davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-26
SECRET IS OUT.
HadIey Tells How Oil Msgnate Rogers
 Answered Questions.

From the St. Louis Post Dis spatch
 Governor Hadley, who as attorney general of Missouri started the prosecu- tions against the Standard Oil company that have been so disastrous to the great corporation, recently dropped a closely guarded secret in connection with the testimony of the late Henry H. Rogers
 Rogers defled the authority of the su- preme court of Missouri to interrogate him concerning Standard oil affairs un- til the supreme court of the United States decided he would have to answer Hadley's questions.
 And there is where fooled the re- porters in New York; said Governor Hadley. When Rogers took the stand the reporters described It great length how he tried to hypnetize me with his keen, flashing eyes, and resisted answer ing every question I asked him until forced him to give up the facts. The re- porters did some wonderful descriptive writing and told how Rogers and matched wits and how .he young west ern attorney general conquered the great captain of the Standard OiI industry.
 Now, the fact is,' continued the gov ernor that before MT. Rogers gave his testimony I met him and his attorneys and everything that he was to say was agreed to. He found he had to answer, and then did so willingly, but 1t was amusing to read the stories in the New York papers of how I literally had to reach down his throat and pull the facts out of him"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-26
What He Collected To.

From the Youths Companion.
 In a certain town in South Carolina, be- fore the civil war, there was an old Scotch covenanter church. the pulpit of which bore a strong resemblance to a flour barrel. It was fastened to the wall. and reached by a flight of narrow, wind ing stairs
 Among the preachers who occupied the pulpit at different times was one who was noted for the vigor and enthusiasm of his delivery and the extreme energy of his gesticulations
 The congregation had often trembied for his safty as he stamped and pounded in the old pulpit. but no catastrophe occurred until one day when he bent forward over the edge. and shaking the unstable struc- ture, shouted: The righteous shall stand, but the wicked shall fall"
 Before the words were hardly uttered there was a crash, and the old pulpit and it's occupant came to the floor, together with much dust.
 The minister picked himself up, and waving of the members of the congrega- ton. said, dryly: Brethren, I am not injured. and don't mind the fall much, but I do hate the connection"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-26
WHY PHRENoLoeL FAILED. Science Tested on Heads of Three
 Drurmers by Stranger.

From the Boston Herald.
 Macon. Mo.-Three commercial mis- sionaries in the writing room of the Uef- ferson hotel at Macon were discussing everything under the sun.
 Wonder why we never see any phren- ologists on the road any more?' said the grocery man They used to be as thick as campaign lies"
 "oh, the people got on to, 'em," re- sponded the agent for Kentucky whisky.
 They are all fakes I had one tell my fortune once by fooling with my bumps; said I'd make a good parson. What do you think O that?'
 "Over in Linn county a phrenologist came to town one day." said the type writer salesman, ''and they put up a job on him.
 There was a murderer in the county jail. They diked him out in new suit of clothes, made him swear to saw wood and took him up to the hall where the reader of top pieces was showing off. When he called for subjects, they let him fool with the murderer's head.
 ''The professor said 1t was the best head in the bunch; that the bumps of generosity and goodness were wonder fully developed. That he would make Salvation Army. They hung him before the year was out.v
 Served him right" put in the grocery man. "A man who will try to deceive people by. reading heads ought"
 Get out" cried the typewriter man. Give the devil his due. It wasn't the head reader they hung
 '"They are all frauds said the herald of Kentucky xxx. Reading heads is
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-26

good deal like telling the weather. You don't know a cussed thing about it till 1t happens"
 Beg pardon, gentlemen, but you are wrong. Phrenology Is an exact science.
 A tall dark man with glowing black eyes and bushy hair stood smiling down on the three sceptics
 Yes" he said. ingratiatingly, fit is also one of the most interesting of all studies. I know there are lots of quacks, but so there are in all pro- fessions. Now while I don't pretend to be master. yet I've given the subject some consideration, and I feel confident I can demonstrate to you gentlemen that there is some merit In phrenology if you'll let me try"
 Don't believe a word of it," growled the grocery man.
 And yet"
 claimed the grocery man angrily. It's humbug. buncombe, moonshine and non sense, a fool idea got up to separate silly people from their dollars"
 The grocery man talked so loud that a crowd began to gather around the de- baters. Without showing the least of- fence the dark man went on smoothly;
 Perhaps you don't know, but 1t is 8 fact that there are certain cords directly O~ the head, and as the mind works in cer- tain directions those connecting cords develop the surface indications so that in properly sensitive heads the enlarge ment may be detected or read with sur prising accuracy"
 "Shucks!"
 Its true." persisted the dark man; "a scientific fact"
 'I'll bet you treats for the crowd you
 do nd A. thing about them!' cried the grocery man.
 "I'n take the wager, though, as l told you, I'm not a master and may fall, said the stranger pleasantly Please move your chair around this way. We'll leave our friends here"-indicating tho crowd-"to decide the wager"
 The defender of phrenoiosy ran ms long fingers through the grocsrymans sandy locks, felt his head as If he was kneadins dough. tapped the forehead and rubbed the neck. All theo while clouds of chagrin gathered over his face. Fin ally he announced that ha would like to examine the two other men before giv- ing his opinion. The typewriter agent and the whisky man were subjected 10 the same humping process, and then the head artist quit with despairins sigh
 up g. stump, eh?" said the grocery man, gleefully.
 I'm afraid I am,' said the dark man, whereat the crowd led by the three sub- jects jeered him.
 When they had quieted down bit the skull scientist said:
 You people will bear me out. saio phrenology was based on the theory tn2t the bumps were development from the brain"
 .Yes, you said that" admitted ono or two in the crowd.
 .'But in these three heads" said the dark man, solemnly. there Is absolute ly no evidence of a developing agent
 The three commercial tourists sat studying for a moment, and then with one accord they rose In their might But the operator had wisely executed retreat through the laughing crowd
 As he was settling his bill next morn ing the grocery man asked Landlord
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-26
CUSTOMS MEN PUZZLED.
Appraisement of kimono Causes Ex-
 citement in Louisville.

From the Louisville Times.
 It took i've men and three women at the custom house and the silk buyer of Louisville department store to fix the value of a kimono which arrived at the office of the surveyor of customs for appraisement.
 It was a dainty silken thing, lavendar in color, which lay on the table of Cashier Thomas for two hours. The garment was sent to the custom house by the postmaster at Somerset, Ky, who received 1t few days ago through the mall from Japan. He did not send in the address of the owner.
 This was aggravating to the young women experts called in T know every woman in Somerset" one said, ..and Ia Just like to know who is going to wear that"
 For half an hour 1t puzzled Surveyor Taylor and two or three of his men as- sistants to discover just what the gar- ment was.
 ''It looks to me like the court gown of the Queen of Zanzibar" said Clay Mil- Ter, who measures steamboats and sil- perintends the loading of merchandise at the custom house depot
 Don't you men know anything at all?" exclaimed one of the wome n clerks. pushing her way through the puzzled group. Why that's kimono . What in the thunder Is a kimono?' inquired Deputy Sam Barber. They don't have that kind of thing down In Bath county. where I came from
 Finally when the officials decided that there was nothing dangerous about the garment they started in fixing the value. fa t~ l AL. way from $1.50 to $50. The kimono was finally carried to 8 department store where the silk buyer said 1t was worth $14
 Later the. kimono was bundled into a box and started back to the Somerset postmaster, with instructions to charge the owner sS.2o duty
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-26
SHOOTING WHALES.
Modern WhaIers Use a Cannon and an
 Explosive Harpoon.

From the Worlds Work.
 Whaling with modern methods in Alas- kan waters is an exciting game, especially for those who are new to the business. The modern whaling steamer Is little vessel almost round on the bottom, which enables 1t to be turned and managed with the greatest ease. Mounted at the bow is small cannon that shoots a harpoon weighing more than 100 pounds and hav- ing an explosive head called the bomb.
 If the shot is good and the harpoon is planted squarely behind the fin, the bomb crashes into the lungs, killing instantly; if not, the struggle may last for several hours.
 Afte a while has been killed the car cass is brought alongside the boat and in- fiated so that it will float. A long coil of rubber hose, one end of which is att tached to pump and the other to hollow spear-pointed tube of steel, with performations along its entire length. Is used for this purpose.
 The spear Is thrust well down into the whales side, the air pump started, and the body slowly filled with air. When in- Hated enough to keep 1t afoat the tube is withdrawn, the incision plugged with oakum, and the carcass cast off. A buoy with flag is attached to the body, and 1t is then set adrift to be picked up at the end of the days hunting.
 The whaling station is a group of build ings situated In a bay or cove near enough to the feeding grounds to allow the steamer to come in each night with the days catch. The whales are anchored at a buoy in front of a long. inclined platform, upon which they are drawn, tall first, by means of a steam winch.
 The saying that every part of the pig but the squeal is now of market value is also fact with the whale. Not parti- cle of the animal is wasted. After the skeleton les stripped of flesh 1t is dis articulated and the bones chopped in pieces.
 The blubber is tried out for oil and the meat and bones are boiled for the same purpose Later the flesh is artihcially dried and sifted. making a fine guano, and the bones are ground up for fertil ger. Even the blood Is boiled and dried with the flesh, and the water in which the blubber has been tried out makes excel lent glue. The fms and tail after being sliced into thin strips, are salted and barreled and shipped to Japan as an article of food.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-26

court without my permissionl Close the doors instantly and take all their names
 The spectators turned pale with fear, but there was no escape, and all their names. some 500 in number. were taken down by the clerks.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-26

court without my permission! close the doors instantly and take all their names.
 The spectators turned pale with fear, but there was no escape, and all their names, some 50O in number. were taken down by the clerks.
 When the news got abroad the parents sons, brothers, guardians and ward of- ficers of the prisoners hastened to the court and implored for mercy, but Ooka remained firm. ''Felows who intrude into an imperial courthouse during an exam ination," said he. cannot be pardoned"
 Yet he so far relented as to commit them to the custody of their respective ward officers, and IA days later he sum- moned the officers and addressed them as follows:
 Without doubt those unruly men com mtted a great crime, but perhaps 1t was through ignorance. and so. as the case concerned white cotton cloths, sentence each one to bring within three days one tan (about % yards) of cotton cloth" Everyone was relieved by this sentence and quickly brought his tan of cloth. Yet among themselves they grumbled yigor- ously. "A pretty mess we got ourselves into. We can look at any Jizo Sama In the city all day for nothing, and the god will not grumble, yet when we look at him in the court it costs us a tan of cloth Jizo San ought to be called Jizo Son"
 Now. San. the contraction of Sama, is title of respect. and Son (to rhyme with "on'D is pecuniary loss, so that an ex- cellent pun was formed, which greatly comforted their minds.
 In the meantime the judge summoned Yagoro to the court and bade him ex- anime the cotton cloth and gee if any of it had formed part of his bundle. Yagoro declared that two tan had come out of his pack. and Oooka called for the two men who had brought them and inquired where they had been bought Both had bought them in the same shop, and the judge forthwith arrested the shopkeeper, who confessed his crime and suffered the penalty of the law
 Almost all the cloth was recovered, and ooka handed it over to Yagoro with these words "I examined Jizo Sama and he confessed the truth. The thief has been arrested and the cloth recovered. Take it back, but hereafter do not trouble Bud- dhist divinities when you want to sleep out of doors.'
 Finally the wise Judge summoned all those who had had to forfeit a tan of cloth. Tn consequence of the confession of Jizo Sama," said he, the thief has been arrested and the cloth has been re- covered. I therefore return you what you brought. Receive each one a tan. In return. however, you must carry back and put respectfully in its place this i'm age of the august Jizo Sama, whom now pardon"
 From that time the figure became known as the Captive Jizo, and stands to this day in the Honjo ward of Tokio as witness to the sagacity of Ooka Yechizen no Kami, the Solomon of Japan.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-26
Quail Sets Own Lea.
wilkes-Barre Pa., Special to Boston He

Wilkes-Barr Pa, Special to Boston Her
 aid.
 Hezekiah Yokuh, farmer living near Numidia, tells tale about quail set ting it's own broken leg, for which he vouohes. On the day the season ended he shot a quail He found that it had been hit before and that the shot had broken It's left leg. which had healed.
 He said te bird had used small quills from It's wings and had punctured tho flesh around the broken bone with those until the broken part was surrounded with them like splints, and that tfrss was so cleverly done that the break healed. Yocum says he showed tse leg to several hunters who were as surprised as he and are ready to vouch for the story.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-26
MARRIED IN HASTE.
Exciting Wedding of Young Minneap-
 oils Couple.

From the Omaha Bee.
 Everett williamson, 20 years old, clerk in the office of the Minneapolis and St. Louis railroad in Chicago and son or an official In that roads traffic department. on Thanksgiving day married MISS Jo- sephine Gordon, 17 years o'o. zol4 rort- land avenue, Minneapolis, after defyins her parents and outwitting the police, who had been set to stop him.
 willtamyon was a member Of the St- Louis roads staff while 1t maintained it. branch in St. Paul and was removed to Chicago when the branch was trans ferred. He had long known Miss Cor don. but her parents objected to their marriage on the grounds Of tneir youth.
 Without telling even 'iis orioe-to-De, williamson arrived in St. Paul, secured a license at the Hennepin county court house and called at the home Of the Gordons. He asked Miss Gordon to ac- company him down town and on the way thev met Miss Agnes Llndbonn, ol1 University avenue, whom they asked to accompany them.
 U,lliamson led the party to- the home of Rev. c. Reihle, TOO Eighteenth avenue, Minneapolis. a,a the girls. I would come nefe, ns are going to be married.
 .Married?" ouoth Miss Josephine, why, Everett, what do you mean? I'm not fixed up ,,,;,
 "oh. that'll be all right" soothed Will liamson. .a
 And the knot was Immediately ueo' with Miss Lundbohn as witness.
 The parents, suspectins. put pohce- ran on tho couples trail, but they go. away from him on a street car, the gates closing just as the policeman came puf- nng m He caught them down town afterward. however, and took them Co inc Central police station. where they told their story.
 They were held until Miss LunoDohn summoned post haste by prone, aIiixsu u,,th the marriage certificate from the nreacher. The parents and the police looked this over and the couple were re- leased
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-26
rax Cherry Tree.

From the New York Tribune.
 Ont in the shadows of Jamaica Bay and within the city limits a man by the name of Meacham owns bit oi property which is valued on the tax looks of the city at 50 cents, and every wear the tax assessors have to view if officially. This Is probably the smallest parcel on the assessment books in New York, if not In the world If ts a small cherry tree, standing about 1b feet above the water. Ac. cording to the law in these matters. the tax assessors must view the prop erty to be assessed Ion the spot" and every year they row out to the tree, and while there declare the tax of 50 aenks.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-26

Thompson what had become of the phren- ologist.
 "Phrenologist? repeated Thompson.
 Yes, that tall, dark complected man who reads heads
 "oh! Why, that's Bledsoe, the coffin man of Rock Island. Fine fellow. Did you ever meet himY'
 Yes, but I'd like to see him again. There's three of us here who'll give him a chance to use some of his own goods if he shows up."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-26

An innovation in charity performances was given at the Hackett theatre on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon, when Kate Jordan's new four act play, Mrs. DaSon," was produced for the first time in New York under the auspices of the Association for the Aid of Crippled Children.
 The play is strong one, but it was rather a poor selection for charity per formance, as the plot Is sombre one.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-26
Sure to Get a Seat.

From the New York Globe.
 See that woman with a crying baby who just came in and got seat from a man?" queried an elevated railroad passenger. "She's poOr--but, say, she's resourceful. Of course, any wonl- an carrying a baby is practically sure of a seat in crowded car; but this one takes no chs nces.
 "I think she must leave the kid st some day nursery in the morning and call for 1t at night. see her very often. and I've watched her. Every time she enters a car she pinches the baby and makes it cry. That attracts attention to her-and she drops into seat every time without moments delays !. Not very humane, iS it7 But think how clevev?"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-26
THEATRICAL NEWS OF THE
 WEEK FROM NEW YORK

Mrs. Dakon is young woman whose finer instincts are subordinated to her love of luxury She has tilted her ad- mirer. Lawrence Brundage and has married Dakon, rich widower with one daughter, Ruth. Dakon loses his money and Mrs Dakon finds herself unable te endure poverty in the small town to which they have moved from New York city. She leaves a note for her husband, saying that Brundage has taken her away and goes back to the metropolis, where she enters Brundagc's Washing ton Square apartment early in the morn- ing. It is here that the play begins, showing Mrs. Dakon endeayoring to per snade Brundage to link his fortune to hers. A telegram arrives announcing the suicide of Dalon, and Brundase, discovering how Mrs. Dakon has wreck ed her husbands career, realizes that he no longer loves her.
 The second act takes place. after eight years. Mrs. Dakon and her step-daughter Ruth have been living together with ev- cry comfort on means supplied to them by Brundage, without Ruth's knowledge. Brundage and Ruth have met abroad and Brundage has fallen In love with her. Rather than give up Brundage. whose love she still hopes to reawaken, Mrs. Dakon tells Ruth the story of her fath- CTS suicide, so perverting the facts as to make Brundage apparently responsible for the whole tragedy. Incidentally, she confesses the source Of her income. Ruth forces her step-mother to give up this money and come to live with her in Paris, where she intends to make her own living by painting
 Dorothy Doer interpreted the role of the fickle Mrs Dakon. and Janette Taylor played Ruth.
 Ruth St. Denis, Hindoo dancer at the Hudson theatre, proved such great at- traction that the management switched from matinee to evening performances last week.
 She Is the sole attraction of an entire evenings program, which is decidedly new venture. and spells well for this charming danseuse.
 Tn order to retain their rights to Miss Jessie Trimbes new three act comedy, 'The Wedding Day. the Shuberts gave 1t the initial production at matinee perfor- nance last week.
 While the plot is absurb, and deals with young lady who acquires beautiful jag the day before her wedding. there Is great deal in 1t that appeals to the mod ern New Workers idea of a drama, and when given a permanent home 1t will probably have along run. Willard Hoicomb's dramatization of "st. Elmo" was given its first production at the Academy of Music last Monday night, and will have a two weeks run.
 The enormous size of this playhouse furnished an opportunity to display the elaborate stage settings in the play. and the spectacular effect rivalled that of Ben Hur
 "St. Elmo" is a life-sized illustrated edition of the story condensed and adapt ed for dramatic effects.
 Vaughn Chaser, who created the title role headed the cast and was supported by Fay Courtney.
Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1909-08-19

active in behalf of improvements Tn his respective district, but he h"s never been found absent when mat ters of vital import to his state and the nation were being considered.
 Congressman Robinson ought Q prove even better congressman in the next few years than he has in the past although his services have not been open to criticism. His experi- ence has given him many ideas which might be put into effect from now on which will undoubtedly redound 70 the interest of Arkansas.
 Don't forget to stand by .Onr Joe
Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1909-08-19
JIG. Elder Finds Allegations Against Pine Bluff
 Man Untrue.
HE PROBED THE CASE
Federal Attorney Visited New Gas. cOny and Went Into Merits
 of Charges.

Little Rock, Ark. Aug. 1S.-John Clifton Elder, attorney for the Congressional Im- migration Commission. sent to Arkansas to investigate the charges on peonase pre-. ferred against Col. John M Oracle. the planter. through the Italian consn at New Orleans for two Italian laborers who were formerly on the New Gascony plan tation of Col. Oracle, has completed his Investigation of the case and has left the State.
 MT. Elder. who spent one day here last week. went to New Gascony, where he was present when Col Oracle explained to the Italians that they would be expect ed to complete their rental contracts or to pay him the difference he should lose if he were able to re-rent the land at a less amount at that time of the year.
 INVESTIGATE CHARGES.
 He also discussed the matter with Father Peter CongonZoliO. the parish priest at New Gascony. and with mum Der of Italian families on that place. II" went thoroughly into the charges prefer red against Col. Oracle and before leaving the place he stated to Col. Oracle that he was perfectly satisfied that there was no foundation for the charges against him and that this would be the tenor of his report to the Commission.
 This case has attracted much attention following. as it did, a sensational story published in Golfers Weekly. purporting to be the experiences of an Italian named Callas on a cotton plantation in Arkansas. Mr Elder took occasion to deny this story
 while here. declaring that it was full of
 serious errors This case had no bearing
 upon the charges against Callas but il i-
 said by some that the sensation caused by ) the publication of the story was partially responsible for the case attempted agains
 Oracle
 N~,-: