davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-24

vivid flashes of forlSed lightning, fol-
lowed by peals of thunder which strike
terror into the hearts of the bravest. Up
aloft the sailors are franticaly struggling
to grapple the wet, frozen canvas, wildly
Tapping in the wind, while the down.
pour of sleet and hail. beating on their
bare hands cuts and bruises them almost
to numbness. Suddenly shout Is heard,
MAN overheard" Some poor fellow, In
the dark no one knows who, lost his
hold and fell. Above the bowling of the
winds and the roar of the waters Is heard
his last words, 20, Christ! save mel
Save him! no earthly power could save
him then. Save the ship or all Will
perish.
A storm at sea Is magniicently grand;
1t is a battle of giants. Nowhere is a
man more convinced of his insignihcance
and weakness. and yet nowhere does his
skill show more brilliantly than In his
successful combat with the forces of ma
ture. Out Of the struggle he comes trl-
umphantly, although bearing marks OF
the battle Morning comes at last, and
then the lost one is made known. Hts
obituary notice is recorded in the log; his
faults forgotten and forgiven Nothing
remains but a memory OF Jack, and the
few little effects he possessed, few let
ters a faded photograph and two or three
article sof, clothing are rolled UP In a
bundle, weighted with block of stone
and consigned to the sea.
Cape Horn has been rounded, and the
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-24

TN all ages and among all people VINO
have ever seen or heard of the ocean,
l. that great watery world has been en-
ployed as a smile of life and the ship as
the man whose voyage lies across its I'M
known depths and dangers. Writers OF
fiction and poetry have expressed their
grandest and sublimest thoughts by SYM
boizing human affairs with ships at sea-
What wonder is it, says Cervantes, III
q man who persists in sailing against the
wind be wrecked in the waves Of his own
indiscretion," and Thomas Moore en-
ployes the ship at sea to illustrate one
of the greatest tragedies of life:
Alas how light cause may move
Dissention between hearts that love!
Hearts that the world IN vain has tried
And sorrow but more closely tied;
That stood the storm when waves were
rough,
Yet in a sunny hour fall off,
Like ships that have gone down at sea
When heaven was all tranquility.
In the grandeur and majesty OF her
course before favoring winds the ship Is
compared to man in his primo and pres
perity, while everyone knows what is
meant when it is said that mans hopes
and prospects are shipwrecked. No phase
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-24
BY F. |. MONKS.

ships head points north. Once past fhe
Falkland Islands the sailor regards this
remainder OF the voyage as sailing over
summer seas. The southeast trades
are taken up, tho do1drums are again en-
countered and overcome, the northeast
trades follow and once more the Gulf
Stream is crossed. Outward bound YES
sells are met with which salutatlons ars
exchanged. The crew is busy now, paint
Ing and vanishing and tarrtng scrubbins
decks and polishing brasswork Every
captain likes to bring his ship home look
ing like new. and the sailors take pride
in her appearance.
1t is nine months ago since this shin
came down channel: she has been around
the world; has had summers and winters,
storms and sunshine. Her crew Is glad to
get back to "old Lun nom" her owners
rejoice at her arrival and her valuable
cargo brings wealth to many.
But despite her successful voyage and
tho profits she made, she has been nearly
a year away. Steamers have made the
same voyage In less than half the Time
profits are smaller. but money Is turned
twice instead of once. The old ship lies
out In the river, swings at her anchor
waiting for freight that never comes. Her
crew of sailors must find employment as
swabbers and scrubbers on a steamer. No
more reefing or fnling of sails; no mere
splicing or knotting OF ropes; nc magA
trade winds or doldrums; the old sailcr
with the old ship passes out of existence.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-24

OF some intensely practical man who
could not endure theories" Sydney
Smith said He is a wooden man. |
am convinced that if you bore into him
with gimlet, sawdust will come out of
him." 1t must have been some such
wooden man, who upon visiting Amer
ca's greatest waterfall, burst forth into
the strain;
"oh 81 eat Niagara, throwing high
Thy mist and clouds up to the sky,
1t makes my soul within me burn
Tt think how many mills you'd turn
Theories may be intensely practical
Modern navigation grew out of the the
cries of astronomers Even false theo-
ries sometimes lead to Immensely valua-
BILE and practical results. The Alchcm-
lists framed theories about turning the
baser metals into gold; and out of these
theories grew our modern chemistry,
which is worth more to the world than
is all the gold that ever was mined.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-24

perils that lie before him. The sailor
although brave man, generally Is SUI
perstitious, and in the tapping of the
wayeIets against the ships side and the
rustling of the wind through the cord
age he hears voices that speak prophet
ically of disaster or death.
F'reghted with wool and just enough
metal or minearl to preserve equilibrium
the shin points her way south to the
strong westerly winds, to the rolling
forties. to the long cold nights and the
gloomy days. Six thousand miles east
ward and nearly 60 degrees south or
the equator lies Cape Horn, the extreme
point of South America. That Is the
turning point in the homeward-bound
VOYAGE. That is the point where the
waters of the South Pacific and the
South Atlantic rush together where
Aeolus reigns and disputes dominion with
Neptune himself Due east and square
before the wind the ship Is almost flying.
One ment balanced on the crest OF Il
wac the next lost to sight in the val
lev between 1t is a mad chase, every
wac apparently rsn, higher and higher
and rushing after the ship frothlng WITH
rage; still the ship keeps running every
rome every sail, masts and yards strain
ing under The pressure. Anxious eyes
are cast around and aloft to watch the
least Indication of failure of any part:
this is what sailors call carrying on,
a most important but perilous under
taking.
No need to tell the old sailor he is off
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-24
BY c. H. E. ASQUITH

higher than I had expected to pay, but
I didn't tell him that 500 was the highest
that I had ever gone before.
Now, look here. said my friend.
clothes make the man., Why, a coat
such as will make up for you-cut the
latest with straight back--will make you
one of the handsomest men In town and
besides 1t will increase your sales. II you
look like big, plump success, every one
will think you are making money and
hand over the orders. People like to deal
with statesmen who look prosperous
so gave him the order.
I'm never forget the first day wore
1t. After putting It on walked straight
for the beanery where I had eaten SO
many MONDAY lunches. Then came my
first shock, for it suddenly occurred to
me that no self-respecting $50 coat would
like to be placed before a ham sandwich
and a draw one, So"
That's why" interrupted the inqulsi-
tive person. ''you have been going to
De Smiths and
"And paying seventy-hve to one-fifty
for lunches? And being broke all the
time? Yes, that is why
But IL was nOtnlnB cOinpdreu 10 lHo
worry have been staggering under.
You see. with the old coat I was not
compelled to keep awake all the time.
/ didn't have to sit facing that precious
garment day in, day out
But let me tell you that when he
patronzes a high priced tailor fellow
has to notice things. Why. in the first
week I caught three gentlemen making
a mistake. They just simply walked up,
put my coat on and started out"
"But you made money with the coat?
Sold lots more goods. didn't your
Did II On the contrary. when my
customer saw me coming with that coat
was encored to finish, but they gave
their orders to my competitor, who gave
the impression that there was not such
a big percentage of profit in what he
sold.
But I wouldn't care so blamed much
n 1t hadn't been for what happened at
the office. You see. Miss Baiteman and
] were real friendly. used to ride home
with her most every night.
Now she prefers to be seen with the
bookkeeper, and you ought to see the
old clothes he trots. Say. would you be-
iieve Il, she told the other stenogra pher
that she liked me real well. but that her
last years Jacket didn't match the $50
flair of mine.
Jaw what's the use.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-24

Cape Horn. IT'D keen wind tells him or
ic ergs; the thousands of seabirds, es-
pecially the great white albatross, the
petrels and gulls tell him of land; bleak,
hare, barren islands The lowering Sky
an, the scudding clouds announce the
approaching storm. Showers of sleet that
turns to ice as 1t falls envelopes ropes
and rigging.
Tie rising wind compels the furling of
all small sails; staysails, royals and top
gallants are taken in: all running gear Is
made ready for immediate action the
watch on deck Is told to keep handy
whi,e the watch below throw themselves
down TO sleep with hats and boots on
occasionally a wave strikes the snip
on the quarter and follows up by break
in over the bulwcrks. Above the noise
of the rushing waters and the roaring
winds is heard the voice of the OFFICER
Of lie watch issuing his commands.
Three bells strike; half-past one. The
ship is plunging and rolling like an infurt-
ated wild animal; the wind is screaming
through every chink and crevice; heavy
seas come laundering aboard and flood
the decks. "Call the watch!' "All hands
shorten sail," "Reef topsails. Come
on. lads, look alive!" "'Stand by fore and
main topsail halyards! Is the watch out?'
AYE, aye sir" Lower away your top
sails. Haul the mainsail up! Haul the
foresail up. Lay aloft. all hands, and
furl.'
The ocean is seething white: the night
dark as Erebus, lighted up at times with
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-24
Deed OF a Gallant Nobody.

From the London Evening Standard
1t is not always the information carried
by the recognized aides-de-camp to and
from the commanding officer In battle
which is OF highest value. There was
supreme moment during the battle of
Waterloo when the Duke of Wellington
was left absolutely alone-and that not
when he was running the risk of capture
by sailing through the enemy's lines. 1t
simply meant that every galloper had
gone his way. each with his message.
At this moment stranger rode up TO
the duke and quietly asked Can | be
of any use sir?" The duke took one
glance at him and unhesistatingly an
swered YES. take this pencil note to
the commanding officer pointing to
regiment in the heat OF the battle. The
stranger took the note and galloped away
with it. through the thick OF the fight. He
delivered IT, but what happened to him
no man knows. The duke always de-
clared that TO be of the most gallant
deeds that ever come under his notice.
1t was done without prospect of acknowl-
edgment or reward. and neither attended
its successful accomulishmsnt
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-24
FROM RoMANY TO ROME.

Wallace Irwin in Random Rhymes ano
Odd Numbers
Upon the road to Romany
It's stay, friend stay.
! There's lots of love and lots o. time
TO linger on the way;
Peoples for the twilight,
Roses for the noon;
It's happy goes as lucky goes
To Romany in June
But on the road to Rome-oh,
It's march, man, march!
The dust is on the chariot wheels
The sere Is on the larch;
Helmets and javelns
And brides fiecked with foam
The flowers are dead the worlds ahead
Upon the road to Rome.
But on the road to Rome-ah,
It's fight, man, fight'
Footman and horseman
Treading left and right.
Camp fires and watch fires
Ruddying the gloam-
The fields are gray and worn away
Along the road to Rome.
Upon the road to Romany
It's sing, boys, sing'
Though rag and pack be on our back
Well whistle to the King.
Wine is in the sunshine,
Madness in the moon,
And dell may care the road we fare
To Romany in june
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-24

tons" was a aeath-blow to many of
these laws. and any instructed states
man would now be ashamed to favor
such absurdities in legislation.
You may deride theories, but they are
to a great extent ruling your acton in
the most practical matters of everyday
life.
Some time ago brilliant southern
preacher wrote to a critical brother thus;
Now, really, l think you are critic
with a very sharp pen, but not an acrld
critic. make habit of reading your
criticisms, and 1 never read one of them
in my life without profit. You have laid
out some Of my notions pretty cold and
dead, but | have always been able to
spare them and get better ones In their
places"
Now, there was wise man. He was
not welded to his theories just because
they happened to be his; but was willing
to rencunce them as soon as the evil
dence showed them to be untenable.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-24
BY ]. C. HIDDEN, D. D.

ular words which have a well established
place In our language.
John Hookam F'rere was scholar, a
poet. a diplomatlst. an author. and a
man of affairs. and he wrote
And don't confound the language of the
nation
With long tailed words in 'osity and
alton"
William Cullen Bryant, we are told,
had strong aversion to the word re
liable" and would never use It.
Shylock was perfectly right when he
said that no reason could be given in
explanation of the facts that some men
cannot bear the sight of a cat; that
others are upset If they see a pig, and
that others still, go wild at the sound of
a bagp.pe. Prejudice Is. by its very ma
ture, an unreasonable thing, and hence
it is impossible to bring 1t within the
domain of reason.
Tow words get themselves established
in a language is an interesting question,
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-24

ter upon the training of it's apprentices
by placing them III charge of Il compe-
tent man in small shop in the big fac
tory At the close last year the APP
prentice Training Room" covered an area
Of TO- COO square feet and the total equip
ment comprised los typical machines. In
this room are made cast iron pulleys of
varying designs and sizes, clutch pulleys
and fiange couplings, shafts for fan and
power motors and many large and small
parts of the stock machinery for turning
and boring, drilling, planning, grinding,
shaping. milling and slottlng. Special at
tention is given to repairing of machines,
one of the most important items in the
training of mechanic.
During the last four years 1852 boys and
young men have been admitted to this
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-24

out by man skilled in this business
speaking from an intimate knowledge of
local conditions and fortified by personal
visits to Industrial training schools in
other parts of the country
No one wishes to rush into this matter
and build and equip a trade school or a
technical school without knowing what
Is best. The thing is of too far-reaching
a consequence to be entered upon lightly.
When cnce we shall have put our hands
to the plough we may not turn back
Birmingham people are not cutters, II
we believe in the establishment of some
kind OF school wherein young men may
be trained for better work and better
citizenship we shall have to prove our
faith by helping in every possible way.
II we do not believe in these things, II
we do not care what becomes of the
young men and the boys who are 50
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-24

grievously handicapped we may indeed
pass by on the other Side with averted
face, but we shall carry with us the con-
seriousness of having failed to do what we
might have done to help our fellow men.
This Is the altrulstlc side of the case.
1t uoes not appeal to every one. Some are
reached In one way and some in an
other. The plan OF success Is to reach
every one. We may not suppose that the
Geleral Electric company was moved to
equip it's apprentice training room by
considerations OF humanity alone. This
may have Influenced the company to
some extent, for human actions proceed
from complex causes. This company has
gone to so large an expense because 1t
pays. and 1t would pay In Birmingham
far better than at Lynn, for the need
here Is more imperative.
Let the special committee to whom
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-24

us in Birmingham? We seem to be I'M
decided in respect of the kind of school
most needed here. Some urge one thing
and some another, and while there is
practical agreement as to the need Tor
a school Of some kind, there Is much d.
versity of opinion on as to the particular
kim that is most needed. We are sure
that we need something, but just what
1t is may not be so clear.
1t Is respectfully suggested that the
quickest and best way out of the present
difficulties is to secure, by pubic sub
scription a sum of money sufficient to
employ a competent man to study this
subject for six months or more and then
render a report to the Commercial club.
intelligent action ADuld then be taken on
this report We would have certain
definite plan to consider plan worked
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-24
NOPTH7A VTyS RICHES ARE ZNEXHA USTZBLE

before the assembly and cried like a
child He declared it was the only gift
he mad ever received and the boys all felt
they had made the hit of their lives and
so they had
A short tmie ago a banquet was given
to Captain Anderson by his friends, TEL
low workers and employees in Fairbanks
There was an attendance of over hun
dred and an affecting scene took place
which can be best described in the lam
guage of one OF the papers of Fairbanks
These are but couple of instances
amid the many that might be given ot
the requirement of sudden wealth in the
north. In one case, that of Captain An
derson, the lucky man spent thirty years
in the placer countries of the world with
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-24

through the sluces, will yield several
dollars to the pan.
Fairbanks richest temptations Tor the
palate" says the newspaper, were
spread before the merrymakers, and the
old captain of the hard-luck, good-luck
experience occupied the seat Of honor
at the head of the table. A little story
comes over the trail regarding a part
that was not on the programme. 1t came
when the feast was at its height. The
boys had Clipped in and bought hand-
some watch fob, adorned with rich
design In native gold, for the captain
When presented with the tok1sen the OLD
man, SO long in the world OF hard luck
anu SO happy and overcome by this marx
of remembrance and esteem, broke uoWp
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-24

upon the discussion Of which I cannot
here enter for lack of space 1t IS Ger
tain, however. that scholars have had
little to do with the making of words
Cicero was one of the greatest workers
in words that ever lived: and he coined
the word "vitlositas." 1t is thoroughly
Latin in It's form, and It really seemed
to be needed. "Vltium'' meant "vicee
but the Latin had no word for "vicions-
ness" and "vitiositas" would have sup
piled this lack. But it never came into
use, and 1t is now as dead as Cicero
himself.
Samuel Taylor Coleridge was splendid
scholar, a charming poet. great thinker
and an admirable critic. He invented the
word "esemplastic," which can hardly
be said to have lived at all, for it was
still-born, and is now rarely seen or
heard of, except by those who are curious
In the study of words. It is to be hoped
that 'whangdoodle" will have the same
fate.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-24

piece of ground that other miners mad
passed. thinking it not worth the $40 re-
cordng fee.
That was over three years aso, anu
today Anderson is the weaitnlest man III
the Tanana district. He is owner OF the
Tanana Times, the leading city prop
banks. and many other leading city prop
critics. Condor, who staked near hifh'
today can write his check for s2,Wo'ooc'
and his fortune, according to the papers
of the north. is being augmented at the
rate of $4,000 a day during the summer
.o.so, And as in the case of Captain
Anderson, the claims have as yet nun
dreds of thousands of cubic yards OF art
the richest in the country, that nave not
been scratched and which, When put
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-24
BY VIM. B. PHILLIPS

this matter was referred say to the Com
mercial club that its conclusion Is IL
would be best to appoint an agent for the
preparation of report and that tho
money for this purpose be secured by
pubic subscription. IL should be tho duty
of this agent to visit many Of the trade
an technical schools of the country and
ascertain at first hand the plans under
which they are working and tho cost.
BY direct contact with our own people he
could also ascertain our most pressing
needs With all of this information he
could submit a report that would serve
ton.
Until we can have such q rerort Wa
shall be discussing tho matter until IL IL
time to attend the opening of the Pana.
man canal or take boat at Birmin CHAM
for Mobile.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-24

A t the December meeting of the
II American Society of Mechanical
Engineers Mr.. Magnus w. Alex
ander presented noteworthy paper on
"A Plan to Provide for Supply of
Skilled Workmen.'
After speaking of the warning that was
given seven years ago by Mr.. Milton F.
Higgins of Worcester, Mass. with re-
spsct to the Impending scarcity of skilled
workmen Jana 1t is sadly true that Mr.
Higgins correctly forecast the future) Mr.
Alexander commends the school shop as
pointing to a solution of many of the
problems now confronting manufacture
ers.
About four years ago the General Elec-
trie company, at Lynn, determined to en-
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-24
THE HAUNTED PALACE,

BY Edgar Ian Poe.
In the greenest of our valleys
BY good angels tenanted,
Once fair and stately palace
Radiant palace-reared its head
In the monarch Thoughts dominion
1t stood there!
Never seraph spread pinion
over fabric half so fak
Banners yellow, glorious, golden,
On its roof did float and flow,
(This-all this--was in the olden
Time long ago..
And every gentle air that dallied.
In that sweet day,
Along the ramparts plumed and pallid.
A winged odor went away.
Wanderers in that happy valley,
Through two luminous windows, saw
Spirits moving unsteady,
To lutes well-tuned law,
Round about throne where, sitting,
(PorphyrogeneD
In state his glory well befiitting.
The ruler of the realm was seen.
And all with pearl and ruby glowing
Was the fair palace door.
Through which came flowing. flowing
flowing
And sparkling evermore,
A troop of Echoes, whose sweet duty
Was but to sing
In voices of surprising beauty,
The wit and wisdom of their king.
But evil things, in robes of sorrow,
Assailed the monarch's high estate.
(Ah, let us mourn!-for never morrow
Shall dawn upon him desolateD
And round about his home the glory
That blushed and bloomed,
Is but a aforementioned story
OF the old time entombed.
And travellers, within that valley,
Through the red-litten windows see
Vast forms, that move Enthusiastically
TO a discordant melody,
While like a CHASTITY rapid river.
Through the pale door
A hideous throng rush out forever
And laugh-but smile no more.