davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-01-24
\ Word 10 ihG Railroads

In the way of criticism someone called attention the other day to the fact that the large railroad companies of the south had not advertised the sections which their lines traversed as extensively as the western railroads advertise the west. The criticism is just.
 While the Southern railway, the Sea- board Air Line, the Frisco, the Louis vile and Nashville and some of the other lines have done a good deal through their land and industrial de- partments toward building up "the waste places" far greater would be practical results If our railroads would advertise on large scale, just as the western roads have done and continue to do.
 James J. Hill, one of the ablest and most successful railroad men who ever lived, has done more to build up the northwest than all other agencies com bined- He not only directed the oper- ating of the Great Northern but 20 years ago he was giving his personal attention to agricultural and other re- sources of his section and was di- recting personally the advertising busi- ness of his company.
 Nearly all kinds of work are special ized in these modern days. It will pay any southern railroad we'll to expand in this matter of advertising; that is to say if the advertising department is handled with the same business-like : method that makes other branches of business profitable.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-01-24
No Naturalization In ManchurIa

Another fiasco has been added to the Knox list-this time in Man. churia. Philander Knox proposed to step over there and seize the railroads in Manchuria for the purpose of neu- tralizing them by letting the western robber nations carry them 50 years for China's benefit
 Instead of discussing the matter with Japan and Russia, who hold the railroads, MT. Knox laid 1t at once be- fore an astonished world. The result was not difficult to foresee. Japan and Russia decline to have their rail roads gobbled up by anybody. And as for MT. Knox's proposed north-and- south line, they have nothing to say. England will stand by Japan and France by Russia, and no nation is ready to get behind Philander Knox. The whole thing was flash in a pan.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-01-24
PERllS OF KISSING.

From the Baltimore Sun.
 Why do people kiss? The act itself is ridiculous as a spectacle and unsatisfying as an amusement. Its sole physical ac- compartment Is a feeling of suffocation, and on the psychic side if an unsuspected audience reveals itself. say, by satiric whoops and catcalls. It has none of the charm of other pleasures, such as sol- feggie, eating and automobiling, for ex- ample Kissing will neither build up the anaemics nor soothe the neurasthenic.
 But still it thrives, and no jeremiads on it's perils will ever work its abolition. The man who makes practice of kissing the fair sex is man attracted rather than repelled by danger. He knows that every kiss he steals is full of fearful hazards. The girl herself may black his eye, stab him with a hatpfn or call for the police, and then again she may choose to regard his idle favor as an offer of marriage, and accept him before he can escape. Yet again, her father or brothers, detecting his eyes gazing into her forehead, may rush in and hail him as relative touch- ing him for small loans, calling him by his first name and seizing extensively upon all the other familiarities which relatives in-law affect. Finally, the mother of the girl may knit him pulse-warmers and send him amateur remedies for his rheumatism and red nose. and her little sisters may giggle every time they see him.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-01-24
The New Comet.

Another comet. called African be- cause first seen by an astronomer on that continent during the last week, Is now in the heavens free for all-if they are vigilant,' said a well-known anna teur astronomer.
 Saturday evening was fair, and party of gazers went up Red Mountain to the Hon. Sterling A. Woods residence to gaze upon the new visitor. A small pot was promptly made up Tor the first discoverer among those present, and M E. Linnehan promptly pulled 1t down.
 'The comet was found to be northwest of line drawn from Venus to the horizon about 15 degrees from Venus. It has a nucleus about the size of second mag nitude star and tail viewed with earth- ly eyes about ten to fifteen feet long, slightly surved toward the southeast. The comet is so near the sun as to render long view impossible, and short view can only be had when there is clear sunset It can be seen shortly after 5:s0 p. m. and until about 615 p. m., when 1t is swallowed up in the horizon. Venus, the evening star, now at it's brightest, was visible some 15 minutes earlier than the comet; then Sirius shown forth in the southeastern sky, resplendent in it's blue-white light. Rigel and Betel- geux, the first magnitude stars In Orion, then came out. followed by old Mars. directly overhead, and Saturn nearby. It seemed that if there was comet, 1t was time to show 1t, and 1t now appeared, and the others were forgotten.
 "Halley's comet has been thrown in the shade by the new comet While the for mer was first seen September Il. 1sO9 by Professor Wolff of Heidelberg, its 500,0000O0 miles of distance are being com- paratively slowly negotiated. and It still takes telescope to see it. But It's path is as well plotted as a limited train, with no stops. However. the field is open, and the new one takes all honors. So far, 1t has not been named nor figured out; with an unknown orbit 1t comes un-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-01-24
From the New York Times.

From the New York Times.
 @ UTTER BURBANK. the ''plant
 V wizard" telegraphed reply to
 the New York Times yesterday to the criticisms passed on him recently It was pointed out in these that, accord ing to the official government bulletins, many 4sthornless eaetis were kHewH be- fore the appearance of the particular sfie which Mr. Burbanks friends say he ere- ated, and that the commercial expleita- tion of his name was causing much mis- giving in scientific circles.
 It was also noted that MT. Burbank is in the receipt of an annual grant of s1o,- coo for 10 years from the Carnegie insti- julien that he may pursue his scientific studies unhampered by lack of funds.
 This is Mr. Burbsnfs replyi
 '"To the Editor of the New York Times;
 Santa Rosa, Cal, January 17.-At tho time of introducing some of the first of my spineless cactus topuntias), nearly three years age, the following words oc- eupied the first place in the catalog:
 For more than to years have been quite familiar with thornless cactus of many species and varieties. In fact, one of the first pets which I had in earliest childhood was a thornless cactus, one of the beautiful eplphyllums.
 "The phylloeeetus and many of the cereus family are also rhernless, not a trace to be found on any part of tho plants CT fruit
 Thus the somewhat indefinite popular name of thornless cactus has been used by persons unaequainted with these facts, for be it known that thornless cactus is no more of a novelty than a thornless watermelon.
 ''But among the cacti. which grow to an immense size with great rapidity and which can be readily cultivated in garden.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-01-24
Publication of Time Tables

The public service commission in New York state believes the steam railroads should be compelled by law to print their time tables in the news papers. The commission says:
 No better or more ever-present means of making information readily accessible at all times and to all people has ever been discovered than the local news papers, which can always be found in every house and nearly every place of business. The commission believes 1t to be wholly reasonable to require the steam railroad corporations to use this means of informing the public and giving the public notice which the law justly requires. A notice which fails to reach those for whose benefit 1t is required Is in effect no notice, and a notice of train departure which is not available to one desiring to use the train is useless to that person It Is not thought that the eX- pense involved would be so great as to demand serious consideration. In numer- .ous and diverse cases where publicity is deemed essential the use of newspapers is required by law The custom for many years has shown It's utility in the case under consideration. The commission has not been able to satisfy itself that it has power to require the publication or local time tables in newspapers, and recommends the enactment of law re- quiring all operating steam railroad cor porations having a station in any village or city in which a newspaper is published, to publish in such newspaper or news papers a proper table showing the time of arrival and departure of all regular passenger trains at such station
 As things are conducted now the newspapers are either compelled to print the time tables at their own ex- pense. or else the traveller Is com pelled to resort to the use of the tele- phone before he goes to a train. The entire business of publicity of trains needs readjustment, and the public service commission in New York will probably set the pace for the rest of the country,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-01-24

therefore, mean no loss of vigor or gen- eral health.
 If the movement to reduce the con sumption of meat is to be of per manent value the housewife and cook in modest homes will be hard-pushed to find at once substitutes for meat three times day, It is done, however, in other countries. and it can be done here.
 While the government is applying the law of the land to the meat trust the people should bring home to it the law of diet, and between the two per haps the greed of this gigantic trust may be abated, despite the existence of the Aldrich tariff.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-01-24
BURBANK TO THE CRITICS

field or desert, no perfectly thoruless ones were known and very little interest was taken in the cactus of any Kind, either therny sr thernless, as te their agricultural or horticultural value, until the work of improvement was taksn up on my experiment farm and improved. Perfectly thefniess rapid-growfng var4e- ties have been produced and made known within the last few years.
 ''1'he facts in the case are too well known to need comment Let some one even now mention single absolutely therfiiess caetue of agricultural value pro- dueed by anybody or not produced on my grounds.
 'T am exploited, whether willing or not. and very much against my own wishes Does 1t pay to exploit commer- ciaily proposition which does not stand on a sound basis of character and value?
 Tt was mutually agreed upon and fully understood. both by the Carnegie insti- tution and myself, that I should have the privilege of supplementing their made quate aid toward the continuation of my experiments by the sale of my produc- tions as before.
 T am now past 60 years of age. I have done good work and no one is dependent upon my efforts. The grant brought with 1t more care, responsibility, correspond ence, and visitors and a full crop of envy and Jealousy, and but for the ad- vice of friends I should have dissolved my connection with the institution last year.
 Personally. have no desire for wealth or fame-a thirst for these is the root of many evils. My ambition has been to leave the world better for having passed this way.
 ITO be misjudged is a passing trife; to have lost a life of honest, earnest labor is a tragedy"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-01-24
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
British Political Issues.

''It is surprising to find so many people who do not understand the issues upon which the general election in Great BTU ain Is being fought out,' said F. L Monks' and judging by the number of people who are asking the question it would appear that the subject is interesting. Well. I will try to give the desired infef- nation in a few words.
 At the general election held in lse6 the liberals were returned to office with a ma jority of 60 over the combined forces ot the unionists, nationalists, laberltes anu socialists. The actual numbers of eaeh party were, liberals S65, unienists 16s, na- tionalists Ss, laborites bs, socialists l. From this 1t will be seen that the liberals had a majority of 197 over the unienists, and that the liberals, nationalists, laber' ties and socialists combined made ma jority of 3s4 over the unionists. The le- eral government took office with MT, As- aulth as prime minister and Lloyd George as chancellor of the exchequer
 During the four years the liberals were in office they passed an old-age pension bill which required about s15,ooo,0oO year, and the German war scare had to be met by the building of eight Dread noughts. As chancellor of the exchequer Lloyd George has to provide the money to meet these expenses and he proposed a tax on landowners brewers and wealth. The house of commons approved of his plan and adopted 1t by a majority of over 200. Then the bill went to tho house of lords and there 1t was defeated by majority of over 200, and 8 deadlock was the result. The remedy for this state of affairs was an appeal to the country and that brought on this present general elec- ton.
 At first it was the action of the lords that was made the issue, but now 1t Is free trade or tariff. The liberals are ad- vocating free trade and the unionists are advocating tariff. Revenue is what both parties want to provide. and the liberals would make the wealthy landowners and brewers pay 1t, while the unionists say they want the, foreigners to pay it. Evi- dently the unionist plan is the one that appeals to the English working classes, as the liberals have been swept almost out of the country. There are some side is- sues also at stake, but England has now come to the stage when free trade is to be replaced by protection. This week the result of the election will be known and the curtain will come down on the first act in what promises to be a great inter- national drama"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-01-24
A learned spirit, of human dealings.
 -othelo.
JaCk BaIlllger'S Jury

It was a mistake on the part of MT. Ballinger in particular and of the or ganization republicans in general, to exclude MT. Rainey from the jury box, simply because he has a knack of eliciting hidden truths. The official who is under fire should have de- manded the retention of MT. Rainey, but that is exactly the opposite of what he did, and the case will be tried before jury largely packed to white wash him.
 It was not creditable to Senator Hughes of Colorado and Senator Clarke of Arkansas to decline service on the investigation committee. They did not care to he troubled by it, and Senators Poynter of Kentucky and Fletcher of Florida were substituted two democratic non-eltities who will sign almost any report put before them
 There is, however, a possibility that Congressman James of Kentucky and Graham of Illinois will draw out some facts as they go along, and no one can write a report for them to sign. What is wanted is the true, full story of the way in which our national domain, es- pecially in Alaska, has been and is being handled, and Messrs. James and the matter in earnest.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-01-24
Hack and TaXlCsb Fares

Fares as well as baggage hauling rates must no doubt be readjusted in the greater city. but the readjustment should have one eye to the people while the other is expended on those who serve the people. As in many other subjects there is room here for a reasonable and just compromise, and the Board of Aldermen would do well to act with caution and broad sense of the fitness of things when they take up this matter
 It is matter that first or last touches nearly every family in the city, and it will never be settled until it is settled right.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-01-24
ABOUT BIRMINGHAM

Jackson Clarion Ledger: Police chiefs are to hold a convention at Birmingham. Didn't know the town was. so bad as that
 Huntsville Mercury-Banner: Birming- ham is to have large horseshoe mill. It is the logical point for such great industry in the south.
 Knoxville Journal and Tribune: Bir- minghamites are claiming that the census will show the population of their town to be not less than 130,000.
 Huntsville Mercury Banner: Birming- hams new directory will show that city to have 16l, GOO people with an abundance of room to grow many times larger.
 Knoxville Journal and Tribune: Bir- mingham is spreading herself to raise s20O,eoo fund with which to erect a build ing for the Young Mems Christian associ- ation.
 Columbia State: The International As sociation of Chiefs of Police will hold their next convention in Birmingham. From Birmingham they should never ad journ.
 Huntsville Democrat: Birmingham has been the scene of great activity among the storks. During December 1909, 101 births reported and 56 of them white; 34 boys and % girls.
 West Alabama Breeze Birmingham will ask, through Senator J. F. Johnston and Congressman Underwood for a new s1 ,O00,000 federal building. If any city in the south ought to have so costly a pub lie building. Birmingham is that city and we hope she will get it.
 Chattanooga News: Birmingham is en- gagged in the same kind of campaign The Business league of that city Is raising money to finance a campaign to bring more people and capital to Birmingham. In fact every live city Is doing something of this kind and it is all the more im- portant that Chattanooga should raise a, substantial fund for advertising and pro- motion purposes.
 Gadsden Journal: Birmingham philan- trophy Is running 8 race with itself. A New York expert has been secured to hold the stop watch on the community and see how quickly 1t will raise S2oo,- O00 for Young Mems Christian associa- tion building. Already half the amount has been subscribed and the goal prom ises to be reached before the time linn it set therefor, January 2s. The Magic City proposes to live true to it's title.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-01-24
From the New York Press.

From the New York Press.
 AN HILE we are waiting for the N~ action of the courts on the lit-
 " tie Duncan boy who was on parade in Broadway with no hat, his arms and legs bare, Tip submits that some chii- dren would be entirely safe with even less clothing than worn by the little Dun can chap. On the other hand there are children who might sicken. even die, from such exposure. Still other weakly ones might be made more hardy by par tial cold-air baths. But in any case IL seems taking serious chances, and such pranks may best be played by parents themselves rather than tried on pretty little innocents.
 Tip has . young friend or years old CT than little Duncan. Ever since birth this child has been little more than skin. bones and nerves. Two years ago the glands about his neck swelled, and the good family doctor said these were tu- beroulous. Another thing. there was some embarrassment of the heart, and veins in the face and neck were very often blue ana NlolDlc 1hS Shiio oeo Rooa ~~N slept only six or seven hours of the "A. His stomach could stand no medicine. Last July the mother was advised to take the boy to the seashore and expose him to the sun. But she went further than the doctors orders, and after two days the poor little wealxling had to be brought home, for the sun had so badly scorched him that he looked as if he might have been scslded with a pail of hot water. For several hours he was h fever and out of his head from absorbing tissues of his body which the sun had burned. After A month he was again taken into the seashore sun, but this time clad in gauge garment and big hat After few days he got used to the outdoor life, and was in open air or the water all the time. The swelling of the glands disappeared as by magic or miracle.
 This little boy may be. carried to the children's court any day, for he is now neighborhood talk. Bareheaded he plays outdoors in pair of shoes, short socks and a thin 47-cent suit of cotton. Dur ing the blizzard days Tip saw his little friend in the shopping district and all he had on for "afternoon dress'' were thin muslin undershirt and drawers, thin cot ton velvet blouse and knee pants, necktie, shoes and long stockings. His hat and
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-01-24
Reaches Bed-Roek Level.

Henry Clew's Wall street letter of Sat- urday's date says:
 "The downward movement in stocks re- ceived a fresh impetus this week by the sensational break in Columbus and Hook ing Coal and Iron. Other influences have been at work unsettling market confi- dence, hence the decline, which has been anticipated in these advices for some time past Values have now declined from to 15 points on the active stocks, while many of the high-priced issues have fallen as of 1909.
 "This is a pretty severe break, and as there are no important changes in funda- mental conditions it suggests that the market is approaching, if 1t has not al- ready reached, bedrock level Llquida- tion has taken place upon a very exten- sive scale, weak accounts have been elim- mated. unfavorable developments pretty thoroughly discounted and the bank sit- uation materially strengthened by the calling in of loans and strengthening of reserves. Last week a considerable addi- tion was made to reserves, and this weeks bank statement should make an- other favorable exhibit. The reserves. however, are still moderate considering forthcoming requirements, and need build Ing up. Already there has been a marked contraction in loans, amounting to about sl5O ,OO0 compared with a year ago. Currency is now beginning to return from the interior more freely, consequently the monetary outlook is improving; condi- tion reflected by the somewhat easier rates for both time and call funds.
 General conditions show little change. The severe winter is somewhat inter- fering with activity of trade, checking business operations and diminishing traf- ic in the interior. The January state ments of our large railroad systems are likely to make rather indifferent show ing, for earnings have frequently suffered by these Interruptions while expenses were materially increased by storms The iron trade is already feeling the effects of severe weather, many mills having shut down owing to lack of raw material, while railroads and contractors generally are deferring orders until the resumption of construction work becomes more feasi- ble."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-01-24
HARM osAN.

By Richard c. Trench. Now the third and fatal conflict for the
 Perslon throne was done. And the Moslem's fiery valor had the
 crowning victory won. Harmosan, the last and the boldest in- ' vader to defy, Captive, overborne by numbers, they were
 bringing forth to die. Then exclaimed that noble captive: "Lo,
 perish in my thirst; Give me but one drink of water. and let
 then arrive tho worst?' In his hand he took the goblet; but awhile
 the draft forebore. Seeming doubtfully the purpose of the
 foeman to explore. We'll might then have paused the bravcst
 flor around him angry foes With a hedge of naked weapons did that
 lonely man enclose. .z "But what fearst thour' cried he-caliph.
 lis it, friend, the secret blow? Fear 1t not, our gallant Moslems no such
 treachsrous dealing know. Thou may'st quench thy thirst securely,
 for thou shalt not die before Thou hast drunk that cup of water-thi1
 reprievs is thine-no more" Quick the satrap dashed the goblet down
 to earth with ready hand, And the liquid sank forever, lost amid
 the burning sand. tE Thou hast said that mine my life tS, Vln
 the water of that cup I have drained; then bid thy servants
 that spilled water gather upi' For moment stood the caliph a by.
 doubtful passion stirredy Then exclaimed: Forever sacred must
 remain monarch's word. ''Bring another cup, and straaehtway to
 the noble Psrsion give; Drink, said before. and perish-now.
 bid thee drink and Eve!'