davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-26
Progress at Panama

All reports agree in saying that the work at Panama is progressing rapidly. About 73 per cent of all ex. cavation is done, together with 56 per cent of the Gatun locks, 60 per cent of the Gatun dam, and more than 67 per cent of the construction work at Pedro Miguel.
 This great work is being accom- plished without the intervention of contractors and without any appear ance of the swindling and debauchery that characterized the Lesseps re- gime. Colonel Gorgas, chief sanitary officer, has kept the isthmus healthy, and Colonel Gothals and his asso- ciates have pressed the work forward in wonderful manner. The greatest single constructive effort of man has been conducted throughout in a clean and orderly manner. The health and social atmosphere of the canal zone will compare well with any great hive of industry in this or any other country. The building of the canal fin cleanly atmosphere is an achieve ment in itself, and it will be strange Indeed if the country does not proper ly reward the men who have con- ducted it. Commander Peary was re- warded for finding the north pole, and assuredly the dozen men upon whom the responsibility at Panama rests will be fittingly rewarded when their work is accomplished. And the day of final full accomplishment is not far distant in point of time.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-26
American Trust BuIIding

"The plans of the American Trust and Savings banks new skyscraper are being drawn as fast as possible said Henry l.. Badham of the building com mittee yesterday
 we have several designs now un- der consideration and I think that the final selection will be made within a short time. We are planning to erect on our home site one of the most at tractive skyscrapers ever constructed in the south and we are naturally very cautious about the matter of ap- prevails.
 "The building we shall send sky ward will be one of the safest and most modern in this city or in any other city in the south. The erection of such gigantic structure entails great deal of attention and we are almost swamped with details and drawings.
 Tt Is the hope of the bank to get moved into temporary quarters in the Berney building as soon as possible. After that we will start without delay to pulling down one of the old land marks of this city-the American Trust and Savings bank building. In its stead will be the addition on First avenue and Twentieth street of a towering structure which will complete the quar- tet at that intersection"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-26
Give me that man
Fayette's Fire Disaster

:. The business section of Fayette, consisting of forty-two buildings, was swept clean by fire on Friday simply because the wind blew and the little town had no water supply, and therefore no fire protection.
 But Fayette is in the gas belt of Alabama and the way in which it will rise from the ashes will render the Phenix ashame of itself. And when the business section of Fayette is re- built it will consist of brick and stone and concrete structures and in its streets pipes will be laid in which wa ter with good head will flow. The new Fayette will be far better than the old Fayette, and so it may be said that the fire is not a disaster, but in a general sense a blessing in dis guise. Individuals have suffered heavy losses, but such losses will be made good in the town that will rise from the ashes.
 The sweeping fire in Fayette should become warning to all oth- CT of the lesser towns that have no water supply. A fire in wind can not be successfully fought without the aid of water supply. This should not be overlooked in the lesser towns of the state.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-26
MY LYTTEL BOY

By Eugene Field. Sometime there ben lyttel boy
 That wolde not renne and play, And helpless like that little tyke
 Ben allwais in the way "Goe, make you merrie with the rest" His weary moder cried But with frown he catcht her gown And hong until her side. The boy did love his moder well,
 Which spake him faire, I ween: He loved to stand and hold her hand And ken her with his cen; His cosset bleated in the. croft,
 His toys unheeded lay He wode not zoe. but, tarrying soc
 Ben allwais in the way. Godde loveth children and doth gird
 His throne with soche as these. And he doth smile in plaistance, while They cluster at his knees; And sometime, when He looked on cart And watched the bairns at play, He kenned with joy a lyttel boy
 Ben allwais in the way. And then a moder felt her heart
 How that it ben to-torne-- She kissed eche day till she ben gray
 The shoon he use to worm No bairn let hold until her gown
 Nor played upon the floore- Godde's was the joy;; lyttcl boy
 Ben in the way no morei
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-26

practically load up the other half with the larger share of the burdens of government. If all property were insured the proposition would be per- haps feasible, but when only one- half of the property of the state is insured it would certainly operate to relieve the uninsured property of considerable taxation to throw it un- justly on the insured half.
 The bill goes to a conference com mittee consisting of Senators Flow man, Spragins and Tunstall and Rep resentatives Brindley, Percy and Rice. The legislature does not meet again until Wednesday, and unless the bill is sent to the governor on that day an extra session would become probable.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-26
Valuable Immigrants

"Twentyseven families of first-elass farmers from the middle west arrived and settled at Madison in Madison county this state during the month of January" said J. T. Watt of Talladega, who was in Birmingham yesterday.
 These farmers had money and bought homes. They are making good citizens. They are the kind of people that Alabama needs to develop our az ricultural possibilities We will get more and more of them as rapidly as the great value of our farm advantages are known to would-be immigrants in the colder climates and where good farm lands are higher than they are in Alabama.
 These people at Madison were di- rected to Alabama not through any inn migration agency or land scheme but after personal investigation through the department of agriculture at Wash ington of the soil, climatic and other conditions in this and other states.
 The result of farm demonstration work in Alabama is largely responsible for the acquisition of this new blood.
 "A number of new settlers around Madison are Germans and they are good farmers"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-26
Music Festival Guarantee

A guarantee fund for a music festi val, which it is proposed to have in Birmingham during the National Good Roads convention week in May, is now being raised. Aside from the effort to promote musical art, the public spirited business men at the head of the festival association have in mind the general good which comes to community from gala enterprise such as the one they have projected.
 All the music festivals of the past attracted music lovers from cities and towns within radius of 100 miles, but the forthcoming festival has been planned on a much larger scale than anything of the kind here tofore undertaken. Victor Herbert and his symphony orchestra, and a half a dozen or more famous sing CTS, have been engaged for a festi- val of five concerts, May 22, 23 and 24, but before the contracts can be signed a guarantee fund of $10,00O must be fully subscribed, and that, too, within the next day or two. In- dividuals are asked to subscribe only $100, and 100 such subscriptions will,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-26
Insurance Claus of Revenue Bill

The senate by majority of one, adopted the insurance clause apply ing to "all' property except house. hold goods and kitchen furniture. The exception is all the concession seven- teen senators would make In the lineup the city senators were, as a rule, pitted against the senators from agricultural counties, and yet the burden would fall upon the country, too. The provision applies to all personal property. In order that all may see what the insurance clause is The Age-Herald prints it as it passed the senate, was rejected by the house and was sent to a conference commit tee, as follows:
 "rhe tax assessor in order to make proper assessment, shall require each person, firm, association or corpora ton making a return to furnish or give un- der oath, the amount of insurance on all property. except household 'goods and Kitchen furniture, so returned for taxa tion, for the previous calendar year, or al any time during said year, and he shall have a right to demand a copy of the last inventory made of any property subject to taxation, and shall also by inquiry of persons believed to have knowledge of the same inform himself as to the value of such property. From such information. and such other infor- nation as he may obtain he shall as- sess the same upon the best judgment he can form
 As matter of fact the use of in- surance as basis of taxation is un- just, because "all" kinds of property are not insured. Stocks and bonds are not insured, and, as a rule, dia- monds and other jewelry are not, and
 unimproved real estate never is in- sured. Fully one-half of the prop erty of the state is uninsured, and ] section 5h of the revenue bill would
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-26
STORY OE RH0DES

European Letter to New York Sun.
 The late Sir William Butler. in his autobiography which has just been pub lished posthumousy, tells the following story of Cecil Rhodes, which Cecls brother, Frank Rhodes, told him.
 My brother" said Frank Rhodes, 'is a strange man. We were young chaps to- gether and there wasn't too much money or too many things among us. One day Cecil came and asked me to let him have one of my shirts, as he wanted to go to an evening party in London. Well, I wanted the shirt myself that even- ing and told him he couldn't have it. He said nothing, but I knew he didn't like losing chance, so I watched him.
 1T saw him off to the train. He had neither the shirt on him nor had he bag and baggage with him; but I thought that I'd go to the drawer and just make sure of my shirt. It was gone! Cecil came back that night. Well, Cecil,' I said, you won over that shirt of mine; but just tell me how you did it, for it wasn't on you when you left here and you had no parcel with you. What did you do with it?'
 'He chuckled little and said dryly: T put 1t on under the old one.' Now. that's Cecil'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-26
The Festival Month

"The National Good Roads convention, to be held here the fourth week in May, will bring thousands of visitors, and as great music festival is to be given at the same time Birmingham should put on gala dress" said a business man.
 Until comparatively recent years Bir- mingham did little in the matter of dec orating' for special occasions. but for the Confederate Veterans reunion in June, 1908, Birmingham did itself proud in every way. It was the first time in my day that business and residence districts were alike gay with color. Flags and bunt- ing were displayed in rich profusion, and the effect was all that could have been desired. Birmingham should be quite as well decorated next May.
 "The music festival is already provided for, and the merchants are going to get up a grand trade carnival. We should all begin early to see to our decorating material. Every mercantile building should be profusely festooned, and all the houses on residence thoroughfares should be in gala attire"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-26
WHAT?
What poet who
 Won't welcome June? The straw hat. too,- Not yet, but soon.
A FLOSS, TRADER.

Bill Whrorer lever see worse way to spell 'roar?) a horse buyer and trader from Kansas City, who did business on the vacant lots back of Armstrong Bros
 feed yard, pulled out yesterday He hit town a few days before with a dozen
 and left with more than thirty. He han. dies skates and chunks, and would hardly know what to do with horse that was young and sound and worth $2O0 or more. don't say that never get the worst of trade he said, but I'd like to see the color of the mans hair that could beat me out of more than SIP on a horse trade A Missourian drove up with a horse for sale, and Whrorer Osn't that just awfuD offered hom $90 for it. I'll give $l25 for another one just as good without an eye or head said the Mis- sourian. Ever notice the big watch chains horse traders generally wear? One man with Whrorer (use that name for typewriter practice) had a Mexican chain made of silver. which must have
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-26
Local Option a State Policy

LOcdl OptlOH Stdtt Oilcy
 The wide prohibition policy of the Conner regime will be supplanted by the local option policy of the ONeal administration if the house accepts the senate amendments of the Smith bill.
 The Smith bill is the second chap ter of the Parks local option measure. It will be sent to the governor this week beyond reasonable doubt. Both the Parks bill and the Smith bill make the county the unit in all elec- tions concerning the sale or regula- tion of liquors. Under these bills any county can hold an election in which the qualified electors can vote "wet" or "dry" If the county votes "wet' it may choose between dispen- saries and licensed saloons.
 The plan proposed may not be ideal, but it is better than the "blind tigers" that prosper under state wide prohibition, and for that reason it has found favor in both branches of the legislature. The Smith regu- lation bill will be sent back to the house on Wednesday, where it will no doubt be accepted in that branch of the legislature.
 The two bills-the Parks and the Smith bills-constitute the states new policy, but as they call for cleo tions in every county there should be still another bill giving relief to the three largest cities aof Alabama Mobile, Montgomery and Birming- ham-without the expense and tur- moil of an election. AS The Age Herald said yesterday, let the legis- lature give "all cities in the state that have 35,000 people the right to establish dispensary systems, such dispensaries to be wholesalers of good liquors." Then let cafes in limited number be established, the license for which shall be $2000. These cafes should be allowed to serve liquors at tables and they should be compelled to purchase all liquors from city dispensary. In this way the demor- alizing blind tiger traffic would be ended
 The counties in which cities con- taining a population of 35,000 have made it perfectly clear by the result of various elections that the majority opposes the "'dry" proposition. In 1909 Jefferson county gave big ma jority against the proposed amend ment which had sought to fasten statewide prohibition on Alabama. And last year several elections were held and in each one of them Jeffer- son county voted overwhelmingly against candidates who stood for prohibition. A relief bill for the cities in question would therefore not only be in order, but without such legislation these communities would be subject to turbulent campaigns, when rest from bitter politics is what Birmingham, Montgomery and Mobile most need at this time.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-26
MED BRACE TALKS ABOUT POLITICIANS
 AND HOW THE PEOPLE VIEW THEM

thought fd worl. it off on this slot tele- phone machine"
 The central office girl heard the talk,
 In moment there was an answer.
 Here's your number said the central office girl. Drop a nickel in the slot"
 The slick nickel dropped ands the bell tinsled.
 Drop a nickel in the slot,e repeated the central office girl.
 "Tve already dropped it in.a
 Yes. quickly responded central. 'but that was & slick nickel and no good Put in good nickel quick"
 well, gosh turned, if they haven't got this thing down fine.' said the country man as he hung up the receiver with a bang and walked out toward Morris ave- nue.
 * * <.
 So the public has a lot of things down fine on the talkatiye politicians and legis- lators. A lot of them have talked so much for the little picayunish things and done so little for the real things that the people are beginning to look for the slick nickel game.
 As matter of fact, the people of Ala bama have suffered so much from the politician for the past several years that they want no more of him. They are sick and tired of alleged trades in the legislature and the vacillating attitude of legislators and would-be lawmakers.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-26

From the New York World.
 Andrew 10th left prison in Pittsburg Saturday after 20 years of confinement for crime he did not commit. His at- titude on leaving jail was one of devout gratitude that he was at last freed and cleared. It would not have been strange if he had been, instead, embittered by the great sin society committed against him. For 20 years every morning he had hoped for justice and every even ing had gone to his prison cot again wronged and disappointed man.
 Toth was not even present when Mich ael Quinn was killed in the Edgar Thom- son Steel works 20 years ago. He was later pointed out as the murderer by fellow workman who in sulky fit sought that easy way of getting even' with him. It was easy to find out at the time whether he had been in the mill or not, but no one took the trouble prop erly to defend the poor immigrant who knew no English and had no friends. Society was offended by the murder; here was an accused man; to prison he went, and stayed until a dying mans con- science at last revealed the truth.
 Such a revelation shakes public faith in the administration of justice fars more than the evil delays and misplaced lem iency of which just complaint is heard. It is the law that until he is proved guilty an accused man must be held innocent 10th was never proven guilty; he was ''railroaded;" and if all the sud- den wealth of all the millonaires of Pittsburg were rolled upon him in a great golden floor it could not right the wrong done him. His wrong is measureless, limitless, irreparable. All that Allegheny county can do for 10th is to see to it that hereafter the humblest shall get due justice in its courts.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-26
ADRIFT WITH THE TIMES

THE SKIMPERS' RELATIVES. You've heard about the Skimpers and the
 rapid way they rose,- In fact, I told it you my very self; They had lot of troubles but they con-
 quered all their woes And laid aside a mighty pile of pelf. Pa Skimper was a cheerful man, his wife
 a cheerful dame, The skimper children they were cheer
 full, too When days were dark and dreary they
 kept hoping just the same And soon they saw the sunshine break
 ing through. I now propose to tell you bout the Slxim-
 pers relatives And then you'll wonder at them all the
 more; In nearly every land at least one Skimper
 cousin lives And closer kin are thick from shore to
 shore. Yet, the Skimpers open wide their hearts
 and try to love them all,- I'm very sure you've never seen the like; Most any other people, when in droves
 they gan to call, Would bar the doors and go upon a
 strike. But the latch-string's always hanging
 out to all the Skimper clan,- They come and stay as long as e'er
 they please; And still the Skimper family does every
 thing 1t can s To make their poor relations feel at
 ease. 2 or poor they are and all would like to
 share the Skmper wealth, A greedy crowd, yet cherished, every one, I'm taxing your credulity but drink the
 Skimpers' health,- There never was their like beneath the
 sun.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-26
"sUBBED" FOR "BLIND MAN"

From the Washington Post A variation of the old story of the "blind man" who sees himself robbed of the pennies tossed into a cup in his ex- tended hand is given by former Represent tative Harry Maynard of Norfolk.
 This actually happened in Norfolk" said MT. Maynard. at the Willard. "A blind man was standing in front of the Monticello hotel with outstretched hand. begging for pennies. On his hat was a sign, T am blind Along came a prac- tical joker. who dipped into the extended cup, and instead of depositing money took out a nickel
 {" Come back here with that money exclaimed the beggar. I saw you take it.
 You saw me take it?" replied the joker. I thought you were blind.'
 .'No, I'm not blind; am only subbnig for the blind man.
 {" Where Is he?'
 He? Why. he's at moving picture show
 Honestly, this is true story" added MT. Maynard. Tt happened in Norfolk"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-26
IN HOTEL HOBBIES
A Prohibition Tendency

1 Many prohibitionsts say that they would rather see the blind tigers con tnue in business than return of a legalized liquor traffic." said q prom inent citizen. and remarks along this line frequently appear in newspapers friendly to the prohibition cause. Such Q view of the situation is surprising, especially when men of standing ad vance this blind tiger preference as between the good old democratic doc Urine of local option and the low morals involved in the sale of liquor as now conducted.
 "Ethically, l can imagine few tenden- cies of such far reaching injury to a community as the continuance of the blind tiger trade. I have never taken a drink in a. blind tiger saloon, but l see what goes on. And right here l will say that. the prohibition law is better enforced in Birmingham than l ever dreamed it would be. From all accounts conditions have been worse in Montgomery than in Birmingham, but when all is said, be the police and deputy sheriffs vigilant week in and "NSfN OoSs oO ioh7 oo 1 NpiA'7A'N part of the population of a city will drink, to have a blind tigerless town is impossible.
 'Disrespect for law is one of Amer ica's serious failings. I have travelled in Europe and. have observed the habits of all classes in Great Britain and on the continent, and have been especially impressed with the respect which the people in the old world have for law England is a liquor drinking nation but I believe that if such a thing as prohibition statute were in effect there it would be strictly obeyed. But every prohibition state in America wit nesses a great deal of unlawful liquor traffic. Drastic prohibition has been urged by fanatics and paid agitators, but, like all fanatical or impractical waves, statutory prohibition will give place to local option. I think it is safe prediction that 10 years hence people will look back to conditions of today and wonder how they ever ex- isted, just as we look back now to the free silver craze of 1896 and 1900 and express surprise that Mir. Bryan boiled the votes he did in those years"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-26
Asking For NOrMOOd Car

"When there are unusual attractions at one of the theatres-such an att traction as Sarah Bernhardt-the Bir- mingham Railway, Light and Power company should provide a special Nor wood car after the performance" said q resident of Norwood, who is a reg ular theatregoer.
 "Other residence sections of Br- min gham are accommodated in the re- spect referred to and as Norwood is a populous part of the city l believe il would pay the company to furnish a special car to carry us home after the show.
 Some months ago Norwood was not getting an adequate mail delivery Complaint was made through The Age Herald and Postmaster Montgomery lost no time in giving us relief. I hope the Railway, Light and Power company will act with equal promptness in talk ing care of Norwood theatregoers."