davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-03
SIBERIAN HARDTAck.
Many Uses of Bread Much Favored
 In Cold Countries.

l.. Londian, in Scientific American.
 Of all the hardtack breads of the uni- verse I have found by actual experience the small ringed bread of Siberia the most substantial. When the Russian en- gineering parties were constructing the Siberian railroad this white ring bread (with the coarse rye bread) was their main staff of life.
 It Is made without salt or yeast and is first steamed, then lightly baked to expel the moisture. Some curious uses were made of these breads by the engineers. When soaked in hot pure tallow for few moments till they sank they were used in soups or soaked in and eaten with tea during the severe winter months. This tallow bread was considered the most heat-producing article in the dietary. it should be utilized by our Arctic ex- plorers.
 Another curious use to which 1t Is put is as an extempore candle, or coffee pot boiler A nail Is used to make about eight holes in the tallow ring bread; wax vestas are placed in these and ignited. It will burn slowly for about an hour,
  and light a small tent and boil the tea or coffee water. There is a rather strong odor of toasting bread, but that is tol- erated in preference to smoke. While sojourning with the engineers in Siberia l have also seen them using the larger sizes of ringed bread as makeshift quoits for Sunday afternoon sport in their tents, and the bread would stand the knocking about pretty well, and would eventually appear in the soup at the evening meal.
 Small Siberian storekeepers also use the ringed bread as an abacus, or prim- tive counting apparatus for calculating small sums in rubles and kopeks, and simple figuring Three strings are sus- pended above the counter; 10 breads are strung on each; the top line represents the rubles (their money transactions rarely going above 1o) and the two lower strings stand for the kopeks. Of course, the strings of bread can be increased to amount into the thousands and up if de- eli
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-03
Special Horticultural Train.

Arrangements have been made to run a special train over the Mobile and Ohio railroad between Guys and Union City, Tenn, April to 8, inclusive, the object being to hold meetings with the farmers and business men at points between Guys and Union City. The commissioner of agriculture Hon. John Thmopson, and others of the Tennessee State Experi- mental station at Knoxville will be the speakers on the trip,
 w. L. Henderson, agent of the land and industrial department of the Mobile and Ohio, in writing relative to the trip, says:
 These campaigns have become very popular all over the country, and are conducted with view of disseminating practical, modern information among the farmers and to encourage them as far as possible to rotate their crops and to grow such truck and fruit as the markets de- mand,
 Among the leading subjects to be dis cussed are trucking. building up of soil, seed, feed production, fertilizers, how to prepare for the boil weevil, fruit and cot ton production.
 '.No effort will be spared on the part of the railroad and the commissioner to as- semble the farmers and business men at each point where meetings are to be held"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-03
Britain'S Naval Scare

The British tories for strictly parti- san reasons demand eight new Dread noughts, while the liberals are con- vinced that four will suffice at present in maintaining British supremacy on the seas, with possibility of four more if the Germans become more active in shipbuilding. The matter was brought before the House of Con- mons last Monday by MT. Balfour. who presented a resolution of censure re- citing that 'in the opinion of the House the policy of his majestys gov ernment respecting the immediate pro- vision for battleships of the newest type does not sufficiently secure the safety of the empire" This resolution was rejected by vote of 353 to 135.
 The rise of German sea-power and the traditional enmity between Eng
 land and Germany is the controlling factor in British politics, and the tories are endeavoring to ride into power on 1t. Even so peaceful a man as Fred erick Harrison has become a jngo in view of deadly fight for national ex- istence. And yet the maintenance of the two-power standard will. he ad-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-03
Close of the First Quarter

At the end of the first quarter of the year the country is unmistakably on the up grade. The fact that no hard coal strike is to take place and no fric- ton at all Is to arise between opera tives and mine owners is of itself great encouragement to general busi- ness. More coal, coke and iron ore are being moved than were moved one year ago.
 The great corporations will pay out in dividends and interest in New York fully 100000, an increase of $1O,- 00000o over the payments for the first quarter of 1908, and an increase of s9,OO0,OOO over those of the first quar- ter of 1907.
 The increase in duties on imports was so large in March that the deficit for the month was kept down to S4 4,OOO- 900, and the deficit for nine months of the fiscal year to s91 ,OO0, ,OO0 It is now estimated that the deficit on July 1 will not exceed $103,OO0,OOO This is a very considerable reduction from the earlier estimates.
 The second quarter of the year opens with a promise of the cessation of gold shipments, with settlement of the tariff and early passage of the bill, and with an outlook more hopeful than the country has enjoyed since October, 1907.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-03
MAN OF FEW BOOKS.
the New York Times.

From the New York Times.
 The announcement by Dr. Charles W. Eliot that upon his retirement next June from the presidency of Harvard uni versity he will gather together a shelfful of books five feet long, "the reading of which for ten minutes a day will give any man a liberal education" is the paradox of his career. For President Eliot Is the champion of elective studies. He has made Harvard university stand primarily for this principle, and he has forced the other colleges and universities to recognize it in their curriculums. Yet Yale in her dogmatism and narrow ad- herence to compulsory courses never nailed her undergraduates to a five-foot shelf President Woodrow Wilson of Princeton. in his letter to the Times last Sunday, confessed that he had read his learned compeer's announcement with "a great deal of surprise" Goldwin Smith, reply to the Times query, said
 Your question, or rather that of Pres ident Eliot, about the choice of books which complete a liberal education, would gladly answer but I am really puzzled. It seems to me that it would be necessary to know the man and his ap- titudcs as well as to choose the books"
 That has been the ground and principle of Dr. Eliots lifelong teaching. He may take refuge in Ralph Waldo Emersons dictum: Speak what you think now in hard words, and tomorrow speak what tomorrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict everything you said today" To be great Is to be misunder- stood. But in what he speaks now must not Dr. Eliot condemn the methods of Harvard university, hitherto fostered by himself, and preach to his successor the gospel of the few books, to the study of which all who shall henceforth seek there liberal education should devote them selves during the required three years degree? Dr. Eliot may find the question difficult. Meanwhile 1t is worth consider ing what liberal education" means. Is 1t the expert requirement of facts and information? Dr. Hadley of Yale lately said that it is not. John Milton defined education as the being or becom- ing ''fraught with a universal insight into things" which requires a trained and 9s- cplined mind For such training and discipline Milton recommended the study of writers whose works would make many shelffuls of books. But among these were the great Greeks, who must all have been men of few books. Homer, Socrates, Aris- totle, Plato Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Eurpides were literally educated, no doubt. Assuredly Moses and the authors of the Bible were "fraught with a uni versal insight into things" John Bunyan read but few books. Tennyson and Wordsworth had each his few books io which he gave intensive study Perhaps Dr. Eliot can justify his new position.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-03
Another Alabama City
appear.

Steps are being taken for the con solidation of Girard and Phenix City. The census of 1890 gave the two towns a population of SOO3. The same cen sus credited Anniston with a popula- tion of 9695, Huntsville with S06S, and Selma with S713. The census of next year will ascertain which of the four has prospered most. The new Phenix City is not without hope that it will lead all the rest, even Anniston.
 These four towns, together with Bir- mingham, Mobile and Montgomery seven in all-wiH have to serve as the chief Alabama cities, although Ensley, Bessemer, Gadsden, Talladega, Tusca- loosa, Sheffield, Dothan, Florence and Jasper are full of dreams of municipal greatness. The city population of Ala bama does not constitute a large per centage of the states total at present, but there is room for growth and the customary percentage may yet be reached
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-03
PEANUTS AND SLEEP,
From Good Health Clinic

T rom CIoou Health Clinic.
 Recently a friend who had heard that l. sometimes suffer from insomnia told me of sure cure. Eat pint of pea- nuts and drink two or three glasses of milk before going to bed.'' said he. and I'll warrant you'll be asleep with in half an hour.' I did as he suggested. and now for the benefit of others who may be afflicted with insomnia I feel it to be my duty to report what happened, so far as I am able to recall the details. l did go to sleep very soon after my re- tirement. Then a friend with his head under his arm came along and asked me if wanted to buy his feet. I was nego- tiating with him when the dragon on which was riding slipped out of his skin and left me floating in mid-air. While I was considering how I should get down, a bull with two heads peered over the edge of the wall and said he would haul me up if I would first climb up and rig a windlass for him. So as I was sliding down the mountainside the brakeman came in. and I asked him when the train would reach my station.
 We passed your station 400 years ago." he said. calmly folding the train up and slipping it into his vest pocket.
 At this juncture the clown bounded into the ring and pulled the centerpole out of the ground, lifting the tent and all the people in it up, up, while stood on the earth below watching myself go out of sight among the clouds above. Then l awoke, and found I had been asleep almost 10 minutes.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-03
QUEER TRAINS FOR DESERT.

From the Los Angeles Times.
 To transport aqueduct material across the desert where the tracks of steel have never ventured. the board of public works yesterday let a contract to the Holt Man. ufacturlng company of Stockton for twenty-five caterpillar engines and sev- enty-eight caterpillar wagons.
 The caterpillar machine is so called be- cause it is a traction steam engine which carries a belt of steel around it's wheels, and this endless chain makes track over which it moves with rapidity. There are cleats on the steel belt that give it firm power, and it traveles speedily over soft earth. through shallow water and over hills
 The seventy-eight wagons are equipped with wheels of extraordinary width and are pulled by the engines just as train would be pulled on its steel track.
 The contract price for the entire outfit is S141.oOO, and the delivery is to be with in six months at the points needed.
 This supply service is to accelerate the speed of the transportation, which could not be accomplished by animal power without tremendous expenses and great delay.
 The trains of three cars each will carry sixty tons or more across the soft desert and over the roads which other equip ment could scarcely traverse.
 The contract was awarded on the rec ommendation of Chief Engineer Mulhol- land.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-03
DYEING REAL BLOWERS.
1m the Philadelphla Record.

From the Philadelphia Record.
 Every onece in while some florist gets busy and puts some odd colored blossoms in his window as an extra at traction to the display" said a club man. 'T just noticed one down the street. It consisted of bunch of im- possibly green carnations At first glance a good many people thought they were made of paper. but they got interested when they found out that they were natural Now, anybody who wants to have any of these freak flowers can get them by buying some kind of aniline ink, any color desired. Carnations are the easiest to color; white ones. of course. Put their stems in a glass filled with ink. Their stems are soft. and in a short while the larger veins in their petals are filled with the ink. Don't let them absorb too much color; they are prettier with just so much. Then remove them and put them in a vase of salt water. Lilies of the valley lend themselves to this scheme also; in fact, any white, soft-stemmed flower may be used.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-03
BASE BALL.
It Is Now Being Played Around the
 Entire World.


 Baseball is being played all around the world, writes Wadsworth Haynes in Van Norden-the World Mirror for April-and its vogue, far from being less. is growing. making new converts among the heath- ems Ca heathen is a man who has never played basebalD every year
 TWO years ago the writerJwas in Buenos Ayres, Argentina during Ithe Christmas holidays. There Is regular ball team, composed of American residents of the Argentina capital, and they were visited Tor series of six games by team from San Paulo, Brazil Mighty good games they were, too
 Mr. George w. Moore, writing from Lu- zon some time ago, said: "When I went over to Masbete the game was not known 10 the Fllipinos, but after had explained Its possibilities they took to it with great enthusiasm. Before long We had many students who were able to play as we'll as the average American youths Soon they began to organize teams in the va rlous towns in the provinces and now we have regular baseball season in Mas bete.
 ''As for fans, the Filipinos have tb. Americans backed off the boards"
 The spectacular side of baseball around the world is pretty well known by this time but there is another side which would touch the heart of any ardent American. Take, for instance, the little group of men who represent a big oil company up in the wilderness of upper Burmah. There are just enough of them to form two hines. and when they have an afternoon off, or when their days work IS over, they get together and "batter m, In the good old way. They are far from home; practically exiles, but when they are In the midst of a smashing game un- der a tropical sun, with the natives star ing at the audacious energy of the white men, they probably feel themselves much nearer home than at any other time.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-03
'. M, C. \. Subscriptions In Nashville
reached.

In 16 days Nashville raised $200,000 for Y. NJ c. A. building. The raising of so large a sum when no money divi- dends are promised or expected is cer tainly creditable to Tennessee's capital city. The wealthy men gave gener- ously, but the larger part of the money came from those who were able to subscribe small sums only.
 The interest taken in the young men of Nashville is attracting attention to it's young women, and movement may be started to secure $100,000 with which to build a home for the Y. W. c. A. The subject is under considera- tion.
 We'll, if Nashville can do all this in 16 days in period of alleged depres- sion, why may not Birmingham have a new Y. M. c. A. building? A whirl- wind campaign not unlike that of Nash vile would certainly produce the need full sum. The present home of the Y. M. c. A. is not creditable to the city. It does not look we'll alongside the buildings of the Athletic and Southern clubs.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-03
lows

In the entire country Galyeston's commerce stands unique and alone in one respect. Its commerce was in- creased about 1 per cent while the commrece of all the rest of our ports was decreased from 14 per cent in New York to 23 per cent in Boston, as compared with the totals for 1907.
 This same Galveston which now stands in foreign commerce second only to New York is the Galveston that was swept by wind and flood al- most out of existence less than dec ade ago. The city was rebuilt and lifted above tidal waves, and today it aspires to become the chief port of the country. It has indeed a long way to go in order to pass New York, but the building of the Panama canal may change the course of foreign commerce to the great Texas port, and no one can place a limit on what the Missis- sippi valley and the Panama canal may accomplish.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-03
FROM THE RuBAIYAT,

I sometimes think that never blows so red The rose, as where some buried Caesar bled; That every hyacinth the Garden wears Dropt in her lap from some once lovely head.
  And this reviving herb whose tender green Pledges the river-lip on which we lean, An, lean upon 1t lightly! For who knows From what once lovely Lip it springs un- seen!
  An! my Beloved, fill the cup that clears TODAY of past regret and future fears; TOMORROW! Why. Tomorrow may be Myself. with Yesterdays seven thousan1 years.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-03
Fiohtina Fire In Old Days.

There is a great difference in Bir- mingham's fire fighting equipment of the present time and of several years ago" said Capt J. Ed Keith of No. 1 fire de- pertinent last night. 'I remember when the apparatus of the southside depart ment at Nineteenth street and Avenue D consisted of one truck which was pulled by a mule. This mules slow speed gearing soon gained international prominence and in fact it was better than going to a circus to watch him go to fire.
 There were but two men at that sta. tion and they had the time of their lives getting the mule to pull the truck to a fire The truck was kept on Nine teenth and Avenue D and the mule in a stable on Twentieth street. When an alarm was turned in these two men had to rush around the block to the stable and coax the mule to the fire house. One man got in front and pulled while the other took the rear end of the mule and pushed. don't know whether l could cite an instance of the trio ever having gotten to a fire"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-03

mits, ultimately break down the na- tioanal finances of England.
 At present both England and Ger many have heavy deficits. the German deficit being much the larger of the two. Unmindful of the condition of her treasury, Germany proposes, how ever, to go on laying down Dread noughts, and she expects by 1913 to build 13 of them, and this programme keeps England in a nervous condition and it may induce the British govern meat to build eight instead of four Dreadnoughts.
 At present Germany, England and the United States are afflicted with the naval craze. Japan has brought her craze within her resources and reve- nue. and France is not nervously lay ing dowa warships, nor is Italy or Russia. Only three countries are con- mitted to the building of bloated arma- ments. and Germany leads the three and keeps the other two stirred up, England in particular. But just why this country should build battleships because Germany does, does not yet aODpar
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-03
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
Will Fiqht His Case.

T intend to take my case 10 the su- preme court. for l do not believe that a compensatory verdict has been given me" said c. L. Browning of Ensley yester- day.
 It will be recalled that Mr. Browning was awarded verdict of S5.eo damages in the city court this week against |. Flies X Son, because the 1iverymen failed to send a carriage for him on his we'd ding day, and the groom and his attend ants were compelled to go to the wedding on a street car.
 My case was especially aggravating,' said Mir Browning, and I intend to push my claim in order to get a verdict that will in measure repay me for the suffer- ing and humiliation I suffered.
 T had paid s in advance for my car riage, and had been assured that 1t would arrive on time. At this late day is it right that I should just be getting my s5 back and 60 cents interest on the money which I paid for the carriage three years ago? What are bridegrooms to do if this state of affairs is allowed to go on? After I got to the brides home on a street car, and the ceremony had been performed, I ordered another carriage to take us away which cost me S4.
 "Of course 1 do not know anything about courts but the court did not allow my case to be heard by jury. No jury ever passed upon the matter as was re- ported. The court rendered the decree from the bench. Last year the case went to trial and jury awarded me damages of $50. The defendant, however, moved for new trial. and it was granted. Why, according to the recent verdict 1 am get ting back less than the failure of the car riage to appear actually cost me. am allowed but 50 cents as interest for the three years, and this amount I suppose also includes the street car fare that I had to pay.
 T firmly believe that I ought to have some redress, and I intend to carry the matter to the supreme court of the United States if necessary"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-03
Elremen's Annual Ball.

'The Firemens annual ball this year promises to be perhaps the most success full ever held,' said William L. McDon- ough of No. 5 station yesterday.
 Up to date we have sold about 800 tickets and We still have more than twen- ty days to work. The proceeds of the ball, as is generally known. will go into the relief fund maintained by the fire department. and people are patronizins the affair with very friendly spirit.
 Two years ago the firemen cleared s1400 on their ball, and 1t was necessary to turn away quite a number of people who desired to attend. We expect to make the ball this year equally as suc- cessful."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-03
In Love With Birmingham.

q am sorry to leave Birmingham this time," said Sid LaHook, a locomotive engineer who formerly resided in Bir- mingham, just before he departed for his home in San Francisco, yesterday. This trip is the first one I have made to Birmingham in over 10 years and I must confess that I wish I could stay here. I lived here for five years and formed quite an attachment for the town. During the month I have been here on this trip I have actually learned to love the town, although 1t has changed so much as to hardly be recognized as the Birmingham of '95. I'm of a mind to move back" MT. LaHook has been vis- iting his cousin, H. J. Luckner, at Cleve- land.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-03
Boys Industrial School.

'The report for the Boys Industrial school at East Lake will soon be ready for the public,' said Superintendent Weakley last night. Tt will show more boys in the home than ever, and a gen. eral progress along many lines. There are nearly 200 here now.
 We have a boy cook who is one of the best in the land, and we are still turning out one of the best brass bands.
 All the present buildings are being used We have begun work on the spring crop and the boys are busy all day. They have plenty to do and are in fine health"
 The state of Alabama gives the home slO0 per capita per year, and there has been some complaint by the board of gov ernors that this is not sufficient to pay the bills. This sum has to pay for insur- anee on the buildings. and every detail. However it will be made to go as far as possible and other funds will be forth coming from somewhere.