davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-10-30

things. First, it was applied to any number of coins; secondly, it described person reduced to his last coin, a mere obolos, the smallest piece of money. here. a poor man, an impecu- nious person. Thus has the word been passed down the ages. An "obolary Jew" therefore, Is a poor Jew. The reader will find Lambs use of the word in his Two Races of Men,
 I think l should modify a statement made above in reference to the word "obi." I suggested that it came from a Semitic source. The greater proba- bility Is, though it is speculative, that "obi" and "ob'' came originally from the same tongue, a language much old CT than Hebrew, for there are fndica- tions that Hebrew was a dialect of some widely spoken language quite closely related to the primitive Aryan.
 This leads me to consider the word Hebrew-as 1t applies to language. Tt means, as 1t comes from "Heber, the father of the Hebrews from beyond the river" or Jewellers among rivers" The rivers from whose banks the Hebrews came are supposed to be those of Baby lonia. They crossed the streams and came into a. land that, was to be their possession. The language spoken in Babylonia was the Akkadian, and that which ultimately became the Hebrew language may have been a dialect of that tongue though the Akkadians were non-Semitic. The Akkadian, perhaps. rose as dialect from the primitive Persian. and was conveyed to Babylonia by emil grants for there are traces of Persian and Akkadian in the Hebrew. Such words as "El, and Bel" or Bal" and ZAP in Hebrew, suggest the Akkadian language while the Hebrew 'capporeth, v verbal noun from ''capphor,'' meaning to cover, bears striking relationship to the Syrian and Persian word to ''over- law to .'conceal as with a cloth The African. word Kaffir, it is admitted, comes from the Aryan. In Persian it is' 'Kafir" the s'a' being flat. Popularly 1t is de- fined, an unbeliever,'' having reference
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-10-30

<<" HERE is that withholdeth
 more than is meet and 1t
 ! tendeth to poverty" said the great Hebrew humorist-ph philosopher. the Benjamin Franklin of the post exilic era I could preach moderately good sermon on that text to the Board of Revenue of Jefferson county, if this were a place for sermons. But the spirit of this page in Sundays paper is somewhat too severely academic to all low the ruthless introduction of con- crete and local applications or in stances Nevertheless, though I nomi- nally interrupt series on the weak nesses and incompleness of our civiliza- tion, and though I invade this so academic page with the buzz of practi- cal affairs, let me beg my readers to forget the naming of a board and re- member only that the buzzing is of a saw saving wood. Or, turning from metaphor, let us turn also from that august body of elected gentlemen who have kindly preferred their services as spenders of our money, and whom we have smilingly bowed to their official thrones In the too unhygienic basement of our too unhygienic courthouse. For these are not personalities but princt- pies that here are ventilated. Knowing, as all men know, that board can only advance at the pace of it's showest member, just as the strength of a chain Is that of its weakest link, and knowing that if the race were to the swift, our new mayor would far out distance our old machine, I resolutely turn to contemplate far horizons and to hear voices echoing even from the tall artificial cliffs and the deep artificial canons of New York. Far indeed from the madding clouds of dried spittle which whirl around the streets of Bir- mingham, confusing the county board with a haze of conflicting duties; past the alluring avenues of Washington, D. C., whose sins and whose reminis
 cences alike have interesting record. even on this page, 1 go all the way
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-10-30

1 New York had been chartered under the laws of Kentucky, and got into some lit- l igation that had to be tried in the fed eral district court for the district of Ken lucky. believe c. P. Huntington was interested E. w. stoughton was then one of the first lawyers of America, and he was sent down to Louisville to repre- sent the corporation. Marshall was on the other side.
 The New York lawyer had a perfect contempt for the court and the bar, and felt 1t an affront that he was selected to descend from New York with a revela- ton as to the law before such a tribunal and in antagonism with such an adver- sary. He was thoroughly disgusted and had not doubt that he would take captive the court and crush the opposing counsel.
 Marshall was as huge in physical bulk as he was gigantic in mental endowment. He consumed enormous quantities of food to supply energy to his physical and men tai constitution, with the result that when he was busiest he slept at least 10 seconds of every minute. He would ask wit ness question, go fast asleep. and in that state get the answer and retain 1t. Sunset Cox said that If Marshall got to heaven, the pearly gates would have to be widened.
 This trial was before Bland Ballard. | appointed to the bench by Abraham Lin- coin, and as great a judge as the coun- try had--if there was no politics involved. While Stoughton was speaking Ballard was seen to smile now and then. for well he knew what Marshall would do with the point. Marshall took 'cat naps'' the while, and thus fed the contempt the New York lawyer had for him. Stoughton spoke three hours. Marshall
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-10-30

congress-Blll Morrison or Sam Ran dall.
 West Is west and east Is east, And neer the twain shall meet"
 If Randall was democrat Morrison was not-just as we saw 1t later if Bryan was a democrat Cleveland was not.
 Morrison with the active aid of Proc tor Knott and Randolph Tucker pre- vailed and Michae c. Kerr of Indiana was chosen speaker. Kerr was very superior man and the father of post bellum tariff reform from the demo- cratic constitutional and honest view point of government. One of these days am going to write for this Savoyard syndicate chapter on the tariff that will make real democrat swallow his tongue to read. It will be the real stuff. Look out for 1t.
 Kerr made Randall chairman of ap- propriations and about the first thing Randall did was to offer a bill re- moving tho political disabilities of ev- cry man who had served the southern Confederacy. Blaine was candidate for President and there he saw his chance His speech In denunciation of Jefferson Davis was a waving of the bloody shirt simply nauseating in con- temptation of the graft he had profited by only while earlier.
 Ben Hill replied and his speech was so many daggers. What wonderful man was that Ben Hill! He was a John Calvin or a John Knox in the austerty of his logic. He simply played with Blaine, tossed him in the air, trampled him under foot How memorable he wasl How he did crush the man from Maine with the statistics of the sur geon general of the United States! !
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-10-30

asked who was the greatest lawyer, Web ster said he had several opinions, one for New England, where he named Jere- miah Mason; one for the District of Co., llumbia, where he would name John Mar shall, and one for the country at large, though he would not name the man, though it was plain that he meant Daniel Webster and he was not far wrong.
 "On form William M. Evarts was our greatest lawyer He successfully defend ed Andy Johnson in the impeachment pro- ceedings He successfully conducted the case of the United States before the Ge- neva arbitration court, and he gained the case of R. B. Hayes before the extra constitutional electoral tribunal.
 Judge Jeremiah S. Black declared Matt Carpenter our greatest lawyer and James B. Beck thought Judge Black the head of the bar, past, present and future '' But "O1d Ben" Hardin was as good a lawyer as any Of them. So were Elijah Hise, George Robertson, Allen G. Thur man, Judah P. Benjamin. William Wirt. Charles O'Conor, Samuel J. Tilden, John G. Carlisle, William Lindsay, and 100 oth- ers moulding Judson Harmon and Elihu Root, to say nothing of James T. Brady or Caleb Cushing. Where was there an abler lawyer than "Old Beast" Butler or Thaddeus Stevens7 Where Is there an abler lawyer than Joseph W. Bailey?
 Lawyers, like poets and generals, are born. He must have a genius for the pro fession, legal mind. Then he must have the genius for work and love for his job
 Perhaps there never was a greater law yer than Humphrey Harshall And there hv hangs a tale I shall try to relate.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-10-30

tllC dIdWDTluB0 I1IOuS4 IL Sed OI HE'LL from the business thoroughfares of the city, and away out in the dark waters, singing Longfellow's Bridge" and as.
 Streaming into the moonlight
 The sea weed fioated wide."
 we dip our oars and gather it up as a memento of this happy row on the Acush- net.
 The source of New Bedford's wealth lay In it's long being the chief seat of American whale fisheries. This industry was pursued there from 1755 with more or less success until 1854, which was its greatest time of prosperity. It was much damaged by Confederate cruisers destroy ing the whalers during the Civil war. It has now been entirely abandoned The city is, however, as prosperous by manu- factures There Is a line of steamers to New York and Martha's Vineyard.
 The first free public library in the United States was established in New Bedford in 1903. It is a fine building with some 5000 or 60.000 volumes. County Hawthorne and Orchard streets are dreams of beauty. Rows of tall old elm trees almost interlace above, forming an arch over the streets. When one looks up to them he recalls the lines,
 ''I used to think their slender tops
 Were close against the sky'
 Along these streets the residences are very handsome and their highly ornamen- tai grounds are charming to the eye.
 But we must take a drive through the open country some nine miles to Non quit, an offspring of New Bedford, and g.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-10-30

~ AMUEL J. RANDALL was the fifth
 man to hold the place of chairman o of appropriations. and perhaps he was the greatest man to whom the na- tional purse was even intrusted. How he got to be democrat is a mystery. He was a whig, and the son of a whig, v1ho worshipped Henry Clay. He was as mach of a protectionist as Pig Iron' Kelly, who. by the way, started out a free-trader and was converted to the dogma of debasement by Henry c. Carey. And that reminds: Maj. Gen. Andy Jack son, In his earlier career, was for the bank. and Henry Clay. in his national political incipiency, was agin' the bank. Webster was a free trader until 1928 and Calhoun was a protectionist prior to 1924. Salem had ships, Charleston exported rfce and there you are. The trail of the serpent Is, was, and ever has been, and ever will be, over all of us. But, thank God, Kentucky scorns duty on hemp that is, democratic Kentucky-and that idea Is promotive of public morals, for we need rope in this country to rid us of our scoundrels, who daily court the gallows.
 But to get back, Sam Randall was great man, very great man. Though he wore the blue in our big war. he was B democrat in Congress. He was a man of tremendous personal character and he would have made a great President, a dignity to which he certainly would have attained had he thought with his party on the tariff question.
 One summer night, years ago, I sat with "Old Bill'' Morrison till the sun was in the heavens next morning. We talked about all sorts of men and things, po- litical, and I felt that was In the pres ence and enjoyed the friendship of one of the greatest men then living. I had drank with him standing up at a bar
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-10-30

rose to reply, and in an instant with his grip of an Olympian deni-god he seized on Soughton's strongest argument, smote it with the club of Hercules, and 1t van- ished into thin air. At the end Of 10 minutes he closed, and during that time that great New York lawyer, ranking with the greatest jurists of the country, sat stupefied with wonder and amaze- ment. James Buchanan was not more astonished when he heard Ben Hardin.
 That night the late William R. Kinney, a fine lawyer and a delightful man, set spread before Marshall at Reefer's to see how much he could eat. He never, found out.
 Proctor Knott tells delicious story about how old Humphrey came to him for a compromise of a damage suit with Look here, Knott, your damned client is immortal; mine is liable to die any day. Save my feel'
 When Marshall argued his last case be- fore the supreme court of Kentucky, pre- sided over by George Robertson, as great lawyer as Marshall or anybody else, he said:
 May it please your honor the last tima I appeared before this august tribunal, it was to assert and to maintain that under the laws of this commonwealth a married woman cannot make d will In that contention I was disastrousIy de- feated in the learned opinion handed down by his honor. the chief justice, who pays me the compliment to listen to ma now. I am here today to declare and ex- pound the laws of Kentucky to be that a dead man cannot make a will, and how [ shall emerge from this litigation God Almighty in His infinite universality only knows"
 And he lost that case, too
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-10-30

Perhaps there never was greater law yer than Humphrey Harshall. And there by hangs a tale I shall try to relate. A big corporation with headquarters In
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-10-30

the drawbridge through sea of light from the business thoroughfares of the city, and away out in the dark waters, singing Longfellow's Bridge and as.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-10-30

"I used to think their slender tops Were close against the sky"
The San Francisco call., 1910-01-06
FINDS BUILDING WORK
AT PRISONS IS SLOW
Commonwealth Club Investi-
gates and is Dissatisfied

The commonwealth Club OF Cslifor-
MA. which has been investigating the
work Of constructing new buildings at
san Quentin and Folsom state prisons
has found that the work is proceeding
very slowly. The state Legislature In
saos appropriated nearly 100000 for
the construction Of additional cells at
the two penitentfaries. It is reported
that after nearly ave years the work
IS not nearly completed, and that there
win be no additional cell room until
1911.
The club has received conmunlca-
ton from the state engineer, who re-
ported that the work at San quentin
was being done in concrete and should
be finished in about z year. At Folsom
prison the work on the cell building
has been delayed on account OF wnat
are considered more imperative needs
Of the prison, the construction OF
wall and Of a building for the criminal
insane.
The president Of the state board or
prison directors stated TO the club that
nc work was being done by prison Ia
bor which was inefficient When the
cell buildings are completed there VIII
be 2.I00 cells in the two prisons and
probably $500 prisoners.
The San Francisco call., 1910-01-06
SHIPPING NEWS OF COAST
Items of Interest to Mariners
of the Pacific
So DiseaLeh 3 ~ Canl


PORTLAND, Jan. 5.-Fighting against a
strong northeast wind. the French bark sully,
Captain Blanche. arriving at Linnton from HO-
hart. Tasmania, yesterday. unanswered 15 days
OF the Oregon coast before it got favorable
opportunity q crossing into the Columbia river.
The bark was eS DAYS out from Hobart, iBclud-
u came in ballast and wiz load wheat for the
Tulted Kingdom. The vessel is under charter to
the Portland Touring mills company
From the mouth OF the Willamette the upper
Columbia is blocked with ice ana navigation has
heer closed on the lower Columbia hig ocean
steamships have been blowing up and down the
river every day, keeping the channel open and
The steamship Newport, reaching Astoris from
fhe CocuiIle yesterday. Il = ssid- viii not at
Tempt 10 come up TO Portland until the weather
after having been repaired and orerhsuled the
Government steamer Arago. operated by the
n.fed States engineers was launched from the
ways If The Supple shipyaros yesterday afteI-
I'sden win 100000 feet OF lumber. the Brit
fsl steamship Fozley viii be ready 10 SAL for
Newcastle n ,. y : tengffv" nlVfllus; -,
Operation Of drs sWbridges on the CoTlltz and
lewis rivers ~ signals has been ordered by the
war department.
r q Mills mate n the steamship Msckinsw.
s.eiqr for dumping refuse into the Willamette
4 rsr lie paid 4 SO fine in the municipal court
rTarhor Master Speer today ordered all bat
-a-od huiks and dismantled steamboats, removed
f-'m the public dock at the foot Of JEFFERSON
rect ComDlaint had been made mat tne west
draw Of the Madison street bridge was proceed
hy the ship boneyaro ana tne Ien0EAA vi TUG
vessels was ordered
ms ANGELES Jan. arrived: steamer
santa Rosa. from Ssu Diego; steamer PSsaoena.
rom Albion. steamer Doris. from Grsys Harbor (;
.tesrner s. moa from san Diego
sailed: Steamer Santa Ross. for san iran
efer-o. steamer shasta. for BellinShan; steamer
The San Francisco call., 1910-01-06
SALT LAKE IS OFF
THE FIGHTING MAP
Governor Puts CruSher on Hold
ing of J0hnSOn=JeffrieS Af-
fair in Utah

SALT LAKE CITY, Jan. SIT isn't
possible for that fight to take place
here and come within the law. / will
uphold the law if IT becomes neces-
sary."
With these words Governor William
Spry tonight swept aside all doubt as
to his official attitude toward the
Jeffries-Johnson championship contest
and disposed of the plan of the pro-
moter, Tex Rickard, to stage the fight
in Salt Lake city.
Up to the present time Governor
Spry has been noncommittal as to the
course that would be pursued if actual
preparations were made for holding the
big event in Utah. This attitude, he
tance to interfere in matters that
properly concerns the police authori-
ties. His statement to the Associated
Press is as follows:
The law is SO plain in this state that
only one construction can be placed on
it Itsis not at all possible for the
tight to take place here and come
within the law. The first responsible
ity. of course, would be upon the chief
of police of the city or the sheriff of
the county in which the fight is to be
held. I take-it those men will have as
much regard for the law as ] have and
will take action to see that the law
is enforced. But In my capacity as
governor of the state / will uphold the
law if II becomes necessary"
The contract under which Tex Rick
ard of Ely, New, is to arrange the ring
battle permits him to place it in Utah,
California or Nevada. He has an
nounced that Salt Lake would have the
first call on the attraction and left to
the businessmen of this city the dispo-
Sition Of the legal obstacles that might
intervene.
The last word, it has been under
stood throughout, was with the gov
ernor, and that word was spoken to-
night. With Utah eliminated as a
battle ground, San Francisco, it is con-
ceded, is most likely to be the meeting
place of the heavy weights for the
largest purse in the history of the
prize ring.
The San Francisco call., 1910-01-06
SANTA CLARA HAS
FAST TRACK TEAM
Young Athletes Report for
Practice Under Direction
OF Captain Rean1S
Especial Dispatch to The Call

SANTA CLARA. Jan. 5.-Baoe"
Reams. captain of the Santa Clara coll
lege track team, opened the 1910 seas
son here today, and from now on
keen scramble will be in order among
various competitors
With this, the beginning Of the Sec
ond season OF track team at Santa
Clara, Captain Reams will have all
kinds OF material at his disposal and
should turn out a squad in every way
capable Of upholding the red and white
During the holiday season additional
improvements have been made to the
local college track. and today all was
in readiness for the athletes
Hermann Budde. S. j.. athletic di-
rector at Santa Clara, has made.
among other improvements. an eight
lap mile speed track, for which a por-
tion of the inner campus has been
given over.
Santa Clara's track team will be
greatly strengthened this year by
George Zorb. who, 10 is said, Is a
gravel burner" over the leo and so
yard course.
Raymond Kearney will show up as a
point winner In the high jump class.
Last year the boy easily annexed first
honors in all the meets Santa Clara
participated in Several OF those
looked upon as stars for 1910 are:
Earl Askam. George Zorb. X.
Kearney, Wright Porterfeld. Rudolph
Swan H. Kelly. B. Fowler. Tony
Zanck, Hardin Barry and A Jacobs.
The San Francisco call., 1910-01-06
Marria,e Licenses

The following marriage licenses were issued
in San Francisco Wednesday, January o. ISlo'
A--NoCITA-Francesco Aragona, -,
1919 Kearny street. and Maria Nocita, "a,
40 Montgomery avenue.
BERG RG-SIMoN-Sigmund F. Berg, 50, 29o6
Bush street, and Eola G. Simon, 20, lal
Central avenue.
CHIPMAN-PARS0Ns-A ]. Chpman. "a,
Grand Junction, Colo, and Carrie NJ. Far
sons, 21, I2IT Filbert street
N-PoLLACH-Carl Cohp, 81, 1928 Web
ster street, and Leontine Pollach, is, S4l5
Twenty second street.
FRENCH-HOFMANN-- =. French. 81,
,2l00 Ellis street aud Amelia Hofmann, "a,
2243 Fifteenth street.
GREGoRY-CULLEN-S B. Gregory, 21,
and Jennie +. Cullen, 81, both of 4S9 Potrero
avenue.
McCRACKEN-Conuay c. Henry, 35,
Ala Edinburgh street, and Viola r. Nc
Cracken, 27, Sarcoxie, No.
O'BRIEN-ANDERSoN-- William f. o'Brien,
q, 2s11 Twentieth street, and Anna NJ. An
derson, &c, 914 Hampshire street.
A-GIoRGtE-wilism Passaglia, %,
and Emma Giorgie. 10, both OF Colma-
SCHMIERER-MOoRE-F K. Schmierer, &c.
3eI Seventh avenue, and Zola A. Moore, "a,
Berkeley.
THoDE-BAUER-Emi Otto Thode. %. 4f42
Twenty-6sth street, and Katherine NJ Bauer,
20, 1898 Treat avenue.
The San Francisco call., 1910-01-06
JUDGE MURASKY TO
GIVE DECISION TOMORROW
Ruling in Oceanic Steamship
Litigation Is Deferred

Judge Murasky's decision as to
whether he will be able>to preside per-
sonally over the taking OF dispositions
in the case of Rudolph and Gus Spreck-
els against the Union trust company.
the Oceanic steamship company and
various officers of the two corporations,
Is not To be given before Friday.
At the hearing OF the case Tuesday it
was stipulated by the attorneys for both
sides that the hearing might proceed at
once if Judge Murasky would consent to
have the dispositions taken before him In
person. This method would eliminate
threatened delay arising from the set
tlement OF questions OF procedure
which have been argued for several
days in his court Judge Murasky
promised TO consider the suggestion if
the time of his court would permit.
Pending the decision as to the con-
tfnuance of the election contest cases
now before him, Judge Murasky was
unable yesterday to determine whether
the time could be found for the taking
OF the depositions. He continued the
case until Friday morning.
The San Francisco call., 1910-01-06
Polo Teams Meet in Fast
Game at Riverside

RIVERSIDE. Jan. 5.-The second
game of the Southern California polo
and pony racing associations season
was played yesterday between mixed
teams of Riverside, San Diego and
Coronado players, under the colors OF
red and white. The reds won by a
score of to 3
The red team was made up Of Hill
lard Lett OF Riverside, No l; j. Hobbs.
San Diego, 10. ?; Preston d. Freeman,
Coronado, No. 8; ". L. Roberts, River
side, No. 4.
The whites we're e. Q. Mcvitty. Riv-
erside, No. 1 Cheever Cowdin, Coro-
nadO, No. 2; Reginald Weiss. Riverside,
No. 8; Tom Weiss. Riverside, No. 4.
Freeman scored five OF the reds
seven points,
Tomorrow the reds Will be matched
against a team composed of W. z. Ped
ley, Riverside, No 1: Harry. Pattee,
Riverside, No. 2; Harry Weiss. River
side, No. 8; Major c. G. Ross, San
Diego, No. 4.