davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Lubbock avalanche. (Lubbock, Tex.) 1909-1922, 1912-07-25

have failed to get glimpse OF 1t.
There are certainly a great many
great problems that call out for
attention and solution. but so far
none of them have been viewed
with alarm nor pointed to with
pride by either candidate for
governor nor by any of their
ardent supporters in their Titanic
struggles to shove some one aside
that they may get their own abb
domens against the pie counter.
So far the only issue involved
is about who lied about something
supposed to have been done or
said long time ago, and especial
Is as to who abolished the bat
and made the state penitenhary
a more desirable place of abode
than anything so far discovered
by even the most diligent town
site booster.
In fact, this seems to be not a
a case of electing the best man
governor but a case Of trying to
keep from electing the sorriest
one. AS between the two | GER
tainly favor Colquitt. | am GO
ing to admit that everything Mr..
Baker says about him is true. |
am going to further submit that
the merciless diction of Brann,
the epigramatic force of Ebert
Hubbard, the logic of Bryan and
the multitude swaying eloquence
of Patrick Henry might be COM
bined in depicting and presenting
the littleness of Colquitt and yet
he would stand as the pyramids
against the murkey shadow of
Gumshoe Bill Ramsey.
Outside of personalities and
and self-laudatlon there is really
nothing but prohibition involved
i'm the whole mess.
II you are a pro you are for
Bill and that settles it.
II you are an anti you are for
Colquitt and that settles it.
If you are just a plain conserv-
alive; sensible Democrat and cit
izen YOU are doubtless mighty
sick of the whole twiddle-twad-
die affair and feel that you would
prefer a dose Of castor oil and
crude carbolic acid to either of
them.
Bill Ramsey has long been
noted as being a mighty smooth
politician. | have never yet
known a really smooth or would
be really smooth politician who
was not a pretty safe proposition
to leave alone when it came TO
selecting a man to handle great
problems involving the general
public interest. There is a great
difference between a great states
man and a smooth politician. If
anyone has ever charged Bill
Ramsey with being a great states
man they have done him very
great wrong. Bill doesn't pose
as a statesman. He has worked
and worried all these years in
building up a reputation as a
mighty smooth politician. and
since ne has achieved the object
of his life long fight and the acme
of his ambition. it is both migrate
full and unkind to dub him
nothing more than great states
man.
Bill Ramsey compares with a
great statesman in just about the
same ratio that a disturbued pole
cat compares with a cologne
factory.
But when il comes to being a
practical. mighty smooth. gum
shoe politician William is Won
der.
For instance. Willie now loudly
proclaims that he was the pioneer
The Lubbock avalanche. (Lubbock, Tex.) 1909-1922, 1912-07-25

IOr ptnlttltidiy fcioihi' tho'
when opportunity afforded he
didn't even do his simple duty as
a decent citizen. But he wisely
knew the statewide, in fact the
worldwide. sentiment on the
reformation of penal institutions.
He knew that the great majority
of the people were without know
ledge as to how these reforms
had been inaugurated, and had
forgotten the facts presented
through different sources. He
knew the people had forgotten,
/ if they ever knew, the men ana
women who had really battled
for and brought about this rev.
olution in sentiment and these re-
formations in these institutions,
so he threw a large boquet at
himself and away he went. Yes,
indeed, William is a smooth pol
/ itician. And with the smooth
characteristics of a smooth pol
tician he doesn't hesitate to ap-
propriate to himself credit for
something he not only failed to
do, but in which he failed to per-
form his simple duty.
ColquItt deserves credit for
having at least worked hard to
carry on the reform laws and
measures relative to state pen
itentiaries. He deserves credit
for that much and no more.
Ramsey had a golden opportun-
ity to havo stood out as one OF
the great penal institution re-
formers of the country, but
smooth politicians prefer to ride
into office on the noble works Of
others, and never hesitate to APP
plaud themselves with the praise
due to others.
In so far as the reformation of
Texas penitentiaries are concern
ed the credit is directly
and really due to
three persons, These persons
were a lady whom certain maya
zines sent into Texas to iuvesu-
gate and present true conditions.
Her articles created a mild sem
sation and attracted considerable
attention throughout the United
States. The next and perhaps
the greatest of all characters to
appear on the scene was Frank
Putnam. The Putnam articles
revealed the most revolving con-
ditions ana made a national wide
scandal of Texas penal institu-
tons. ABOUT the same time
George Briggs took up the matter
and furnished the press of Texas
some vivid and action arousing
facts on the subject. The revolt
followed. Something had to be
done. For years a few fervent
souls had cried out for reforms
in our penitentiary treatment.
only to be laughed to scorn. or
given the marble heart and the
deaf ear. But these three great
humanitarians. these masters
who could wiring hot tears with
cold facts, aroused slumbering
public conscience to the exercise
of its duty. No longer did a few
noble souls vainly plead. An
aroused public emphatically de-
demanded. There were long ses-
stoned Investigations which did
nothing more than confirm the
things that had been written and
said. and recommend a few
things that already had been en-
phatically demanded. Two men.
woman and the press aroused
the public and the Legislature did
the rest. What was done had 10
be done or there would have been
something doing. and Tom Camp
bell and the whole bunch knew
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-17
M. sTEEG


 French Minister of the Interior, under whose jurisdiction the Mont-de- Piete is run.
 ficial report these persons. or at least most of them brought these articles there simply to have them valued and without any intention of pawning them. It is more likely, however. that these g. 22l persons left in profound disgust and dispair. The Monte-de- Piete Is the last place in the world to have objects valued because it is known that the vaiteFs, or .'commissaires-priseu as they are called. are either over cautious or incom- potent. A case in point which came to the writer's notice was the offer of the minimum loan of three francs on an ob- jeet of art which cost 25oo francs.
 Upon gold and silver most pawnshops lend according to weight, and conse- quently there is not much difference be- tween the loans made on these objects in Paris and elsewhere But on other articles the loan in Paris Is ridiculously small. sometimes being less than one fifth of the amounts loaned in America and England. This has led to ciandes tine pawning by private concerns which continually are being discovered, too, where agencies undertook the shipment of valuabies to England to pawn them there.
 To get satisfaction in Paris. therefore, one should take only gold or silver to the pawnshops; but as the poorest of the poor. for whom these places were de- vised do not happen to have gold and silver ornaments at hand, they are in a sorry way Not having gold to pawn, the poor last year raised loans on &. mattresses, 515 feather beds. io5 pillows, and BPS sets of bed clothes-a1d presum- ably slept on the floor.
 The Mont-de-Piete, in order to make a better financial showing, is more and more catering to the middle classes and the rich. The law of 1891 authorized the. Monte-de-Piete to lend money on cer- tain stocks and bonds, especially govern ment municipal and railway issues. Op erations, however, are limited to 800 francs each. This year bill has been introduced in the chamber of deputies which will allow these loans to be in- creased to 5000 francs each. thus turning the state pawnshop into veritable bank ing institution. Furthermore, the rich, before leaving Paris for the summer put their silver in pawn for safe keeping. be- cause it is cheaper than hiring a safe de- posit vault. thus swelling the business of this state institution. At the same time
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-17

served at his residence. but the guest is entertained at a hotel or club house. This is due partially to the jeasousy of Brazilian husbands and partly to the inability of the Brazilian women, who are mere dolls. to entertain. l have often seen married women in that country playing with china and wax dolls. and so childish is their love for bijoutry that every woman of quality wears gold or silver bracelets upon her ankles.
 Their fondness for perfumery is exces- sive. and frequently an equipage is pass ing over the highway will leave an aroma behind it as pronounced as the oder of gasoline emenated by our modern auto mobiles.
 Their education is quite superficial, con- ssting of knowledge-of of French. which tongue they speak with the same fiuency as they do their native language, music, painting and embroidery.
 The diplomatic official calls are quite formal A visit Is always returned the same day, and frequently when calling upon several ministers In one outing I would find upon my return to the lega- ton the card of the official whom had first visited.
 I was considerably amused at the ex- pediency employed to meet official re- quirements at the residence of the papal internunzlo. The visitor invariably backed out of the drawing room upon leaving until he reached the head of the stairs. When he had descended to the foot he was required to turn and again bow to hIs eminence. whom by this time stood at the top of the flight. But in this in- stance the stairway was a spiral one and the internunzIo could not be seen from the lower step. The difficulty was overcome by placing large mirror half way down the flight and to the reflected image in the glass the retiring guest made his devoirs I admired the papal representative very much; he Is now a cardinal at tho head of the propaganda In Rome, and I rarely visit the Eternal city without paying my respects to his eminence.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-17

house was surrounded by a handsome yard which was enclosed by superb bronze or iron railing. The small house was no exception in this instance, and as all of the railing was imported from Europe it's value frequently represented an amount equal to the cost of the house itself.
 Metropolis was founded by the late Elm peror Dom Pedro II, after whom 1t was named. and It's inception was the plant ing of German colony there. The peas ants there still wear the wooden sabot of their mother country, still drive the goats through the streets and fetch the laundry in little push carts.
 The town is over 3000 feet above the level of the sea, and during much of the time is enveloped in clouds. So pro- nounced is this nebular environment that I was once startled in my library by the enveloping wreaths of smoke and imag- ined that my waste basket had been set on fire by misplaced cigar; but my ap- prehension was soon relieved by finding my supposed smoke to be nothing but a cloud which had come floating in through the window.
 Then was among the clouds, but fre- quently I was above them. and not only an unique but most beautiful phenomenon was thus often presented. This generally happened early in the morning when the air was quite cool. AS soon as the heat from the bay struck the cold stratum of air 1t was converted into a cloud that bore semblance to the vast Steppes of Russia when covered by mantle Of snow. But one object pierced this sh eet of fleece and that was the apex of the Sugar Loaf mountain, which under such conditions looked for all the world like a havcock in a field of snow. While this was transpiring far below me the sun was shining overhead in a'cloudless sky. Then again I have seen 1t raining and lightning beneath my feet with a bright sun abe~e me. While all this was en- trancing enough in the sunlight, the scene under the moon beams was one of indescribable beauty.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-17

ANNEX OF THE MONT-DE-PIET
 One of the branches of the French state pawnshop. Founded to help the poor, it is rapidly becoming an insti- tuition for the convenience of the rich. money 10 the poor without interest, From this beginning the system spread and about the year 1600 a similar institution was started in France at Avignon. It was not until December IT, 1777, however, that the present Monte-de-Piete system was started in France and since then the bus mess has been gradually filling up and eXpanding-with the exception of short period during the commune when every body got back gratis what they had pawned Napoleon saw the advantages of such an institution and during his reign a great impetus was given 10 the movement,
 Pawning in Paris is not the simple af- fair it is in the United States. If the would-be pawner in France is q married woman and wants to borrow more than 20 francs she must produce the written consent of her husband: if a man. the pawner, If French, must produce an cleo tors card, his military service book, or several other papers which may officially identify him and. In addition. he must produce cross identihcations, such as a receipt for rent, or letters recently ad- dressed to him at his present address, as proof that the first papers have not been stolen. In the case of foreigners, pass ports are accepted, as are papers show ing the applicant has been registered with the police, but one must have envelopes as we'll containing letters addressed to him.
 If one has the necessarys documents his offering is accepted for valuation and he Is given a number and told to wait. At the end of some 15 minutes his number is called out from behind a partition by a man whom he never sees, together with the amount of loan offered. If acceptable. he produces his papers and waits until the transaction is placed on record. If not. he gets the parcel back. It some times pays to try two or three different bureaus for tho amounts of loans offered vary great deal--in some cases as much as TOO per cent.
 Getting the article out again Is a matter of less red tape, but as the employees never hurry, one may walt two hours to redeem an article after he has gone through the farmality of paying back tho loan with interest All transactions are secret, never become known to the public
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-17
The Matterh orn at Zermatt

whose shores dimpled a hundred tiny bays, the majesty of the bold. bald peak of Pao de Assucar whose rocky ledges, void of verdure had but once been scaled by living man, impressed me to profound ness; little farther on Corcovado. U needle of stone, pierced the sky nearly 30O0 feet above the waves that broke at Its base; next upon the horizon was out lined the Bico do Papagaoi, or Parrots Beak. a hooked and crooked monster of cliff and craig. To my left rose the Inter folding granite conhgurations of Gavea and Tijuca, laved by the lisping tides of Guaratlba and endorm1red by Botafogo Morro da Vluva, butressed by battery and fortaleza, saluted the distant Serro do Mar while fair Santa Thereza capped the vista with It's crown of whitened glory.
 Then l would stroll to Inga Point and visit the little deserted church of Nossa Senhora da Boa Viagem fOur Lady of the Good Voyagel. Abandoned though 1t Is the native sailors still address their de- votions to it's patroness and burn candles at It's delapidated shrine. Its mouldy walls and humble spire are the last ves- tiges of home upon which rest the long, ing eyes of the outgoing mariner and the first to gladden. the anxious gaze of the weary, returning marujo. It was an isolated and perhaps dreary spot but 1t was a spot for dreaming and dear to me. A few frameiess stations" still clung to the walls. and the altar piece was q faded Missa Primeira, a popular painting of the first mass in Brazil being found in nearly all of the churches. convents and cloisters of the land. The stoup was destitute of holy water and the lit- tie box with its mute appeal 'Esmolas para almas" (alms for sous), had crum- bied to decay.
 But of the interior; sombre shades and silent shadows converted the parti- colored pave of the aisle and transept Into a chess board of gloom and light: hesitant rays of the moribund day, sub dued by their transit through becloudod ~~~---~~---~-~~-~--~~~
 <Contiuued On Next Page)
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-17
BY c. F. MARKELL

Life in a primitive mountain town must of necessity become extremely pro- saic, especially to foreigners. During the day 1t was too warm to take much ex- ercise and the nights were decidedly chilly.
 I had two formidable obstacles to con- tend with during my sojourn above the clouds, the dampness of the atmosphere and an ugly insect known as the barata To avoid the first 1t was necessary to keep all of my kid gloves. leather card cases, pocketbooks and similar articles fin glass jars; ones wardrobe must be brushed and stunned daily, and even then a coating of mould is perceptible in a weeks time. The barata devours leather as a cat eats mouse, and to avoid it's ravages 1t was necessary to suspend my shoes nightly from. the chandelier in the center of the room. Next to the barata ranks the great ant in work of devasta- tion, but It's food is wood. not leather To outwit this pest the telegraph poles and crossties of railroads are all of iron and the insect grows to such proportions that have seen them when dead dressed up as brides, sisters of charity and bal let dancers. The Spanish ambassador when transferred from Brazil to some other post soldfa handsome mahogany center table to another member of the diplomatic corps. but alas. when an at tempt was made to remove 1t two of it's legs fell away. They were completely hollow. for the great ants had burrowed up through the parlor floor and eaten the interior of the table legs so that nothing save a shell remained.
 There was little of social pleasures. It so happened during the major portion of my encumbency that five of the lead ing nations of the world were represented at Brazil during the absence of the min isters and ambassadors by charges daffaires who were all single men, and thus there were no ladies at tue 1ega- tions to preside at any functions.
 When Brazilian invites an acquain- fance to dinner the repast 10 rarely
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-17

l was also quite fond of the Spanish ambassador. who was afterwards his monarchs representative at Washington at the timbe of the breaking out of the Spanlsh-American war I spent much time in his company, and found him quite entertaining, for he was a good story teller. He related to me an anec- dete relative to the present king of Spain which will be worth repeating. The story portrays the independent character of his majesty At the time he was but q small boy, and his tutor, to break him of the childish habit of eating with his fingers. told him that no real, nice king ever ate with his fingers. The little fel- low listened most attentively and when his tutor had finished plunged his hands into the gravy with the remark, Well, this king does"
 Monotonous as was my life above the clouds I learned to love it, and, oh, how l missed those clouds when 1 came out of them. How strange it seemed not to have those eternal mountains in whose shadow I had so long dwe1ied looking down upon me. whether in smile or frown. They were my companions, my friends, my brothers. I loved best to steal out at twilight at the close of d sultry afternoon in December, when the dying day had gone out with a length ened sigh Of relief and the ephemeral glooming of the tropics was broken only by the booming of the sunset gun at the fortelaleza of Santa Cruz. the clanking of the home returning peasants taman- cos upon the rocky pave and his simple, clear ringing "boa tarde'' when the round white moon rose fair as a bride, her rising heralded by the first delicious notes of the rouxinol from It's beds of quaresma and iantana. and from the edge of the cliff I gazed down upon a scene that savored not of the terrestrial.
 had learned to know the location and name of each mountain by heart At the entrance of the slumbering sum mer sea at my feet upon whose bosom rested hundred fairy islands and around
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-17

WHERE is something in the nature
 of every human being that craves
 x and delights in a mode of living different from the normal environment in which man generally finds himself How I remember the emotions of en- trancement in childhood which were en- gendered by a perusal of Three Months Under the Snow" a charming little book which some of my readers may happen to know. and the adult mind has ever been held by verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea- Both bools described existence under circumstances abnormal and unusual.
 Historians love to speak of the battle of Lookout Mountain as the Battle Above the Clouds" and yet tpe apex Of that height is only 800 feet above the river that meanders in serpentine cours- ings at it's base. Viewing the situation from this light it has been my good for tune to spend several years above the clouds almost continuously, and opine that recital of some of my experiences may not be void of passing interest
 During my career in the diplomatic service in Brazil the city of Rio de Ja- neiro was so insanltary that only six weeks in the year was 1t possible Tor foreigners to reside therein. These SIX weeks fell in the months of July and August, the climatic conditions Of which correspond to our December and January, the seasons below the equator being jus. the reverse of those on this side. Dur ing the remainder of the year the sanita- tiot was such that yellow fever held high calnival and his victims numbered from .se to 150 daily. So rapidly did the sArick- en ones die that among the lower classes the cadavers were placed upon the roofs of the one story buildings and were gathered up by van that made its grue- some rounds during the night.
 The monster performed his work of
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-17

decination rapidly, and as yeriflcation of the adage that "death loves shining mark the strongest, healthiest individ- uals were the first to receive his attack and the quickest to yield thereto. A strong stalwart American who had just landed at Rio de Janeiro fin July wrote me that he would visit me up at the legation the middle of the following week, as he wished to spend few days in the city before going to the mountain. He never paid that visit, for when the mid dle of the following week arrived he was a corpse Yellow fever had claimed him for it's own.
 Only once during the deadly season did I possess the temerity to brave the monster. I spent a night In the city be- cause I wanted to see Sarah Bernhardt and there were no trains to the legations after the performance.
 The legations were all located high up in the Organ mountains, where at Petro- polls the emperor had his summer pal ace and which was quite fashionable resort during the season for the Brazil ian nobility, 1t not being forgotten that the Brazilian summer is the analogue of our winter. The town of Metropolis was an odd congIomeration of wealth, culture and primitiveness. The streets were un- paved and down the center of the prin- cipal avenues swept the rivers Piabanha and M9selle. Wooden posts supporting sickly oil lamps but served to intensity the gloom, and at 3 o'clock, except on fete days. the Nentire populace was se- curely housed. Indeed. 1t was pronounced unsafe to be out after dark unless in a vehicle, and many murders were commit ted after nightfall during the period of Ef1 rrr.r D.t ing thoroughfares were lined for miles with rows of resplendent palaces. and costly mansions. The houses were built of the most superb granite. and yet this stone. which we3 would be proud to dis play, was always covered with stucco work, which work was most elaborateIy decorated with bright frescoes. Every