davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-19

and gave Him glory, that their faith and hope might be in God.'
 The apostles expressed their faith in these words: "The Lord rose from the grave, and those who had known Him be- fore knew that He was the same and yet changed. This is the sum of the apos- tolic testimony given to the new gospel. It satisfied their aspiration, Illuminated their doubts, confirmed and defined their faith. It was also a great comfort later, when the martyrs were tortured by the murmur on their lips, for they had the consolation in their heart that His body had been crucified, but His. soul had risen from the dead
 Whatever mans religious Interpretation of this spring festival is. 1t has beauti- ful message for us all. It means the awakening of spring with flowers and songs. It means new life fresh hope anu the resurrection of everything that Is dear to us It whispers of life eternal, making of death a symbol of eternal life. And, best of all it sings the chant Rejoice, for we are all brothers. kissed by the love of God" It is this love that calls Spring. with her flowers and songs. It is this love that makes mankind one and brings this feeling of rejoicing on Easter morn ing.
 The greatest painters and poets of all countries and times have found the sub ject of the Resurrection beautiful and suggestive. Corregio, one of the Italian masters, was more successful In depicting the resurrection than the birth of Christ.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-19

lowers were not to be comforted in their grief until they received knowledge of His resurrection. With tear-stained eyes they said: "He is not dead; He has only risen. Christ is still In our midst; let us dry our tears, sing and rejoice and scatter flowers on our altars." At first there was a difference of opinion among the Apostles and with the other 800 to whom Christ appeared.
 St. Paul was one of the first to say that His resurrection was an objective reality and not subjected vision. It is in the Corinthians he gives his ideas on salvation and resurrection. He says: '.I delivered unto you, first of all, that which also I received. how that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scrip lures; and that He was buried, and that He hath been raised on the third day according to the Scriptures; and that He appeared. to Cephas, then to the 12; then He appeared to above 800 brethren at once, of whom the greater part re- main until now, but some are fallen asleep; then He appeared to James; then to all the Apostles. And, last of all. as unto one born out of due time, He ap- peared to me also. Whether then It be I or they, so we preach and so ye be- lieved."
 Peter, another one of the disciples, who fervently believed in Christ's resurrection. says that he was the first to whom the Saviour showed Himself and as fore ordained before the foundation of the world, but made manifest in these last times for those who by Him do believe in God, that raised Him up from the dead
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-19

after they had prepared the earth and planted grain, they gathered in great num- bers for days of feasting. They bound drank and sang songs. Not forgetting their gods they placed their finest ani- mals and fruits on the altars.
 This spring festival meant much to the peoples of the North, who looked upon the approach of winter with awe and dread. With the first cracking of Ice, with the first gleam of sunshine, they whispered to one anothers Spring Is here. Spring is here" In honor of Flora's approach they put flowers in their hair, gathered in the fields, threw flow CTS on their altars, danced and made merry for many days.
 The Greeks had celebrated spring fes- tivals before then. excepting they were gayer and more boisterous. Though they never believed in a resurrection. Aris- totle tried to bridge over the chasm be- tween the seen and the unseen world. His republic closes with a noble legend of Er, the son of Armenius. who saw in n trance the Judgment of the dead and the hidden glories of the world. 'Once a soul was allowed to return to the body without drinking of the waters of for getfulness. And so this story was saved and not lost and it will save us should we listen to its teaching. and then we shall happily cross the River of Lethe and not defle our souls"
 With the coming of Christianity this spring festival took on more solemn note and was closely associated with the death of Christ. At His death Ills fol-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-19
Golf Tourney atLakewood.

of American jockeys, owner and trainers. the New York situation has much to du with the final decision. If the antibetting bills at Albany are really to become part of the New York laws there will be q great exodus abroad. for as much as may be said and written about the rae ing of horses for the good of the breed absolutely Independent of betting, 1t has been conclusiyey proven in other coun tries and tn parts of this that there can be no divorce of betting and horse rac- ing, or the latter will die slow but none the less certain death.
 Longer Prize Flights in the West.
 On the Pacific Coast, where they still have pugilistlc meetings worthy of the name, there Is a movement on foot look ing toward a lengthenng of the mills. JeHries the unbeaten and seemingly un- beatable, Is sponsor for this idea, and he ought to know whereof he speaks. He has been refereeing a number of 10-round bouts lately. and is tired of them. The champion of champions has an option on piece of property outside of the city Of Los Angeles, and on this he plans to erect a monster arena for the purpose of holding 20-round battles. Some of the richest men in that beautiful California city are back of Jeffries, and 1t looks as though the plan would go through. This summer Jeffrles will visit Germany with his wife, but this will not interfere with the arena being constructed and made ready for fights early In the fall. For one of his first bouts Jeffries would like to have Burns and Johnson as the attrac- ton, or, if they fight elsewhere, he Is willing to referee the match for $5,o00. This prompts the belief that the cham pion in retiring is not so slow as he has been credited with being and still knows how to make the pugilistic game pay, even if he doesn't don the mitts himself.
 Ice Rink for New York.
 Although these warm April days are suggestive of anything but winter and ice, and the hocky seasons have closed, there is still a certain justifable interest in the announcement which has just been made to the effect that New York will have a new ice rink next winter, to rival the St. Nicholas Rink, the skating surface and the seating capacity of the new building to be larger than that of the older rink. Here will probably be fought out the championship games of the Amateur Hockey League and all in- ternational matches with Canadian teams. as the men interested are for the most part in close touch with the clubs who would use the building.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-19
Billiards Worth While.

Although their particular achievements are a matter of record. having been regis tered in the closing days of last month. there Is every justification even at this seemingly late date for paying tribute to the performances of Hoppe and Dema- rest on the billiard table. The former, the marvellous young professional, now possesses the worlds championship at 1S- Inch balk-line, two shots in, billiards. This title came through his sensational defeat of George Sutton, of Chicago, in New York by a score of almost two to one the final tally in the 800 points being played for leaving Sutton with only PIP. Hoppe's average was 20 4-5, while his older opponent could not do better than Il 1-3. Hoppe playing an open game was content to score through his brilliant open play, while Sutton, as great master as ever of position and control of the balls, was simply run away with. With the title. which the Chlcagoan has held for two years. and which would have been his property per manently had he been able to hold 1t one year longer, went prize Of Sl'ooo and a side bet of the same amount, as well as the championship emblem
 While Hoppe was making good in New York, Calvin Demarest, of Chicago, was winning the national amateur title for 14.2 billiards by defeating H. A. Wright, of San Francisco, for the honor. lnci- dentally the winner made new worlds record for high run, his best tally being POP in his tenth inning. His average was 30 1O-12.
 All of this is interesting as leading up to the appearance in this country April 27 of Lucien Rerolle, the champion anna teur billiardst of France, in a great in- ternational tourney for amateurs at the Liederkranz Club in New York. This will mark a new departure in amateur bill lizards in this country, inasmuch as the games will be at 1S2 instead of 14.2 balkine. This change was made at the suggestion of Compte de Dree, president of the Amateur Billiard Society of France. One other concession to the visitor will be in the use of larger balls than are used ordinarily, the American standard being two and three -eighths size for both amateur and professional contests. Re rolle is an amateur, but is reputed to be the equal of any of the best French professionals. He made a record average of 33.33 in game of 1892, 400 points,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-19

~ ASTER DAY is commonly associated
 E with the Resurrection of Jesus VI Christ, but for one reason and ah- other, 1t has been holy day with most peoples. It Is so ancient that It's origin is shrouded in early antiquity.
 With the Jewish race it was and is still celebrated as Passover. It was celebrated yearly on the fourteenth moon of the year in memory of their leaving Egypt. The second Passover was celebrated for travellers and those who could not come slaughter of a lamb was always an i'm portant part of the feast. By the order of Moses on the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month of spring every family killed and ate a lamb, chosen some weeks before. It was roasted and eaten with unleaven bread. The blood was used to mark the houses. This cele- bration was called in Hebrew, Pesahh; in English, Passover-that Is, the passage referring to ,the crossing of the river. On the holy night men and women gathered In groups of 10 and 20, the laws of Moses were read, hymns were sung and the sacred lamb and bread were taken. The temple at Jerusalem was crowded with people, who came to enjoy the sacred songs and to participate in the sacrifice. This feast day lasted seven days, during which time only unleaven bread was used.
 The spring festival meant as much to the Teutons as it did to the Hebrews. They rejoiced in the sunshine and the lengthenins days. aad in the early spring
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-19

This is the week when the heart of the Northern golfer Is made glad, for at Lakewood on the 23d, 24th and 25th, at the Country Club, is held the first real tourney of the season. All the clubs in the North have been getting ready for the new season for several weeks past, and have had their best players on the links, getting In shape for the long list of events calendared for 1908 The field at Lakewood. which, as usual in the past, opens the season, will be a large and representative one. Not only will many players who have not been In evi- dence since last fall be there, but all the cracks who have been wintering in the South, and who are now ready to start the real year of golfng. Then, early In May-probably the 7th, sth and 9th will be held the annual Garden City tournament, this being the first big event after the Lakewood tourney. The triclty tournament. in which New York, Boston and Philadelphia golfers annually com pete, will be held earlier this season than before, that the advantage of better turf and more satisfactory playing cond- tions may be obtained. Heretofore this match has come toward the very end of the season. and the playing of the con- testants has noticeaby suffered in conse- quence.
 Shaw to Ride in Germany.
 While It has not been finally decided, 1t is probable that an American jockey who has long been one of the conspicu- ous riders in this country, but who was much more successful few years ago than he has been in recent years has re- ceived an offer of $15,000 from Baron Oppenheim, prominent German turf man, for him to ride in the land of the Kaiser this summer. Shaw received the same amount last year from MT. Wetn- burg, also a German follower of the turf. The only retainer that Shaw has in this country at present is one from Senator Sullivan, who has a limited string of racers, but there Is a possibility that Shaw will be able to make arrangements to ride for Hermann Duryea, who was partner of Harry Payne Whitney for long time. This possibility, taken In con junction with the fact that Shaw may ride for the Frank Farrell-Davy Johnson (the noted bettor and owner of Roseben1 Sullivan stable, would doubtless result In the jockeys throwing down the offer from Germany, as he quite naturally pre- fers to remain in this country and ride on the tracks about New York. if he has to receive less money for so doing than he would get If he went abroad. Like so many other tentative migrations abroad
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-19
Iceland, a Country
 Without a Jail.

The people of Iceland are fully thou sand years behind the rest of the world in their customs It is a quaint, old-time civilization that will be transformed and lost when the modern spirit enters. As everybody knows, the purest of Teutonic tongues is spoken in Iceland; and the same isolation which has kept the Ian guage from contamination has preserved society in much of its pristine simplicity.
 If the twentieth century finds men living as they did In the tenth anywhere In the world, it Is in Iceland. There each "byre' or farmstead is- still n little com monwealth in itself. The head of the family sees his sons and grandsons living around him, filling the ancestral fields. Through the summer they till the hay fields together, and through the long, dark winter they feed their cattle and sheep, and spin and knit, and read aloud. journey to the nearest town Is serious matter, occupying several days.
 But a journey in Iceland is one of the most picturesque of adventures. With no railways all travel and transportation must be carried on by means of ponies. And every conceivable thing does the sturdy Iceland pony carry. You will see them linked together in groups of 20, each hidden by a heap of hay or bulging with great packs of dried fish.
 Or you will see them on the homeward march from town bearing a stove or dragging beams of lumber. In fact. these little beasts frequently carry a load greater In bulk than themselves.
 It is sorry day for the traveller when he leaves his ship and starts inland on a pony. First there Is the rainy weather. A testy wanderer once asked his guide: Does 1t rain here every day in the year?' ''No,'' replied the honest guide. some days 1t snows." Sooner or later every day you have to face a storm. and of the ponies. Too shrewd to gallop over
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-19

the rough. dangerous paths. the little beasts trot: and as they have no more residence than milking stools. the first or 10 hours leave one in a state of col lapse. But homely comfort ends the day, for every farmhouse Is the home of hospitality. Just when you feel you can stand 1t no longer and must ''shoot" your pony and proceed on foot. you find your self entering peaceful vale.
 Men and women in long rows are rak- ing up the fragrant new-mown grass-it is the chief labor of the farm, for grass Is the only forage crop-focks and herds are coming home, ducks swim in the stream and chickens are scratching in the flower besprinkled turf on the house roofs. But the farmer Is never too busy to give you supper and a bed-and that of the best brook trout and most excellent coffee.
 Ones first approach to an Iceland farm house is disconcerting. The building seems so tiny and dark; its few windows are so small and it's stone and peat walls look 80 prisonlike. One believe ones self to be entering a hovel and is surprised at the cleanliness and the evidence of cul- ture presently to be disclosed. Indeed, 1t may be said that poverty is the mark of Iceland life that makes the deepest im- pression on the visitor
 Strange as 1t may seem, the poverty of Iceland has not resulted In sloth or ig- norance. In no country In the world is the percentage of illiteracy so low. Actu- ally, the whole population Is educated and well educated. Around the fires of the long winter nights the country's pat riotic songs are repeated, the old tales retold and the old songs sung.
 : Every community boasts its poet or es- sayist. Thus the humble, pastoral life. so cramped by poverty, is not sordid nr base but full of romance and cultivation. It Is not easy to say what Is the exact relation between the study of literature and the state of morals. But story they tell in Reykjavik, the capital. sheds some light on the subject.
 Many years ago, when modern Ideas were being introduced by scholars who had travelled abroad, it was thought proper to erect prison So the jail was built q large structure of stone But year after year passed and the prsonastood empty There were no criminals to put In. FinaI- ly, some practical person suggested put. ting 1t to some use. And the thing was made into school for girls.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-19

the Detroit team, keeps his batting aver age up to 300. If does he succeeds in
 getting an extra $500. His salary will be S40O0 anyway for two years, although
 he wanted 5000, but he capitulated by agreeing to accept the former and then re- ceiye the bonus if he bats up to the 300 mark and fields over 300. Inasmuch as he headed the American League stick wielders last year Cobb ought not to ex- perienee much difficulty in winning the extra money. Incidentally this would seem to be the solution of the constantly occurring difference of opinion between players and clubowners. If the latter
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-19

Your average fan is a mighty loyal in- di1idual. but there Is q limit to his fidelity and he will as savagely attack the players whose efforts he has hereto fore praised if he feels that they are quitting and not realizing to the full their possibilities. One hundred and fifty-four championship games will be played in the two major leagues, the season ending October '. After that will come the al- ways exciting games for the worlds cham pionship. Even though the two teams, winners In their respective leagues, are both American organizations, the term worlds champions is justly applied, for is the sport not our national game, and has the game not attained higher degree of skill here than anywhere else in the world? If a city has failed to win that most coveted of sporting honors-a cham pionship-and thereby be represented in the worlds championship games, there are still the interleague games at this time between teams in the same city to decide until next season the local honors. And then there are the countless minor leagues and semiprofessional hines fight ing just as earnest fights in their smaller sphere as the big league teams. The col
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-19

Now they are off on that annually most thrilling of races-that for the baseball championship. Both the National and It's younger rival, the American, leagues started last Tuesday on a season which
 will last into October. Day after day the faithful fans, whose devotion to the cause is almost unexamped in the annals of sport, will sit in the grandstand, or if their purses be not long enough for such seats among the mighty. will just as con tentedly sit on the hard wood benches on the stands which flank the grand stand. They will shout praise to the home team and jeer the visitors, or even mock thelr own representatives if the latter dis play any yellow streaks or fail to do what they are thought capable of doing
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-19

will hang out some monetary inducement for good playing and batting and thus make conditional the asked for increase in salary there will be higher average attained and each party to the agreement will be satisfied.
 YaIe's Chinese Football Enthusiast.
 Scattered among the universities of this country, notably at Yale and Harvard, there are many Japanese and Chinese students who have been sent to this country to complete their education. Many of these take part in athletics, for example Pennsylvania had Jap who was most promising as n baseball player. Yale has one whose enthusiasm takes the form of supporting a team because of his appreciation that 1t is non-self-support- Ing team and from his desire to see championship team represent the New Haven university. He Is Ponson c. Gnu, a wealthy student from China, and a di- rect descendant from the Ming dynasty, and as such real Eastern potentate He is aiding with his money the Yale soccer team that they may win the cup presented by Fred Hines, captain of the famous Pilgrims, the English Rugby foot ball team that visited this country two or three years ago. Haverford now holds this cup. which is to be played for this month.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-19
The Briarc1iR Trophy for MotOr-
 fsts.

The Briarc1iR Trophy for Motor-
 ists.
 And now with the Ormond- Savannah races and the carnival week In New York safely out of the way, all the attention of the automobile world is being focused on the races at Westchester county, N. Y. The Briarclif Trophy Race will be an in- ternational affair, with entries from four different nations = the United States, France, Italy and Austria. Eighteen cars will be In the race, of these nine being driven by Americans and manufactured by native automobile concerns. The others are foreign cars, with foreign drivers for the most part. Many of the drivers have been competing in the South, while of the others Montague Roberts Is the driver who took the American car in the New York-to- Paris race almost to the Pacific Coast, leaving It that he might be in New York for the Briarcliff match, and might then sail for France to go over the course of the famous Grand Prix, In which he is to compete early in July. The Westchester county race Is for $500 trophy, donated by Walter W. Law. While the original intention was to make 1t q stock-car race, pure and simple. the definitions governing the entrants were such that some of the largest and best known racing machines in this country have found their way therein. Thus, in- stead of q moderate speed endurance con test for standard stock chassis, as origl- nally planned. it has assumed the impor- tance of a race for high-speed specially built cars. The course is approximately 30 miles around, 10 laps of 30 miles each, although this is subject to change on the part of the committee. The starting time will probably be at daybreak on April 24. The race is under the auspices of the Automobile Manufacturers committee, of which Robert Lee Morrell is the chalr- man.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-19

stars, a dark globe along the sea of light, and human form, as of child, stood upon 1t, which neither grew nor changed nor yet grew greater as 1t drew near. At last I recognized our earth be- fore me, and on it the Child Jesus, and He looked upon me with look so bright and gentle and loving that I awoke for love and joy"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-19

played in 1904. In March, 1907. he won all his games in the annual French tour nament at 14.2, and made a grand aver age of 1869 in 2,000 points. In the Liederkranz tourney he will meet Dema- rest, who has just won the American championship; j. F. Poggenburg. Dr. l.. L. Mlal, H. A. Wright and E. w Gard ner, the best amateurs in this country. A series of wonderfully interesting matches are certain to be the result.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-19

During ordinary seasons the English mint turns out APO, ,0O0 coins week. But 1t can turn out million in week. and has done so more than opees