davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-09
The Bright Future

It has often happened that the spring of the year has witnessed com- mercial inactivity. This is one of the springs when business throughout the country has been less active than usual. But to offset the industrial in ertia the whole country is coming face to face with bumper crops. Every section of the United States has req son to expect large harvests in the autumn. The south certainly has every reason for counting on abun- dant crops.
 No matter how business may have been in the past few weeks; no mat ter how dull it may be during the next few weeks, prosperity will be in evil dence before midsummer.
 Most of the railroad companies were bit grouchy on the adverse de- cision of the Interstate Commerce commission regarding the question of advancing rates. Had the petition of the railroads been granted there would have been an immediate boom no doubt. But as the matter turned out shippers and consumers were benefited, and so was the country at large. The decision of the Interstate Commerce commission made for con- servatism. The railroads have ad- justed themselves to the decision and just as soon as the fiscal year ends all the important transportation lines will be in the iron and steel mar ket for needed supplies.
 Moreover, the railroads must begir without delay to get ready for hand ling the expected large crops. With their present rundown equipment il would be impossible to handle any thing like an average crop; and SC long as the crop outlook is exception ally bright it behooves the railroads to place larger orders than usual.
 The last half of this year will prob ably be as brisk from an industrial point of view as the first half has been quiet and slow. While all the blast furnaces may not be in opera. tion in July the probability is that there will be few idle stacks as late in the year as October.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-09
Colorado's Deadlock

The Colorado legislature, which now stands adjourned without day re- mained deadlocked to the last minute of it's existence, and Colorado will be represented in the Senate for two years by Guggenheim alone, a repub lican. If this case does not induce patriotic citizens to support the plan for the direct election of United States senators then nothing will.
 The democrats had 66 votes in the legislature and 51 votes would have elected a senator. The deadlock was caused by the fact that the machine candidate, Mayor Speer of Denver, had 29 pledged votes, and the rest of the democrats were compelled to sup port Speer or continue the deadlock. They preferred the latter. Before the people acting directly Speer's chance would be nil, and Colorado will be pretty sure, crooked as it's politics is, to turn to direct elections as the best remedy in sight.
 The direct election proposition has come from the judiciary committee of the Senate bearing a favorable in dorsement, and the chances are ex- cellent that the proposition will be sent to the states for ratification. When the constitution is amended in this respect as well as in respect to an income tax even Congressman Victor Berger will have to admit that there might be worse instrument.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-09
The CIiuch Rifles

"I expect to leave Tuesday for Augusta to attend a reunion on May Il of the sur vivors of the Clinch Rifles on the oc- casion of the Both anniversary of the en- listment of the company into the Con- federate service, which occurred at Ma con, Ga May Ii, 1s61," said Maj. W. J. Miner ''The survivors now number about il or 12 out of a total of about 13o. The company, being recruited as 1t was from the best social element of Augusta, was enc of the finest companies in the ser vice. It was enlisted as Company A in the Fifth Georgia regiment, of which John K. Jackson, also of Augusta, was colonel.
 Membership in the company was equivalent to being at a military school, and there was scarcely a man in 1t who was not qualified, so far as his knowl- edge was concerned, to command reg inent. It furnished from it's personnel many officers to other commands to which they were transferred for that purpose. was among those so transferred. An uncle of Mir E. W. Barrett was a mem- Der of the company, and his father was at the time of it's enlistment, an officer in Company c of the same regiment. He was later promoted to a position on General Hardee's staff"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-09
PAINFUL APPRECIATION
the New York Times.

From the New York Times.
 never knew until the other night how many different ways there are to offend ones neighbors at the theatre" the noisy man said. q liked the play I saw that night first rate, and maybe I clapped my appreciation pretty hard. After the first act the woman in front of me called an usher and gave him instructions that he seemed reluctant to carry out. She was insistent, however, and presently he said:
 Well, I'll try
 His trying brought him into communi- cation with me.
 "'The lady says he whispered, that if you must applaud, please don't hold your hands so close behind her ears. She has had earache for a week, and you make her head hurt
 q did not applaud behind her ears after that I did not applaud anywhere. Maybe the play was just as good, but there was no fun holding my hands under the seat to clap. so .he actors had to get through the rest of the performance with out encouragement from me-"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-09
Farestry OneratiOns

Marked economy has been effected by the Pennsylvania Railroad company through it's tree-planting operations and nursery, according to the report for the year 1910, issued today by the forester of the company" said a local railroad of ficial "This report also shows that since the company undertook forestry work on a comprehensive scale more than 100000
 trees have been set out. Last year alone 6i7, 3SS trees were set in permanent loca- tions on tracts of land adjacent to the company's right of way.
 "The forestry operations of the company extend to all points on the lines east of
 Fittsburg and Erie. During last year $50 acres of idle land were set out in hard
 wood and evergreen seeding trees SUD-
 piled by the companys own nursery at
 Morrisvile Pa. There were 200,Oo0 trees planted on several of the conipany's prop
 critics at Altoona, 49,1s9 in the vicinity of Mt. Union, 93,7Oo near Martic Forge, 65,500 at Newton Hamilton, 62,249 at Petersburg, 36. 100 near Middletown, 12,0O0 at Vineyard, 10000 at Ryde, 27,75O at Rambo, 5000 at
 Conewago, $500 at Kinzer. 17,25O at New
 Brunswick. N. J.. and S5,10o at Parkton,
 Md.
 There are S2ia acres of land at Nor risville, Pa, devoted to nursery pur- poses, which afford a capacity of 1,000,0 trees per year To replace the seeding trees transferred last year to their per manent locations required the planting of 26e bushels of acorns and 116 pounds of "a 0ta1 output of the company's nursery during
 the year was 766,924 trees. The stock on hand at the nursery at the close of the year was nearly 1,5o0,OOO forest trees vary ing age from months to 1 years, and
 137,2 200 ornamental plants.
 Indicative of the scope of the Penn sylvania railroads forestry operations
 the largest ever undertaken by any cor pcration-is the following table showing the planting done in the last nine years: Number of trees planted 13,e10 in 1902,
 43, 36i in 1903, 223,656 in 1904, 597 165 in 1905, sol oa5 in 19o6 44s.226 in 1907, 3oo,53O in 1908, 1.o54,0l0 in 1909, 6l7.S3S in 191O This is a total of 4,O99,524.
 with a view to beautifying the lawns
 around stations and unoccupied places along the roadway, much attention has ! been paid to the growing of ornamental plants and trees at the company's nur- | sery. To save much of the time required ! to grow these from seed there were inn ported from France during the year. 41 ,69s deciduous ornamental plants 5490 confer ous ornamental trees and 107, ,9}5 coniferous forest seedlings. These were placeu !. l beds at the nursery and will be ready for | transplantng this year.
 fin addition to growing ornamenta : shrubbery and trees for it's future require
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-09

Barra would be permitted to serve
 out a term of nearly six years is a
 matter of the future. De La Barra is
 generally acceptable, but the country
 really wants a new and real election.
 It has not had real election since
 Diaz became president. A real cleo tion followed by a score of political reforms is what the country needs in order to render pacification assured and well-founded The present dis content grows largely out of graft and the persecution by jefe politicos of the weak and humble, and changes must come if the country is to be- come peaceful and prosperous.
 No doubt the fear of intervention has been a factor in restoring peace to Mexico. All Mexicans felt that in- tervention meant a loss of real inde- pendence, and neither side could es- cape the effects of this fear. The Mexicans want no assistance from this side of the Rio Grande, and if Diaz speedily sustains his manifesto there will be none, and our troops will be wheeled back the way they came. The veteran chief will be as good as his word, for all but three of the thirty-four Mexican states are known to be full of discontented men ready to become revolutionists on brief notice.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-09
President DiaZ's Manifesto

The expected has happened. Presi- dent Diaz, who was born in 1880, has accepted Revolutionary Leader Ma dero's primary term-he says he will resign as soon as peace is restored. As his resignation was all that stood in the way of peace that condition is assured, and so is Diaz's resignation. He has been the executive head of his country since 1884, and he surely has had enough of supreme power.
 The course of events in Mexico is still, however, somewhat uncertain. President Diaz's manifesto does not mention or refer to a new election. Vice President Ramon Corral is in Europe, an invalid, or at any rate an alleged invalid. Ne is thoroughly dis trusted by all revolutionists in Mex leo. He has ever been a sycophant of Porfirio Diaz and he was named by him for vice president. He has an eight months leave of absence, and if he is not in the country when Diaz resigns Minister of Foreign Affairs De La Barra would become president. Whether provision would be made for . new election. or whether De La
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-09
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
Well Received

T am glad to see that the First Ma tional bank of Birmingham is to issue a comprehensive review of business condi- tions early in the month. re1ecting not only the local situation but general trade throughout the United States and crop prospects throughout the south, especi- ally in Alabama" said a prominent eiti- zen.
 For many years Henry Clews' Satur- day review has been awaited with inter- est from one end of the country to the other. Mir. Clews is an educated and ex- perienced f1nancier He has been success full in a large way and his opinions have far-reaching effect. The financial and commercial review issued by the First Ma tional bank, while only 8 monthly publi- cation, will have an important bearing on business in this part of the country, ana will, of course. be looked forward to with avidity. MT. Harding, the president or the bank, who prepares the review, has not only a turn for statistics, but lew men in the United States have the faculty of relating and assimllating large facts In business and finance so clearly as he The First National banks initial review dated May 1. covers in few paragraphs large range of subjects. Among the striking and suggestive sentences round in the review are these:
 "'Business men should bear in mind, however, In making plans that any gen. eral revision Of the tariff by the present Congress Is unlikely, and that the sn- preme court decisions are being dls- counted. Business has always adjusted itself to any conditions that are imposed upon it, and although ie is expected that the decisions. when rendered, will prob ably be adverse to large corporate inter ests, they have been so generally antici- pated that we have probably alreaoy passed through any unpleasant results which they may cause.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-09
POE IN A NEW LIGHT

From the New York Times.
 very human letter written by Edgar Allan Poe, in defense of his reputation, went under the hammer at the Hoe sale this afternoon, and was sold for s1700 to G. S Hellman, who has handled great deal of Poe's original manuscript, and who bought this letter for a collector. This Is one of the record prices paid for a letter of an American author.
 The letter is dated February 2s, 1S4S, and apparently has never been published. The poet speaks of the editor Of the Weekly Universe, snoopy sort or soul who spoke of Poe's habits as shockingly irregular.
 'He could not have had the personal acouaintance with me of which he writes" runs the letter, "but has fallen into n very natural error. The fact is this: My habits are vigorously abstemious, and betimes I omit nothing of the natural regimen requisite for health; that is, rise early. eat moderately, drink nothing but water and take abundant and regular exercise in the open air. But this IS my private life-my studous and literary life and. of course, escapes the eye of the world The desire for society comes upon me only when am excited by drink. Then I go-that is. at these times l have been in the practice of going-among my friends who seldom, or, in fact, never, having seen me unless excited, take it for granted that l am always SO.
 "Those who really know me know bet fer In the meantime shall turn the gen eral error to account. But enough of this; the causes which maddened me to the drinking point are no more, and an done drinking forever"
 The rest of the letter is devoted to an enlargement of his philosophy, later pup lished in his lecture called 'EureKa. iie says that he expects that his theories VIII affect the whole course of future pniiost- st. ophy It was evident that he looheu .o' fame as netaphysician and phiiosopner , rather than poet and storyteier' thi, ing his prophecy, he says say '"'' ouietly but I say it.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-09
PARIS OPERA HOUSE FINISHED

From the New York Sun.
 According to Baedeker the Paris opera house was begun in 1861 and finished in 1874, and the cost was $9, 9,400000. Strictly sreaking, the building is only being con- pleted this Easter. One or two staircases were left unfinished and provisional struc- lures in wood have been allowed to exist dc spite the great danger from fire that was thus incurred Then the entrance from Rue Auber around the statue ot Garner, the architect, Is only provisional.
 M. Dujardin- Beaumetz, under secretary of state for fine arts. has decided after 50 years that these conditions shall be re- moved and has authorized an expenditure of s30OO for the purpose.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-09

ments of ties and lumber, the Pennsyl- vania Railroad company has established two large tie and timber treating plants, both using the pressure treatment, one at Mt. Union and the other at Greenwich Point, Philadelphia. These plants have combined capacity per year of l,ooo'Voo crossties or their equivalent. The Mt. Union plant was In operation the entire year. while the one at Greenwish Point was placed in service July l. In lslo there were treated 671,369 ties, as well as s.50o.00O feet of lumber and switch tim Der, 54s2 fence posts. 1O592 crossarms, 50,- PIP lineal feet of poles and so,SO6 paving blocks. To do this required the use of 2,s66. .512 gallons of creosote oil, all or which was imported from Europe
 Ut is believed by the management that the conservative numbering and the forest planting which the company is conduct ing on It's wood lots and farm lands VIII serve as object lessons for farmers, and provide an incentive to intelligent forest development on the part of the public generally To this end the company fur nishes to private corporations and indi- viduals trees and plants not required for its own uses. Last year over 10000 plants were disposed of to outside individuals
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-09
HARRY LAUDER,s ExTRAvAGANcE

From the New York World.
 Harry Lauder, who really cares no more for a dime than his right eye, was walk ing up Broadway one afternoon during his recent trip to New York. With him was a young woman, a friend of the fa1nily.S
 As Lauder and his companion came onnosite florist who had a particularly fine display of flowers outside his store. where the fragrance reached everyone, the young woman instinctively stopped and. looking longingly at the display. said:
 My. but don't they smell sweet?"
 That they do," said Lauder; ''let's stand here while and smell them.''
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-09
REFLECTIONS OF A BACHELOR

From the New York Press.
 Reputations don't thrive with very much light on them.
 Every good thing a man could do if he only had the money he wouldn't do if he had it.
 The man who never makes a fool of himself wouldn't think so if it was some body else doing it.
 The only people who don't think they can take care of themselves in any situa- ton are those who really can.
 If man could make his wife compre- hend how much it helps his business for him to go to baseball games he'd almost he willing 10 go to a reception with her once year.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-09
Postal Banks in the District

Out of 150 postal banks to be estab- 1ished in this wide country by June 1 this county gets two. The one at Bes- semer was established in January, and about June 1 one will be estab- lished at Ensley. Jefferson county has no reason to complain, but 66 oth- CT counties in this state have not been so we'll treated.
 Why Congress and the postoffice department are so inactive in install- ing system that has proven helpful and valuable in a dozen counties is more than any one can find out. At the rate they are going a generation will have passed before this country Is well supplied with postal banks. Some influence is pulling against the new system-new to this country and the Postmaster General is ap- parently responsive to that influence. E The success of the Bessemer postal savings bank assures the success of the one to be established at Ensley, and the two will serve a good share of the industrial district to its ad- vantage and convenience. These
 banks pay but per cent interest or deposits, but no one has had th' ~hardihood to rise up to question th'
 soundness and trustworthiness O
 Uncle Sam, the national savings banl
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-09
HIPPO ATE TON OF SAND

FTOm the NeW 1UrK " UT fu
 Pete, hippopotamus in the Bronx zoo, ate about ton of sand as an appetizer the other afternoon on his first spring outing. He shuffled from his winter house into the yard, saw the sand pile, and decided his stomach needed filling. After the meal Pete went to his pool for a swim and waded into deep water. But Pete had too much sand in ballast to keep afoat He sank and stayed under water, struggling hard to come to the surface. Keepers Richard and Thurman called all the other keepers to their aid. With a block and tackle Pete was got to dry land in an hour. Just what effect the ton of sand will have on Pete's health lis a question.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-09
ITS MORNING
By James whitcomb Riley. M

By James Whitcomb Riley
 You sang the song of rare delight,
 Tis morning and the days are long, A morning fresh and fair and bright
 As ever dawned in happy song; A radiant air. here and there
 Were singing birds on sprays of bloom And dewy splendors everywhere,
 And heavenly breaths of rose perfume All rapturous things were in the song "'Tis morning and the days are long" O. Singer of the song divine,
 Though now you turn youruface away .' With never word for me or mine, " Nor smile forever and q day, We guess your meanings and rejoice
 In what has come to you-the need Beyond the search of mortal voice.
 And only in the song indeed With you forever, as the song,
 lis morning and the days are long."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-09
Some Comparative Figures

"The reasonableness of the freight charges of American railways Is strik- ingly shown by a comparison of sta- tistics of the railways of Prussia with those of the railways included in the states of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland said local of ficial of the Southern. "These states have nearly the same area and nearly the same railway mileage as Prussia.
 "The latest statistics available for the Prussian roads are for 1908, in which year the average charge for hauling a ton of freight one mile on the roads of that country was 1.40 cents. In the same year the average charge for hauling ton of freight one mile on the railways of the group of states above referred to was but .64 of one cent. In other words, the average freight charge of the Prus- sian roads in 1908 was nearly two and one-fifth times as great as that on the American roads. This difference is the more remarkable when considered in connection with the fact that American railway wages are nearly three times as great as those of Prussia. On the roads in the group of states referred to the average daily wages of em- ployes, exclusive of general officers, was s2.17. On the Prussian roads the average wages amounted to but 76 cents.
 "In other words, while the Prussian roads had to haul only 54 tons one mile to earn enough to pay the average daily wages of one employe, the American roads had to haul 33s tons one mile to earn enough to pay the average daily wage of one of their employees. The ex- planation of the ability of the Amer lean roads to carry freight at rates so far below the Prussian rates while pay ing wages nearly three times as great, is found in the greater efficiency of American railway operation and man agement. This Is illustrated by the fact that notwithstanding their disadvan- tages of high wages and low rates, the average gross revenues per mile of the freight trains in the states referred to amount to s2,9s as compared with s2.67 for the Prussian roads. This is brought about by the heavier car loads and heavier train loads hauled on the American roads.
 The average capacity of freight cars on the Prussian roads in 1908 was only 15 tons. There are few cars on the American roads that do not exceed the capacity of the Prussian cars and the average in 1908 was s5 tons. The aver age Prussian train load in 1yCo was but 191 tons, while the average for the proun of states referred to was 464 tons."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-09
NOT A PATIENT.

He pranced into dentists place,
 As blithely as you please No haggard look was on his face,
 So much was he at ease, We all admired his courage and
 We envied him his will, Until we noticed in his hand
 He bore a plumbers bill. The which, we did not first suspect, He'd merely come to collect.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-09
ADRIFT WITH THE TIMES

ting the paste brush to this pathetic story
 "TIe came to us a. clean limbed, husky, raw, gawk. A gentle, quaint, sweet lit- tle maid smiled and tolerated his atten- tons. which soon became serious. She encouraged him to high aspirations,' thinking to broaden. polish and make more useful this lover of hers. Now he is graduated from the big college. For gotten are the homely folks at home, discarded is the sweet little girl who would have loved him in his old age. He has a highly powdered sweetheart from the city, wears a derby on the back of his empty head, trails big 5-cent segar down the street, and will gravitate, to Kansas City, there to hold hireling's job for some corporation. Corporations prefer ingrates."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-09
THE GREAT WITHOUT.

Oftimes some wondrous sights are seen As through the world we jog; once beheld an actorine Who didn't own a dog.
 Birmingham Age-Herald. once beheld a college youth, For fame immortal ripe, Who walked abroad, in sober truth, Without a bulldog pipe.
 Spokane Spokesman-Reyiew.