davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-02-07

the American wife Of the first secretary Of
the Embassy OF Austria Hungary, is beauti-
full enough to attract attention In any Assem-
blage, and lavish heritage Of good looks Is
the possession of Baroness Moncheur, the
wife of the Minister from Belgium. She, too,
Is a bride. Her father, Gen. Powell Clayton,
is United States ambassador 10 Mexico, and
1t was while making her home In the City Of
Mexico a few years ago that Prince Charm
ing appeared In the person of the titled Bel
gian.
The claim that the women Of the Pan-Amer-
lean countries lose much of their beauty
comparatively early In life Is assuredly not
borne out by the appearance Of the members
Of the gentler sex In the households Of the
ENJOYS from the Central and South American
republics. There is In Washington no matron
Of more attractive appearance than Sonora
de Azpiroz, the wife Of the Ambassador from
Mexico. Nor Is she alone in the enjoyment
Of this distinction. There Is Sonora Calderon.
the wife Of the Minister from Peru, who,
though the mother Of seven children, has
face well nigh as youthful as that Of her
eldest daughter. and Madame Pezet, OF the
same legation, representative Of the Spanish
type Of beauty In its highest refinement.
Many persons hold to the BELIEF that the
typical Italian woman should possess some
thing OF that wild, dark, picturesque beauty
supposed to be Characteristic Of the Latin
races, but 1t must be admitted that signora
NJ. MayJr des Panches. the wife OF the I,sl-
Ian Ambassador at Washington. affords scant
trace OF 1t. BY the casual observer she might
be mistaken for an American woman. She
aud her husband are cousins. aud spent their
childhood In the same house, growing up al
most as brother and sister. A storm Of oppo-
sition greeted their desire 10 marry, but the
young people were very much in earnest, and
In time the little god of Love came out
triumphant. WALDON FAWCETT.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-02-07
Z1NJpzW;- LpOW ORE THEORETICALLY

this ravenous ore eater they close relentless
ly taking lotion bite out of the ore cargo.
At signal the monster, its mouth gorged
with ore, is lifted from the bowels of the
ship and run back on a sort OF railroad track
to point where the ore may be dumped di-
rectly into the cars which are to carry IT to
the furnaces.
In unloading ore, or in loading coal, which
the ore ships carry back up the lakes, use Is
also made of smaller grab-buckets, which
travel to and from the holds Of the ships on
cables or on great skeleton structures of
steel, known as bridge tramways, which
serve as sort of elevated railroads. A quicker
way of handling the coal, however, Is by the
car dumpers-great machines which upturn
gondola railroad car and empty its contents
as readily as a child might overturn spool
box filled with sand. The most modern types
of car bumpers will pick up a loaded car,
wholly oyerturn 1t so as to remove the last
vestige of It's contents, right the empty car
and return 1t to the railroad track in total
elapsed period OF less than one minute.
In some localities, notably In the vicinity
Of Chicago and Buffalo, the iron ore can be
unloaded from the lake ships at the very
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-02-07
FROM MINE TO FURNACE.
BY wALpoN FAwCErT.

wonderful as the vehicles in which the treas
ure is carried, or the giant machines, SEEM
ingly endowed with almost human intelli-
gence. which load and unload 1t on ships and
cars and enable 1t to make an automatic
journey OF one-third of the distance across
the continent without stroke OF manual
labor being applied to It. Powerful mechani-
cal shoyels that load a railroad car In two
minutes: ponderous arms of steel that re
lieve ship of 10 tons Of cargo at scoop, and
other engineering masterpieces are the trans
fer agents. on this up-to-date highway. and
from the time that the bulky raw material
leaves the hills of the northern wilderness
until 1t is set down in the smoky valleys
leading up from the Mississippi River, not
human hand touches 1t.
Much of the iron ore which comes from
the famous Lake Superior District Is
not obtained from cave-like tunnels sucn
as constitute the ordinary type of mine,
but from great, open pits from which 1t Is
scooped Up just as sand is secured In
sandpit. In the case of the iron ore, how
ever, time Is a valuable consideration, and
so the scooping is done by the so-called
steam shovels each Of which costs upward
of $4,000, weighs as much as a locomotive
and does the work Of nigh one hundred
men. In appearance the steam shovel very
much resembles a large boxcar, with
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-02-07

hers. She is tail and stntuesqde, and not
ably one OF the most artisticaly gowned
women IN the Diplomatic Corps. Ii may be
noted, by the way that In no other realm
or public life Is such store set by fine clothes
At the approach of warm weather each sum
mer the beauties of the Diplomatic Corps fit
to Europe, but 1t is not haf SO much for
vacation or rest as to procure from the
modistes Of Paris fresh ammunition for
fashions campaign during the season to
follow. To Indicate the lengths to which
this rivalry in "fne feathers" Is carried
1t may be noted that when Baroness Hen
gelmuller returned from abroad a few
months since she brought fourteen trunks
whereas, Countess Cassin brought In 25
trunks. These women are more lucky than
their American sisters. Following the
worldwide custom, Uncle Sam does not
ask the diplomats to pay duty, and thus an
ENJOYS wife or daughter may make her
money go farther than can her Yankee
rival.
When 1t comes to discussion OF beau.
tlful costumes, however, we must not over
look the treasures of the sister and
daughter of Sir Chentung LANG Cheng,
the new Chinese minister. These ladies'
the daughter is only sixteen years Of age
have silks and satins richly embroidered
which might well be the envy OF any Amer
lean woman, and alike to most Chinese
women Of high social status, they have
most magnificent Jewels, fully rvallng, In
fact. the famous pearls and diamonds that
sparkled In the velvet headdress of Madam
Va, the wife OF the former Chinese min
ister.
Baroness sternburgi Is not the only beautiful
American In the Diplomatic Corps at Wash
ington. A considerable number Of American
women have within the past few years mar
ried foreign diplomats, but 1t Is unusual that
so many Of them as at present are permitted
by their husbands duties TO make their
homes in the capital Of their native land.
One Of the most prominent Of these Ameri-
can woman IL Madame Jusserand. the wife
of the Ambassador from France. The TO-
nance Of this distinguished f-enchman and
his American wife Is assuredly not case OF
the attraction Of opposfes for the husband
Is rather under medium height. while Madame
Jusserand Is not tai, and both have very dafk
ha.. erd e-es. Baroness Helen ron Giskha.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-02-07

doors of the blast furnaces where its trans
formation Is to begin, but more often 1t must
make railroad Journey after leaving the
ship In order to reach Its destination Con-
Meeting the unloading docks on Lake Erie
the greatest ore ports In the woodland the
manufacturing plants of the "Pittsburg dis
trict'-the fountain head of the stream of
American iron now overspreading the globe
are special ore-carrying railroads quite as re-
markable as those which connect the mines
with the ports of departure on the upper
lakes When 1t is unloaded from the steel
steamers and tow barges In which 1t has been
brought down the lakes the iron ore sets out
on the final stage Of its journey behind the
most powerful iron horses ever constructed.
Each of these locomotives weighs, with the
tender, nearly 200 tons. and can draw several
dozen of the biggest car bodies ever set on
wheels.
Arrived at the blast furnaces the ore is
taken In hand by yet other wonderful ma
chimes Some of them--hosting and convey
ing apparatus for transferring the newly ar
rived ore from cars to the storage piles and
later from the storage piles to the always
hungry furnaces-are very similar In princi-
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-02-07

forward end OF the boat, while the engines
and propelling machinery are located at the
opposite extremity. They have been built
In this way. however, In order to facilitate
the working of the marvellous machinery
which hastily lifts the ore out of the hold
when the ship has reached her destination.
This unloading apparatus constitutes the
very climax of achievement In the fashion
ing OF mechanical marvels to do mans work
There are several different varieties of the
time-saving and labor-saying utensils, but
the most wonderful is what Is known as the
automatic unloader,' although to be sure,
1t is deserving of a more romantic name
Each machine weighs as much as railroad
accommodation train and does the work of
dozens of men. great iron arm looking
very much like a miniature suspension
bridge, supported In the middle instead of at
the ends, is moved out until 1t overhangs the
ship to be unloaded. Then the end over the
vessel descends after the fashion of a see
saw and lowers into the hold OF the ship
clamshell bucket in which several men
might sit comfortably. The iron jaws are
spread wide apart as the bucket descends,
and at the swinging of lever by an opera
tor standing In n small cage directly above
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-02-07

Ing docks look very much Ike immense
wooden boxes built out into the lake dis
lance of from one-ffth to one-half a mile,
and on either side of them the boats tie up
broadside. In the placing of the rudy hued
raw material on board the vessels. alike to
the other transfers on this magical journey,
human Drawn lends no aid Gravity is the
all-sufflcient power. When vessel is in
place alongside an ore.dock her matches are
opened and into the hold there pours steady
streams Of the blood-colored mineral from
perhaps dozen different bins in the big
dock and within three or four hours the big
gest Of the lake ships has had her fill and is
ready to sail away.
These freighters of the inland seas, by the
way, which play so important part in the
drama of iron, are vessels without a coun-
terpart on any of the other waters of the
globe. The hundreds OF vessels which move
to and fro carrying the ore from mine to fur
mace comprise the greatest fleet engaged in
any ore traffic under the American flag. In
the eyes Ok the person accustomed only to
oceanic or river craft they are very odd in
appearance, for the bridge, mast and deck
houses are huddled together at the extreme
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-02-07
THE BEAUTIES OF THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS.

at once every afternoon But for all her
gaiety, her friyolity, her love of life and
activity, her superabundance Of energy and
enthusiasm, Countess Casslni has a serious
side which makes her in many respects the
most remarkable girl in America. If inclln.
ed to doubt this just consider that this CIR
Of little more than 20 years speaks seven
languages and discharges all the social
responsibilities of hostess of an important
household with the skill and tact of the
veteran campaigner of the smart world.
Baroness Hengelmuller, wife of the Aus
trian Ambassador, was one of the famous
court beauties OF Vienna before she came
to make her home in Americas capital.
She has been here longer than most of the
other leaders Of the Diplomatic Corps, hav
Ing resided In Washington for fully nine
years and 1t is said that no other foreign
hostess in oficialdom has so extensive an
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-02-07

Men OF affairs are wont to say that in the
United States the condition of the iron mar
ket Is the most accurate business barometer.
Likewise has the most useful of metals
proven the Yankees best weapon In the
american invasion" of foreign markets.
Every year finds larger shipments of iron and
steel leaving the shores Of the New World
for distant lands and climes, and from pres
ent Indications 1t will not be long ere Uncle
Sam Is, In every truth. the iron master Of the
globe. The victory which is being won by
the people of the greatest republic in this
most important Industrial field is not due to
the superiority of the American metal, nor yet
to the fact that in Europe natures mineral
riches are dwindling away, while the hills
of Miss Columbia's domain yet hold an in
exhaustible supply. The real secret of this
magical supremacy Is found in the cheap
ness with which iron and steel may be manu-
featured on this side of the Atlantic, despite
the high price Of American labor, and hereby
hangs our proudest tale Of Industrial progress
The iron ore which forms the principal diet
of our hundreds Of blast furnaces is obtained
10 part from Cuba, Nova Scotia, the Southern
States and Colorado, but the vast proportion
OF 1t comes from that marvellous region the
shores Of which are washed by the head
waters of the Great Lakes, and which over
spreads goodly portions of the States of
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-02-07
BY wALDoN FAwcETT.

In direct contrast to Baroness Won Stern
burg Is personal appearance, In tastes and
in manner is another great beauty Of the
Diplomatic Corps,-Countess Marguerite
Casslni, the bizarre young mistress of the
Russian Embassy. The Countess, who is
not the wife of the Ambassador, but hi,
adopted daughter, Is possessed of many of
the elements of attractiveness which rem
der the Russian women SO fascinating and
yet she cannot be said to be a typical Rus
sian beauty, for most of the bellies of the
Cars domain are blondes, whereas the
chic chatelaine of the ambassadorial house
hold at Washington, is a most pronounced
brunette. However, she has the superb
complexion, fine teeth and splendid car
rage for which her country women are
famous and far from being out of keeping,
her wealth of glossy black hair and large.
expressive, dark eyes add just the requis-
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-02-07

Our national capital has been denominate ed
the most cosmopolitan city of the New
World. Perhaps from one standpoint the cor
rectness of this claim might be questioned,
for, to be sure, Washington has no great
colonies Of other nationalities, such as are
TO be found within the confines of the me-
tropolis, but certain 1t Is that no other city
on this side Of the Atlantic is a rendezvous
for social leaders from SO many lands and
chimes as are assembled at Uncle Sans seat
of government The fact that it's the cap
ftnl brings these people to Washington, for
every government of any pretentions on the
globe now maintains Its regularly accredited
envoy or agent at Miss Columbia's court, and
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-02-07

Among this great galaxy OF the gentler
sex from all quarters of the globe who are
making their home temporarily in Washing
ton are many who would attract attention
anywhere by their beauty. II may however,
be a source of satisfaction for her country
women to know that the highest honors In
this international salon of personal charms
are carried off by an American woman--
Baroness Won Sternburg, wife of the Ger
man Ambassador. Whether or not 1t be true
that all the world loves a lover, certainly
1t is patent that all womankind takes the
greatest interest In bride, and thus the
pretty young mistress of the Kaiser's
diplomatic establishment in the United
States has a potent factor of concern with
which to supplement the admiration for
her beauty, since it was little more than
two years ago that Miss Langham, a ma.
tive of California, but claimed by Ken.
lucky. was welded to the young Teutou
diplomat who had long enjoyed the close
friendship of President Roosevelt.
Baroness Won Sternburg is of medium
height and very graceful. she is a blond.
her hair being tinged with a touch of au-
burn and her violet eyes are shaded by long
black iashes. Her features are delicate and
regular and their beauty Is accumulated by
perfect complexion, clear and exquisitely
tinted. The Baroness spent most Of her
girlhood In conyents In Europe, but her
love story began when she was crossing
the Atlantic TO visit her people In the
United States. 1t wasn't love story
without any distressing moments Of I'M
certainty as to the outcome, either, for the
German government, which has fatherly
interest In the welfare of Its officials and
demands good-sized dots for Its young men,
was not bit taken with the idea OF giving
one of its cleverest diplomats TO q girl
whose only dover was the fairest Of faces.
However, obdurate governments, like OBJ
durate fathers, do relent sometimes and
so 1t happened : that the international
romance had happy ever after" ending.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-02-07

journey from mine to furnace Is the trip
from the mine to the loading port on the
upper lakes, where the ore takes ship. This
initial jaunt is taken on what Is probably
the most crowded steel-traeked highway in
the world. The ore may be going down to
the unsalted seas on any one of the half
dozen railroads built especially for this
traffic, but conditions will be always the
same. Ore trains follow each other at less
than half-hour intervals, day and hight
Each is drawn by locomotive capable Of
moving a load of ore nearly equal to the
weight of the entire American standing army
prior to the Spanish War, and is made up of
cars-nany of them OF pressed steel-each
with capacity of so tons.
The first cali of change cars" which is
heard on the journey of the ore from the
wilderness to Industrial civilization comes
at the gigantic ore-oading wharves on
Lakes Superior and Michigan. The ore-load-
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-02-07

and limestone. In the old Gays men sta.
toned at the top OF the furnaces to pour IN
these ingredients of iron making were time
and again overcome by the gases which es
capped when the lid was lifted from the fur
nace and fell headlong into the seething cal
dron. In the new era, however, there are no
men at the top OF the blast furnace. In
stead the ore and coke and limestone are sent
aloft on novel inclined railroad, and by an
ingenious arrangement the arrival OF load
ed car at the top is the signal for lifting
Of the lid of the furnace and the material IL
dumped automatically into the sea OF fame.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-02-07

Of their own. They start out In the evening
just before dusk, and each one carries Ian
tern and long stick with a piece of fed
cloth tied on the end.
When he reaches a pool the frogcatcher
shows his light, and the frog, attracted By
II, hops toward It,
Next the man lightly drops his cloth upon
the water, and the frog, thinking something
good Is coming, snaps at H. and SO
catches its teech in the cloth. It cannot get
away, and the frogcstcher catches 1t without
any trouble
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-02-07

PIE to the mechanical toilers employed to re-
move the ore from the lake ships. Then, too
car bumpers are utilized to empty the con-
tents of the ore cars In doublequick order
into smaller ears, which are whirled away to
the mouths of the furnaces.
The Introduction of these inanimate work
ers in one of the most perilous of activities
has happily resulted In n tremendous reduc
tion In the loss of life in the iron industry.
In no phase of the work, however, has dan
ger been so completely banished as In the
once-dreaded task of feeding to the blast fur
naces their continuous diet OF ore and coke
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-02-07

hugh arm protruding from one end, and
terminatlg in a steel hand which can hold
ten tons in Its clutch By means of In
clined railroad tracks the steam shove's
are. enabled TO descend into these huge
holes in the ground-sometimes half
mile across-known as ''open pit mines,
and a few trips Of the capacious scoop of
a mechanical shoveler-each trip occupy
ing Seconds where one would expect min
utes-suffices to fill the largest size railroad
car.
The first stage Of his Industrial maiesty's
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-02-07
POINTS.

The ryecrop last year, with an acreage OF
1905, s94. yielded $40, $685. ST..
The barley crop last year, with 1895, 137
acres, brought to the farmers $50, 1856, 313.
The number Of ants In a nest varies from
1928 to 1904. These figures are from .
recent count OF i've nests
The income Of the British postoffice from
money In envelopes having no or insufficient
address is $4,000 or s35, 900 day.
Austria imports less agricultural machin-
cry per square kilometer OF agricultural land
than any other country In Europe.
There Is a point near the famous Stony
Cave, In the Catskill Mountains, where Ice
may be found on any day OF the year.
The Borough OF Fulham, London, by the
use OF Its garbage In the furnace OF the mu-
nicipal electric lighting plant, makes pront
OF s3,442 year.
Mexico is practically virgin ield in the
matter Of advertising. aud the American ex-
porter who pays adequate attention 10 II IL
the one who will win the lions share Of busi-
ness.
The French Army has discovered that bees
can be used as messengers In time OF war
one has flown four miles In 20 minutes with q
message When liberated they will return
TO their hives. just as a carrier pigeon will
return fc its loft.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-02-07

Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Con
meeting these mineral storehouses Of the
Northwest with the manufacturing plants
Of the Middle States is a unique transporta
lion chain which moves the embryo iron more
theaply than freight Is carried anywhere
else In the world.
I To carry the freshly mined ore more than
1000 miles by land and sea and deposit 1t
within q week after IL has left the miners
shovel at the furnaces In Pennsylvania and
Ohio is in itself a marvel Of twentieth cen
fury achievement, and yet 1t Is not half so
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-02-07
Frog Cafchers in Paris.

French people. you know, are very fond
Of frogs. and, as they eat only the hind legs,
a great many are needed TO supply the de-
mand. Consequently frog estehlng is quite
an industry.
II some places frogs are catght by means
I bur IN Paris the men have a method
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-02-07

lite touch TO her regal bearing.
Countess Cassini il whirlwind,-a
human dynamo. 1t might almost be de
clared that she is not inactive for one wax
Ing moment. She golfs. walks. fences,
drives. dances plays. sings, paints. she
Is equally at home In the automobile IN
which she has won the reputstlo Of the
most daring motor driver in America or
In the Partisan dog cart, drawn by her
cob, Naughty Girl. we'll beloved by the
Countess because she can be depended on
C take i :rto ass DrsttI head to rrn awa7
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-02-07

The Income Of the British postofice from
money in envelopes having no or insufficient
address is $4,000 or $35, 900 day.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-02-07

The rye crop last year, with an acreage OF
], 906, S04, yielded s15, 998, s71.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-02-07

Austria imports less agricultural machin-
cry per square kilometer OF agricultural land
than any other country In Europe.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-02-07

The number Of ants In a nest varies from
1928 to 1904. These figures are from .
recent count OF five nests.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-02-07

The barley crop last year, with 4,9a3137
acres, brought TO the farmers $50, 1856. 313.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-02-07

There Is a point near the famous Stony
Cave, In the Catskill Mountains, where Ice
may be found on any day OF the year.