davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-04
Musical Attractions

Fewer high class musical attrac- tions are available for southern en- agreements this season than usual, I be lieve." said an old member of the musi- cal set.
 The concert committee is affordins music lovers rare treats in the Sunday musicales. The Pasmores, last Sunday week, and zimbalist, last week, were charming, and In February we will have Janpolski; and in March Tina Lerner will close the regular series
 T was in hopes we would be able to have at least one symphony concert this winter, but it seems that no or chestra will be available before spring
 T hear that the Flonzaleys quartet the finest and most popular string quar- tet in this country>-will probably be heard in a Sunday concert here in Jan uary. These celebrated artists come high, but there are, doubtless. enough music lovers here who would buy tickets to make their coming worth while
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-04

their way far and wide in search of the food they must have to bring them to maturity, the blow softens the soil so that when it rains the water which falls may make It's way downward, to be stored up for use by and by. The looser the soil the more water it will hold. Tnose who have studied the matter carefully tell us that the weight of the soil on the aV- craze farm, taken 10 the depth down or a foot, Is not far from 1900 tons to the acre.
 If we were to set out basin when II rains, and catch water to the depth or one inch, that would mean that little more than 113 tons of water had been added to the weight of the soil of an acre of land that day. What becomes of all this?
 Hold your hands together side by side in cup shape, and let someone fill them full of earth; then let your friend pour water on the soft earth till 1t will hold no more This will give you a good idea of the way nature stores up water In her natural reservoir to be pumped up drop by drop as needed to make stem and leaf flower and rfpened fruit.
 For it's helper, the blow has number of valuable tools, such as the harrow, the cultivator, the weeder and the grain drill These all work to quite the same purpose, that of making the soil mellow, moist and more really adapted to the growth of the plant than it Is in state of nature. All these tools need to be the best pOsaihle and to be properly uSed The man who has these tools and uses them to the best possible advantage is well on the road to successful farming
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-04
President Taft's Final Messages

President Taft has become welded to the installment plan in sending recommendations and information to Congress. The first installment re- lates to the foreign relations of the United States. This message is lenghty because the Secretary of State publishes no report as the other cabinet ministers do, and the Presi- dents message comes in to fill the gap.
 The message at hand treats of every possible subject relating to the state department and our foreign re- lations. The reorganization of the de- partment itself is discussed, and then our dealings with other governments, beginning with that of China, is taken up and duly laid before Congress. Mexcio and Central America are given more space than eastern questions, either near or far.
 No subject discussed in the mes sage is more interesting than that of the republic of China. The President intimates that as soon as constitu- ent assembly meets in January next 'to adopt a permanent constitution and organize the nascent republic" that recognition of the republic by this republic will follow. Better late than never. In the meanwhile we are maintaining friendly de facto rela- tions with China. Full recognition will come soon after the 4th of March if it is not accorded before that time.
 The President urges Congress to cooperate in extending the field of the American merchant, manufactur- CT and exporter in other commercial nations. America says the Presi- dent, cannot take it's proper place in the most important fields for it's com mercial activity and enterprise unless we have a merchant marine. American commerce and enterprise cannot be effectively fostered in those fields un- less we have good American banks and American newspapers in those countries" To gain these things leg islation is needed, and the President urges Congress to take steps adapted to our middle age as nation and es- pecially to the era that will be ush- cred in when the Panama canal is opened.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-04
PRIZE EAyEsnaoppER

In the current issue of Farm and Fire side telephone expert, writing about the use of the telephone in rural com- munities, tells the following story about farmers wife:
 People who would normally think it disgrace to eavesdrop or spy on their neighbors seem utterly without conscience when the telephone is in question and will rush to the instrument every time the bell rings, whether it is their call or not. As an evidence of the ex- treme to which it can be carried, I well remember case where for some un- known reason the bells beyond one of the stations seemed in constant trouble, one time they would operate perfectly, five minutes later they would ring so faintly that it was hard to distinguish the call; the manager was on the very verge of prostration, as he had gone over the line dozen times. trimmed every tree that could possible have been in the way, ad- iusted the bells, in fact done everything he could think Of In despair he came to me and told me his troubles I sug- gested that we drive out to the last EOOu statlOH anu, tO HIS surprise, aSkcu him if he dared walk in without rapping; he said he could. and the two of us en- tered very unexpectedly, the telephone being in the kitchen at the back Of the house. The picture we found was, to say the least. amusing: the good mousse wife, in her craze not to miss anything had actually rigged up clamp to hold the receiver on the back of a rocking chair, and spent her leisure time in com fortably listening to every word that went over the line. She had even gone so far as to devise a method of opening the primary circuit on her own instru- nient SO that the batteries would not run down. This is an extreme case, but shows how far some folks can go. The remedy: Just plain common dscency and honesty, bylaw authorizing the manager to take out any telephone whose user is guilty oi such dishonesty and a manager with | backbone enough to do his duty"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-04
ITO PRESERVE HISTORIC MANSION
By WILLIAM RYAN

1 President Of the tottering Confederacy signed 1t. This is the full text: "Danyilie, Va, April ,, 1885,
 The general in chief found 1t neces- sary to make such movement of his troops as to uncover the capitol; 1t would be unwise to conceal the moral and material injury to our cause re- sulting from the occupation of our capitol by the enemy.
 Tt is equally unwise and unworthy of us to allow our own energies to falter and our efforts to become re- faxed under reverses, however. calami- tous they may be. For many months the largest and finest army of the Confederaey, under command of leader whose presence inspires equal confidence in the troops and the people has been greatly trammeIled by the necessity of keeping constant watch over the approaches to the capitol and than one opportunity for promising en- terprise. It is for us, my countrymen. to show by our bearing under reverses, low wfetehed has been the self 1ecen- ton of those who have believed us less able to endure misfortune than to en- counter dangers with courage. We have now entered upon new phase of the struggle. Relieved from the ncees- sity of guarding particular points, our army will be free to move from point to point to strike the enemy in detail far more from his base. Let us but will | 1t and we are free
 "Animated by that confidence in spir- 1t and fortitude which never yet failed me. l announce to you, fellow country men, that 1t is my purpose to maintain your cause with my whole heart and soul; that I will never consent to aban- don to the enemy one feot of the soil of any one of the states of the Confed- eracy, and that Virginia, noble state, whose ancient renown has been eclipsed by the still more glorious recent his- tory; whose bosom has been barred to receive the main shock of this war; whose sons and daughters have ex- hibited heroism so sublime as to render her illustrious in all time to come.
 That Virginia, with the help of tho people, and by the blessing of Provi- dence, shall be held and defended and no peace ever be made with infamous invaders of her territory. If by the stress of numbers we shall ever be compelled to temporary withdrawal from her limits, or those of any other border state, again and again will we return until the baffled and exhausted enemy shall abandon In despair his endless and impossible task of mak- ing slaves of people resolved to be free.
 Let us then not despond, my coun- trymen, but rely on God, meet the foe with fresh defiance and with the nn- eonauered and unconquerable hearts
 "JEFFERSON DAVIS"
 The sutherln mansion, with it's mas sive brick walls, Is in a fine state of preservation It is surrounded by beau- tiful grounds and would make an ideal place for a Confederate library and museum.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-04
CARNEGIE DoDGEs TAXES

From the New York Sun.
 The laird of Skibo has blithely sworn off his personal tax, alleging debts that amount to $s,Sss, s23 as an offset to cash holdings of only s3,177,1o5. His assessment on account of personality was s1c.0oo,o GOO.
 The laird pointed out recently that the collection of tax of nearly per cent on bonds yielding to per cent amount ed to confiscation.
 Let us see. Suppose that the laird held $500, ,0000o0 of bonds yielding 4 or , per cent. He was assessed at s10, ,0O0, ,O00 not $30O, 100000 A 2 per cent tax on $10 090, 900 would take out of his pocket $200.0O0 as his contribution to the expenses of munic- ipal government. But this would repre- sent a tax of one-fifteenth of l per cent on the $500. 00000, which certainly is not confiscation. It is probably less than the rate of additional taxation. which the laird has imposed on some communities accepting his beautifully labeled library buildings.
 The laird's explanation of his personal reasons for escaping the municipal tax by the simple expedisnt which he has adopted with the assistance of learned counsel is as clear as a mist in the He- lands. We gather. however. that he re- gards the transaction as being for the best interests of his fellow citizens in this town, and. in a remote but nohIer sense. as boon and benefaction to lu- manity in general.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-04
Simple Justice for Lewisburg

Dr. A. c. Watts, in a letter pub lished in The Age-Herald yesterday complains that it is unjust for the people of Alabama to refer constantly to his community as Bloody Lewis burg"
 He is entirely correct in his atti- tude. Lewisburg has in the past been singularly unfortunate in being the scene of crimes which brought the people of that whole community into notoriety and caused the finger of scorn of all Alabama to be pointed at them.
 There are scores of good, law abid ing people in Beat 22 of Jefferson county, and no one can possibly de- plore more than they the acts of law lessness which have brought their community into disrepute. These good people have their little homes ir Lewisburg, which are as dear to them as life itself. They have their churches and schools in which they take ar abiding pride and interest. By theil sober, industrious lives they hope to re establish the reputation of Lewis. burg as law abiding section, to show their disapproval of past acts of vio. lence, and to demonstrate that they do not deserve the name Bloody Lew isburg."
 They have had enough of misfor. tune and unhappiness. Simple justice to brave and stout-hearted people demands that their struggle be moi forever made more difficult by having to bear the stigma contsined in ths phrase Bloody Lewisburg."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-04
WALTER scoTT,s DOGS
[Iarper's Young People.

From Harper's Young People.
 Scott was very fond of animals. He kept about him a number of pets which he treated with as much kindness as if they were the members of his own family. Among his animal friends was large bull terrier which he called Camp. This dog was remarkable alike for his intelligence and his fidelity to his master.
 But the noblest dog ever owned by Sir Walter Scott was the famous staghound Maida. He was cross between the wolf and the deer hound. He measured about six feet from the end of bls nose to his tail He was tall and powerful, but very gentle and kind.
 Washington Irving visited Scott at Ab- botsford, and gives an amusing descrip- ton of a journey with him and his dogs.
 "As we sallied forth, he says. 'every dog in the establishment turned out to meet us. There was the old staghound Maida, noble animal; and Hamlet, the black greyhound, wild and thoughtless youngster, not yet arrived at the years of discretion; and Finette, beautiful setter with soft silken hair. the parlor fav- orite.''
 Irving speaks more particularly of Maida's actions on this occasion: He de- ported himself with a gravity which be- came his age and size, and seemed called upon to preserve a great degree of de- corum in our society. As he logged along a little ahead of us, the young dogs would gambol about him, leap on hls neck, worry at his ears, and endeavor to tease him into a gambol. The old dog would keep on long time with iInperturbable solem- nlty, now and then seeming to rebuke the wantonness of his young companions. At length he would make a sudden turn, seize one of them and tumble him into the dust, then giving glance at us, as much as to say, You see gentlemen, I can't help giving way to this foollshness,' would re- sume his gravity and jog on as before.'
 Maida in the study usually lay at Scott's feet as represented in the ceIe- brated sculpture by Steel; but now and then he would lay his head uron his mas ter's lap to be petted as if he were the favorte child of the family.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-04
Inauguration Date

'Fhe idea of changing the date of the presidential Inauguration from March 1 to the last of April has been popular Of sticking to the present date,t said an old democrat
 Occasionally Washington has spring. temperature on the 4th of March, but usually the inauguration is accompanied by wntty blasts. I never attended but one inauguration and that was In 1892, when Cleveland entered upon his second term. There was blizzard and In the freezing weather the thousands upon thousands of soldiers seemed all the more sturdy and soldier-like because of the ex- treme cold Had the day been warm and soft the military spectacle would not have so stirred my ina gination I am not certain, but according to my recollection the mercury was below zero.
 'President-elect Cleveland and the re- tiring President, General Harrison, were seated together In the Presidents car riage in front of the Arlington hotel a few minutes before nine. On the stroke of nine the regular army escort-a full bri- gade-headed by the Marine corps with the Marine band-f1iarched into Pennsyl- vania avenue. It was a dismal, gray morning. No soldiers ever looked more soldierly than did the regulars that day. After the inauguration at the capitol the President was escorted down the avenue to the White House by thousands of vol unteer soldiers. The extreme cold was most bracing and I shall never forget the scene.'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-04
TELEPHONES Bell (prfvate exchange connecting aii depnrtments), No. 4o00.
Tho ancient saying is no hercsy,- Hanging and wiving go by destiny
 Merchant of Venice.
Can Competition Be Enforced :?

The ultimate effect of the decision of the supreme court upon the big Hartman merger and through 1t upon railroad consolidation in general will largely depend upon the manner In which the circuit court for the district of Utah carries out the decision. That circuit court has been directed by the supreme court to supervise the separ- ation of the two transcontinental rail road companies.
 Obstacles will arise because the Southern Pacific owns the Central Pacific. which lies between Ogden and San Francisco, and is needed by the Union Pacific. The Union Pacific owns 46 per cent of the stock of the South ern Pacific.
 To adjust these stock holdings so that there will be two competitive lines instead of one non-competitive sys- tenn is no easy task, but the circuit court of Utah is on the spot so far as Odgen is concerned, and it can per- haps see way to give the Union Pa cific through line to San Francisco, thus rendering it competitor of the Southern Pacific.
 The Northern Securities decision undoubtedly did prevent great com bination in the northwest, and the present decision may abolish the Har- riman combination in the southwest and central west. Much depends upon the action of the circuit court of Utah.
 The decision of the supreme court in the Standard Oil case did not in- crease competition in the oil trade a particle, but the Sherman law may prove more useful in dealing with public utility corporations than it has thus far been in the matter of oil.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-04

trade conference is to be held at some convenient time yet to be selected. We hope to be able to get the active sup port of all the big men in the trans portation business, and of all the in fluential newspapers, and of all the commercial organizations of this re- zion. We can count upon the valued aid of The Age Herald, we know"
 You can, indeed. The people of this district know which way its rivers flow and they are hoping and looking to Mobile to make strong effort to build up great new trade when the Panama canal is opened.
 No subject needs more careful att tention than the export of coal and coke from the coal fields of Alabama. These fields lie nearer the gulf than any other fields in the world, and therefore they are nearer to Colon and Panama than any other. And there will soon be slackwater navigation between the Alabama fields and tide water. The coal of this district thus has proximity and cheapness of trans portation in it's favor, and Mobile should make the most of these advant- ages. The coal of this district is every whit as good as the coal of West Vir- ginia, no matter what Colonel Goe- thals says.
 Let Mobile make this coal and this coke it's greatest attraction. Let the coming trade conference keep this in view. It is the true way to establish Mobiles supremacy as a port. Make it the one great coal exporting port of the gulf
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-04

lTHE civic movement recently l launched in Danville. Va, to pur- l chase by popular subscription the
 sutherlin mansion. known as the last
 White House of the Confederacy, is of
 widespread interest and will appeal es- | cause and their sons and daughters.
 According to an Associated Press dis ! patch in yesterdays Age-Herald su5- scriptions amounting to sS,750 were an
 nounced at mass meeting held in Dan- vile, Monday night. 1t was also an
 nounced that an option price of s4S,oot
 on the property had been secured
 | It vas in the Sutherlin home that Jef-
 ferson Davs spent eight days in the
 fateful spring of 1865. It was there tha. | he was informed of Lees surrender and
 it was there that he held his last cabinet
 meeting and issued his last proclamation With so many solemn memories it is
 but natural that the people of Danville should organize this civic movement
 to preserve the building and set it apa t
 for some suitable historic purpose. Tn i Daughters of the Confederacy througi.- out the south, 1t may be assumed, will. | be quick to do their part in aiding thc i local chapters in Virginia in any gen. eral canvass that may be made for funds.
 l Among my pleasantest youthful recol- | ections are a visit 10 Danville and a view of the Sutherlin home. And in fi cent years l had the pleasure of spend 1 ing a day in the historic old house. It occurred to me then that, in time, the | building would be acquired by the pe5- | pie of Danville and preserved as a put | lie institution. And now that that i.i
 about to come to pass everything relat-
 ing to Mr. Davis brief sojourn the e will be read with renewed interest. l In J. William Jones' Davis Memorial 1 Volume" Is found a letter reproduced
 from the Richmond Dispatch in which Sutherlin as follows:
 When MT. Davis had been at our house for three days he said that he could not impose on our hosp!tali-,- , longer and made arrangements to es- tablish his headquarters at the old Ben- ! edict house, on Wilson street. 1 told him that he might take his cabinet to ] lony place he pleased, but as for himself he must be our guest so long as he r mained in the city, and he yielded to the request. He remained here five days
 after that time, and was, of course, in a most anxious frame of mind, but was always pleasant and agreeable One morning he and Mir. Sutherlin went downtown and soon returned in an ex cited manner, and knew something had
 happened. I met them at the door, ard
 Mir. Davis told me almost in a whisper
 that Lee had surrendered and that he
 must leave as soon as possible"
 The last proclamation which Mir. Davis signed was written by his secretary of state, Jueah P. Benjamin. According
 to the Danville tradition Benjamin draft ed the document in the old Register of
 fee. He then proceeded to the tempo lary executive mansion and there the
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-04
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
As to Jury Duty

That jury duty Is an obligation which every good citizen owes to his county and
 state cannot be denied. and one which
 every good citizen should be willing to perform said a business man, yet un- der the present practice in the courts Of Jefferson county it seems to me that a hardship is sometimes imposed. For in-
 stance, a friend of mine served last
 week in one of our county courts. He
 was absent from his business the entire five days the court was in session, which of itself was considerable hardship. On Monday last, just as he was getting his business matters arranged after his weeks absence, he again received an in- stanter summons to serve another week in one of the other courts. The reason for his summons was the absence of a number of the jurors summoned for the week and to fill the place of the absen- tees he was again called upon to sacrifice another week serving the county.
 l. T am fully aware that he had been reg ularly drawn and all that, and that the business of the courts must proceed, but it occurs to me that after the regular number of jurors have been summoned and given several days notice In which to arrange their business they should be compelled to attend court and do their duty or suffer the penalties of the law. If the jurors have not been served the sheriff should be called upon to show why, and every effort made to compel att tendance by those who fall to appear, so that the necessity for instanter jurors will not exist.
 This is matter of much importance to the business men of the city, and as have said, the present practice worKs a hardship on those who are dragged away, as 1t were. from their business with barely a moments notice"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-04
Mobiles Panama Trade Conference

We of Mobile" says the Mobile Register, "are of the opinion that Mo- bile is the port not only of Alabama but of all this central gulf country; and that what will help best to make business will be to teach the people to recognize Mobile and to avail them selves of this seaport. To this end, it is proposed, and the Chamber of Con- merce and Business League has in- dorsed the proposal, to hold a trade conference here, with the single ob- ject of uniting trade and transporta- ton interests in efforts to build up business via Panama and Mobile. This