davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-11-21
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careful examination ef the Declaration and decided that henceforth 1t must not be placed on exhibition, as 1t had been in the past Accordingly the secretary of state ordered 1t locked up in a special fireproof, burglar-proof safe. This safe is not only locked, but sealed, and these seals can be broken only on the order of the President or the head of the State Department-a concession no person has yet been able to obtain. When the federal officials were thus suddenly awakened to the dangers that threatened our most prized documents they considered means for the preservation of other notable public papers, and especially the various presidential proclamations of Thanksgiv- ing.
 The outcome of this safeguarding of Uncle Sam's Thanksgiving trophies is that these proclamations are no longer sent hither and thither for exhibition at worlds fairs, etc. At the time of the Worlds Faff at Chicago and in the case of some of the big expositions which followed 1t the Thanksgiving proclamations were much in demand by the managers of the historical exhibits and were freely loaned for such displays. Now, however, the Department of State has shut down on all such use of these documents. None of the proclamations are ever allowed to leave the State Department Building at Washington and exposition managers are obliged to content themselves with photo
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-11-21

To return to our mutton" the ball drops in the waiting arms of a Red player, who, amid the wild cheers of the teams supporters, dodges and twists and squirms and wriggles his way down the Held. Seei He will, he will! He has passed the last Blue tackler and is speed ing to the enemy's goall He has out distanced them alll The touchdown is surel
 Now right here is seen one of the es- oteric points of football. The Red player running with the ball has lodged and outrun his Blue opponents and he is cer- tain of making a touchdown. Does he keep on running as hard as he can? No, indeed, Horace. Just before he reaches the line he stops, turns around and glances back at the demoralized Blues with a supercilious smile of supreme contempt. Then, just as an oncoming Blue is about to tackle him, he steps nonchalantly across the line and touches the ball down between the goal-posts. This is good form and according to the strictest ethics of the game. It conveys the impression Of perfect ease and confidence which, it is argued, sends the other team "way up in the air.
 All the while pandemonium and seven different kinds of wildcats have broken loose on the side-lines. The Football Dam- SCI screecneS and yellS and sm1teS the ambient atmosphere, ever and anon, with her college pennant; she jumps up and down and wildly embraces those about her In sheer ecstacy of joy-all this, mind you, while her hair-pins are falling out and her locks are separating them- selves from their Marcel waves.
 The rah-rah boy is doing the same thing-only doing 1t worse. With husky voice and trembling form he throws him. self, body and soul and cane and chry- santhemum, into the college yell. He digs up a few stray iron men from his pockets, waves them defiantly and dares any of the Blues supporters to bet against his team
 A little while later, perhaps, the Blues make a touchdown and tie the score. Then the tables are turned. The Blues rah-rah boys and football damsels and ''old grads whoop 1t up for fair and let the Reds know in a thousand different ways that they haven't got anything on them. The whistle sounds and the first half is over.
 Both teams retire to their dressing room where their coaches give them "high-brow'' lectures on the things they did that they ought not to have done and the things left undone that they ought to have done. All the while re- member, they compare them to Sunday school scholars, old women, ice wagons and kids playing Pussy sy-wantsa-corner."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-11-21

country store voters when they ask their Republican representatives to please, sir, explain in what respect his party revised the tariff downward.
 In the first place, it is more universal in it's contagious properties than the presidential bee In Nebraska, the book worm in Indiana of the tetse fly in Roosevelt corner of the African jungle. There is but one other epidemic among the American people that has 1t skinned forty ways from Sunday in this respect, and that is the worlds series fever that breaks out early in the spring, runs through the, summer and reaches its most virulent stage In the fall. with the highest death rate in Pittsburg and Detroit.
 The great Thanksgiving Day football game. What an occasion it isl A town that can't stir up gridiron contest with which to top off it's turkey is indeed deader than Beverly. Mass, in the winter time. And the unfortunate human who doesn't take in the game deserves to be left with indigestion and the past weeks Sunday papers. Everybody goes, and thereby hangs a tale.
 Among ultra-excusives of the every bodys'' present is one you cant miss You hear him before you see him. and you still hear him after he's gone. He isn't alone. Along with him are about a million others of the same species judging from the noise they make. And what sight for the gods and men he Is, to be sure
 You look at him moment on first sight, blink your eyes, wipe your glasses and take a second look. Yes, he seems to be human. When your eyes finally become accustomed to the sight and your ears to the noise, you recognize him as a real ''rah-rah'' boy. Reposing proud ly on the lapel of his daredeyil-cut coat is large yellow chrysanthemum, that is 1t must be chrysanthemum, be- cause a head of hair couldn't possibly be affixed in that position to anyone's shoulders. Fastened directly under the aforesaid flower is bunch of futtering ribbons. They are his college colors. By them he swears-more often than not in profanity.
 At his side he carries a dapper little wand, to the end of which are attached more of the same variegated ribbons A harmless weapon? Yes, But wait till you see him in action. When he mounts one or the seats in the grandstand and cries iu hoarse, bellicose voice: Come, fe- lahs, let's give thwee cheers for deah old Havad-but not too loud to be vul- gar!"-when he shouts that, then you see what that dapper little wand Is in- tended for. It is used to knock the hat off the old gentleman in front of him and
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-11-21

to poke in the eye of the chappie next to him. Incidentally. 1t may be men tioned, it is also useful as a baton with which to impart q certain rythm to the cheering.
 He is absolutely necessary to any foot ball game conducted according to the eti- quette of the first circles. Without him. thered be no game. In fact, he comes near being the whole game himself. And what a serious time it Is for him. He storms up and down the sidelines roaring like lion seeking his prey. He has Il chip on both shoulders and dares any one to knock them off. He initiates his chest like a blacksmth's bellows and then lets 1t out all at once in a series Of c. Q. D. spasms. twisting himself in- side out into knots that would be the undying envy of any j.u-jitsu expert in the land of the cherry blossoms Just about the time you're on the point of calling in an osteopath, he comes out of it-and goes back again few second later. You give it up as a hopeless task.
 Scarcely less conspicuous is the foot ball damsel. This same young lady can assist at an afternoon tea with the grace and charm of q gentle gazelle or say absolutely stinging things about an- other girl in the softest kind of kid-glove ycices But you'd never imagine her ca pablo of such things from her actions at the game. Though the English Parlia- ment leaders are not aware of 1t, per haps, every football damsel at a game is an embryo suffragette. The only diff ference between her and the full-fedged variety Is that one Is In the first reader and the other has taken post-grad- uate course. Both have the same idea of starting something that the men will have to finish.
 Always always, be it noted-there are a number of the 'old grads at every big football game. Now. an ''old grad" is graduate of the college years ago who still keeps adame in his heart a patriotic zeal for his alma matters suc- cess on the gridiron. He is almost a sacred institution of the game. And he is indeed a privileged character-espe- cially if he played on the team in his own day. It Is a matter of record that not more than 7Ss per cent. of college graduates follow the fortunes of their teams in after years, let alone coming back for the big game of the season. They are known to the incumbent stu- dent body simply as alumni" But that 7ss per cent-that glorious 7%-are "old grads"
 When a team trots out on the field the captain is always in the lead and he always carries the ball. These two rules are never violated. They are strict
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-11-21

The coach. in fact. says any and every old thing he wants to-and not one of the players dares answer him back. If they'd only do what he tells them to. they'd win: and every time they lose ground or the ball it's because they didn't follow his instructionsl
 In the meantime, the supporters of the rival teams are parading around the field headed by brass bands and jolting down their Thanksgiving dinner with every step they take in the Snake Dance. If the game is q real, live Thanksgiving. those two moving bodies come together and the cops on the side-lines know bet ter than to butt in on the festivities.
 The referee and the umpire come out on the field, followed by the teams and the second half begins. With a tie score, this is for blood. Presently one of the players is injured. A gasp of despair goes up from part of the crowd. and the others give voice to cries that sound something like shouts of joy. The stricken hero lies prostrate for q while and struggles feebly to his feet as the doctor, with his hand-satchel. rushes out from the side-lines. With each arm around q teammates neck, the ainjured one attempts to limp around. Evidently he Is really hurt. for he has not recov- cred when warning is given that time Is up.
 They half-lead half-carry him off the field, and substitute rushes out to take his place. Does he allow himself to be lead from the fray like a lamb? Never? Not if he Is on to his job He struggles and pulls and twists and turns and pro- tests and swears he will go back into the game. Fighting to the last, they drag him off. And the rah-rah boys and the football damsels applaud him to the echo. He is real hero!
 In the end, of course, one team or the other wins-or, even worse, the score is tie. The town is turned over to the students that night and parades and fights and a general celebration is in order into the wee sma hours-and then some.
 The rah-rah boys get together in bun ches around rathskellar tables and tell each other how It all happened, and the football damsels rave ever the tack ling of Will, or Archies end-run until Pa and Ma begin to think that, if the girls nowadays would only become as en- thusiastic about home accomplishments as they are about football, there'd be fewer divorces.
 Everybody Is thankful for something or other The yictors, naturally, are crazy grateful for the score. Mothers are thankful that the season is over and that their boys escaped without injury Fathers look forward to letters from their young hopefuls at college contain ing news of Greek roots, philosophy and calculus instead of footballs and padded jerseys And the loosers? Sure. Horace. they are thankful too-thankful that there's another great Thanksgiving day football game coming next year.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-11-21

graphs of the executive calls for days of thanksgiving which are issued each sue cessive November.
 The measures that have been taken with view to fostering the Thanksgiv- ing proclamations are largely preventa- tive in purpose, for as yet none of the Thanksgiving day proclamations give evil dence of the ravages of time. In cOnse- ouence of the excellent state of preserva- tion of the Thanksgiving documents these papers may be seen by any citizen who has curiosity to peruse the originals. When it was decided to cease loaning the proclamations to expositions it was also determined not to unnecessarily expose them to the light by keeping them on permanent exhibition in the State De partmept library or museum In Washing ton. The officials are usually willing, as has been explained, to show these execu- live documents on request, but very few of the hundreds of thousands of sight seers who visit, the national capital every year inquire for these relics, although nine tourists out of ten express wish to see the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
 Of courset one reason for the satisfac- tory condition of the Thanksgiving procla- nations Is found in the fact that these executive acknowledgements of providen- tial blessings are not in most instances, near so old as the papers penned at the founding of the republic. 10 be sure,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-11-21

the first Thanksgiving proclamation was issued by George Washington while serving as president, but after that .nere was a lapse until 1864, when President Abraham Lincoln issued the hrst or what is known as the regular series Of Ihanks- giving proclamations. For all that there. are scores of years difference in the dates of origin, the George Washington Thanks giving proclamation appears today Just as clear and distinct as the one issued by the martyr president toward the close of the Civil War. Washington's initial production Is penned in clear, pold hand and is signed in autograph by e. Washington" and by his secretary or state, Edmund Randolph.
 The officials of the State Department give the place of honor in the roster or Thanksgiving proclamations to washing tons effort, and yet in one sense It aoes not belong in the series, for Washing tons proclamation set aside day early in the year instead of in November as is provided for in each of the prociama- tions issued during the past half-century. Several of the natiO's early presidents
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-11-21
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the world This branch of the depart ment is not only charged with the care and custody of all precious government documents, such as the Thanksgiving proclamations, but 1t also conducts the distribution of the printed copies of the Thanksgiving proclamation. More of these Thanksgiving proclamations are sent out than any other form of executive order and they go by mail to every nook and corner of the land.
 The general supervision of the preserva- tion and care of the Thanksgiving procla- nations is in the hands of William Mo Neir, chief of the Bureau of Rolls and Library, an official who has had years of experience in caring for Uncle Sam's priceless documents, but the immediate custodian of the proclamations is MT. John A. Tonner, who not only looks after the filing and safeguarding of all presi- dential proclamations, but has like 1uris- diction over all the treaties which have been signed by the United States. A big cabinet In the Treaty Room" at the State Department has been given over largely to the storage of the presidential proclamations, and the two officials above mentioned have only within the past few years evolved a new system that is a big improvement over the old scheme of filing such papers
 In days gone by all the proclamations issued by the President. including. of course. the annual announcements of a day of thanksgiving. were tied in bundles and stored away in a spacious cupboard. A few years ago 1t was brought home to the officials that not only was 1t difficult to refer to papers when in this form. but many of the priEed documents were in danger of damage owing to the wear and tear of handling in this form. Thereupon 1t was decided to bind all the proclama- tions, and thus we today find the Thanks giving proclamations along with other presidential broadsides neatly bound in magnificent volumes. large enough to have nll such papers inserted flat This reposi- tory of proclamations embraces 15 vol umes. each 1411 by 171h inches in size. and all replendent in red leather and gold.
 There are ss1 proclamations in all in this novel collection of the documents of our presidents of which upward of half a, hundred are Thanksgiving proclama- tions. As the presidential proclamations are received at the State Department they are filed away in envelopes until
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-11-21

enough of the documents accumulate to fill one of the huge red ''scrap books" when they are bound up. When Thanksgiving or other proclamation is received at the depository Custodian Tonner immediately enters it upon a reg ister which is kept in q large volume and wherein is recorded the volume and page or the number of the envelope where each given proclamation can be found. Tab Is also kept on the proclamations by means of card and book index. which list the proclamations by date. subject and author.
 perusaI of the presidential Thanks giving proclamations at the Department of State shows that all are fairly uniform in length-a similarity due no doubt to the fact that each successive Thanksgiv- ing proclamation Is to some extent copied after or at least follows the general lines of its predecessors unless there be special reason for variations. Formerly the Thanksgiving proclamations were written in longhand-though not often penned by the President in person--whereas latterly they have been typewritten. but in each class of documents we find two pages given up to the proclamation. The first page, whether penned or typed, holds the major portion of the message of thanks. wbile the second page in each instance has the conclusion of the proclamation. the signature of the President and his Secretary of State and the embossed rep resentation of the seal of the United States. This latter is perhaps two inches or more in diameter and thus takes up an appreciable portion of the page.
 In the Treaty Room. where all the na tion's Thanksgiving proclamations are on file, MT. Tonner also keeps a stock of the printed copies of. the proclamations While. as has been said. there are com paratively few applications to see the original documents wherein our presl- dents admonished their llow-countrymen to give thanks. there are numerous re- quests for the printed copies. Of course. the greatest number of applications for Thanksgiving proclamations are received in the autumn and call for the pronounce ment for that particular year. All the same, some requests are received by mall all through the year, and the demand for old time proclamations is so steady that every now and then it is necessary to print a new "edition" of q proclama- ton that has been much in demand
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-11-21

tween two upright posts with crossbar like the letter "H." He does this just to show how easy 1t is.
 Both teams do these preliminary stunts. each in It's own half of the field, until two men, both of them dressed like tramps, rush out on the field. Involun- tarily you look to see the cop or perhaps a dog chasing them. None being visible, and no one crying "Stop thief" you come to the conclusion that these two men are, respectively, the umpire and referee. They are. The duties of each, in brief, are to back up the other in anything he says, right or wrong, blow a whistle at stated intervals, dig the ball out of the ana tony of a player at each down" and infiict a penalty of so many yards or chuck somebody out of the game now and then, just to show that they are earning the greenbacks the managers Of the teams have tucked away in their pocketbooks for them.
 After settling few details, these hard working officials tell one team to "kick off" the ball-not off the earth. but to the other team.
 Are you ready, Captain ChewemupT his nibs, the umpire, calls out to the captain of, say, the Blues.
 'All ready, sirl'' growls that individual.
 Are you ready, Captain Soakeminthe- eye?' he repeats, with courteous bow to the other the captain of the Reds.
 "All ready, sirl the second hero filings back.
 "Whir-r-r-r." sounds the whistle-and the game is on!
 A football on the ground Is rather large object and can be held without much danger of dropping it. but one sail ing aloft, in a turning, twisting "spiral," looks just large enough to fit in the vest pocket without tearing the lining. So 1t seems when the opposite team tries to catch that "kick-off.' .'' This Is known as "catching and running back punt" It Is an art. indeed and the failure of the players to do 1t successfully is the de- spair of most coaches.
 One of them, 1t is said, at one time con- ceived the idea of covering the ball with twenty dollar yellow-backs in practice as an extra inducement, "catchings' of course being "keepings." But the player who did catch the ball and earn the bills had to square up some of his proverbial college debts with them; so they didn't do him any good. Hence the scheme failed, there being no sense in catching a wad of money and then turning 1t over to fellow-students to whom you owed money Besides, they watching from the side-lines, had heart failure and fits if you missed the "punt"-and the fac- ulty butted in on this
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-11-21
; HD United States government has
 awakened in recent years to the

~ HD United States government has
 awakened in recent years to the
 wisdom of more carefully preserv-
 ing the most interesting and most
 important historic documents of the republic. Among the precious manuscripts that, in consequence of this new policy, are now the objects of especial fostering care are the Thanksgiving proclamations which have been issued from year to year by the presidents of the nation. Assured Iy these official calls for an annual day of thanksgiving are well worthy to rank among Uncle Sam's most reverenced relics. Aside from the especial significance that attaches to Thanksgiving Proclamations by reason of their character, there Is the circumstance that these prociamations, taken as series, present most inter- esting collection of the autograpns or our chief magistrates. Furthermore, Thanks- giving proclamations are unique, the an nual Thanksgiving summons being the N,illy presidential bulletin which is regu- brly issued each year in accordance with Sime- -Aonored routine.
 The movement to perpetuate for future generations the Thanksgiving announce ments of the various occupants of the White House had It's beginning some years ago, when sudden alarm was sounded to the effect that the Declaration of Independence was rapidly fading. A seAumittee of eminent scientists made q
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-11-21

following Washington, issued proclama- tions for days of thanksgiving and pray er." but these were issued at irregular intervals and at various seasons of the year, and consequently are not included in the series that embraces the George Washington document and those signed by the presidents from Lincoln to Rooss- welt.
 Each successive Thanksgiving proclama- tion after it has come from the White House bearing the signature of the presi- dent has been taken to the State De- pertinent, where 1t has been counter signed by the secretary of state, after ward being impressed with the great seal of the United States. Thus vested with all possible official dignity 1t has been transferred to the printing office of the State Department, where the con- tents are duplicated in printed form for distribution broadcast throughout the country. This done the original docu- ment is taken to it's permanent home in the Bureau of Rolls and Library on the third floor of the huge State Department Building, the largest office building in