davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-28

are applying the same principles though
there's much room for further application.
Their mothers, too, are learning the value
of good poultry stock and good milk from
a good COW. Intelligence concerning these
things is spreading with every newspaper
on every rural route. Schools are being
painted as to their edifices and equipped
as to their faculties. But the great origi-
nal heart of humanity is asserting Itself
in a still better way. The people are
learning to get together, learning their
common interests, discovering that reli-
gious dissensions base been a fruitful
cause OF social backwardness, and now in
Sunday schools and united REVEALS and
organized community of action for roads
and othed improvements, they are max
ing a common fund of knowledge and well
fare Events are marching with in
creased speed. Divisive interests, the de-
sire to make bigotry and separation the
social fruit of religion, the zeal for tradi-
tional names and sects and parties, all
these are. steadily giving way before adj
vancing intelligence. If the farmer can
get better prices for cotton or for
peaches by corporation IL his schools
demand cooperation, compulsory CO.
operation indeed, in order to serve the true
interest of one little boy or girl. how
much more will sympathetic relationship
improve the homes. the local politics. the
common health-fund, the fight against the
house fly, the detection of the hook
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-28
VIEWS AND REVIEWS-By J. C. Hidden, d. d.

reports of plots against the government
which are said to be of military ma
ture.
We trust that the young kings of the
two countries may have safe councillors,
and be given wisdom to act for the good
of their subjects in these confusing and
excitable times. The restless fanatics
and socialists of today seem bent on Civ
ing trouble and uneasiness to all govern
ments.
Not a few thoughtful speakers and writ
ers seem disposed to regard them as an
unmitigated nuisance. I need hardly say
that have no sympathy with the princi-
pies, nor with the practices of the sect.
Still there are reasons for hoping that
along with good deal, of harm-nay, by
means of the harm-which they are do
ing, they are unconsciously doing good;
for they are stirring up people to look
more earnestly and more clearly at some
of the great principles upon which civil
government and society must rest, If in
deed they are to rest at all, and not be
taton. The statesman who said: THE
price of liberty is eternal vigilance" knew
what he was talking about. Eternal Wig
lance is no easy thing,
The general tendency of the more solid
classes of the American people has, of
lute years, been toward apatnetlc lndlt-
ference to the general principles of gov
eminent. Great political and social prob
lens are ruled out of society" as too
metaphysical;' and thus they have been
turned over to the cranks and fanatics,
who have deluged the country with the
widest ''isms'' of the age. The social
lists are doing something in the direction
of waking us up to the Importance of
having some real knowledge of the func-
tons and the fundamental principles of
human government, and thus are doing
us real service. Besides, they are teach
ing us where not to go A steamboat on
the Mississippi was befogged and belated,
and the captain was anxiously seeking a
pilot who knew the river and could steer
him through the snags. A man came
aboard and offered his services. He did
not look promising and the captain asked
him: DO you know where the snags are
along here?' No" said the man, but |
know whar they amt, and thar's whar
I'm agon." If the captain had much
sense that pilot got the job.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-28

light of the world, and we appeal to
you for relief. AS freemen we object to
pay a tribute to fellow citizens" In Man
itoba Alberta and Saskatchewan gil
gantic delegations met Sir Wilfred with
the same fervent conviction and remon-
STRANGE. His response is noteworthy:
Protection is a great wrong, and
makes millions dishonest one with an
other. It makes the individual selfish
and inculcates the vicious principle of
expecting value where none is given"
Elsewhere he said, III l had my way I
would have free British tariff and he
promised to appoint a commission that
will work out a method of approaching
as nearly as Is justifiabe the trade policy
OF the old country, which Is a shining
example to the world
These utterances are pleasant music
to the English liberals, who gratefully
copy them in their newspapers. They
are as depressing to the protectionists as
can be imagined they sound the knell of
colonial preference" schemes, and they
do not find headlines In the tory press.
One liberal organ quotes from the Amer
lean magazine the experience of Chicago
man ''of small means" who, In order to
keep down expenses, has agreed with his
wife to eat less and talk more at the
table, Ten years ago they could have two
eggs apiece for breakfast. Now they have
half as many eggs, twice as much chew
ing and twice as much talk I suppose
the talk naturally turns on the intelli-
gence OF our economy, our housekeeping
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-28

on It at one time It is 25 feet wide
and rises one foot to every % feet.
When it was completed 1t was the Won
der of the world. There are scores of
a yelanche- protectors along the road,
tuilt of stone. They reach from the
mountain slope to the gorge side of the
road The very sight of these ava
lanche sheds has tendency to fill one
with appreh ension; for no one knows
at what moment there might come
laundering down the mountain side
vast fields of ice, snow, earth and rock;
and should the shelter itself be carried
away, which is possible, there'd be no
hope for a human being caught in the
astounding momentum of the Alpine
avalanche.
But to return to our journey. From
tie summit of the Simplon the descent
into Switzerland Is most rapid, for the
horses trot or galiop all the way
Should the pole, or a strap or a buckle
break the likelih God is that you'd be
dashed thousands of feet below.
Far away, miles distant and thou
sands of feet below the Simplon Pass,
one might see the Swiss village of
Brieg, dreaming the happy hours away,
ia the romantically beautiful valley of
the Rhone. 1t looks near enough, but
the road winds round mountain after
mountain, so that you cannot directly
approach 1t. But at last you are in
the village and in your hotel. You are
sh own to a clean, sweet room, from
which you emerge presently with a
keen appetite for your chops, potatoes
and coffee.
It's a long drive from Palanza, In
italy, over the Alps to Brieg, in swift
erland, but WEAKNESS Is forgotten as
one lies down in the snowy sheets after
such drive, and awaits the drowsiness
of slumber. For just outside the open
window there is the soft music of a
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-28

And range with humble livers in con-
tent,
Than to be perked up in a clustering
grief,
And wear a golden sorrow"
From the valley of the Rhone we jour
ney over the Tee Nolr Pass towards
Chamouni, in Savoy. THIS Pass is one
filled with danger, unless one has sure
footed horse, for your way leads along the
edges of abysses thousands of feet deep
The scenery is wild, rugged and aweful
We had to travel very slowly, and a
number of times we were obliged to leave
the vehicle and walk. so precipitous was
the road. At the Halfway house we
stopped for lunch, and here / saw num-
Der of st. Bernard puppies, as shaggy as
sheep and white as the SHOWS on the
Simplon. l asked the price of them and
found that I could buy one for the sum
of SO, which in the Alps Is a small for
tune As I was to travel through Ger
many and Austria, I could not take a
puppy much to my regret. As the sun
was sinking behind the hoary hills we
reached the Vale of. Chamouni.
Twenty thousand people come TO Cha
mount annually to see two marvellous OBJ
iects of nature, the Mer de Glace and
Mont Blanc. number of glaciers are
In full view from the village, but the
largest and the most wonderful is the
"Sea of lee The history of these
glaciers, or rather the history of their
formation, is this The winds coming
from the far south and moving In a
northerly direction, bring immeasurable
quantities OF vapor Snow, therefore,
falls In this section two-thirds of the year.
In the great gorges of the mountains 1t
becomes compact and forms an enormous
mass of green, white and bluish-gray ice,
which is called glacier. The sun falls
upon the glacier for so short a time
that it accomplishes but little in thraw-
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-28

Switzerland, The Netherlands and the
German empire signed a convention agree
ing to prohibit the manufacture, sale,
importation, or expectation of poisonous
phosphorus matches In 1908 England,
and in 1909 Austria, by parliamentary
act, established the same principle" As
a result of these acts and the operation
of Compensation for injurie s. acts it
Is expected that "phossy jaw will soon
disappear in all Europe. American leg
islation still tarries. but government In
vestigation has been made. and we may
hope that here also 1t will prove that
one may Hight cigar in ones own mouth
without necesstatlng the loss of some
poor human creatures teeth and the re-
moval of sections of his facet
In a word, getting together for the
common good is the new note of the
time. The friend of Industrial progress
may and will involve the sacrifice of
life and health. But we are learning
a simple first principle of economics.
that the industry which sacrifices life or
health is far more wastefu than it needs
to be- Men are worth more than the
costliest Improvement in equipment. Even
on economic grounds 1t cannot pay to slay
or MAIN human creature. Philanthro-
py urges their projections but 1t will be
wrought out In obedience to the sterner
intunctions of mathematical facts. Bus
mess economy and philanthropy are not
foes but twin sisters.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-28

worm, the destruction of the mosquito,
and above all, the public library, the
united church, the lecture bureau, and
some other things not seen as yet
have been interested to see the spread
ing use of those cheap adjustable fly
screens In rural windows Up on Sand
mountain a large proportion of the houses
are excluding parge proportion of the
flies. The next step is to quit breeding
flies.
BY way of conclusion to these notes
LEGATION Just to hand, the proceedings of
the first national conference on indus
trial diseases held In Chicago June TO-
this year. and issued by the American
Association for Labor Legislation. There
I read of how white phosphorus pro-
duces "phossy jaw" and makes hideous
innumerab1e toilers in the matchmaking
industry. There is a harmless substi
tute for white phosphorus, but 1t is more
expensive. Hence when manufacturers
were urged to disuse and governments
were urged to forbid the employment of
the dangerous chemical, each one cried
out that until all could agree to cut ii
out the Individual manufacturer or coun-
try was poWerless. But in 1904 the Swiss
government aided the International So
ciety for Labor Legislation in securing an
international conference on the subject.
"As early as 1906 the governments of
France, Italy, Denmark, Luxembourg,
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-28

ing the great ice fields. Yet they thaw,
but at the bottom. Then from time to
time the mass settles, sinking to the
now iceless foundation rocks. This sink
ing process, in the course of time, will
affect the whole accumulation of ice, for
In the course OF time all Will sink. But
the mass seems not to diminish, as 1t Is
supplied by the constant SHOWS. One OF
these gorges Is Is miles long and five
miles WIDE and this whole area is COW
cred with a mass of rough, glistening ice
that looks like a frozen choppy sea. This
is the Sea of lee You climb 1000 feet
before reaching this frozen surface, and
with amazement you look upon a wilder
ness of hummocks and sparkling PIN
naces of snow and ice, all surrounded by
pine. cedar and fir.
With hob-nail shoes on and an Alpine
stock in hand. and competent guide, you
can cross the frozen sea. Not far from
where you enter upon the ice there Is
assure three feet wide and bottomless.
Your guide leaps across 1t like a deer,
and extending his hand to you, bids you
follow. To clear the dark, deep chasm is
to be safe, but lead a few inches too
short might mean to fall headlong down
into the depths of a cold tomb. to be
seen some years hence Persons have
fallen into glacier chasms, and years af-
terward their bodies have issued from
the bottom of the glacier. being borne
on by the streams of the sub-glacier
thaws
In the year 1920 eight persons were en-
tombed In the crevasse at the foot of
the dome of Mont Blanc. In 1861, that Is
to say. over 40 years afterward. their
bodies began to appear at the foot of
the glacier. For Al years they had been
borne onward in their strange journey to
the valley below by the melting ice.
But I shall now leave the reader for
a week to enjoy the cool atmosphere that
surrounds the Sea of Ice.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-28

~ WITZERLAND is not an ideal coun-
try for a permanent home. 1t will
~ do very well for the summer, but
the climate is not comparable with ours
in Alabama for an all-the-year round
place of residence. Into the deep valleys
the sunlight falls, but for a short time
each day, while the desolate snow1covered
mountains surround you always. Winter
comes early and tarries for many months
During the long period Of cold and shadow
the Swiss peasantry sit by their log nres
and with penknives cut out of SOFT pine
fantastic tops, which are transported TO
this country and sold for a mere song.
The toys are made at time when nothing
else can be done, hence their low prices.
In the spring, upon the melting or the
valley snow, the cattle are released from
their winter prisons to Craze In the scaht
pastures. The pastures attain their hlgh-
est food value by July, and with the COM
ing of the bleak days of October the cat
tie are imprisoned again until the follow
ing spring. Should the summer not be
favorable to the growth of hay. the poor
dumb creatures greatly suffer during the
long dark winter.
Then. too. the dreadful windstorms that
sweep on down through the mountain
passes are indescribable. They rush and
roar, twist and turn, and are merciiess
in their resistless power In order to save
their homes and keep a roof over their
heads the Swiss people load the roofs OF
their dwellings with rocks. If l were
intent upon building a permanent home
In Europe I should not locate In swift
zerland, nor In France, nor even in Eng
land, bur I should select site Tor my
home in sunny Italy, near its great vine
wards of purple grapes, its groves of
oranges, lemons and apricots; near Its
long hedges of cactus and aloes, its thick
cts Of rose laurel, Its masses of geranium,
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-28

and far ADLER man than Pennsylvania
has had in public life since the retire
ment of jeremiah S. Black, half a CEN
fury ago
Pennsylvania has been a mendicant sup
ported by the south for full century.
She imports duty-free the pauper labor
of Europe to reduce the wages of her
working men, and puts prohibitive tariff
duties on importations of foreign mer-
chandise In order to sell at extortionate
prices her own products, the property
of her millionaires. Pennsylvania is rich,
legally So but 1t would be just as hon
orable, though not as legal, to get rich
robbing a bank or forging check, or
picking a pocket. 1t were equally as
decent to save money by welshing bet
as to grow rich by protective tariff.
And. speaking about statesmen, the late
Matt Quay was the ablest and most bril-
liant political boss even Pennsylvania
ever had. His forte was the shaking of
the plum tree" as he called it, when
he ordered his henchman. the treasurer
of the state, to lend public funds to
others of his henchmen, to employ In
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-28

its plains of barley, its broad fields of
maize, and where abounds spaghetti and
olive OIL
However, here we are in Switzerland,
and therefore let us make the most OF
it. This we can afford to do since 1t Is
now the golden summer time.
We have come into Switzerland from
Italy. On the shore of Lake Maggiore
there sleeps the little town of Palanza.
To the north, west and east the mighty
Alps tower away In their cold, lofty gram
deur and seem impossible, but we are
to cross them and reach Switzerland.
Having made our arrangements the night
before, we had breakfast about sunrise
in the street, before the inn. The morn
ing was ideal. The sky was tinged with
a faint pink light and cloudless, save
that here and there one could see a
fieecy speck of tinted silver that looked
like the down from off angels wing.
1t was about the first of July. We were
seated in the double-horsed diligence. the
driver cracked his whip over the horses
heads and we were off for the Alps, leav-
ing Palanza enjoying it's early morning
sumbers. By paying an extra dollar 1
got a seat on the top of the diligence.
under a leathern hood in order that 1
might get the best view possible of the
country.
We began almost Immediately to wind
our way around mountain gorges, up
through narrow passes. into and out of
little Alpin villages. BY noon summer
was gone and winter had taken its place.
Instead of vines, olive trees and lemons
cleaning through dark green foliage, and
air, we had around us great banks of
snow, and even now the snow was fall
ing.
We stopped for lunch and to exchange
our tired horses for fresh ones at an
Alpine village. Here we found some
ladies' from New York trying to make
arrangements to cross the Alps and get
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-28

into Switzerland. I offered my services as
interpreter; the arrangements were COM
pieted, and after lunch we continued our
ascent the ladies being in a diligence
behind us. No matter how fresh the
horses might be, from now on the stoutest
of them could do no more than slowly tug
upwards On and on we crept; higher
and higher; now we are travelling in the
clouds; the world is thousands of feet be-
low us; and though this is July day,
they snow is thickly falling and furiously
driven In every direction by the mad
Winds The higher we assembled, the wild
err the storm, and colder the air. Over
coats and steamer blankets were brought
into requisition.
While the horses were resting before
little roadside inn, I plucked wild flow
err, and, forming a vase of snow, l thrust
the stem of the flower therein, and pre-
scented 1t to one OF the New York ladies.
think of it, snow banks and wild flowers
growing side by side. At about o'clock
in the evening we gained the summit of
the Simplon Pass, on the Switzerland
frontier We are now 1000 feet above sea
level, and yet to your right, covered with
snow and ice, stands Mount Leone lift
ing his hoary head 5000 feet higher What
a scene Is this upon which we now look
An ilIimited expanse Of snow Mountain
range after mountain range falling and
rising like the waves of the sea, but all
white, cold, dreary, desolate.
While waiting for the horses to rest
before making the descent, let us learn
something of the road that we climbed
It is the Simplon Pass, and was built
by order of Napoleon. When Napoleon
said that he would turn his army into
the territory of Italy, someone said
"But, sire, the Alps."-sTo which he re-
piled, There shall be no Alps" SO he
built this splendid roadway 1t was
begun m 1900. and completed in six
years, more than 10000 men working
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-28
AND REMINISCENCE-B Sqvoyard

Then the Hon. Parsons damned him
self If he did not intend to have a COM
mittee of Congress to make scrutiny of
the charge and grant him honorable de-
nit from the Ananias club into which
Uncle Joe had pitchforked him and of
wi CHI Uncle Joe had made him presi-
dent day or so later the Hon. John
Joss2h Fitzgerald, the Tammany con-
gresSklaa whom the Hon. Parsons
charged with having negotiated the deal
damned himself If he. too, did not intend
to have an investigation of the charge,
or know the reason why.
Well Congress met before the winter
solstice, remained in session until after
the succeeding summer solstice, and ev-
erybody-Cannon, Parsons, Fitzgerald ct
al.-Yas as mute as a fish about the
"dicker" Gaynor had been elected, and
the public memory is short.
And Gaynor was elected. He Is made
In the mold in which Grover Cleveland
was cast. He is a strong man like jack
son, and he can hate like Dana. A law
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-28

vote for James Buchanan for President
of the United States in 1856. AS for cleo
tons all the boss was neeessitated to
do was to make acquisitions on the sub
bosses of Philadelphia and Pittsburg for
such majorities as were required to car
ry the state Quay was as much boss
of the alleged democratic party of Penn
sylvania as he was of the republican
party of the commonwealth. lie was too
shrewd, however, to take the whole dem
ocratic layout into camp; but when de-
cent republicans insurged against his
corruptions he always commanded just
enough support from his democratic
henchmen to save his bacon.
Pittsburg Is as full of millionaires as
Tophet is of folders, all tariff made plu-
tocrats-steel, glass, coal and what not,
the property of capital protected by law
and the cost of living thus enhanced to
the teeming millions OF the vulgar herd.
Andy Carnegie made half billion-that
is, $500, 00o, O00-out of the tariff, He was a
tax collector, but none that came to him
ever saw the treasury: and he is only one
of thousand tariff bloated plutocrats.
And this Is the Pennsylvania that sneers
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-28

Mark Twain says: "Iow curious and
interesting is the parallel-as far as pow
erty of biographical details is concerned
between satan and Shakspere. 1t is
wonderful; it is unique; it stands quite
alone; there is nothing resembling it in
history; nothing resembling it in romance;
nothing approaching 1t even In tradition.
How sublime is their position, and over
topping, how sky-reaching, how supreme
the two great unknowns, the two illustri-
Gus conjecturabilitiesl They are the best
known persons that have ever drawn
breath upon the planet?
Further on Mark Twain says Beyond
these details we know not thing about
him. All the rest of his vast history Is
furnished by the biographers is built up
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-28

yer, he will have no master but the law,
and he would defend the law even to the
sacrifice of his life. He will do nothing
that the law does not authorize, and he
will do everything that the law en1oins.
He is the greatest mayor New York has
ever had, and the greatest man to fill
that station since Dewitt Clinton re-
signed his seat in the United States Sem
ate to be mayor of the then village OF
New York compared with the mighty me-
tropolis of Gaynors time.
What a splendid President he would
make, but 1t is now an open secret that
Judson Harmon has the White House
pre-empted for the term beginning March
l. 1918 He will sweep Ohio in November.
and he will sweep the democratic con-
vention in midsummer, 1912. and the fol-
lowing November he will sweep the coun-
try.
Harmon, too. is a strong man, one OF
the mold of Grover Cleveland. At last
the democratic party is again democratic.
and when 1t IS in that condition 1t is in
vncible, irresistible.
p. S.-This was written before Gaynor
was shot.