davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-08-20

camels that move to and fro over the desert. It might also be called the bread of the Sahara, for in some places the Arabs eat but little else, the fruit being led to the camels and even to dogs.
 This date stock feed, however, is differ ent from the fruit we have in America. The oases have as many kinds of dates as we have apples. There are more than lOO different date palms in the Sahara and many others in the Persian gulf region. The dates we eat are full of sugar and are so soft and juicy that they must be orained before being packed. The favor ite date of the Sahara is a dry date, which can be kept long time, and which IS sometimes pulverized and so cooked Another date Is deliciously sweet It is of a. yellow color. and is as plump as a prune before it is pressed.
 Persian Gulf Dates
 One of the most interesting date regions of the world is about the Persian gulf in the valley of the Euphrates, not far iron. where the Tower of Babel once stood. and near the supposed location of the Garden of Eden. I have talked about this country with MT. David Fairchild, the agricultural explorer, who has gone around the world, like a watch spring, scratching it's surface for new plants and trees to introduce into the United States. He made a special trip to study the date BiONtS ol lHc feTSldn gun, WHICH 6Io still furnishing most of that fruit that comes to America. Mir Fairchild says there are something like 20.000,000 date pslrns in that territory. and that an un- broken date forest runs along the Shat ell Arab. which forms the mouth of the Eurhrates and Tigris rivers. for dis tance of over 70 miles. That mighty date grove is several miles wide, and it con- tains altogether about 5,000,00o trees. It is irrigated by the river, the tides back ing the fresh water into the canals and giving the roots of each palm bath twice day.
 The Persian dates are of hundreds of varieties, and MT. Fairchild heard of some that are said to be seedless, in this re- spect corresponding perhaps to the navel orange which is now so common all over our country.
 MT. Fairchld sent shoots of several varieties of dates to the United States, ana has thus been instrumental in giv- inG us some of the first trees planted in our arid west. He also forwarded date trees from the Fayoum, in Egypt, from Arabia and from other places which he visited during his travels.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-08-20

1 gest amount of money ever had had in my life. There was no trouble getting 1t, because there were very few per- sons to collect in that race.
 "To prove that you that I went crazy, Iii tell you that the minute I got hold
 ot that s610 1 tore around the ring. and rut it all on Invader. 1 got some of
 the money down at 80 to l, some at TO,
 some at 60, some at 50 I couldn't bet
 more than S20 or $30 a book, but there
 were many bookmakers on the line that at last I got 1t all down. When
 Invader won I had more than S30,00o. I
 never have been a race track from | that day to this. I am one of the sports
 who ahead of the game. I am one of
 the sports who looked with equanimity on all the agitation for closing the tracks. I took my S30000 and came down here to the street. I bought an interest in l the house l am with now, and I have
 just marched along with the procession | ever since. I've made a lot of money and I guess I'm all serene. | But I sort of feel as If I owe some- 1 thing to Lamar. If he hadn't fired me
 that morning I would have been hired hand down here yet. l guess he's down and out and I feel like stalking him just for old times sake" | "If you feel that way about it." said
 his companion, why don't you put him
 in the market for thousand shares of I
 something?"
 Jimmie thought moment | Tell you what I'll do,' said he; "I'n | flip coin to see whether or not I'll
 put him into the marke for 2000 shares" 1 That's a good sporting proposition"
 said the other man.
 | Jimmie took the coin and, saying, Heads It's 2000 for Lamar; tails it's
 nothing" he Tipped the piece in the air. When it fell among the dishes on the table the two men leaned eagerly over | to get the reading.
 Well" said Jimmie's companion, La mar loses"
 | Jimmie sighed and was silent a mo-
 mont Then he suddenly started with astonishment I'm not mupch sur-
 prised," he said; fin fact, I don't see | how it could be otherwise" | "Wky?' inquired his friend Jimmie pointed to the calendar above l the cashiers desk.
 It was Friday, January 13. 1911. l Copyright, 1911, by Richard Spillane.)
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-08-20

on the turf, but he always had that one thing to remember-that he could have made an immense fortune if he had only rlayed his own horses on that Friday, May 13, 1904 He missed the ono great chance of his life. He considered it his fate always to be unlucky on Friday, and doubly so on the 18th
 few months ago two young men were lunching in Broad street restaurant. One was sharp of eye, clean-cut and had the hall mark of prosperity. He Is junior partner in one of the most active houses in Wall street. One of these days he Is expected to be big figure in the street His companion who chanced to look round turned to him suddenly and said:
 Jimmie, isn't that Alfred M. Lamar who just came inas'
 Jimmie looked and responded, ..Yes, that's Lamar. Wonder where he came from? q haven't seen him for seven years.' And then a quizzlcal look came into Jimmie's face.
 Do you know" he went on to his com panion, Lamar did the lindest act to me that he ever could have done?"
 The other man asked what it was.
 He fired me-" said Jimmie. What" exclaimed his friend What do you mean?'
 Just what I say" said Jimmie. T worked for him when he ran a bucket shop. One morning something I did dls- pleased him and he bounced me It was early In May, 1904. I hadn't much money in those days. and 1t was trag- edy to lose a job, especially with the dull summer season coming on. May be If I had asked Lamar to take me back I would have got the job again, but I was always an obstinate sort of creature, and I ked out with bit terness in my heart I tried at dozen different places to get a job and failed. It wasn't very pleasant killing time in the street. so one day I went to the track. While I had been working for Lamar I knew, as everybody else in the office knew, of his stable. I had been betting on the ponies, as all the young fellows in Wall street did at that time, and I suppose it was because l had heard so much gossip about the boss's two-year- that I put a ten- spot on Belle Strome. When she won I think I went crazy. It was the big
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-08-20

While talking about this matter with Mir Swingle he drew for me two pictures of the blossoms of the male and female trees. Each is of the shape of a bell, with narrow mouth, minute flowers be- ing on the inside of the bell. In the male tree the flowers are so short that when the Mime. Blastophagas sticks in her tail and deposits the eggs they are close enough to become a part of the fruit, and they soon hatch therein and crawl forth as wasps like their mother If one of these icarpi figs Is cut open before 1t is ripe 1t Will be seen to be full of grains which look much like seeds. These grains are minute gals, each of which contains fig insect. When the insects are ready to bite their way out of the gals the mouth of the capri fig opens and ring or male flowers situated below 1t begin to shed pollen abundantly. As the insects crawl out they get coated with this pollen and carry 1t to the female flowers which inc the young budding figs on the female tree. The dusting of the female flowers with pollen causes the fruit to set and 10 bear fertile seeds, which give the flavor and make the Smyrna fig so delicious.
 Now, these flowers about the figs on the female trees are longer than those on the male trees. They are so long that when the wasp puts it's tail in and lays its eggs they do not reach to the bottom and the eggs dry up to nothing. However as the blastophagas lays she drops this pollen to the blossoms and fertilizes the fruit The flowers on the figs of the male tree are shorter. and the eggs reach the fruit and speedily hatch. The work of laying the eggs on the female trees is a deception practiced by nature on the wasps, but 1t works nevertheless, and such as lay their eggs on the flowers of the male tree are enough to prepetuate the race for the figs of the future.
 How We Got the Blast0phagas
 The people of California knew about this insect and tried to get it for a long time before they succeeded. Indeed, our knowledge of it dates far back into an tiquity. Herodotus refers to caprification in some of his writings in the fifth cen tury before Christ. and Aristoltle speaks of 1t in his history of animals. It was we'll known throughout the Orient, ani it has been carried from Asia Minor to Africa, so that the Moors and Algerians raise their figs in this way. In Smyrnia the fig growers cut the male figs contain ing the insects in halves and string them on wire sticks, and then throw them up
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-08-20

(Ccpy right, 1911. by Frank c. Csrpenter)
 Washington, D. C.
 NCLE SAM raised enough dates last
 year to give every man, woman - and child in the country hand full and leave some to spare. The amount was 20.000,0oo pounds. and the fruit was as fine as that which comes from the oases of the Sahara. Much of it was raised about the Salton sea, in southern Cali fornia, where it is so hot that the hens are said to lay boiled eggs, and where, as is alleged by others, there is only sheet of brown paper between it and the lower regions. Other dates were grown In the Rio Grande valley of Texas, and others on the scorching sands of southern Ari- zons. The Arabs. say that the date palm must have It's feet in the water and its head in the burning sun.
 Those are the conditions in many parts of our great southwest. The sun is white hot, but by irrigation the palms are kept moist. and they produce this delicious fruit, which contains more sugar than any other on earth. These potential date regions are very extensive. I have been tnquiring about them of the agricultural department. and Mir. Walter T. Swingle, who has special charge of this industry, tells me that we have several million acres that will raise excellent dates and that we could, if we would. supply all the dates that are eaten by man.
 The Dates of the Sahara
 But before I give you my talk with Professor Swingle, let me take you through some of the date countries of the world. Many of our dates come from the Sahara, that great stretch of desert which runs across North Africa, covering almost as much land as the whole United States. I have visited a number of it's oases. and have picked dates from the trees.
 1 The oases are garden spots in this vast region of sand and rock There are 80, QUO square miles of them a territory equal to twice that of Ohio. Kentucky and Vlr- ginia, and upon all of them the chief crop is dates. Each oasis is measured, not by lits area. but by the number of date trees fl contains. and the French of Morocco and Algeria tax the people according to the size of their orchards.
 Dates have the same place in the Sa- hara that our wheat has in the north and cotton in the south. It is the money crop. and the chief support of the people. It sAA- date that loads the caravans of
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-08-20
About Thimhles

From the Philadelphia Public Ledger.
 The thimble was at first worn on ths thumb, and for that reason was called a thumb bell. which later became thum- ble and finally thimbe It was invented by the Dutch and brought to England in 1895.
 The first thimbes were made of iron or brass; later came those of silver, gold. steel horn, ivory, pearl and glass. The Chinese make beautiful thinbles of carved pearl, with gold binding and ends
 One of the most gorgeous thimbles ever seen was a bridal gift from the King of Siam to his queen; 1t was made of gold, shaped like lotus bud, and was thickly studded with diamonds, arranged SC as to spell the queens name.
Omaha daily bee., 1911-06-04

Mr.. Eugene Carroll Kelly. famous as an
american fashion artist. is nom in Paris and
has agreed 10 make for our Sunday edition a
series Of fashion drawings. The first Of the
series appears today. Mr.. Kelly mill feature
the very nepest notc IN Paris modes. Every
Domdn who is Interested in The subject of clothes
mill be more than Interested in Mr.. Kellv's OBJ
serpdhonS of the present seasons styles.
Omaha daily bee., 1911-06-04

\ ARIS.-[Special Correspondence. 1.-The pref
TEST gowns seen at a recent midsummer
opening were those of taffetas made with
little loose fitting coats and trimmed with
pufflngs and ruohings OF the same. The
1nishings, such as the belts, ties, collars
cuffs, and occasionally pockets and sashes.
were attractive. for most of them showed
The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1911-09-14
Have Grave Garments Ready

In an account of the death, at tn,
age of one hundred and four, of Lucy
Hickey at Gloucester there appeared
the interesting item that she was
buried In a shroud which she hat
made for herself tiany years ago
This may look strange to most PEG
pie. said a resident of the East side
but not to the old-fashloned Jews
| am sure that II you go through any
OF the tenement houses In this par
OF the city you will find in the ma
jority of homes the shrouds of all men
and women who are married It Is
an old custom to have the grave gar
ments ready. and with some of the
people II is considered shame not
to be properly provided I'm case OF
death. The garments are usually OF
fine texture and Invariably hand
sewed"
The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1911-09-14
The s13 Fine.

Courtrooms are not free from su.
perstitlon," lawyer remarked. For
instance, It seems to be an unwritten
law Of the bench that nobody shall
ever be fined $l3, In my severt cen
years experience at the New York
bar | have seen offenders fined nearly
every other amount from 81 to s. 900.
but no Judge has ever defied fate by
imposing $l3 fine.
Nothing but respect for supersti.
ton prevented him from doing it. II
was the logical fine. Several times |
have labored in the lost cause of un.
fortunate clients whose fine from the
standpoint OF damages inflicted should
have been sl3, but the Judge had not
the hardihood to name It; he always
undershot or oyershot the mark and
made $l2 or $l4,"
The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1911-09-14
GLASS CONFUSING TO THEM
Birds and Fish Do Not Easily Learr
That They Cannot pene-
trate Ii.

A correspondent recently reported
what he described as the curious
freak Of blackbird flying against a
parlor window many times at the
same spot.
Such an incident is not uncommon.
Birds have been known to fight for
hours at a time, day after day, with
their own image reflected In pane
OF glass. pecking and fiuttering against
the pane and quite exhausting them,
selves In their fury to demolish the
supposed rival 1t is another instance
OF how the arts Of our civilization
corrupt and confuse the birds. 1t is
the same with fishes.
Darwin tells story OF a pike in an
aquarium separated by plate glass
from fish which We're its proper food
In trying to get at the fish the pike
would often dash with such violence
against the glass as to be completely
stunned. It did this for more than
three months before 1t learned eau. |
ton. Then when the glass was re.
moved the pike would not attack |
those particular fishes. but would de. |
your others freshly introduced
1t did not at all understand the sit, |
nation, but associated the punishment |
It had received not with the glass.
but with a particular kind of fish.
Darwin's American monkeys proved
themselves more knowing" When
hey cut themselves once with any
sharp tool they would not touch II
again or else would handle 1t with the
greatest caution.
Thus they gave evidence Of the sim.
'ler forms OF reason of which mon.
'eys are no doubt capable, but birds
re evidently lacking In reasoning
lowers. The Scotsman.
The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1911-09-14
ARE YOU FREE
FROM

Headaches, Colds. Indigestion.
Pains, Constipation, Sour Stomach.
Dizzinessa II you are not, the most
effective, prompt and pleasant
method Of getting nd Of them is 10
take, now and then, a desertspoon-
iul Of the ever refreshing and truly
beneficial laxative remedy-Syrup
Of Figs and Elixir Of SIENNA. 1t is
wei! known throughout the world
as the best Of family laxative rene
dies. because it acts so gently and
strengthens naturally without I'M
tatlng the system in any way.
10 get its beneficial effects it is
always necessary TO buy the geau-
inc. manufactured by the California
rig Syrup Co., bearing the name
OF the Company, plainly printed on
the front Of every package. /
The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1911-09-14
TALES OF THE TELEPHONE
IT'S Exploitation in England Seemed
Impossible Until Queen Victoria
Became interested.

The United States has eight tele
phones for every hundred of popula
ton. while no other country has hall
as many. Following the establish
ment on a solid basis of the American
telephone system work for EuropeaL
exploitation was early begun. The re
suits were hardly encouraging.
Ffve-eighths OF the British right,
were purchased for $500 by a Provi
denee man, says the National Maya
zine. After working in London foul
months he could not find any one VIII,
would put shilling in the telephone
An English review said of It. 9Th,
telephone is little better than toy
1t amuses the English, but Is inferior
to the well established system of all
tubes"
The victory was won al last b,
Kate Field, who sang Kathleen Ma
vourneen' over the telephone to
Queen Victoria. The queen was de.
lighted, asked Bell If she might buy
Two telephones, and 1t was not long
before all England was interested. An
exchange with ten wires was opened
In London, and in April, 1879, Theo
dore Vail sent an order to the factory
in Boston in his terse, characteristic
way: Please make 100 hand tele
phones for export trade as early az
possible"
The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1911-09-14

and she is moreover most iealouslv
guarded by her watchful parent. In
desperation the hapless heart break
ers disguise themselvs and entr the
old gentleman's castle as servants in
ordr TO be near their inamorata
They are, however. distraught by
jealousy OF one another, and many
complications set in Eventually.
none the less. the Master Heart
Breaker, George Damerel, pursues
the Girl TO mountain fastness, sue
ceeds in captivating the coy Great
The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1911-09-14
Governors See Gum Fired

Sporting Lake, N. j., Sept. 13
Twelve inch guns roared repeatedly
this afternoon at Sandy Hook as
twenty-six governors Of states stood
on the ramparts of Fort Hancock a.
guests OF the United States govern.
ment, and watched thousand pound
projectiles whistle 10000 yards
over the water at canvas target
The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1911-09-14
Out Of Town Merchants.

Among the merchants in the city
Yesterday adding to their stocks at
.he Denison-Ch olson wholesal
house We're Miss NJ E. Magruder OF
Arlington, Ky. Mrs NJ. f. Carter of
Rives, Tenn; J. 4, Holiday of
Woodland Minis Tenn. M. Bur
ronghs of Moore K Burroughs OF
junction. H., Edward Pulley of
Hurst, H., and j II, Schaefer of
Marion, Ill.
The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1911-09-14

ure's heart, and at the cost Of immi-
nent marriage clears the blemish
from the Heart Breakers record
Mort II Singer, under whose man
agement The Heart Breakers" will
De seen has spared neither time nor
expense to make this one of tn most
laborate productions ever sent from
the Princess Theatre. Among the
song hits are Some Golden Day"
Honolulu Honey Lou Some
where She's Flirting with Someone,
and Two to Duluth"
The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1911-09-14

The HcaI Breakers" the most
recent of musical comedy hits from
the Princess theatre, headed by
George Damerel and a company of
over fifty, will he seen at the Cairo
Opera House. Monday, Sept IS. The
story OF THE Heart Breakers" deals
With the adventure of band OF bold
young blades whose avowed purpose
in life is the kissing OF girls. Al this
ielicate art these ambitious youths
ire adopts, and they are well versed
between the nice distinctions of the
Kiss caressinG and the kiss compass
'ionate, aud the peck conjugal They
progress debonairely on their mad
)sculatory conquest until they at
tempt to exercise their fatal fascin-
ations upon an ingenious nader
who in the play is known simply as
The Girl, played by Miss Ruth
PEBBLES This alluring lassie has
been brought up by her father in
ignorance of masculine attentions,
The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1911-09-14
Girl Is Murder Victim.

Fendersonyille. n. G., Sept 10
That the arrest of citizen may fol
low an examination of the body OF
Miss Myrtle Hawkins was reported
here today The girls body was
found in Lake Osceola last Sunday
and it was later declared that
chloroform caused her death.
The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1911-09-14
Will Build BUNGALOW

c. j. Norman, house salesman at
Decentralization Dry Goods CO. Is
having plans drawn for a fine bunga-
low, which he will have built on his
lots on the south side OF Twenty
irst street, between Washington ave.
and Walnut street. The new home
win probably be ready for occu-
pancy aboat the first of the year.
The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1911-09-14
River Excursion Tonight.

The Knights of Columbus give an
excursion tonight on the steamer
Sidney, one of the finest excursion
steamers on the rivers. A fine or
chestra is on board to furnish music
for the dancers. The boat leaves
the Cairo wharf at o'clock; Mound
City at 8 p. m.
The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1911-09-14
HEALTHY
MOTHERS

Women who bear children and
remain healthy are those who pre-
pare their systems in advance OF
baby's coming. Unlcssthc mother
aids nature in its prenatal work the
crisis finds her system unequal to
the demands made upon it, and
he is often lett with weakened
health or chronic ailments. No
remedy is 50 truly help to nature
as Mothers Friend, and no ex-
pectant mother should fail to use
lit. 1t relieves the pain and dis
comfort caused by the strain on the
Iigaments, makes plant and elastic
those fbres and muscles which
nature is expanding, prevents numb
ness of limbs, and soothes the in
ELIMINATION Of breast glands. The
system being thus prepared by
Mothers Friend dispels the fear
that the crisis may not be safely
met. Mothers Friend assures a
speedy and complete recovery for
The mother, and she is left healthy
woman to enjoy the rearing Of her
child. Mothers -.-~~-~sr
Friend is sold oftHkXN
1t drug stores. 80 H -
Write for our WuEND
rec book for ASAASAN
axpectant mothers which contains
much valuable information, anc
many suggestions Of helpful ma
ture.
BRADEIEI-D REGULATOR CO..
Atlanta, Ga.