davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-19
A SOUTHERN MAN

From the Columbus, Ga, Enquirer-Sun.
 If the democrats are going to nominate southern maj as their candidate for the presidency this year they cannot do better than to choose Oscar w. Under wood of Alabari;t. This newspaper has never questioned the fact that the souin has plenty of meE who are fully able 10 make good presidents, and 1t has re- trained from advocating the nomination of any of them orly because it has feared that they wou,i not be as strong before the people as a whole as some other dem ocrat of equal ability from some other section of tne country.
 But. if we arc scing to name a southern man this year, why not Mir Underwood? He was born In Louisville, Ky, and was educated m the schools of that state and in the University of Virginia. He has been serving his district in Congress for years past and his ability, his democra- cy, his faithfulaess and his worth are not questioned, neither is his loyalty to the south. ne talk that is being indulged in by some of his political enemies in the south to the effect that his father was Union sympathizer during the war between the states is puerile; it is the talk of Hepburn or a Foraker and is unworthy of any one claiming to love tEe touth ard her people and history. It shows no less of the spirit of sectionalism than that of the verest bigot who ever waved the bloody shirt or sounded q fire alarm against the south and south trn people. How any lover of .the south tan bring himself to urge such an un- worthy argument against a man whose loyalty is so far above question we can not understand.
 The achievements of MT. Underwood during the past few months have been thenomenal While he has been in Con
 ress for several terms. heretofore he hasn't had chance to do more than other congressman similarly situated. The speaker of the House is generally lhe leader of the party in the majority. but Speaker Clark has not become such. On the other hand, oscar Underwood has forged to the front and is regarded by democrats and the people of the entire country as the democratic leader of the House. How many men in the past have made such record?
 Mir. Underwood's popularity is not con fined to the south. but extends into all parts of the countD; hence, we say, tha. Ii a southern man Is to be chosen as the democratic candidate this year, why not Oscar W. Underwood of Alabama?
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-19
In the Blue Ridge Country

The men who shot down the judge, the states attorney and the sheriff In the mountain county of Virginia must be brought to punishment. They defied civilization and they must pay the penalty.
 No doubt they felt in a hay way that they were committing but an act of revolution The state of Virginia Iwill, however, convince them that they were but sayages whose hand wss against all law when they undertook to prevent jail sentence against one of their number.
 The state of Virginia can be trusted To bring these criminals to justice, and that toe speedily. They will be hunt ed down and captured, and the death of the martyrs in the Hillesyille courthouse will be avenged In such a case extermination is the true rem edy, for no one can defy civilization.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-19

Pierre Y. R. Key in the Hampton Mag azne.
 The United States has ceased deferring to Italy, to France, to Germany in sup plying singing material to the grand opera stage. American artists have come to be accepted as. the best anywhere; their natural voices are excelled by none; their musical intelligence, artistic capaci- ty. dramatic talent and personalities are of the highest quality.
 This blossoming of the native operatic flower has unfolded within the last few years. Little more than a decade ago it's bud alone was represented in the dem onstrated capacities of one or two gifted vocalists. Just now it is scarcely possi- bel to find an operatic organization of first rank, either here or abroad, that noes not include among it's first and sec ond principles from one to a half dozen young men and women who hail from New York, Illinois, California, Ken lucky or some other state in the Union.
 It is not so many years ago that an opera singer, usually an imported prod net, was looked upon as something set
 
 of mysterious film enveloped the person. hlity, and when the artist chanced to ap- pear in recital or miscellaneous pro- gramme ears were unduly strained to catch the first sound from vocal chords Supposedly of finer texture than those belonging to the native concert singer
 Conditions have changed. America is no longer operatically uneducated. The public has developed an appreciation for that which is good and has learned to discriminate between efficient principals, mediocre settings and inferior perform hnces and those which approximate well recognized standard of merit. The sec pnd rate travelling companies which in the past occasionally visited larger cities have discovered that their services are hot wanted.
 While it is true that enough superior opera has not been forthcoming in all sections of the United States, the en- deavors of the Metropolitan, the Phila- delphia- Chicago and the Boston organi- cations have enabled thousands of music lovers, by travelling few miles, to hear and see worthy presentations. Limited engagements are played by these com panies in most of the large centers an hually. The widespread growth of music tn its every form, likewise, has proved a taetor of importance in permitting the people of this country to understand the place opera should occupy and to clearly see it's trend in the direction s-of per manency
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-19
Far Reaching Effect on Values

So many things are happening to strengthen realty values in Birming ham that it is hard to keep up with them.
 The deal by which the Woodward Coal and Iron company acquired the properties of the Birmingham Coal and Iron company, negotiated several months ago, and which will result in betterments and expansion on large scale, was the most important transac- ton in the districts industrial field since the United States Steel corpora ton acquired the Tennessee company.
 The Louisville and Nsshville's double tracking through Birmingham involves an expenditure of something like $10,000,00O and this work, fol- lowed by the announcement in last Sundays Age-Herald that the Louis vile and Nashville in conjunction with the Birmingham Realty company would expend million and quarter dollars in erecting three full blocks of buildings for wholesale houses on. First avenue from Fourteenth street to Seventeenth street, inclusive, will have far reaching effect on the busi- ness situation. The building of many hotels and apartment houses-two of the hotels of the million dollar class the building of handsome vaude- vile theatre, to say nothing of other construction operations that will be under way during this year, will com bne to make a building boom unparal- leled in the history of Birmingham.
 There is naturally great deal oil trading in real estate. Prices have not yet become inflated and it is hoped anything like feverish excitement inI the realty market will be kept down. But healthy boom all along the line Is in order. With so much upon which to base enhancement in values, the year 1912 should witness a new high record in Birmingham prosperity.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-19
FACT BEATS FICTION

From the New York Telegram.
 Even while the solicitor general of the United States was filing brief in the su- preme court touching the admissibility to the malls as second class matter of Rifle Rube, the Ranger of the Great Divide" The Perils of Pine Point" and kindred 10-cent thrillers dear to the heart of boy hood, down in Texas a scene was being Great Train Robbery tales ever written and proves that fact beats fiction.
 David A Trousdale is the man they sing down in the southwest just now and he is an express messenger on the South ern Pacific. When No. 9 was held up early yesterday morning, one masked bandit coerced the engineer while the sec ond proceeded back to the express car and, covering the messenger with a gum ordered him to open the safe. Trousdale obeyed but. managing to get his hands on heavy mallet, brained the robber with blow. Then, possessing himself of the latter's revolver, he waited until the second marauder came down 70 see what delayed his partner ana then, as he quietly puts it, T got him. " The train went on with a couple of rob bers ready for the coroner.
 The tendency of the age is against vio- ience. but a case like tfhs. recalling old pioneer times does stir the primevsl fu ffe a bit.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-19
\ Great Orchestra

'"rhe Minneapolis Symphony orchestra which has been engaged for the Bir- mingham May festival is having splendid success on it's eastern tour.'' said a member of the festival executive commit tee. Ut opened it's tour in Chicago last week It appeared in Washington Sum day and from Washington it went to New York
 "A few years ago an orchestra from Minneapolis would have been taken as a joke Now, as a result of the public spirit and generosity of the business men of the Minnesota city, an orchestra of the same high quality as the Boston Symphony and the Theodore Thomas orchestra of Chicago is maintained, and New York and all the great cities cordial ly welcome this organization. Emil Ober- hoffer, the conductor of the Minneapolis Symphony, ranks second to none in the all successful conductors, he is a man of broad general culture and thorough musicianship.
 ''To keep up an orchestra of 80 mu- body) Is enormous. The pay roll is near ly $5O00 a week, and although the box office receipts are large, the guarantors have to make up a deficit of from $65, 900 to $5O00 every season. How is that for Minneapolis public sprit?"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-19
"Extortion and Highway Robbery

The federal grand jury, of which George B. Ward was foreman, did not present an engaging picture of local conditions. It stated that "extortion and highway robbery" exists instead of peonage in this district for this req son:
 "1. Justices of the peace and their constables fear the federal govern nent.
 ."2. They have devised a system of their own far more safe and lucrative
 8 Peonage would pay in labor Their system pays in cash. Hence it Is is less noticeable, less expensive
 This system is chiefly confined to Greater Birmingham and the surround Ing mining camps, and it's victims arc "the poor or ignorant who are too humble or frightened to protect them selves. A very large majority arc negroes"
 The report of the grand jury as sails the entire system with tits monthly gouge that comes with re- morseless regularity" The regret is that Foreman Ward and his colleagues are unable to present definite rem edy, The jury does recommend that final jurisdiction of justices of the peace in cIimminal cases be abolished, and that justices and their constabies be put on salaries.
 Ii is again the fee system, that mon- ster of hideous mien before which pale all other iniquities of the state gov ernment As things stand federal grand juries can do naught but sit and listen to tales of extortion and high way robbery This is sorry tale, but it is not, it is plain, an overdrawn one.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-19

years and over. Eighty-nlne of them, or 30.2 per cent, have worked two decades. while B, or 11.9 per cent. have been em- ployed 30 years and over. I looked for the average workers, not the freaks or preserved centenarfans. kept for exhlbi- ton purposes. Scores are oyer 30, many in the sixties and not a few past the 70 mark They had worked as long as 5S years. many starting before, during and just after the civil war. One can talk with these veterans, thousands Of them in the Carnegie employ, and find the type of men who have done their share toward the success of the steel business, who have worked more than the average lifes span and are not eager to lay down their tools and retire to idleness. There are about 5000 employees of the Carnegie Steel company in 32 mills in the Pittsburg and eastern Ohio districts.
 I talked with men employed In the Homestead mills and elsewhere, and found contentment apparent everywhere. with an absence of labor unrest
 To me the reason seemed to be sats- faction and security, purchased by hu- mane working conditions, protection from danger and an employees welfare system that probably is more extensive and worthy than any other in existence.
 The trouble has been that the public has known too little of the steel indus try and it's workers. Imagination, born of hearsay and nurtured by exaggeration, has conjured up weird pictures of oppres- sion. In the corporations increased pro- duction, the credit goes to more efficient machinery rather than to increased labor. The onus is on the machinery, not on the men. The relations between capi- tai and labor have been improved, be- cause the former is protecting and con- serving the latter
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-19
Tafts Nomination Assured

T am a republican but no politician. I know enough, however to feel certain of President Taft's nomination in Chi cago in June." said Milton w. Rathborne of Philadelphia.
 When Roosevelt came out as formal candidate for the nomination, I thought he would probably have such a strong backing with the people that a stampede for him in the convention might be ex- pected. But the ex-President's political fortunes have been on the wane for two weeks or more. Republican friends of mine who are friendly both to Roosevelt President Taft will be nominated beyond former than with the latter, tell me that President Taft vii be nominated beyond the shadow of a doubt and that unless the democrats are wiser than they usually are Taft will be his own successor. Wall street Is for Taft and that means a great deal"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-19

weight of the argument, although con-
 strained to vote the other way.
 Saturday and yesterday the excise
 tax was discussed. There will be free expressions against it's constitutional ity but none of these expressions will take into account the changes in the supreme Court of IT years. The tax was declared invalid by to 4 de- cision in 1895 based on light distinc tions. The bill now before the House avoids all such distinctions, and the supreme court can affirm the tax if it desires to do it.
 As the tax stands it Is one on the business, professional and other gain. ful activities, of individuals and part nerships. The ability to pay does not enter into the case. It is a tax, in other words, upon the pursuit or fol- lowing of certain sports, trades or vacations, usually taking the form of sxactions for licenses. This dictionary definition Is fully met in the pending bill, and the justices of the supreme court will have no trouble in uphold ing the proposed tax should it become law.
 The justice of the tax as substi- ute for high tax on sugar, a neces- sary of life. is simply beyond question. That branch of the subject is not open to argument. All know it Is a just tax, placed where 1t can be most readily borne.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-19
Well Known Catholic Prelntc

"The Right Rev. Dennis J. O'Connell, who has been for a short time auxiliary bishop of San Francisco but who will be installed this week as bishop of Rich mond, is one of the best known prelates of the Catholic church." said an old mem- Der of Birmingham's Virginia colony.
 "I first remember Dr. O'Connell as a parish priest in the diocese of Richmond and knew him quite well while he was situated at St. Peters cathedral in Rich mond Cardinal Gibbons was the bishop of that see and at one time Dr. O'Connell acted as the bishops secretary. After Cardinal Gibbons became archbishop cf Baltimore. on his recommendation, Dr. O'Connell was appointed rector of th' American college In Rome. He was mo
 a snonsignor by the Pope and as he de. veloped talent for diplomacy. his rsaees thought that he would some day ossAly
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-19
Some Urban Centers

Cincinnati people were disappointed in the showing which their city made in the last census" said a man who takes an interest in population statistics.
 Tn 1910 Cinclnnati-the city proper-ha1 S635 591 inhabitants, as against Clevelands 560 663, but Cincinnati as an urban cen ter, styled by the government the mctro- politan district. had 56S,SO4 as compared with Cleveland's metropolitan district population of 613,27O. In other words the Ieal Greater Cincinnati came within i9, 466 of having as many people as the real Greater Cleveland.
 Tn 1910 New York as metropolitan district had 6,47456s inhabitants. Chiea- go's metropolitan districts population was 9, ,446 921, and the Philadelphia metro poitan districts population was 1,972,342. While St. Louis ranks fourth In size of the cities of the United States, Boston as an urban center or metropolitan district. has the fourth place. Metropolitan Pitts burg has the fifth and the St. Louis dis trict the sixth.
 ITO the cities ranging in popula tion from 100000 to 100000 the population of environs in the 10 mile circle has been added. And, according to the recent gov ernment bulletin, Birmingham as an ur- ban center ranks second in the cotton states. Texas, with four or five rapidly growing cities. did not get any of them in the 100000 population class in 1910. and therefore no Texas town appears in the recent census bureau publication. But in 1920 San Antonio, which had 96,000 in 1910 will probably have 10000. It is growing now by leaps and bounds. Dallas and Houston will each have well over 100000 next time''
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-19
Sugar and the Excise Tax

The House is engaged in passing the bill to free sugar from all tax by put ine the burden on the wealthy of the country The debate has been of high order. and Leader Underwood has been a leader indeed throughout i,s course. Perhaps his best answer was in reply to the Louisiana delega- ton: '1 want to say" said MT. Under wood. that of the total amount of sugar consumed by the American peo- ple the state of Louisiana produces one-tenth. The American people are taxed s52 100000 at the customs house and over s600,000,000 by the refiners and producers of sugar to maintain this Industry. l am not prepared to say that the Louisiana industry can survive. 1ut ! can say that there is no principla iu the democratic party that jnstifics any man in saying that we should maintain a tax of s115,000, ,000 ~pon ,be bellies of the poor people in America in order to maintain an in- nustry in Louisiana which cannot pro duce one-tenth of the sugar used by the American people"
 It is pretty safe to say that the
 IrJsiaua members appreciated tho
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-19
DECLINE OF THE AMERICAN HORSE

From the WaSnlngt0n Post.
 The departure of the Billings stable of famous harness horses for Europe signi- fies that the American trotting turf has
 been hard hit by short sighted legisla- ton, along with it's family connection, the running turf. Indeed, the loss of the
 best trotting stallion this country has
 produced, together with others only sec ond in point of value and. usefulness, forebodes an outward movement that may
 result in the impoverishment of our blood
 ed trotting stock in a still larger meas
 ure than is true of the decline of the
 thoroughbred.
 Russia being the destination of The Har- vester and his stable companions, the chance of their being returned to this country is remote. The Russian govern
 ment has been a heavy purchaser of .the
 highest type of breeding stock and is in the market for more. And all the prin- ci5al countries of Europe maintain sim liar esta bllshments, there is small likeli-
 hood that the pick of America will go beg
 ging. Racing Is everywhere encouraged abroad either through government in- | itiative or patronage. It has been found | 10 De the pest source or supply Tor cav 1 airy horses of the highest class, an es- sential to proper equipment that is la mentally lacking in our military system | The cavalry has been running down at | the heels ever since active service on the | plains came to a standstill a circum- stance that passed unnoticed until it had painful realization on the occasion l os sending our crack team to England
 to compete with the best cavalrymen of Europe.
 However, the national government is not | open to criticism as being the principal of- | fender in the natter That distinction | belongs to state legislatures, which yielded | to misdirected clamor, although fully ap- | prised of the consequences that inevitably | must follow. It is not within the province | of Congress to regulate racing, but it | has the power to arrest the blight that
 is destined to work the deteroratica of | the equine race throughout all it's strs -e and all it's services to man.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-19

very high position In the hierarchy. A few years ago he was appointed by the Pope rector of the Catholic college Of America at Washington.
 'The ceremony of his induction into the office of bishop of Richmond will be elaborate and imposing. Cardinal G'b- bons will preside and many bishops from different parts of the country will hc in attendance. But for Bishop O'Connelfs advancing age I think 1t pretty good guess that he would in a few years te made an archbishop and finally a cardi- nal. Personally the new bishop of Rich mond Is one of the most popular ec- clesiastics in this country"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-19
THE LAKE OF THE DISMAL SWAMP

By Thomas Moore. They made her a grave, too cold and
 damp
 For soul so warm and true: And shes gone to the Lake of the Disna!
 Swamp, Where all right long. by firely lamp She paddles her white canoe." And her fire1y lamp I soon shall see. And her paddle I soon shall hear: Lcng and loving our life shall be, And I'll hide the maid in a cypress tree. When the footstep of Death is near" Away to the Dismal Swamp he speeds His path was rugged and sore. Through tangled juniper beds of rceLs Through many fen where the serpent And man never trod before And when on the earth he sunk to sleeo If slumber his eyelids knew. He lay where the deadly vine doth weep It's venomous tear, and nightly steep The flesh with blstering dew. And near him the she-wolf stirred ,hs
 brake,
 Ard the copper snake breathed in hi.
 ear, Till he. starting, cried. from his dream
 dNdher 70! when shall I see the dusky lake. And the white canoe of my dear?" He saw the lake, and a meteor bright Quick over it's surface played "Welcome,' he said, my dea- o,e's
 lightr' And the dim shore echoed for many I
 night,
 The name of the death cold maid.
  Till he hollowed a boat os the circhcn
 bark. Which carried him off from siioro: Far, far he followed tho meteor smart, The wind was high and the clouds were
 dark.
 And the boat returned 10 more. But oft, from the Indian hunters camp. This lover and paid so true Are seen, at the hour Of tho mdniThs
 damp. To cross the lake by firefy lama And paddle thsir own cauoA
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-19
NECESSARY
.ng Posi

rom the Chicago Evening Post.
 Governor Yates attended an inaugura- ton in Washington with his staff They packed their uniforms. but concluded to ship nc horses. relying on the stables of the capital.
 While waiting to get in line an orderly would dash up to the governor at inter- vals with q message and was invariably accompanied by Louis Halle After q while Yates said to Halle
 Colonel. it isn't necessary for you to accompany the orderly on his errands.v
 T know it, governor" returned Halle, ''but this horse Is the other half of the team.''