davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-22
From Answers.
From Answers XUTHAT will the world be like 100
 NA/ years hence?

From Answers.
 XUTHAT will the world be like 1oG | w year. hsnssf W None but a wizard dare raise | the curtain and disclose the secrets of the | future; and what wizard can do it with so sure hand as Thomas Ava Edi- son, who has wrested so many secrets from jealous nature? He alone of all men who live has the necessary courage and gift of foresight. and ho has not
 shrunk from the venture.
 Already Edison tells us, the steam en- zine is emitting it's last gasps. A cen- tury hence it will be as remote an an tiquity as the numbering coach of Tudor days. which took week to travel from Yorkshire to London. In the year 2O11 such railway trains as survive will be driven at incredible speeds by electricity (which will also be the motive force of all the worlds machinery, generated by "hydraulc' wheels.
 But the traveller of the future will large ly scorn such earth crawling. He will fly through the air, swifter than any swallow at speed of POO miles an hour, III COLOSSAL macnlneS WHICH VIII endDle him to breakfast in London, tranacts bus mess in Paris and eat his luncheon in Cheapside.
 The house of the next century will be furnished from basement to attic with steel at a sixth of the present cost-of steel so light that it will be as easy to move a sideboard as 1t is today to lift a drawing room chair. The baby of the twenty-first century will be rocked in a steel cradle; his father will sit in steel chair at a steel dining table; and his
 mothers boudoir will be sumptuously equipped with steel furnishings, convert ed by cunning varnishes to the semblance of rosewood, or mahogany, or any other wood her ladyship fancies.
 Books of the coming century will all be printed leaves of nickel, so light to hold that the reader can enjoy small library
 in single volume. A book two inches thick will contain 4o,oo0 pages, the equiv alent of 100 volumes, six inches in aggre- gate thickness, would suffice for all the contents of the Encyclopaedia Britan-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-22
STANDARD OILS WEALTH

From the New York World. The Standard oil company has a cap- ital stock of s110, 900 of which s10o,- oO0, ,O0O is common and s1o.0oQ.000 is pre- ferred. It is supposed to have a surplus of about $500,00o,O00. The stock yesterday advanced from 675 to 679% share. It closed on the curb after the decision was known at $50 bid and TOO asked
 The cash assets of the company, &C., cording to the last annual report were about 3388 share These assets do not include the value of the company's oil above ground, which is figured at $300.- 000, 900, or about $500 a share; so that in actual liquidation the value of the Standard Oil stock would be about $6SS share
 The company has 5000 miles of trunk pipe line, 75,0O0 miles of feeders and controls 70 per cent of the refining bus mess of the country, having 22 refiner- ies, each with a daily capacity of from l5, 900 to 30,O00 barrels
 It has erected and maintains oil sup plies in nearly 4000 stations through out the United States, holds S0,00000o barrels of oil continually in reserve and requires 5000 tank cars and 5000 tank wagons to handle initial domestic distribution
 More than one-half of the companys refined products Is consumed abroad, 200 vessels, including 50 ocean tank steam CTS, being engaged in transporting its products, and this foreign business has brought to this country more than S1.- 000 mo GOO of foreign gold
 The company employs 10000 men. has pay roll of $150,0O0 a day. and in 40 years of corporate existence has ha d no labor troubles
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-22
Commission Form of Government

From one end of the country'to the other cities are studying the com mission plan. It commends itself be- use it
 tAvides a short ballot instead of long and confusing one.
 Puts emphasis on business instead of politics in local government.
 Lets taxpayers see exactly how their money is used, and thus tends to eliminate so much waste.
 Makes paramount the interests of the whole community instead of the interests of sections.
 Concentrates responsibility hereto fore divided
 Separates municipal questions from state and national policies.
 Lessens opportunities for boss rule through the control of partizan ma chimes.
 Men of all parties and all factions who desire to have the government of their own town put on business basis are getting together. The progressive and the standpatter get together in it's favor in northern cities, and all shades of democrats in southern cities turn to the new method because it is direct and ef- R ficient.
 So long as the recall is added to a commission plan there can be no long continuance of misrule or mis- government. The people may hesi- tate to apply the recall, but it is al- ways an assurance to them that they s can have what they want. East of the Pacific states the use of the re- call is almost unknown.
 Thus far the new plan of munich pal government is commenting itself with remarkable rapidity among all { classes of people. All like it, and the ' chances are very good that large and V still larger cities will adopt it. Ii may yet be applied in both Chicago and New York. Both sadly need bet x ter government, and both may vott \ after while that the commission plan is the true and only remedy i against waste and graft.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-22

ably. therefore. be no serious financial losses to stockholders.
 But it is the broader question involved in the decision that Is responsible for the relief that has been shown in finan- cial circles since the decision was pro- mulgated. The court has given a not un- expected interpretation to the statute by declaring that it forbids only unreason- able restraint of trade-restraint by which the public at large is sufferer
 "The court decision is not by any means the sole favorable development of the week. The prospects of an early and peaceful solution of the Mexican troubles remove factor that contains many possi- bilities, not the least of which was the necessity of protecting not only our own citizens In Mexico, but innocent foreigners as well. assuming in this way the obli- gations this country has undertaken un- der the Monroe doctrine. We have, of course, had the constant assurance of the guiding hand of an executive well quail fled by judicial temperament and training to properly handle the delicate situation. His action in mobilizing a large army on the border line to enforce neutrality has Singularly enough. President Taft has not been criticised by uninformed persons for his action in taking adequate precautions in time. This in itself may be regarded one of the strongest tributes of confidence in our chief executive. :
 Fear of disturbing tariff action at the present session of Congress is lessening. and best information obtainabie suggests an adjournment by the first of July. There is an evident disposition by both parties to delay legislation of a radical nature until after the next presidential; election. Crop prospects continue favorable, and whether it be sentimental or not, there is evidence of an appreciable improvement in the iron and steel industry. The money situation is beginning to show rather stronger tone, though supplies are still adequate. Last weeks returns of the clearing house banks show surplus re- serves of s43,S94,0oo. These are the largest at this season, with the exception of the abnormal year 1908, since 1898, and compare with s17,105, 900 at the correspond ing date year ago. The governments offering of s50,o0o,0O0 Panama 3 per cent bonds will require funds from the banks. It will undoubtedly be successful issue and promises therefore to constitute an- other favorable influence in the general market situation.
 While the market has already advanced sufficient to justify caution in the selec- ton of securities, I still believe that we'll selected stocks and bonds purchased on reactions will prove profitable invest ments."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-22
the London Outlook

From the London outlook.
 We who take our tub as a duty, our hot bath as a religious rite, and our Turkish cleansing as a sacrament, may no longer be an aristocracy. Our foundations of hot and cold. soap and towels are assailed. The founder of a new aristocracy Is Sir Almroth Wright, and the washed are to be submerged by the unwashed; the cleanly few repre- senting an old system are to fall be- fore the oncoming black horde.
 "As to washing" says Sir Almroth Wright, there is a belief that by do- ing so, people wash off the microbes. We do take off a certain amount of mi crobes, but we also destroy the pro- tective skin which is all round our bodies like the tiles of a house.. D Again: When one has a horny hand. no microbe can ever get near the skin. If one has a skin like a tortoise, microbes will never get through. To have a Turkish bath Is to take away ones horny protection. A great deal of wash ing increases the microbes of the skin, so I do not think cleanliness is to be recommended as a hygienic method,
 So the iconoclasI trumpets at our doors and the people who lead the while-tile bath room life and sluice and spray themselves at the marbled altars of their cult tremble in the morning sanctuary. Brave men whom we have looked upon a scrubbed su- perior are really weddings minus the protective skin which should be round their bodies as tiles are round house The fair lady, pink, scented and show ing lovable, softened contours in her smiling face, a rosy goddess of our cleanly cult, is not longer desirable. She is death-trap, for her dainty skin is not as is the covering of the tortoise and indeed is a porous open sesame to all the microbes of the earth.
 The untubbed heroes of tomorrow may reach heights of efficiency of which we never dreamed. but it does
 not follow that their presence or pass | ing may be more fragrant than that oi the generation they superseded. In sucl a day a cake of soap in the Britist museum will become an interesting an. | tiquity, representing a subtle influence | lost to a later generation.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-22
Birmingham's Music Festival

Of all the music festivals that have been held here-and all of them have been on high artistic plane-the one which opens tonight promises to surpass allsthe others. It is reasona- ble to say that Victor Herbert, the festival director, is the best known and most popular musician in the United States today. His light operas have been in great vogue during the past few years, and his grand opera, "Natoma," has been well received. MT. Herbert is one of the few force ful men in the musical world who has been equally successful as composer and conductor, and at the conductor $ desk he is all grace and is singular disposed of.
 The festival, which includes five concerts, is being given at large ex- pense, but there will be, doubtless, crowded houses at each performance, and it looks now as if there would be surplus fund instead of deficit. It is said that number of good seats for the various performances remain unsold, but before tonight all seats for the initial concert will have been sold.
 A criticism of some of the former festivals was that too much severely classic music was played or sung. Be that as it may the Herbert pro- grammes are models of variety, and while three or four of the old master composers will be heard this week there is a great preponderance of modern romantic and Advertisement music. Few cities of it's size have as fine a musical atmosphere as Bir- mingham, and if the present festival | is as we'll attended as it should be, and as the management confidently fexpects it to be, and if there is a high degree of enthusiasm on the part of the audiences, then a grand opera festival, to say nothing of symphonic concerts, will be planned for next year.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-22
A HOUSE OF COMMONS GHOST

From the London Chronicle.
 An interesting house of commons ghost is the Radiant Boy" This child ghost has been many times seen and heard. Its complexion is of the color less purity of Chinense white, a, halo of silver sparkles about it's head during its peregrinations, and its eyes gleam in their sockets like bright electric lamps. It is evidently in agony, for the palms of it's hands are stiff and turned downward. and as it paces from room to room it gives utterance to moans of anguish and never lifts it's gaze from the floor. So far as can be aseertained this particular ghost has no pre-spec- tral history, and why 1t should have chosen the house of commons for it's haunt Is a mystery.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-22

enmeshed or else the law itself would have become imperative. The rule of reasonableness cuts in between, saving the act for application by the courts and saving the business affairs of the country from deep trouble.
 This way be said to be the present view of public sentiment, but when the subject has been fully discussed in the country store, in the newspa- pers, in the homes of the people and in the. courthouses and political cen ters, it may appear that the rule of reason gives the courts great deal of power, for it is wellnigh impossi- ble to say what does and what does not in a given case constitute an un- reasonable restraint of trade. Each case must come up on it's own merits, and the government proposes to keep on bringing cases before the courts.
 
 In the long run it is more than probable that both parties and all dls- interested men will agree that the best remedy for controlling the trusts lies not so much in the Sherman act as in a federal incorporation act for all corporations doing an interstate business. This act would place all interstate corporations under federal and that is what the country seems to be coming to. It involves a great deal of centraliza- tion, .but there seems to be no other way in which the trusts can be regu- lated. Until we have such law the trust issue will remain in politics and the corporations will never know just where they stand in the eye of the iaw and in the sweep of public senti- ment.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-22
PRESIDENT TAFT ON CLUB sNoBs

From the Chicago Record Herald. President Taft's remarks on snobbery as sometimes manifested in elections to or rejections by social clubs were strong, sensible and just. He denounced the blackballing of applicants whose only offense was that they belonged to a certain race or that they were self
 made men, by people who are not
 worthy to button up their shoes and
 who have no standing save in clubs"
 His words were so phrased as to refer
 to club practices in general, but were
 understood by his audience to be based
 on recent occurrences in Washington
 and New York.
 In the United States there is as much
 occa sion for pride in strong, true ances-
 try as anywhere fin the world but there
 should be no social distinctions based merely or chiefly upon what one's fore fathers have done It Is true that each has inherited, physically, mentally and ited qualities Is nothing. so far as true
 standards of worth apply. On the other hand, the son of day laborer may be a poet, a hero or a saint. The snobbery manifested by those whom the President aptly called "small-headed men" is pe- culiarly offensive to right thinking Americans because of it's social effect
 Men should be treated as individuals and judged by their own personal
 merits or defects.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-22
I am not of manyryyords,s sbnt thahf you.
 Much Ado tAbont Nothing.
New Orleans rs. New York


 ', The &New York plan for establish ing al clearing house fol Ncotton bills of ladfng, in New York sencounter- ing opposition not only in' New Dr. leans but also among bankers throughout Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. If every bill of lading must first go to New York to have its genuineness established it would cause great deal of unnecessary de- lay. It would prove useful no doubt for the commercial aggrandlzement of New York. It was devised for that purpose. The cottonsbeN should not be workedsin this way to sbenefit a city far removed from it.
 It is difficult to see how this scheme will comeAout. The New'or- leans cotton exchange is striving to defeat it, and the chances are that
 will be able to induce good share
 the southern bsnkerssto oppose the Sew York scheme. If a clearing house be necessary New Orleans IS certainly better location1for it than New York. New York is, however, using it's financial strength to force the railroads into a support of its plan, and in this way ,the fight be- comes unequal, unless indeed th' south gets pretty solidly behind New Orleans. J
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-22
THE REHEARSAL

From the Musical Courier. The leader told the violin. Who answered that he wouldn't;
 Said he, wen have the horn begin, The horn replied he couldn't. And then he signalled to the flute | To prelude a cadenza. His breath was short, he gave one toot, Then sneezed with influenza. Said he, Twill someone wake the oboe2 We'll try Carl Weber's 'Oberon' "-
 That day was not the day-oh, woe He happened to be sober on. And when he asked the clarinet To start he said "One minute. can't get any air in yet, don't know what is in it."
 The leader raked his scattered hair. And waved to the bassoon, Who hurried in with Handers Air, But stopped bar too soon.
 The leader held his splitting head And turned to the trombone.
 He blew a blast to wake the dead,
 And all the men did groan.
 And all the men did groan and gasp.
 And all the women, too;
 Each to his ears his hands did clasp.
 The tone did pierce them through. The trumpets next did join the fray.
 Then came the double passes,
 And every one did blaze away,
 And all forgot their places. It was observed that both the harps Were fighting with cello,
 And all the flats were turned to sharps
 In "Siegfried'' and "Othello."
 And then the great five-rnanual organ Let loose it's pedal thunder;
 It seemed as If a fabled gorgon
 Was added to the wonder.
 And noise to noise was joined, increasing
 The turbulence excessive, While bang and clang, and din unceasing Made music called "expressive.'' At last a golden silence fell, The symphony was ending. Oh, what a blissful, peaceful spell The tympani were rending! Then all the players left the hall, And some went home to think About the meaning of 1t all; And some went out, to drink And one his finger on his nose Did lay, like many wise men, "This score,' said he. was made by .s5 ss those <-',', Y ,s < s.l-77
 G.a thQussna dollar prizs msn!,. !.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-22
Regulating Monopolies and Trusts

Regulating Monopolies and Trusts
 The country will have until Decem- Der to make up it's mind as to the de- cision rendered by United States su- preme court in the Standard Oil case. At present majority of men seem to think that the great courts "rule of reason" is the only way in which the antitrust act could have been rendered applicable to the varied and complex interests of the country. A literal interpretation of the act would have nullified any contract or com bination in restraint of trade, and in that case either the business of the country would have been hopelkssly
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-22
REFLECTIONS OF A BACHELOR

From the New York Press
 We have friends to rejoice over their faults
 Lots of girls have lily-white hands by their mothers not having them.
 The way not to be tempted to rob a man Is for him to have the drop on you with pistol
 The silliest liar is the one who does 1t when there's no need to, just from force of habit.
 H man can remember once in . few years to ask his wife to wear her bridal gown for hia he needn't ayer give her ..4a ss .1.s Hontn
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-22
Big Machinery Order

"The American Automatic Railway Swith company has recently placed an or der for a large amount of special machin- cry for it's plant at North Birmingham and delivery on 1t will commence soon," said one of the stockholders. "The build ing, a modern concrete structure, has been complete, as have the office build ing, water supply and other preliminaries and when the machinery arrives the plant will commence active operations.
 "The automatic switch is a pioneer and special machinery for its manufacture had to be designed and built. Small changes, each an improvement in the designs for machinery, had to be made before the order was placed, and this caused necessary delay in the plans of the company. The management is wise ly making haste slowly for the very good reason that mistakes now would prove very costly. However, in short while now I expect to see this one of the best of the many varied industries in the city.
 Another cause of delay has been the granting of patents. The present switch. as it will be manufactured. is vast im- provement over the one that was first shown in Birmingham, and new patents have been secured to protect these im- provements. The grants have been made and the switch is now fully protected by numerous patents.
 T know of no other plant as modern, fireproof and complete as this one The walls are made of reinforced glass, which provides ample light in the plant, and increases the efficiency of the working man."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-22
ALL GAME
om the Chattanooga News.

From the Chattanooga News
 Birmingham wants to hold an interna- tional exposition in 1919. It would be a stupendous undertaking, but Birmingy hams neighbors are as game as her self and would do their best to help her Q1t Der. best feot forward
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-22

The tories in England are opposing the proposition to pay members of the house of commons S2o00 a year with no mileage or other perquisites. The proposition seems to Americans to be wholly reason able.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-22

Berlin has caught ontosthe trick of an- nexins suburbs. and it proposes to put Paris out of the running and to get next to London and New York.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-22

"A mile a minute" is eclipsed readily in aviation. Lieutenant Fequant recent ly flew at the rate of 1ol miles an hour, He must hexe4 had the wind behind hiras
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-22

Justice Harlan does not propose to waste any time in analysing the moral intentions of trust He does not know any good ones.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-22

Despite all ties of kinship and fr1end- ship between King George and the Kaiser the building of dreadnaughts by both countries goes on increasingly.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-22

Texas now outranks any other other state in the value of it's agricultural products. Illinois formerly led the pro- cession.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-22
Taking n Broad View


 Henry Clews in his Saturday review says in part:
 "Stock exchange securities have this week cordially reflected the broad-minded interpretation of the Sherman law con- tained in the supreme courts decision in the Standard OH case. So far as the Oil company itself is concerned, the ruling could scarcely have been more drastic, for it leaves the corporation no choice but to dissolve and abandon it's present com bination method of doing business. This will involve the distribution of the cor poration's assets of all kinds among its stockholders and the re-establishment of what are at present subsidiary companies on a practical working basis as indepen- dent concerns. It is a process which means in it's turn the division of the secu- riti4s of the subsidiary organizations ariong the many holders of the at pres- eiit parent organization. The result it will be seen, is not necessarily a great hardship, aside from the tremendous amount of clerical work involved. While comply with the courts decree. the fact will remain that the ownership of the various subsidiary organisations will still remain under the control of the majority |ownership of the present holding com pany. The court provides that the con stituent companies may contract and Agree with each others ThsFe will prob
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-22

Diaz is about to make good all his res isnation promises. Let no one say here- after that an aching toeth has no good in it.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-22

Iii the Fly Swat league balling aver. age of .950 Is needed.