davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-18
The Music Festival

lowing to the limited seating ca pactiy of the Orpheum-about 1400- the scale of prices for the May music festival is higher than formerly" said a citizen who has been prominent in promoting festivals during many years past, but regardless of prices the de- raand will be so active, I predict as to result In a sale of the whole house within 10 days after the seat sale be- gins I see that season tickets are to be offered at s10. That is certainly low enough.
 "The only festival in. the. past that caused a considerabl ble deficit was the last one under MT Guckenberger's man. agement and which the late Theodore Thomas conducted. The audiences were large but the mistake was made in charging only $1 for the best seats. From my observation and experience the way to come out ahead is to charge A plenty Any high class musical af- fair in New York or Chicago means a high scale of prices Hundreds of peo- pie pay $5 every time they see a grand opera; and s2.50 for the forthcoming music festival is little enough
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-18
CHOICE OF DEATH

From the san DleSo NSdi) chioh' ssH
 Why do condemned murderers chooose shooting in preference to hanging? Since the state of Utah passed law giving
 convicts this choice, Arthur Pratt, war
 den of the Utah state prison, has not had
 one who would go to the gallows. Or
 one occasion a murderer refused to make
 choice and the judge sentenced him
 to be hanged.
 Warden Pratt has been touring Cali
 fornia with Gov. William Spry and party
 of Utah. Pratt was warden of the Utah
 penitentary when it was government prison 22 years ago. Eight years ago he
 was appointed warden and since that time
 has made it one of the model prisons of
 the country.
 The recent legislature authorized the
 employment of convict labor on state highways AS a result of this, Utah will build a road from the state line of Idaho to the boundary of Arizona, distance of 800 miles. As an experiment, 100 con- victs will first be worked on this improve
 ment. As an inducement they will receive
 bonus of practically one day off theii sentence for each days labor performed Warden Pratt hopes for the success of this experiment.
 "Utah has a law which allows con demned murderer to choose either hang ing or shooting as a mode of dying. said Warden Pratt. This work is done by the sheriffs of each county, but In the penitentiary yard. So far, we have moi had man who has chosen hanging. Once a murderer refused to make choice and the judge sentenced him to be hanged It is painless and instantaneous. The condemned man is led to the prison yard seated on a chair, and, if he desires is blindfoded. Five men armed witt rifles are then marched to within 10 pace. of the man. Four of the rifles contair Lall cartridges. The fifth has blanl
 shell. A target Is pinned over the hear l of the condemned man, all five guards l take careful aim and at a signal the vol | ley is fired. The ordeal is over in a few | moments, whereas in hanging the sus pense and suffering last for many min utes."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-18
Tariff FalsehOOds and Free List

The great tariff battle in Congress of the immediate future is not coming over the reciprocity agreement. That agreement is to be ratified. The real battle will take place over the free list that Chairman Underwood will report as soon as the reciprocity bill has passed the House.
 This bill together with the Cana dian agreement will virtually dissolve the partnership that predatory trusts and monopolies in the effete east had formed with the farmers of the wild if not woody west. This is the nub and essence of the battle, for if the part nership should be fully dissolved then the doom of robber rates would be sealed.
 The free list bill proposes that over a hundred articles of daily and neces- sary use shall be put on the free list. AS a rule those articles are not inn ported and the present duty on them simply operates to swell the profits of manufacturing trusts and mono polies. These duties are taxes on con- sumers for the benefit of campaign subscribing members of the republi- can inner ring.
 The farmer who has been misled into support of the high tariff scheme is to be disilusioned, and the free list bill will do it, and this is why it is to be assailed from every angle by all sorts of republicans. The house of cards is about to be tumbled down and the entire gang of tariff schemers are coming to the rescue. They propose to vote in favor of maintaining the rates demanded by the beef trust, the bagging trust and all the other trusts who are being enriched by special privilege of the Aldrich sort.
 We'll, when the votes are taken and they will be yea-and-nay votes another cyclone will be started that will sweep through the two houses with as much effect as that of last November.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-18
Bright Outlook

Business all over the country has been very poor recently, but no quiet CT than financiers and r-sigh ted men generally expected,' said local banker.
 We had been promised six months of dull times and the last six months of the year prosperous. I heard two railroad presidents say in New York recently that they were going slow on expenditures so as to make good net showing in the fiscal year ending June 30: that beginning with July the railroads would be in the market for purchase on a large scale. They will start up a big buying movement in iron, and that will make things hum in this district.
 "The crop outlook is splendid. In ev- cry part of the country farming con ditions could not be more favorable.
 While the railroads will not be plac- ing large orders, perhaps before July, brisk period beginning with the sec ond summer month will be anticipated and will really become effective in the very near future. I think we have req son to expect a very decided improve ment in business conditions by the first of May
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-18
IN HOTEL HOBBIES
Increasing the Crop

| Probably more elaborate than any piece of farming literature ever issued by railroad is a book entitled, Increase the Crop Per Acre., which the Pennsyl- vania Railroad company is to distribute throughout the territory traversed by it's | lines" said a railroad official.
 'The book. which describes the use of explosives in farming, has 36 full-page and II part-page illustrations. With this latest addition to its agricultural litera- ture the Pennsylvania railroad now has on hand for distribution Il pamphlets, of Lime on Land,' Seed Grain Sugges- tions,' orchard Primers-Planting, Prun- ing, Spraying and Cultivation, The Pennsylvania Railroad and the Farmer, and Good Roads At Low Cost.
 Increase the Crop Per Acre in 112 pages, tells of the many economies which may be effected on farm by the use or dynamite. The first chapter describes methods of clearing the land,' the next getting the farm in shape then pre- pairing the land for crops and last, keeping up the farm. Among the sub jects treated in the Pennsylvania's 'dyna- mite booklet are blasting stumps and boulders, felling trees, draining swamps, grading, sinking wells and digging post holes, blasing hardpan and other soils, breaking up ice gorges, starting log jams and similar ones."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-18
Judge Lane and the Police

Il became commissioner" said Judge Lane in the course of his ad dress before the police department, ito help rescue the city from it's pres ent financial condition. One man can not see it all and if you know of any way by which the city can be saved money report it to your superior of ficers and it will come to me. If there are no results come direct to me-"
 The city jail can be in good part emptied and small and harmless mis- demeanants greatly relieved by sim ply reducing, the number of arrests per month to normal-that is to say, to the average of other cities of like size. With the exception of Atlanta arrests in this city are double those in any other city of similar size. To bring arrests to normal figures they must be reduced one-half. Chief Bodeker, to his credit be it said, has endeavored to reduce the number of arrests in Birmingham, but the habit of making unnecessary arrests from the ranks of the weak and humble had became so rooted in this city that he did not reach the point of norinality. If he could have the aid and support of the commission of public safety the habit could perhaps be overcome.
 This would operate or should oper- ate to reduce expenses. The police department should not have a revenue side. The unnecessary arrest of smell misdemeanants means more criminals. It means gross personal injustice. It is altogether wrong and unnecessary and should be ended. No greater re- form is before our new municipal gov crnment.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-18
Welcome hither, the spring is to
 the earth. Winters Tale
Two Reforms Mooted

The Washington Herald thinks the British system of giving the members of the cabinet seats on the floor of the house of commons where they are subject to questions at all times after a short and proper notice has been given, should be tried in this country. Sometimes cabinet officer in England says an answer to a ques- tion would not be for the best inter- ests of the country, and his attitude is always respected. The manner of demanding information in this coun- try leads to delays oftentimes until the subject is out of the popular mind. The presence of a member of the cabinet while a bill is pending pertaining to his department would be especially valuab ble-far better Tn fact than the present roundabout red tape methods. There is really no req son why the British system should not be adopted here.
 The Pensacola News wants a re- form in official methods in another direction. Governor Gilchrist recently read his message in the Florida legis- lature, and the News thinks his action should be followed in all the states. There is really nothing to hinder. True, the constitution of Alabama says the governor shall at the begin . ming of each regular session of the legislature "give information by written message of the condition of the state," but this need not debar him from reading that message him. self. The change proposed by the News and started by Governor Gil- christ would probably lead to the preparation of shorter messages, and this would be reform in itself.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-18
ADRIFT WITH THE TIMES

- :
 check there's sample from a textbook teaching table manners at. the state agrl- cultural college: Do not, for goodness, sake, use piece of bread to get the last of the gravy or sauces Take yourtime when you eat Say, what dye thinkof that? Abe Lincoln sopped his corn dodger in veni- son gravy and Dan Webster sopped his buekwheat cakes in maple syrup before there was a college west of the Mississip pi-and they got into pretty good company fore they died. The pioneers of Kansas sopped buffalo meat gravy offn tin plates when they were chasin' the Indians from the prairies, and breakin the sod to make the farms of Kansas-and they were pret- ty good citizens. Say, don't you think it'd be better for them fellers to put in all their time at college learning how to put good hog gravy and plenty of 1t on the table to sop than to be worryin' how they are going to get it into their systems in a way to please society folks ?''--Concordia kansan.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-18
BOMBAY,s STREETS ARE GAY

From ScrlDleT B.
 The Strand Broadway, and even the bouleyards of Paris, with the grotesque eccentricities of the male attire,s and the unbifurcated trouser gowns of the wom- en, are tame and dull compared with the kaleidoscope of moving color in the streets of Bombay. "One day I counted 5S diner ent kinds of headgear among the men, and no doubt. there were others l did not see," Price Collier says,
 The Farsi, with his lacquered cow hoof; the Arab. the Persian, the Hindoo were there. and when 1t is remembered that the maharaja of Gwalior's headgear is as different from that of his neighbol nt Indore as is the cowboys sombrero from the tile of a Beau Brummel. and that these differences exist all over the east, it Is easy to realize that the streets of Bombay, to newcomer, seem to bt waving. moving mass of form ane color.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-18
The Late pr. Knapp

President w. W. Finley of the South ern Railway company has addressed the following letter to the farmers of the south: ..
 "The death of Dr. Seaman A. Knapp of the United States agricultural de- partment. which occurred in Washing ton, D. C.. on the 1st instant, has been great loss to the farmers of the United States and especially to those of the southern states.
 ''Dr Knapp understood thoroughly the agricultural problems of the south, and. as the official in charge of the farmers cooperative demonstration work of the department, it may be said, comprehensively speaking, that he did more than any other one man in our time to bring about the adoption of improved agricultural methods in the south.
 When the Mexican cotton boil weevil began to spread over the fields of Texas and there were predictions that it would render cotton production unprofitable in all of the territory to which 1t might spread, Dr. Knapp devoted him. self to solving the problem of main taining cotton production in spite of the presence of. that insect. He and those who were CO., operating with him in this work were soon able to demon starate that cotton could be grown profitably under boil weevil conditions and that, simply by the adoption of | proper cultural methods, farmers could In some localities at least, grow more cotton per acre with the weevil in their fields than they had produced before it's appearance. As result. by the time the weevil had spread eastward to the Mississippi river the farmers oi the south had been educated up to the knowledge that by following intelH' gently the advice given by Dr. Knapp its destructiveness could be greatly re, duced. Dr. Knapp was an apostle ol
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-18
WHEN I AM GONE

From the Westminster Gazette. When I am dead, if men can say "IIe helped the world upon it's way. With all his faults of word or deed Mankind did have some little need Of what he gave"--then in my grave No greater honor shall crave. If they can say-if they but can "He did his best, he played the man, His ways were straight, his soul was
 clean
 His -failings not unlIind nor mean. He loved his fellow-men, and tried To help them"-Tll be satisfied But when I'm gone, if even one Can weep because my life is done And feel the world Is something bare Because I am no longer there; Call me knave, my life misspent- No matter l shall be content.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-18
Democratic Senators Harmonious

According to the Washington cor respondents of the esteemed standpat republican papers throughout the country the democrats of the Senate are split wide open over the appoint ment of a minority senator to the finance committee in the place of Senator Daniels, deceased The fl- nance committee of the Senate handles all great money bills, corre- spending in importance to the ways and means committee of the House A place on it is always coveted.
 If the standpat correspondents are to be trusted our own Senator John ston is urged for the vacancy by Sen
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-18
A PESSIMIST.

He never joins the joyful throng
 That hurries to the park; His heart is sad, his face is long,
 Iris needless to remark. He takes no stock in baseball games We can not tell you why; A chance to call the umpire names
 Would only make him sigh. A most unusual chap, no doubt,
 Who has no fun at all And neer has known what 'tis to shout
 When tn home teams playing ball.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-18
THE AURORA BoREALIs
From the Chicago News.

From the Chicago News.
 According to theory recently enunci- ated by Professor Lenard, the aurora borcalis is formed by cathode rays emit ted by the sun and defiected by the ter restrial magnetis field in the upper strata of the atmosphere The velocity or 'nese ca thode rays must be nearly equal to that of light, and very much greater than the velocity of cathode rays produced m the laboratory. Lenard concludes that these extremely ''hard" cathode rays are emitted by unknown radioactive suo- stances in the sun.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-18

good farming in every department. He taught the value of fall blowing with deep breaking of the ground, of grow ing winter cover crops, and of building up soil fertility by the proper rotation of crops and by the intelligent use of manures and commercial fertilizers. He believed in growing live stock, at least to the extent of utilizing all the waste products and idle lands of the farm, and in producing on each farm, as Tar as possible, all of the foods required by the men and animals on the farm'
 "One feature of Dr. Knapp's work which l believe to bs of inestimaple value to the south was his organization of boys corn clubs While the imme- diate purpose of these clubs is the growing of corn, they are performing a much more valuable work for the south in the growing of farmers. Their full value to our section will be realized when pr. Knapps corn club boys, as grownup farmers, apply the same methods of intensive farming to other crops and to entire farms that they have used in making record yields of corn on single acres.
 While doing so much for the boys of the south, Dr. Knapp did not neglect the girls, and the organization Of a girls tomato club at Aiken, $. C., last season marked the beginning of work which has been greatly enlarged for this season and which, at the time Of his death, he was preparing still further to expand
 T feel sure that I voice the senti- ments of the farmers of the south and all of the southern people in express ing the opinion that pr. Seaman A. Knapp was one of the most useful cit izens of the United States in his gener- ation, and that, in his death. our whole section has suffered a great loss"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-18
REFLECTIONS OF A BACHELOR

From the New York Press | Vanity gets bigger around the girth every day. [. Loyalty needs to be well fed and clothed to keep 1t strong.
 Speculating can make sure money for a man by his keeping out of it.
 If you want 10 make real trouble just try to patch up family quarrel. A man uses magnifying glasses to look at his own brains and blue goggles to look at anybody elses.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-18
The Merger Assured

"The merger of the Southern Iron and Steel company and the Alabama con solidated Coal and Iron company under the title of the Alabama Consolidated Coal, Iron and Steel company is prac- tically assured,' said a prominent finan- cier who is familiar with the entire situa- tion-both from the local and foreign point of view.
 obstacles that might have seemed se- rious when MT. Grenfell and MT. Hoad- ley first took up the merger project are no longer difficult. The two companies have a great deal of raw material, and they can certainly operate to better ad- vantage consolidated than separately. 1 think in three or four weeks from now the merger will be a reality. The new com pany, after paying off the debts of the old companies, will have ample working capital left Hayden, Stone & Co.,, who are underwriting the merger securities, have had the properties examined thor oughly and they are satisfied that these properties can be operated profitably. It Is understood that MT. Grenfell, who is now chairman of the Southern Iron and Steel, will be the chairman of the mer- ger company.
 "The combination of these two con- cerns will be a good thing for the Bir- mingham district. It may lead to other consultations, but for the present only the Alabama Consolidated and the South- ern Iron and Steel are being considered
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-18

The decisions of the umpire now out rank to many any possible. decision that the United States supreme court can rem der The spotlight has been shifted.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-18

It is estimated that Americans will spend $5OOO,OOo at the coronation which promises to become the greatest box office success of the year.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-18

Omaha offers it's cowboy mayor. Jim Dahlman, to Memphis at s1,500,0O0, which would leave Memphis with a full pocket and please Omaha. This would be better than buying MT Bryan ae 2,oOO,ooO
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-18

Eggs, beef and butter are going down. but opera seats in New York have gone up to s6. Thus the cost of living is still kept at a high level.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-18
Successful Developer

q have been watching Frank Nell sons development work in this dis trict with a good deal of interest" said a well known business man.
 'If ever a man had practical head on his shoulders it is MT. Nelson. And I believe that he could pretty nearly make money grow on trees, as they used to say of the late Colonel DeBar- deleben.
 certainly Mr Nelson has straight out good luck to say the least. witt every proposition he takes hold of. His career has been a steady rise. Althougf he is one of the later corners here 1T Birmingham, he has been reckoned foi three or four years among the fore most men of affairs.
 He's a Shelby county boy and was a student at the University of Ala bama He had an early start in bus mess life. In fact, before he quite finished college he took up work un- der his fathers direction in the char coal business. And he made 1t pay
 Some time in the nineties, think it was, MT. Nelson sold out all of his timber tracts and went into the bank ing business in Anniston. From there he came here and set pace in the real estate business. He had much to do with the making of North Bir- mingham, for he was instrumental in bringing In many manufacturing plants.
 "As a coal operator, MT. Nelson can certainly be said to have made his mark. When he took hold of the Elm pire Coal company it was nothing more nor less than a hole in the ground Well, he made it pay.
 Everything he touches he makes it ray. And in addition to the financial side of things, he considers tine other side The mining camp at Empire is a first rate camp in a good many par ticulars. Mir Nelson and MT. Leo Stein CT, his partner in Empire. take per sonal interest in planning out the houses and grounds.
 "He has ideas of development on d good broad scale. Now that he has succeeded in enlisting large Virginia capital in the Birmingham district in Walker county. there's no telling how much good will come out of it-to hundreds of employees"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-18

Thorc are 29ooJo.'00 Eii.doos who do not know that America has been discovered, and there are some arts of America that the GugselhthEs have not exploited
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-18

Senator Bailey thinks MT. Bryan should not be in Washington and MT. Bryan fully reciprocated the opinion.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-18

A common Confederate Memorial Day Is proposed. At present the various states observe days in April. May and June.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-18

Victor Berger is lionized in Washing this country is astonishing.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-18

Spring cannot be considered as fully ar rived until the little Eherman band ap- pears.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-18

lady in St Lo1:s has hung cowbell on her front door, and her husband has to ring it when he comes home late.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-18

No insurgent wing has appeared in the socialist party in the federal House.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-18

Japan has troubles of her own without taking on any of the Mexican variety.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-18

Mr. Roosevelt has named the minimum family four. Any less number of chill dren is race suicide.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-18

All good pitchers should now cease to ball players.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-18

The Arctic circle is at present greatly neglected, and lonely summer for it is in sight.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-18

The umpire Is at times more autocratlc than MT. Joe Cannon was at the height of his reign.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-18

The real reason for rushing our army to Texas is still pussyfooting around the corner.