davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-05-10
Better Than Canada

Up to 25 years ago a considerable percentage of the immigrants who landed in this country were ti'lers Of the soil and this desirable class, most ly Scandinavians and Germans, settled in the northwest. In recent year D comparatively few immigrants are farmers. Swedes and Germans that were easily attracted to America a generation ago now find fatherland good enough.
 But the time for filling up the great sketches of arabic land in Alabama with industrious developers was never more propitious than now. There is a steady tide of emigrants from the northwestern states to Canada. That section of British America lying north of the Dakotas is a great grain and grass country and is being filled up largely by the sons of those Swedes and Germans who settled in the wheat belt years ago.
 It Is a Gemonstrable fact that farm ing in the black belt of Alabama is profitable. It is profitable even when "carried on" in the old fashion way. With modern scientific methods-in- tensive farming and the like-it can be made to pay far better than does an equal amount of capital and labor applied to agriculture in the north west or in Canada. In the prairie stretches of this state cotton, corn and alfalfa and truck can be raised successfully on the same farm. The best land can be bought for SIS to s20 an acre and an experienced farmer can make it pay for itself-improve- ments included-in the second or third year. Some organized effort should be made without delay to draw the at- tention of such northwestern farmers as are headed for Canada to Alabama
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-05-10
The Stock Market.

Henry Clews, in his last Wall street review, says in part:
 During the past few weeks the stock market has undergone a considerable ad- vance. Some stocks are too high in view of their small returns to investors, while others are relatively low, having been neglected by both investment and specu- lative buyers As a result we are like ly to see more or less of the evening" up process in which medium grade in- vestments, especially the better class of preferred industrials, may receive in- creased attention.
 ''The industrial and commercial out look continues satisfactory. In the steel trade activity has been especially notice able, April proving a banner month for the receipt of orders Building operations are particularly active in all of the large cities, and this factor in connection with demands from the railroads for structural material constitutes the chief reason for improvement in iron ana steel Our rail- roads, 1t must be remembered, have been pursuing a policy of rigid economy ever since the panic; and, now that earn ings are improving and the money mar ket is easy, conditions favor not only the making of repairs which have been delayed, but also the carrying out of va rious improvements and extensions which had previously been deferred. In all prob ability the railroads will be large buyers of materials for some time to come, which will certainly be an important ele- ment in business recovery"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-05-10
TYPES IN WASHINGTON

The trusts are still making trouble for the people. wish you would raise your voice against the giant evil"
 Then, proceeding to the statue of Fulton, who. is represented as working on the model of his first steamboat, the little fellow would remark; "Ah, how dye do, Robert? l see you are still hard at work on your invention. It is time, Robert, you were taking up fly ing machines and automobiles. Steam boats are becoming obsolete"
 Next he would approach the hand some bronze statue of Gen. Phil Kearny and say: "Too bad you were shot, Gen eral. You are a gallant fellow and made noble fight to uphold the honor of the flag" And so he would pass from one statue to another, making a little speech to each. This queer fel- low was harmless, and the police never disturbed him, but curious crowds would gather and listen to him as he spoke with earnestness to the inani- mate figures of metal and stone.
 Another queer visitor to the capitol was well-dressed old woman who carried quart bottle filled with a doubtful mixture, which she wanted Congress to buy from her for the small consideration of $2,Ooo,OOo. This stuff she called her national elixir" and claimed 1t would perform miracles. It would make politicians honest, make the poor rich, give every member of Congress life tenure and spread pros perity broadcast over the country
 A natty little woman, who always dressed in deep mourning and who rep resented herself to be the widow of a Cuban patriot who was killed during the struggle between Cuba and Spain, was another frequenter of the capitol during the sessions of Congress. She claimed to be in poverty, and succeeded in securing cash from representatives. and senators until her true character became known. It finally was learned that she was an adventures from New York city. Thereafter she was re- fused admittance to the capitol
 There was young man who visited the east front of the capitol daily to witness a most marvellous performance which was never enacted. On the cen tral portico Is a. large statue of Colum- bus, holding aloft in his right hand the atlas Ca great round marble balD. Op- poste Columbus on the plaza, about 200 yards distant, is a colossal statue of Gen. George Washington, represented as Roman senator and seated in broad chair The young man had been in- formed by some Joker that promptly at noon each day Columbus tossed the big marble ball to General Washington who caught and held it until 1 o'clock, when he tossed 1t back to the great discoverer. Of course, no such ball. tossing occurred, but the young man faithfully kept his vigils until a capi- tol policeman convinced him that he had been hoaxed.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-05-10
Liuuor Taxes.

"One frequently hears the remark in the south, The saloon is doomed, not only in the south, but in the entire country" said s. M. Moffet of Washing ton, D. C. "It may be that the saloon will be voted out and kept out of all the southern states except Louisiana; but the consumption of liquor is about the same.
 "The only trustworthy liquor statis- tics come from the treasury department at Washington. During the last fiscal year, ending June 30, according to the report of the commissioner of United States internal revenue, there was an actual increase in the number of re- tail liquor licenses issued, and an in- crease of s234,000 in the collections for beer stamps. There was a decrease of $6,OO0,o00 in stamps for whisky and other alcoholic beverages; but this was accounted for by the industrial de- pression, for in 1903 when business was dull and uncertain there was like fall ing off in whisky stamps.
 "In the quarter ending March 31, the total receipts of the government from the sale of liquor showed an increase over the same quarter of last year. Prohibition may spread, but drinking goes on somewhere"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-05-10
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
PhYslclan Kicks on Noises.

'It might be well to remind those good people engaged in the work toward a | City Beautiful that something ought also be done toward abating useless noises" said well known physician. Every morning about o'clock some of the fur mace whistles blow two blasts of from three to five minutes each. Some time ago one of them was timed and it blew two blasts of five. full minutes each. Now this noise must be useless. Coming thus in the dead waste and middle of the night it so thoroughly drives away all thought of sleep that even church yards would forget to yawn while trying to think of something vigorous enough to say about the uselessness of thus tor turing the taxpayers for two miles around.
 "Also the cars near Highland Circle during a period of IS hours out of the 24 make noise that for pitch, timbre and uselessness are not exceeded by any thing else in this metallic district or course in going around the circle the cars pitch and tumble about good deal necessarily, but in a straight stretch like  Eleventh avenue, between Nineteenth and Twentieth streets, there is no reason why the company should not put down few rails here and there in the worst places. It would be better for the pas sengers better for the people who live around there and who would like to get in a little sleep before 1:So a. m., and after 5:so and it would surely be bet ter for the cars.
 q am sSvare there are wheels made and advertised for going overland, but when all is said and done, car wheels last better that run on rails part of the time, at least. Of course l know the company at this time of the year has a lot of work to do on It's streets, but I hope they will bear in mind that some of them would die before they got used to sleeping in a boiler factory, many o fthem would die before they got used to it. and hope the company will think about these few suggestions
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-05-10
Studying the Wilderness Campaign

The officers of the Washington War college, about 100 in number, are to ride over Grants Virginia campaign, including the gory battlefelds of the Wilderness, Cold Harbor, Petersburg and the closing scenes of the war. They are to study it as they ride.
 The Wilderness and Petersburg cam paign of 1S64-5 was one of the most strenuous of the entire war. It was hard fighting from first to last and there was nothing disgraceful in it. It is not generally understood. In a 12 months, beginning in May, 1864, Grant moved against Lee, who had but 61 ,O00 men in the Wilderness. He could not drive Lee from his position and then he moved off by the left flank At Cold Harbor he attempted to break through the Richmond defenses, and ASlc dSdiu uS WdS ISPuoSu Wllu nSdNy loss. The flank movement was con- tinued until Petersburg was reached, and there long siege was begun. In April, 1865, the reinforced army of Grant carried the Petersburg lines, and Lee retreated southward with perhaps 30,O00 men until the end came at Ap- pomattox courthouse.
 The total losses sustained by Grant in this 12-months campaign extending from the Wilderness to Appomattox is put by Capt. Frederick Phisterer of the United States army in his Statistical Record for the Civil War" at S1,735 men. It is doubtful, indeed, whether Lee had all told that number of men.
 The campaign was the chief one of the entire war, and 1t deserves all the study that impartial men will give it. The entire story should be graphically presented for the use of the general reader.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-05-10

above e5OOo at the rate of S.S9 per cent.
 Ever since 1S42 England has collect ed an income tax. It has been as low as two pence per pound, and the pro- posed rate would be the higheCt ever imposed in a period of peace.
 English taxpayers are, however just They know they should bear just pro- portion of the cost of government. Things are different in this country. Here a combine is formed to levy all taxes on the masses of the people, and the masses are powerless against this combine. In no country of the world is wealth so aggressive and so grasp ing and so unjust as it is in this coun- try The Aldrich tariff bill, and the Aldrich refusal to bring in an income tax, show what wealth dares to at- tempt in this country and how power less indeed the masses have become But the hour of the latter will have come when a new House of Represen- tatives is to be elected next year.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-05-10

"The death of Mrs. Augusta Evans Will son revives memories of other days, U said a professional man.
 Those of Us who are above 50 years of age recall with what eagerness we read Augusta Evans novels. l was small boy when Beulah was published, but I well remember what interest it created in our home circle. My mother read it aloud to the grown ones of the household and frequently the reading would stop in order that the merits of the story might be discussed St. Elmo, Vashti and Infelice were in great de- mand and everybody read them as they came out. When I grew up I read nearly all of Augusta Evans books. I greatly enjoyed the stories then. One or two of the novels will repay a second reading and I am now Just about to read Beu- lah again.
 q never had the pleasure of meeting Mrs. Wilson, but like countless thou sands of her admirers, I lament her death."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-05-10
Our Banana Imports

This country imports and consumes annually 40,O00,O00 punches of ba- nanas, and if those punches were evenly distributed every man, woman and child in the land would get half a bunch a year. The United Fruit con- pany, a concern made up of Boston magnates, brings here about S5 per cent of the immense Import, and New Orleans handles more of these bananas than any port in this country. The in- dependents handle about 3,500,000 punches year in the customary com mercial manner. The banana trust on the other hand grows a good share of its bananas and owns the ships it uses. And yet it is only 10 years old.
 This $5OOOO,O0O concern owns vast plantations in Central America and Panama and Colombia and in the West Indies. It has more acros in Costa Rica than in any other country, although its holdings in Cuba are large, and also in Panama It builds it's own railroads, and it already has 419 miles of track. It is a growing, prospering concern, and in the course of 10 years to come it promises to rival the Stan dard Oil in profits as 1t already does in the percentage of business trans acted, both drowing the line at S5 per cent. The independents who are not content with total of 15 per cent are marked to be crushed out altogether.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-05-10
SEEK BURIED GOLD.
Many People Watch Excavation at
 Dayton.

Cincinnati, May 9.-The work of exca- vating for the structure for St. Francis church In Dayton, Ky, a suburb is being watched by large portion of the popula- tion of the town, who expect the work men may dig up pot of gold which tra- dition says has lain buried under that site since the raid of General Morgan and his band of Confederates, near the close of the civil war.
 The old homestead was famous as an underground station for Confederate refugees. As the story goes, there was subterranean passage leading from the house, and 1t Is here. the passage having long since been filled up, that the treas- ure is supposed to be.
 The money was left there, it is said, by Confederate spy by the name of Cald- well, who had been sent north to pay the troops of General Morgan, then in this vicinity. He stopped at the McArthur residence and his presence being disclosed he secreted the gold, said to amount to several thousand dollars. and escaped, in tending to join General Morgan, the lat ter being killed in Tennessee about the same time.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-05-10
Shed Lustre on Tennessee.

"One of the great men of the south passed away when Judge William Frier- son Cooper died in New York last week. said a member of Birmingham's Ten nessee colony. 'He was formerly jus tice of the supreme court of Tennessee and was one of the states greatest jurists He was the author of Cooper Chancery Reports, an eminent authorl- ty on chancery practice and all through his long life he shed lustre on his pro- fession.
 Judge Cooper was tutored at Yale by Alphonso Taft, father of the President, and was appointed by Jefferson Davis to the supreme court of the Confederacy, which, however, never convened.
 "5udge Cooper died wealthy, spending his last years In New York to be near the great libraries. He was brother of Col. Duncan B. Cooper
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-05-10
INcoM E TAX.
Some Interesting Figures From Great
 Britain.

Washington, May 9.-A report which constitutes an important contribution to current discussion of the proposed income tax is made to the bureau of manufact- ures of the department of commerce and labor by Charles M. Pepper, the special agent who has been Investigating fiscal affairs in Europe. MT. Pepper says that for the fiscal year ending March 3l, 1909 the revenue from the income tax in Great Britain was $165,00O, 0oO This tax in 1908 was the greatest single source of reve- nue excepting the excise imposts by $1,50o,- 900 and the customs receipts by $23, ,O00, GOO.
 Incomes under $500 are exempt from the tax and graduated abatements are al- lowed on incomes between $500 and $2500 The lowest rate in the last half cen tury has been a fraction over l cent on s1. Since 1898 the highest rate has been about 30 cents to the s5. In 1907 the yield was $159. 100000, as against s90,000000 in 1S99 Every year reveals incomes pre- viously covered up.
 MT. Pepper shows that the principal source of the tax comes under the group of businesses and professions and par ticular properties such as railways, ca nals and mines and foreign and colonial securities. The next leading source of revenue Is from profits from the owner ship of houses and lands.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-05-10
AMATEUR GAMES.
Three Events of More Than Usual In.
 terest.

New York, May 9-Three events of more than usual interest were on the card at the amateur games of the Monument Athletic club at Celtic park, L. l., today Harry Hillman of the New York Athletic club met and defeated Melvin W. Shep- pard of the Irish-Amerlcan Athletic asso- citation by a margin of barely three feet in a match race at 800 yards. The time was 1:17 3-5
 In the final heat of the 1oo-yard dash, scratch, George Eckman of the Acorn Athletic association, Brooklyn. defeated Robert Cloughen of the Irish-American Athletic club by few inches. The win ner's time, :113-5, would be a new rec ord but as a strong wind favored the run ners 1t will not stand.
 A 15-mile semi Marathon race wound up the programme, in which there were 50 starters. James J. Lee, formerly of Bos- ton, but now a member of the Mercury Athletic club, Yonkers, won by more than 200 yards, with Charles Muller of the Mohawk Athletic club, New York second. The winners time was :26:57
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-05-10
Immense WarShipS Wanted

Germany, Russia, Great Britain and the United States are striving to build more and larger Dreadnaughts, and Japan and Italy and France and the lesser nations are striving to keep in the procession, even if they cannot keep up with it.
 Strangest of all, Austria proposes to become a sea power, although she has only two good ports She is to build seven Dreadnaughts instead of four. Austria has not at present any sea rating, but she starts on an almost even footing with the other nations simply because the Dreadnaughts have disqualified all the lesser ships so far as the fighting line is concerned.
 This new burden of the warlike na- tions is heavily felt, especially in Eng land, and 1t was England that first de- vised the new Dreadnaught class. These modern ships are extremely ex- pensive, and the life of one does not much exceed 10 years. The new war equipment goes on among the foremost nations and yet it is an affront and a libel on their boasted intelligence and civilization. Germany is the chief of fender, and all the other nations are striving to keep the Teutons from be- coming masters of the sea.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-05-10
Washington Cor in New York Press.

Washington Cor in New York Press.
 A HE great white United States
 0 capitol building is sort of
 central magnet of great power which attracts many queer people from all sections of this broad land. Capt. J. P. Megrew, a Union war veteran with splendid record, is in command of the capitol police force, and the pecu- liar people who flock to the big build ing come under his observation.
 Away back in the 7Os, before Captain Megrew became chief of the capitol police, the tragedy of the dome" oc- cured. A young Catholic priest, who had become demented from overstudy. ascended to the platform just below the Goddess of Liberty, more than 259 feet above terra firma. He was observed to walk around the dizzy-heighted bal cony and gaze at the capitol city spread out far below like map. Suddenly he mounted the iron railing and, without uttering a sound, the unfortunate man plunged headlong into space. His body went whirling downward and struck the copper roofing over the rotunda. He then rebounded and went down to the plaza below. When picked up, in the language of an old capitol employe, the body twas as flat as a pancake" Every bone in his frame had been broken, and 1t was necessary to strap his remains to a board plank to convey them to an undertaker's
 FStatuary hall is one of the most in- teresting apartments in the capitol. It contains the stone and bronze statues of a numebr of Americans, dis tinguished alike in war and peace; famous generals. statesmen, explorers and iplomats-contributed to the gen. eral government by the several states, each state selecting its most illus trious sons. Included among these statues are those of George Washing ton and Thomas H. Benton of Missouri; Daniel Webster and General Starke of New Hampshire, Robert Fulton, in ventor of the steamboat, and H. H. Muhlenburg of Pennsylvania, Ethan Allen of Vermont, Cass of Michigan, Gen. James A. Garfield and Allen of Ohio, Roger Sherman of Connecticut, John Jay of New York, Richard Stock ton and the dashing Gen. Phil Kearny of New Jersey Abraham Lincoln, Gen. eral Shields of Missouri, Jacques Mar quette. the priest explorer, Senator Kenna of West Virginia, and Clinton of New York.
 During the recent sessions of Con- gress Statuary hall was visited daily by a queer little man who spent sev- eral hours on each visit addressing the statues. He finally became known to the capitol policemen as "the little statue man." Approaching the figure of General Washington and raising his hat politely, he would say: Good morning, George. I hope you are well today.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-05-10
Financiers Make Agreement.

Pekin, May 9.-The British, French and German financiers have come to an agree ment with reference to the Canton-Han- kow railway loan, which the Chinese government awarded recently to the Ger mans, whereby the British and French are admitted to participation. The Ger mans also have withdrawn from the con- struction of the road and will have no part in controlling the expenditures. In return for this concession the Germans will have share in the Hankow-Sze wen railway loan of $12,500, o00 At the joint proposal of British, French and Germans, the Hankow loan has been raised to $27.500,000.