davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-08-25
WHERE JOHNSON WROTE "RAS-
 SEIASv

From the Westminster Gazette, London.
 Staple Inn, where an alarming crack has appeared in the brick work of the outer court, seems so called because orig inally a hostel of the merchants of the wool staple, and has for "arms" wool sack. It has been an inn of chancery since the reign of Henry V, and in the spacious days of Queen Bess had 145 students during term and 69 out of term, a larger number than any other house of chancery. The much admired Holbein front, one of the oldest existing specimens of our street architecture, dates from the time of James I. pr. Johnston re- moved hither on the breaking up of his establishment in Cough Square, and wrote from her to telf-Miss Porter that he was "going to publish little story book" This was "Rasselas," which he wrote Tin the evenings of one week" to defray the expense of his mothers funeral. In the peasant garden behind the inn are two small service trees, said to have been planted about that period.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-08-25
Improvement in the Iron Market

After many weeks of waiting the pig iron market Is showing signs of improve ment. It has been exceptionally dull When 1t struck bottom a month or more ago an early reaction was expected in furnace circles but the reaction did not materialize. On the market reaching bot tom it seemed pretty well satisfied with its position.
 But the Iron Trade Review of Cleye- land, a conservative authority, af last notes a marked change for the better. Orders for large pig iron tonnage are coming from the central west and this business alone lends animation to the market, and the ending of the long strike against the Amefican Sheet and Tin Plate company further contributes to the improvement of the situation.
 The iron market has a way of declining rapidly after heavy buying movement; and it also has a tendency after period of inactivity to move up briskly when 1t once gets a good start. The improvement now chronicled does not mean that the market will soar in the immediate future It may take little time before 1t be. gins to climb above s11.5o or SIP. But tht important fact is that an upward turn is in sight.
 In the Birmingham district everything has been active this summer except iron And with a prospect of a healthy reviva in that product industrial life hereabout: should soon look as bright as 1t did il
 the great prosperity summer of 1907.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-08-25
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
North Not south, Provincial

|
 T like northern people," said William P Reed, sales manager of the Grassell I Chemical company. T am southern borr and southern reared, but l am an Ameri' can and all Americans look good to me but the more I travel in the north, the more impressed l am with its provin- clalism as general proposition My northern friends refer to southerners as being provincial and that always gets me stirred up because l know the reverse is true.
 T was travelling extensively in the north with my family this summer We stopped some time at Chautauqua and enjoyed life there was one of a party of about 20 gentlemen representing all sections or the country, who met daily to discuss cur rent topics. All these men were good fellows but l was struck with the ig- norance of the northerners when 1t came to discussion of southern matters. One
 gentleman from New England, when asked If he had been south replied in the affirmative. On being asked, What part of the south? his reply was, Wash ington city
 "A northern man lntrOuuCeu Hle tO e' man from San Antonio, who was to be- come a member of our debating club; and with the introduction he said; I thought you two would like to know each other as you live near together
 "'Yes,' l said, I am delighter to meet this gentleman from Texasc, but San An tonic and Birmingham happen to be about 1o10 miles apart
 One day when one of the northern men spoke of the south's provincialism I said, My friend, when open the morn ing paper in Birmingham I read about all the important doings of the world. l read in detail about your northern politics and other live matters and thus keep myself informed as to what is going on away from home. On the other hand, when pick up a large northern daily and look for southern news I find only small item or two under one line head, unless It happens to be a lynching. The south, my friend. is less provincial than any part of our country"
 Mir. Redd said that he and his family enjoyed their travels, but that they really got tired of vacation, and being home sick for Birmingham they returned ahead of time.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-08-25
Regarding Our EX-PreSIdentS

It used to be that when a magazine writer ran out of subjects he discussed the question, What shall we do with our ex-Presidents? Many interesting articles under that title have appeared It became quite a live question after General Grant, who had served eight years as President, met with business reverses as a member of the stock broker solved by Congress passing a special act placing him on the retired list of the regular army with the rank and pay of general.
 That act met with little or no opposi- tion, for Grant was the hero of the north and as for the south, 1t felt very kindly to him. But that case was peculiar and Ahere was never any serious thought of Congress making a general law to take care' of cx-Presidents; yet periodically the question has been mooted, chiefly through the medium of the weeklies and monthlies.
 Some writers have taken the ground that the dignity of the presidential of- flee called for his retirement to private life on adequate government pay. Others have suggested that the ex-President be made a life member of the Senate; others still that he should sit in the cabinet in an advisory capacity. Only the other day 1t was proposed that the outgoing President, as commander-in-chief of the army and navy, should be retired as such with large pay.
 The average American has an idea thai our ex-Presidents, as rule, have taker excellent care of themselves without tht least sacrifice to their dignity. Ruther' ford B. Hayes, who, by the way, was on' of the most business-like chief magis trates this country has had, retired tt his farm in Ohio and lived there in com fort and tranquility-that tranquility which so admirably suited his quie tastes.
 President Cleveland was a good lawyer .rd he did not consider it derogatory tt hfs high standing for him to engage 1T professional work after he had served as the head of the nation. President ,a .A. united state. and yn quitting 'h'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-08-25


 From the New York World.
 The project of historical society to erect a statue of George III in Bowling Green to replace the one torn down and melted to make bullets for the continental soldiers marks the present climax of the craze for the preservation of historical remains. Sentimentality of the sort could not much further go than to set up a new effigy of the monarch whose name was anathema to the patriots of the revo- lution. Apart from other considerations, is not the fate of the Andre monument erected by Cyrus Field at Tappan prec- edent and a warning against such ac- ton?
 Later historical research has redeemed many smirched regulations, and no doubt George III had a better side than that seen by our revolutionary forefathers. But what occasion there Is to make amends at this late day for the act of lese- majesty to his leaden statue is not apparent The absence of the statue, like the missing portrait of the traitorous doge of Venice, is far more eloquent of the nations great past than modern memorial could possibly be. A new ele. ment would be added to American humor | by the sight of detail of New York police guarding a statue of the young nations traditional foe from outbreaks of superheated patriotism.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-08-25
Official School Census

Jefferson county contains. by official count, 65,so4 children of school age-7 to Il years; and this compared with the number enumerated two years ago-6O, s<-shows an increase of 5Ss2. The num- Der of children of school age multiplied by 31k gives approximately the total pop ulation. Three and a half times 60042 equals 21o,147, which was about the num- Der of inhabitants in the county in the summer of 1908; and three and half times 65. .so4 equals 230, 664, which is about the county's present population. This is rapid growth.
 In 1890 the county's population was only ss, 600; in 1900 1t had increased to 10000. and if the official count in the next cen sus does not give the county a population Of 23OOOO 1t will not be far short of those figures. No county in the south and prob ably not more than two or three Tn the United States will show such a phe- nomenal rate of increase.
 The greater part or the increase in Jefferson countys population since 1908 has been within the present limits of Bir- mingham; all of which would seem to Justify the largest claims made by Bir- mingham optimists. If the county's pop ulation Is 2So,ooo the city of Birmingham Is, by an estimate on the most conserva- tive basis, about 14O000.
 The census may not give us more than 1s0,o0o, but if so, the smallness of the agures will be due entirely to the lack Of cooperation on the part of our citi- sens. Atlanta got a full count because everybody in that town felt an interest and the people gave practical evidence of civic pride
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-08-25

mourn O. Henry's passing. In each or these cities have I worshiped him with the rest. We humbler wielders of the fountain pen and the Remington have sat in the local room after the paper had gone to press and discussed him and his tales-we have talked or him and them in Tony Canuso's spaghetti parlor-we have analysed his latest yarn In the Blue Inn on our day or.
 We laughed when he told us or the man who substituted the slab or glass for ice to keep up his contract for artificial refrigeration in the trop- ics-we held our breath when the old ph ysician in the revolutionary zone bought the liberty of a condemned cap tive with Confederate money-and who will say that tear did not come some- times to the strongest of us when we read of Elsie in New York-of the five dollar -a-week shop girl-of starvation in the skylight room-and the other heart things which concern the Four Million?
 "The world Is richer and better for what o. Henry has done. The stories ne mas l6lI us Will Ilsiht us HlcIo lltNt the optimists we ought to be-they will teach us to be braver and kinder to our fellowman-for they have torn away the dark curtain that concealed from so many of us theSlives that the oth CT half live"
 Mir Porter once wrote a story about "the ve-dollar-a-week shop girl who fell" In the midst of the narrative he tells of dream in which he died and appeared at the gates of heaven.
 You don't belong here," said St. Peter.
 "Yes, I do,' insisted Henry.
 Why" queried the saint at the gate, aren't you the New York department store owner who hired shop girls at s5 a week?"
 Not me-" answered the new arrival indignantly. I'm only the man who set fire to the orphan asylums"
 And the dreamer awoke with the im- pression that he had passed inside the gates.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-08-25
Mobile in the Census

Mobiles census population is 51,521, an increase of 1so52 over 1soo-a fraction more than B per cent Its estimated pop ulation as 1t appeared In the last World Almanac was 7O,oOo. Mobile Is one of the most prosperous cities In the south, and it has a great future. Like New Or leans, our Gulf City should grow rapidly after the opening of the Panama canal Tn the meantime 1t makes a fair showing in the census, but not so good as if all it's people had been found and counted. In that respect Birmingham and nearly all the cities in the United States would fare better in the census if they had looked after the work of enumeration as closely as Atlanta did. The Georgia metropolis was slated for 10000 and got 154,s39.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-08-25
AROUND THE WORLD

From the Washington PoSt
 The viceroys of Kiang-Sou, of Kiang- SJ of Kiang Haei. and of Ngan-Hoie in China have issued a proclamation for bidding baby girls feet to be bandaged. The proclamation says that 1t pains a mother to bind her daughters feet, 1t sacrifices health for beauty, and 1t makes young women incapable of work, forcing many to live in poverty
 A French sailor married a young wom- an in Crete. As the wife of a French man she had to be provided with dot. The dot in this marriage consisted of two postage stamps of the Isle of Mauritius, extremely rare which the Frenchman will lingly accepted. He was amazed, how ever, to find from an expert that the stamps were worth $SOOO
 During the last four years the tigers of India devoured 4000 human beings. In southern India one animal alone is known to have killed and eaten 200 people be- fore he was trapped.
 The report of the consul general of Hongkong announces that last year China exported more than 100000 pounds of hu- man hair. This hair was destined to hide the badness of the ladies of Flu rope and America. Statistics show that among women over 90 years old there are only nine out of every hundred who do not wear false hair Happily, China comes to the assistance of the other 91.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-08-25

White House he plunged into hard work and practiced law up to the time of his death. Nothing else would have suited him so well. And now having come down the list to Colonel Roosevelt, 1t is seen that he knows full well how to take care of himself. He had no business, trade or profession until he became a contribu- ting editor. But unlike most of his pres idential predecessors he revels in notorie- ty. He enjoys the spotlight and he un- derstands how to get In it and stay in it.
 The people of this country would re- gret to see any ex-President harrassed for the want of sufficient income to live well; and should 1t ever happen that a retired executive actually needed retired pay. Congress would not hesitate to pro- vide it. But no law making the ex- President a life senator, ex-officio. so to speak. would be workable. Neither would it be in keeping with our institutions to make the ex-President a retired com mander-in-chief The custom observed all these years will not be and should not be changed.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-08-25

Seventeen, son of Looy the Sixteen and Mary Antonette"
 You! At your agei No You mean you're the late Charlemagne; you must be 600 or 700 years old, at the very best.
 Trouble has done it, Bilgewater trouble has done it; trouble has brung these gray hairs and this premature balditude. Yes, gentlemen, you see be- fore you in blue jeans and misery, the wanderin', exiled, trampled on and suf- ferin' rightful King of France."l
 It didn't take me long to make up my mind that these liars warnt no kings nor dukes at all. but juSt low-down hum bugs and frauds. But I never said noth- ing; never let on; kept 1t to myself. it's the best way; then you don't have no quarrels and don't get into no trouble If they wanted us to call them kings and dukes, I hadn't no objections, long as 1t would keep peace in the family; and it warn't no use to tell Jim, so I didn't tell him. If I ever learnt nothing else out of pap, I learnt that the best way to get along with his kind of people is to let them have their own way.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-08-25
FISH DYNAMITERS
Stocking of North Carolina Rivers Is
 Baked By Wholesale Slaughter

From the Louisville Courier-Journal. In remarking on the fact that the United States fish commission has placed several millions of speckled trout in the mountain streams of North Carolina, the Asheville Citizen says:
 'Unfortunately, the enterprise of some residents of that section has been baked in the past by the destructive and pirat- ical tendencies of others, and the fish that has been put out have been slaugh- tered wholesale by the use of dynamite and other explosives"
 This is another evidence of the destruc- tive inclinations of some of our Amer ican people, and 1t shows what a tremen- dous campaign of education will be neces- sary to impress the masses of our citi- zenship with the importance of conserva- tion. It will be of little avail that the fish commission has stocked these noun tain streams if the people of that section of North Carolina allow the dynamiters to pursue their work of destruction at their own sweet will.
 The use of dynamite destroys practi- cally all the fish In the vicinity where the explosions are made. It kills thou- sands of small fish that can be of no possible use to the barbarian who re- sorts to such ruthless and reprehensible methods. North Carolina has a fish and game commission, and also has laws against the wholesale destruction of fish There Is likely to be an opportunity fol some prosecution that will have whole some effect
 States which have adopted stringent measures for the protection of fish and have made vigilant efforts to enforce the laws have found 1t to be a paying policy. The whole of western North Carolina is to some extent a health and pleasure re- sort. Good fishing adds largely to the popularity of such resorts. and the people of Ashevile and other interested towns will find that it pays to suppress the dyn- aniters.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-08-25
The Tuberculosis Camp

"The hearty response that is being given to the call for aid in the support of tuberculosis camp by the people of Birmingham is most commendable. said the Rev. pr. George Eaves yes terday.
 Tt has been clearly established that fresh air. wholesome diet and good san itation are the best factors in the treatment of this grim disease. It is as little as the people can do to help provide these necessities for the un- fortunates.
 The camp should not only prove beneficial to the patients who avail themselves of its advantages but 1t should be a good object lesson to all the people of Birmingham emphasizing the value of fresh air and good sanf- tation.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-08-25
FASHIONABLE COLoRs
'om the Sartorial Art Journal.

From the Sartoral Art Journal
 Grays will undoubtedly form the major part of the seasons business of most merchant tailors, although blues will fol-
 low close second and browns will pos- sibly be the exclusive coloring. Grays form the very basis of business always. if the tints are gloomy and the feeling Respondent. darkish grays predominate.
 In prosperous times the demand runs toward lighter and more cheerful grays. It is probable that this falf and winter
 will see many quite Iikhf srays and
 more black-and-whites than ever before in history. %xvss
 Gray effects are obtainable both by a combination of black and white and of dark gray and black They have. a twill effect either straight or diagonal Some times a colored thread Is Mtroduced, either green, red or dafk blue, but the best favorites are pure gray. Blues, of course. are staple, but browns are beyond
 probability the exclusive coIofIng, warm, rich and ruddy in appearances and very
 handsome and taking. More, browns of
 the new shades will be sold than possibly ever before. Some of them take on the
 soft tones seen in the varying pluniage of many game birds. These are all the
 rage in Paris, where they are called chan ticleer. colors. r. Kings mourning, black ground with
 tufts of white, and in fact all of the
 black and white combinations. have been
 brought into further popularity by the en- forced mourning necessitated by the death of King Edward, while the reputed favor shown by the new King toward navy
 blue has recently brought that color into prominence.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-08-25
Jackson, Miss, Aldermen Here

For the purpose of securing data upon the paving in use on Birmingham streets Aldermen II. Kimball and R. w. Maxey of Jackson, Miss. spent yesterday in the city.
 The visitors were shown over the city by officers of the Bitulithic company. The aldermen inspected the company's plant, located here, and watched the process of manufacture. It was stated that Jack son would probably award contract for s5O,000 worth of new paving soon. In speaking of Birmingham Alderman Kim ball said:
 From what I have seen I think Bir- mingham one of the best towns that have ever visited. I see most progress sive spirit evident in your citizens and the method of doing modern and perma- nent work bespeaks the eye for the future that is possessed by your officers. am simply carried away with your wide streets, many of which surpass any that I have ever seen. Highland avenue think is one of the most magnificent boulevards that can be found in Amer ica."
 The visitors returned to Jackson last night
The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-08-25
MONOTONOus.
THE DUKE OF BRIDGEWATER
By Samuel L. Clemens Mark Twain) fl

By Samuel L. Clemens (Mark Twain) in
 "Huckleberry Finn" Chapter XIX. ~ NE of these fellows was about 70 or upwards and had bald head O and very gray whiskers. He had an old battered-up slouch hat on, and greasy blue woolen shirt, and ragged old blue jeans britches stuffed into his boot tops, and home-knit gall luses-no, he only had one. He had an old long-tailed blue jeans coat with slick brass buttons flung over his arm, and both of them had big. fat. ratty- looking carpet bags.
 The other fellow was about 90 and dressed about as ornery After breakfast we all laid off and talked. and the first thing that come out was that these chaps didn't know one another.
 "Gentlemen," says the young man very solemn, q will reveal it to you, for I feel I may have confidence in you. By rights I am a duke!
 Jim's eyes bugged out when he heard that; and I reckon mine did, too. Then the baldhead says, No! you can't mean it?"
 "Yes. My great grandfather, eldest son of the Duke of Bridgewater, fled to this country about the end of the last century to breathe the pure air of freedom; mar ried here and died, leaving a son, his The second son of the late duke seized the title and estates-the infant real duke was ignored I am the lineaf descenoant of that infant-I am the rightful Duke of Bridgewater; and here am I, forlorn, torn from my high estate, hunted of men. despised by the cold world, ragged, worn, heartbroken and degraded to the com panionship of felons on a raftr'
 He said we ought to bow when we spoke to him and say, Your Grace" or My Lord," or Your Lordship"-and he Bridgewater, which he said was a title anyway, and not a name; and one of us ought to wait on him at dinner and dc any little thing for him he wanted doness> We'll, that was all easy. so we done it. All through dinner Jim stood round and waited on him and says, will yo' grace have some O dis or some O dat?' and so on, and body could see 1t was mighty pleasing to him.
 But the old man got pretty silent by and by-didnt have much to say and didn't look pretty comfortable over all that pet ting that was going on around that duke He seemed to have something on his mind. So, along in the afternoon, he | says: Look here, Bilgewater,' he says "Im nation sorry for you, but you ain't the only person that's had troubles like l that"
 "NoT' "No, you ain't. You ain't the only per. son that's been snaked down wrongfully outn a high place.
 "Alas!'
 "No, you ain't the only person that's had a secret of his birth," and by jings he begins to cry.
 Hold! What do you mean?'
 "Bilgewater. kin I trust you?" sayi the old man, still sort O sobbing.
 ITO the bitter death! He took the old man by the hand and squeezed 1t ant says, 'The secret of your being; speak,"
 "Bilgewater, I am the late Dauphin!'
 You bet you Jim and me stared thin time. Then the duke says:
 You are what?"
 "Yes, my friend, 1t is too true-youl eyes is lookin' at this very moment or the pore disappeared Daughin. Looy thu