davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-05
WAY OF THE BERLINER.
Has a Sharp Tongue and Thinks He
 Knows 1t All.

Robert Haven Schauffer in the December
 Century.
 One of the Berliners most trying char acterlstics is his superiority. He has known the latest joke at least ten years Do not try to tell him anything or to strike from him the least spark of en- thusiasm; for news Is no news to him; he was born blase. His eleventh command ment is, Let not myself be bluffed," his life motto, "Nil admirari." In conversa- ton he instinctively interrupts each fresh subject to deliver the last word upon 1t, and to argue with him is to insult him. There is something cutting in his speech. Perhaps Voltaire's influence on the great Frederick, the critic King, started this dreadful habit, which seems to grow with indulgence It is a curious coincidence that the first performance Of Goethe "Faust" should have been given in Schloss Monbijou, the home of the Hohenzollern musuem, for it would almost seem as though the Berliners had modelled their daily speech after the caustic, sneering' telling style of the engaging villain In that drama. They have little humor, but much wit of the barbed, barracks variety. And their target Is the universe. Because their unpleasant qualities arc on the surface. and their admirable ones are below, the Berliners do grave in- justice to the rest of Germany Many foreigners go first to the capital, are re- pelled by the people they first meet and hasten on to France or Italy with the idea that all Germans have corrosive tongues and manners of a drill sergeant Where as there is no wider difference in tempera- ment between the people of Naples and those of Warsaw than between the citi zens of Munich and the citizens of Berlin
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-05
In Old Nirninia

The Anti-Saloon league is making a strong effort to force statewide prohibi- tion on Virginia. but it will hardly suc- ceed,' said L. F. Prosser of Baltimore.
 T am in nowise connected with the liquor business, but I have spent a good E deal of time In Virginia this year, and have travelled up and down the lines of the principal railroads, and I found even among temperance people a decided oppo- sition to statutory prohibition, on the ground that it did not prohibit in small towns already dry and would be 6 farce in the cities. I read in the Richmond News-Leader recently statistics that opened my eyes. There was a list of dry counties and wet counties-counties that had been dry since 1897; and in every case there had been a decrease in taxable values in the dry counties and an increase in taxable values in the wet counties. Ac- cording to the News-Leader crime had greatly increased in a number of the counties where the sale of liquor was prohibited.
 Tt seems that in most places where whisky had been voted out, general condi- tions were improved for a year or two, but in a period of 10 years there was anything but improvement"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-05
A Sunday Evening Paper

On tomorrow afternoon in the city of Washington Mir. Munsey will issue the second Sunday evening paper that this country or any other country per haps has ever known. It will contain no 'features'-no comic supplement, no special attractions. It will be straight, plain Sunday afternoon edi- tion of the Washington Times, which has long appeared on the other after moons of the week.
 In doing this MT Munsey abandons the effort to issue on Sunday morning a paper of huge size, full of magazine columns and specially prepared mat ter. In his Sunday afternoon paper he will present the sermons of the morn- ing in print But will this promote church attendance in the morning? It looks at this distance as if many would play golf in the morning, lnowinglthat they could read the sermon of their preacher in the 4:30 D. m. edition of the Sunday afternoon paper.
 The venture is a problem in all directions, and MT. Munsey's new de- parture will be watched with interest in many other cities.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-05
Affairs In the Caribbean Sea

The flight of Nord Alexis brings tu public notice virile man who is said to be 98 years old. He is known to be at least 93 years old, and yet he showed no signs of feebleness or lack of courage when he was compelled by the populace of Port-au- Prince to seek refuge on French cruiser. He speaks French, as do his fellow-countrymen for the island was once owned by France, and the negroes on it speak French only. Nord Alexis would not have felt at home on a ship of any other nation. He is going to Jamaica, or to some other Caribbean island, and he is no longer factor in the Haytien situation.
 A provisional government has been set up at Port-au-Prince by General Legitime, once President of the repub- lie. This provisional government prob ably would not be able to restore order throughout the republic, but General Simon, the successful revolutionary leader, is near at hand, and the people look to him to establish law and order. Hs will undoubtedly be elected"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-05

President Simon has won political honors and power in the only way that they are won in the republics to the south of us. He had the most guns and the best men behind them. The men behind the guns cast the real ballots in countries like Hayti.
 It is to be hoped that General Simon will be able to restore peace and order in Hayti. The United States certain ly does not want the country, and yet it is morally bound to see that anarchy does not exist there We will not let any other power seize or supervise Hayti, and this is why we are morally obligated to see that Hayti has a de- cent government.
 The island too, lies between Porto Rico and Cuba. When the Panama canal is opened vessels using it will in the passage to or from Europe pass by Hayti either through the Windward passage at the west end of the island or through the Mona passage at the east end of it. We are acting as re- ceivers of the San Domingo custom houses, and the Dominicans and Hay tiens share one island. This country is obligated to see order restored in Hayti, and the hope at present is that General Simon will prove strong enough to keep down all insurgents.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-05
General Jackson and Horseshoe Bend

The march of General Jackson at the head of "a large force" from Nash vile to the battle of Talladega should be marked. This took place in 1913, and the Andrew Jackson chapter of the Daughters of the American Revo- lution propose to see that appropriate tablets, presumably of bronze, are set up in Talladega county.
 The events of 1914 were still more important, however, and the scenes of those events need tablets also. Gen eral Jackson had been made major general of the United States army and he had been reinforced by regular troorA The Creeks were still power- ful and threatening, and General Jack son determined to end their power for evil in Alabama by exterminating them in their stronghold. This stronghold was bend in the Tallapoosa-Horse- shoe Bend-and there in March, 1874, General Jackson, aided by General Golf fee, fought the Greeks to a finish. Not more than 20 of the hostile Indians escaped. This ended the war. A treaty of peace was signed, and the volunteer army was disbanded. Gen eral Jackson returned to Fort Jackson. six miles above the mouth of rns Coosa. The war with Great Britain was raging, and General Jackson went down the river to Mobile, where he took command of the southern army.
 The battle of Horseshoe Bend and all the course of General Jackson s army to 1t should be marked, and the state should pay the expenses, for that battle broke the power of the Indians, bringing peace and even prosperity to this section of the country, and lead ing to the admission of this portion of Georgia as a state in 1919.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-05
Speed Made By Rabbits.

Rupert Hinsley, former resident or Birmingham but who now resides in Montgomery, has been in Birmingham for few days and tells the following in regard to a rabbit race held near Dothan on Thanksgiving day;
 'The race grew out of an argument between two farmers, one of whom made the statement that rabbits were unusually speedy this year. The other farmer deni- ed this, adding that the other one had simply forgotten how to shoot and was trying to rake up an excuse. They almost came to blows over the matter, until somebody suggested that rabbit race be held. A quandary arose as to how to get live rabbits, but some small boys settled this by capturing three large bunnies.
 '"The race was held in a small lane, which was fenced in well on both sides and which also had a solid gate at one end, while a temporary barricade was erected at the other. The distance was 150 yards and the bet was for s5, the man who stated that the rabbits were not breaking the speed record this year, setting the time for this distance at 8 seconds.
 Several men and boys lined up against the fence inside the lane and the three While there was no stop watches the slowest watch registered the slowest rab- bit at a fraction less than seven seconds. I held my watch on the three rabbits and timed one of them under six seconds"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-05
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
Unique camnalnn Methods.

"Maddox's election to Atlantas mayor atty chair was due to a great extent to the systematic methods employed by his campaign committee" said Robert F. Hunter of Atlanta last night. "It is doubt ful if any previous municipal election in the south ever had the intensity of feeling which this particular one aroused. Although the Maddox faction had but a few days campaigning. the old saying that money talks was proven in this in stance, for money with them was plenti- ful and they certainly used it to ad- vantage. One of the features of their campaign was the opening of a practical telephone exchange at the Maddox head quarters. Over 40 telephones were in- stalled and young lady operator placed at each one. Then each young lady was supplied with a list of voters to call up and urge to go to the polls and vote for Maddox. This undoubtedly proved win ming factor"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-05
he machine-building republic

Congressman of today is angry over this interference with his chief patron age. He opposed the movement when it was agitated about year ago, and he is opposed to it now. He can, how ever, do nothing unless it be to deprive the civil service commission of funds with which to create eligible lists of 15,000 postoffices for appointments hereafter.
 The plan practically confirms the title of the present fourth-class post masters, making them unremovable while they behave themselves, but an eligible list is to be created under civil service rules for every fourth-class office, and from that list an appoint ment must be made in case of a va cancy, the man holding the highest percentage in the eligible list being appointed first, and so on down the list. The creation of 15,000 eligible lists is indeed heavy task to place upon the already overcrowded civil service commission.
 The competitive system is to be ap- piled at present in the populous states of the north and east, but its extension to all other parts of the country is req sonably well assured. The President elect was no doubt consulted. The chances are that the entire postal sys tenn will yet be brought under the civil service rules. All are in favor of talk ing the small postoffices out of the spells of politics except the spells poli ticians.
 The New Orleans Times-Democrat fears that an extension of the competi tive system to the south would result in the appointment of many negroes That would depend upon the making up of the eligible lists or rather upor the application of whites for examina tion under the civil service rules. IT 1 every case there can be and there should be white applicants. Tn a ma jority of postal districts there will bt no negro applicants, and when negro applicants appear there should b' white applicants. Each neighborhoot knows it's needs and how to suppl. them. The chances are that the Times Democrats fears will prove largel. groundless.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-05
MEANING OF THE WORD "MELBA.'

From the London Saturday Review.
 The word 'Melba" has come to mean more than an artist possessed of perhaps the most perfect vocal organ of her day. It has come to mean crowded audiences, double prices, long packed lines of motor cars and carriages, rows upon rows of waiting footmen, flowers, emotions, a golden superhuity of money, and that touch of solemnity with which we crown our enthusasms. In a word, Melba has become a convention; and in raising her to that level the Anglo-Saxon world has conferred upon her the most cherished patent at it's disposal. Everything that Melba means could be seen and studied in the Albert hall last Saturday afternoon, when many thousands of people spent thousands of pounds and thousands of hours of life to hear her sing few songs of farewell before her departure for an absence of two years from our shores. The ugliest and most expensive building in London, the loveliest and most expen- sive voice in the world; thousands of pounds, thousands of people.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-05
THE .BUGLE SONG.

By Tennyson. The splendor falls on castle walls And snowy summits old in story; The long light shakes across the lakes And the wild cataract leaps in glory. Blow, bugle, blow, set the wild echoes
 flying. Blow, bugle; answer, echoes, dying, dying.
 dying, O, hark, O, hear! How thin and clear, And thinner, clearer. farther going! O, sweet and far, from cliff and scar, The horns of Elfand faintly blowing! Blow, let us hear the purple glens re-
 plying; Blow bugle; answer echoes, dying, dying,
 dying. O, love, they die in yon rich sky, They faint on hill or field or river; Our echoes roll from soul to soul, And grow forever and forever. Blow, bugle, blow set the wild echoes
 flying, And answer, echoes, answer, dying, dy-
 ing. dying.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-05
Biq Rock Struck.

Have you noticed the big rock which is being blasted out in the excavation being dug for the Empire bulding?" asked a man last night. "It is a good H. illustration of what the contractors are up against here, and also of the fact that our forefathers followed the old Biblical rul- ing in regard to building a house on a rock. The rock in question is solid and covers nearly half the space to be exca- vated, and can only be removed by blast ing It has attracted a great deal of at tention during the past few days, large crowds gathering around the opening to witness the work of removing it bit by hit
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-05
Typhoid Infection

A board of medical officers of the regular army is to meet today at Wash ington to take steps to protect the regulars, and in case of war the yolun- teers, against the typhoid germ. Some of the most eminent bacteriologists in the country are members of the board that meets today.
 It meets to consider vaccination as applied in the German and British armies as a means of immunizing troops against the typhoid germ. The results in the German and British armies are said to be satisfactory. Vaccination has not as yet been ac- cepted widely outside of those armies, but perhaps as the vaccine matter is improved it will be.
 Certainly some steps should be taken to render American volunteers safe from the inroads of typhoid. The story of Chickamauga in the war with Spain was a disgrace to the country, and every portion of our volunteer force in that war suffered heavily from ty- phoid infection. Japanese discipline keeps it under or out, but American discipline cannot be trusted to that extent. We need vaccination or some thing, stronger.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-05
Burton for Secretary of State.

"Congressman Burton of Cleveland, O., to whom MT. Taft has rendered the state department portfolio. Is known as one resentatives but his experience in public life has not been along lines of dip lomacy or international law" said an ex-federal officeholder.
 "As chairman of the rivers and harbors committee he has done splendid service and has commended himself to the people of Alabama for his liberal and earnest support of Colonel Bankheads Warrior river work MT. Burton is also an au- thority on banking and economic prob lems And 1t may be that he will prove marked success at the head of the state department.
 At least two men without diplomatic experience have distinguished themselves in my day as Secretaries of State-Judge Day of Ohio, who served for short time in MT. McKinley's cabinet, and Elihu Root, the present secretary.
 Judge Day was entirely unknown to public life when he took charge of the state department. It was during the Spahsh war when slghal apllty was | needed. It was my privilege to know l Judge Day personally and quieter, more unassuming man I ever met. He achieved | high reputation by his masterful hand | ling of delicate diplomatic matters. MT I Burton is a close personal friend of MT l Taft, of course, and the fact that he
 has been selected for the state portfolio
 is pretty good assurance that he vii 1 fit the place."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-05
Musical Festival Project.

Charles Beach, the festival representa- tive of Damroschs orchestra, was de- tained in Atlanta yesterday and the con- ference called here for last night was postponed until tonight. MT Beach will be present to discuss the proposed music fes- tival for May.
 He has had wider experience in festival business in the west and southwest than any other man, perhaps, and music lovers and public-spirited citizens will doubtless be glad to meet him tonight.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-05
MISUNDERS RSTOOD.
.om Success Magazine.

FrOm SUCCESS MdBdZIHt.
 When Mark Twain was a young and struggling newspaper writer in San Fran cisco a lady of his acquaintance saw him one day with a. cigar box under his arm, looking in shop window.
 MT. Clemens she said. 'I always see you with a cigar box under your arm. am afraid you are smoking too much. '"
 Tt isn't that, said Mark. I'm moving again."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-05
THE FEROCIoUS EQUATOR.

William was considered the brightest boy In his grade; upon hearing lesson recited in class once or twice he knew it quite we'll Thus, while the other fellows were compelled to study hard he scarce ly found it necessary to open book. At the expiration of the term one of the questions in the written geography test was, What is the equator?'
 William, always to be depended upon, wrote without delay:
 "The equator is menagerie lion run- ming around the center of the earth."'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-05
REFLECTIONS OF A BACHELOR

From the New York Press.
 What makes a girl sure a man is making love to her is for him not to.
 The reason a man can like the COOK coffee so much is he's afraid not to.
 A convenient thing to a man about a thin wife is a cab is big enough for them both to ride in.
 A woman likes to make her will, leav- ing her jewels to her children, even when she hasn't any to leave.
 The reason girls education doesn't seem to destroy the little sense she had Is a good part of the money fl cost was for clothes.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-05
THE QUALIFICATIONS.

From the Louisville Courier-Journal-
 T want somebody to report woman's congress- said the managing editor
 Some one well versed in parliamentary language, I presume?"
 Nope. Some one who understands such terms as pasementerie.' aigret,' and the like"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-05
NO DOUBT OF IT.

NO DOUBT or TT.
 A lady poet interviews mouse and tells the public what the mouse says when he sees a woman standing in a chair in the conventional afraid-of-a- mouse attitude. Now, there are times. no doubt, when a gentleman mouse, even though he is the father of a family, is tempted to exclaim, That's fine ex- hibit!'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-05
ADRIFT WITH THE TIMES

BRAVE TO THE LAST. When the storm clouds gathered And the sun was gone. Toilers heard him singing. Ever onr' Though betimes defeated Held of fate the pawn, Dauntlessly he struggled Ever on. When his day was ended Hopeless from it's dawn. To the Shape he whispered, Ever on."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-05

1euBefs Blffn1nRna IS nav ing a small sized municipal scandal.
 Columbus Ledger: The sheriff of Jef- ferson county has seized S4OOO worth of good old Christmas liquor. What about that Birmingham eggnog?
 Opelika Post: Birmingham had 21 hom- icides during the month of November, or an average of over five a week. There is a remedy of some kind needed in that town.
 Montgomery Times: Birmingham is busy punishing her unfaithful aldermen. That job is likely to be less of coveted thing in Birmingham than heretofore if this thing keeps up.
 Montgomery Times There have been reported 21 homicides committed in Bir- mingham since November l, and yet some people wonder at that city's snail gait in census growth.
 Montgomery Times The latest form of Birminghams troubles assume the nature of complaints over the theft of mules. We
  diversity of trouble than we ever imag ined outside of plutonian worlds. Poor Birmingham
 Anniston Star: Birmingham wants a commission government. From the news paper accounts some kind is badly need ed over there; from the looks of things old Diogenes would have had to get a new lamp before he found his man in the Bir- mingham council chamber.
 Franklin Times: Birmingham now has one dozen or more men who, in wealth, have passed the $1,O0O.OoO mark This wealth, says The Age-Herald. has large ly all been honestly accumulated in the Magic City through legitimate channels of business. The rapid growth of Bir- mingham her citizens and industries is something that all Alabama is proud of.
 Gadsden Times-News: Birmingham has a full-sized sensation stirring in her mu- niclpal affairs. One alderman escaped legal punishment by a flaw in the indict- ment, two others have been convicted by aldermanic committees of official mis- conduct, another is obviously disobeying the law" and with the regulations of two or three others Dame Rumor is exceed ingly busy Birmingham has hitherto been remarkably free from graft scan- dals and to find that almost the entire board is guilty at the same time inclines outsiders to believe that the Magic City is just a little late in finding things out.
 Gadsden Times-News: It is estimated that there are more than 1000 cocaine fiends in Birmingham and that the habit is growing at a fearful rate Many of the booze fighters, when deprived of the drink, took to the drug habit. Men and women, young and old, are its victims, and no more depraved spectacle has ever been presented to humanity than a con firmed "coke sniffer." The habit has foothold among the negroes of Gadsden, but so far as is known 1t has no white victims here. There is a stringent law against the sale of the drug and the worst hole in the penitentiary is too good for the druggist or dealer who supplies it to its
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-05

The Washington Times is about to abandon its Sunday morning issue, and to give the national capital an after noon paper issued seven times in the week. It is a new departure.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-05
JUST A REMINDER.

All ye who walk with happiness
 Through lanes of rosy light, Or gaze across a smiling world
 From the fortunes golden height Should not forget your brothers doomed To toll in valleys deep. When care is ruler of the realm
 And little children weepl
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-05

The German fleet will be sighted off the English coast about the time Japanese fleet appears at the Golden Gate with blood in it's eye and big guns.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-05

The Dowager Queen of Italy seems to have been the person who could not be induced to appreciate the daughter of that rare old American sovereign, Steve Elkins. of West Virginia.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-05

Tim Woodruff is to be appointed, it is said, ambassador to Austria, and he may set a new fashion in waistcoats in the dual empire :.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-05

New York city is going down as well as going up, and the difference between it's lowest occupied level and It's tallest story is 1090 feet.