-
cation, and is the oldest County Super
intendent In the State. He is now at
the head of the State Educational sot
cieties and is also leading in the work
OF developing agricultural societies and
farmers institutes. No man since the
war has worked harder for tho ad-
vancement Of Virginia than Comrade
George c. Round.
The National tribune., 1909-01-14
AGE OF CLAIMANTS.

Our indefatigable comrade, Joseph
II. Goulden, Representative from the
18th District of New York, has intro
duced the following bill, which has
been referred to the House Committee
on Invalid Pensions:
''That the Secretary of the Interior
be. and he is hereby, authorized and
directed to accept the age given on en-
listment by soldiers, sailors and marines
as basis in determining the rate of
pension to which they are entitled un-
der the provisions Of the act approved
Feb G. 1901"
The National tribune., 1909-01-14

any time by this section. or OF any
article or substance or thing on which
shall be anything made unlawful at
any time by this section. shall be pre-
sumptivea evidence that the same is in
violation Of this section. and was made,
done or created after this act takes
effect, and that such Flag, standard,
color, ensign. or article, substance, or
thing did not exist when this act takes
effect
Sec. 2. That this act shall not ap-
ply to any act permitted by the Stat
utes of the United States of America
or by the United States Army and Navy
Regulations. nor shall it be construed
to apply to newspaper, periodical,
book, pamphlet, circular, certificate,
diploma, warrant, or commission of ap-
pointment to office, ornamental picture,
or stationery for use in correspondence,
on any of which shall be printed,
painted. or placed said Flag, discon-
nected from any advertisement
Sec. 8. That this act shall take effect
immediately"
The National tribune., 1909-01-14
THE DUTY ON HIDES.

The Boston Advertiser. which reflects
the views Of the great shoe factories,
says:
"The predictions as to the tariff
measure which the Ways and Means
Committee Of the Federal House IL
about to report, do not speak with any
great show Of certainty as to the pos
sibility of putting hides on the free List
Yet, as a matter Of logic the commit
tee is absolutely bound in honor to take
the duty from imported hides. The
pledge made at Chicago, in the Repub-
lican platform, was so straightforward
and explicit. 1t was that in no case
was the duty on an article produced
also In the United States to be greater
than the difference in labor cost. with
a fair allowance Of profit on the capital
invested in the industry"
This shows the vice of generalizing
from too few facts. Taking the Adver-
tiser's statement for a basis, it is con-
cost of producing an animal and hide
must be greater in the United States
than in the Argentine Confederation.
The wages of the farm hand in the
Mississippi Valley, his standard of liv-
ing and all that, are much higher than
that of a peon in South America. A
hide is a finished product, with the
farmer as the manufacturer, and he
should receive as much protection for
his product as any other manufacturer.
The question then comes as to whether
he is receiving this protection, and
whether he is getting his fair share out
of the enhancement of the value of the
hide. Here is where we think that the
whole discussion should come in and
that which is the pivot of the whole
matter. 1t is complained that the farm
er does not get the enhanced value of
the hide. but that this is snatched
away from him by the middlemen-th
tanners and dealers in leather. The
strongest argument for free hides is not
as the Advertiser puts it, but that by
taking the duty off hides the control of
the hide market will be taken out of
the hands of ring in this country.
Against this it is alleged that the ring
which controls the hides in this country
also controls those from the Argentine
and other hide-producing countries. If
this be the case, then taking the duty
off hides will do no good, and only en-
hance the profits of the ring, giving
them the money which now goes into
the Treasury of the United States. We
have seen this illustrated very often.
When we took the duty off coffee, ior
example, il did not lower the price of
coffee to any consumer in the United
States. since the Brazilian Government
put on an export duty
equivalent to that which we had taken
off, and built navy out of the pro-
ceeds. This was so notorious that when
the Brazilian war vessels visited the
United States they were known as Cof
fee Vessel No. 1, Coffee Vessel No. .,
md so on The first consideration, there
fore, and it is doubtless one which the
Committee on Ways and Means have
given much consideration to, is whether
there is such syndicate which con-
trolls the hide supply of the world. If
SO, then free hides will only result in
swelling the profits of the< syndicate
and diminishing the revenues of the
The National tribune., 1909-01-14

Thus it will be seen that we have
half as many great battleships as Great
Britain, with almost half their tonnage
We have one more battleship than Ger
many, with more than $4,000 excess of
tonnage. We have five more battle
ships than France, with $4,000 more
tonnage, and more than twice as many
battleships as Japan, with more than
twice the tonnage. We have II ar
mored cruisers to 80 British, 10 Ger
man, % French and 13 japanese. While
the British have more than twice the
strength ailoat that we have. yet they
have far more than twice the country
to defend byiit. and consequently with
our easily defended coasts and posses
sions we can reckon that the United
States Navy is nearly equal to that of
the greatest sea power in the world.
France has heretofore been held to
be second to Great Britain upon the
water, and she still has SIG vessels to
our 179. but she has five less battle
ships than we have, the same number
of coast-defense vessels and IL more
armored cruisers.A large proportion
of her fleet, however, consists of rela-
lively small torpedo-boat destroyers
and torpedo boats. her total of these
two classes being 34S TO but 63 Of those
classes in our Navy. She has only three
cruisers above 5000 tons, where we
have five, and 13 cruisers of from 5000
to 5000 tons. where we have IA.
Altogether we are showing IN ex-
ceedingly well when it is remembered
that quarter of century ago we had
scarcely nothing of navy except
abundance of water and a few old
hulks.
The National tribune., 1909-01-14

There IS a reaction in the South
against the opossum being accepted as
a southern delieacy 1t is pointed ouc.
that which every one familiar with
natural history knows. that the opos-
sum is hIerely Jan enlarged rat, with
rnany dispieasing. ratlike characteris-
tics. He was mainly eaten in the South
h. the negros and poor white trash, y
70 whom anything in the shape of meat
was welcome. The Georgians say that
he is not 70 be compared any day in
the week with the ye!Iow-legged chick
en-, and Tie acknowledged chicken aad
sweet potatoes make a meal fit for
the gods.