davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-18
Re just and fear not;
Public Education in Alabama

- None of the retiring officers of the state left a better record than did Harry - C. Gunnels, superintendent of education. Throughout four years of vigilant and in- , telligent service he had fought for the steady uplift of the public school system. No one knew better than he it's short .comings and he did his best to overcome these with the resources, none too large, furnished by the state. He left the pub lie schools considerably advanced above the point they had attained when he took charge of them.
 He leaves behind him bill as his final work for the betterment of the public schools This bill is to be laid before the legislature He asks the state to pr ovide better supervision of the public schools-to be definite, to provide for the election of qualified county superinten- dents instead of numskulls. He urges the submission of constitutional amendment that will enable each district to have as good a school as it is willing to pay for. and then he thinks compulsory attend ance should follow. sat,
 Henry J. Willingham, formerly secre- tary of the state board of teachers ex- aminers. has taken Mir. Gunnels' place, and perhaps man better equipped for the work could not have been found in the state. MT. Willing ham will certainly endeavor to carry the public schools to higher usefulness, and he no doubt stands ready to favor any reform that will add to the usefulness of the public schools.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-18
Systematic Effort Needed

Among the obvious needs of Alabama is a vigorous and systematic campaign to induce homeseekers to settle in our agricultural districts. yery1 little has been done in the line of immigra tion dur ing the past few years, and the drastic statewide prohibition laws enacted at the special session of the legislature in 1909 had the effect of driving out of the state some of those who were otherwise pleased with conditions.
 Climate, soil and markets are in favor of small farming in Alabama, and now that the extreme laws which the radical clement placed upon the statute books are about to be modified, excellent results should follow.
 Alabama needs more wageworkers, as well as more truckers No state should encourage the immigration of ignorant or lazy foreigners. HIS Sldle ceTtdiiliy uocS not want undesirable people, but with the liberal immigration laws, and with an energetic immigration office at Montgom- cry, and with organized movements in Jefferson and other enterprisng counties. the states population would be materially lincreased in the course of few years. :, Grape growing is profitable industry, and Alabama is well suited to this branch of farming but vineyardists must be all lowed to make and sell wine if they are to reap the full benefit of their toll. For tunately the days of prohibition intoler- ance and sumptuary legislation are past. and statewide advertising and the devel- opment of vinaculture and horticulture ' should be pushed as never before
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-18
IN HOTEL HOBBIES
The AIl-Star Musical Course

sFrancis Macmllen. the great violin Niftuoso, will appear at the High school auditorium this afternoon at 3 o'clock Tickets may be reserved at the Jesse French company store Starr Piano com pany), beginning at S o'clock this morn- ing.
 Macmillen arrived in Birmingham yes terday and is registered at the Hillman. He comes in the all-star course of Mrs. cathey and all who enjoy artistic music will make an effort to hear him.
 Mrs. Cathey. whose home is in Mem- phis, is here and will remain until tonight and probably tomorrow. She said yes terday:
 T am doing my best to fulfill every ob- ,gation and hope the public will be kind and generous. Madame Gadski did not appear as advertised because she was ill with a cold as Dr. Fox can testify. Should this great singer find it impossi- ble to come to Birmingham later in the season, then I will refund the pro rate for the Gadski concert to the season ticket subscribers
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-18
PASSING OF RoUsTABoUT

From the St. Louis Times.
 The announcement that the Eagle Packet company will install cranes on new barge now under construction. and that the services of the roustabout will be dispensed with, suggests that this step might have been taken long ago. " In a previous discussion of river porb- lems. The Times called attention to the fact that practically all freight transport ed on the waterways of Europe is han dled by cranes.
 In the United States the crane, oper- ated by steam or electric power, has been made to replace the wheelbarrow in scores of works, but in the field of steamboating nothing of, the kind has been done, though the problem of keeping the roustabouts in hand has been an in creasingly difficult one.
 As a matter of fact the crane, as an appurtenance to the steamboat, has de- veloped with the modern channel; and America has not yet reached the scientific channel in its struggle for better water ways.
 But improved methods of handling freight on the packets would certalnly facilitate the work of the rivermen and might profltaby have been introduced long ago.
 And it may be suggested that with new means of handling freight, the rivermen might well turn their attention next to modern forms of boats, to take the place of the cumbersome crafts which exist to- day, and which are practically identical with the models of 50 years ago.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-18
PROHIBITION IN ALABAMA

From the Charleston News and Courier.
 From the 5000 words with which Gov. Baxton Bragg Conner has just assaulted the members of the Alabama legislature we quote, not without fear and trembling, the following pregnant paragraph.
 Tt has been claimed by some that our prohibition laws are impossible of en- forcement This is puerile. Given law officers honest in their oaths and cap- able, the Alabama prohibition laws can be enforced in every town or place in Alabama. Where there is open violation of the law in any part of the state there are officers who will not attend to their sworn duty, and whos have their ears and eyes closed" eg
 Can it be possible that the laws of Alabama are so different from those of other commonwealths that the chief ex- ecutive lacks power to intervene in cases where local authorities fail in the per- formance of their duties under the law? If it has been the fault of the law of- ficers that prohibition has not proved generally effectual in Alabama because of the delinquency of law officers why Is it that Governor Conner has not taken steps to. remedy this condition of affairs? Is not his excuse in effect an indict- ment of himself?
 In this connection it is interesting to note that leaders of both factions of the general assembly, that fronted by Judge Almon, who has just been elected speaker of the house, and that headed by MT. J. Lee Long. who has Just been defeated for the speakership. are declared by the Montgomery Advertiser to stand square ly together on questions affecting legis- lation and relief from extreme prohibition laws"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-18
MT. Taft and the South

Tn disc ussing the probabilities of 1912 the Washington Star dismisses as an- worthy of consideration the expectation {. of winning half dozen southern states or even one. The failure of the effort : stv win over North Carolina last year has discouraged the most sanguine of repub- licans in that regard
 Present indications" say the Star. s'point to the renomination of Taft with g come one upon whom New York can agree 2 IS his running mate. New York is still very much torn, and it is going to take "A
 long, strong and steady pull to bring
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-18
Reelection of Senator Bankhead

After serving 20 years in the House of Representatives, John Hollis Bankhead was elected to the Senate in 1907, to take the place left vacant by the death of Senator Morgan. MT Bankhead had pre- viousy been elected as an alternate in a primary of the democratic party, re- ceiving majority of all the votes cast for that office in the primary. This vic- tory in the primary really made him Ala bama's senior senator, and yesterday he was elected to a second term in accord ance with a previous primary vote, and his new term will not expire until March f. 1919 At that time he will have served over 30 years in Congress.
 Few states indeed furnish careers as long and as useful as that of MT. Bank head has been. It was he who long fos- tered and promoted the opening of the Warrior. He served on the rivers and harbors committee of the House many years. His entire career has been full of useful work in behalf of the state, and he declined to.come home this week because he preferred to- stay where he could best serve the state. The state has perhaps never had representative in Congress who watched more assiduous- ly the material interests of the state, and this is why the state retains MT. Bank
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-18
Governor 0'Neal'S First Message

Governor ONeal takes hold of the states business in his first message to the legislature with no prentice hand. He discusses the business of the state as though it had been the chief study of his mature years, as perhaps it has been.
 After asking the legislature to take steps to bring disbursements within re- oeipts he at once takes up the liquor question and, he discusses it at length. liquors in towns of over 1s.oo0 inhabitants, and he also favors licenses at the rate of one retail dealer to every 1000 or 5000 in habitants as the legislature may elect He wants no liquors, however, sold at tar-all liquors sold at retail places should be served at tables. The governor has carefully considered the problem, and he
  ing every disputed point.y He desires re peal of the Carmichael and Fuller bills, Tut he favors the retention of the Bal lard law of 1907. In general he desires a restraint of local option His plan for regulating the liquor traffic is, indeed, complex. but it is so well thought out that it deserves a careful reading by every citizen of the state-not a reading of a summary, but of the full text.
 The governor considers the commission form of government an innovation yet to be fully tested He does not oppose it, but he is opposed to the "recalr' which generally goes with it.
 He favors a state highway commission, and the cause of good roads has in him a firm friend.
 In educational matters he desires a change in the constitution that will ad- nit of local or district school taxes, and he also wants a more efficient system of county school supervision.
 Primary elections are discussed at length, and. he is confident the people should bear all the expenses of such cleo tons. The voting in a party primary should be confined to the members of that party.
 He attributes "to the miserable fee sys- tenn the vast number of arrests of small r,isdemeanants, and he urgently asks the legislat ture to abate the astounding num- Der of frivolous and unjust prosecutions"
 Corporations are but briefly discussed in the message, but the governor does ask the legislature to bring the telegraph and telephone companies within the state un- der the supervision of the state railroad commission.
 All these subjects are carefully treated by the governor, deep study and investi- gation being evident in every part of the message. The entire document is frank. plain and well written The new governor is a master of vigorous Eng l,sh and his discussion of the state's  weighed and considered by every member throughout the state who are not legis- lators.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-18
DISGUSTING STUPIDITY

From the Chicago Record-Herald.
 "Do you really and truly think I am beautiful?' she asked.
 You are simply divine he replied.
 But there are other girls whom you think more beautiful than l."
 NO, I don't think there is a more beautiful girl in the world than you.'
 ''There are other girls you think are just as beautiful, though"
 You are more beautiful than any other girl ever saw
 q suppose there are plenty of girls whom you consider almost as beautiful as I am."
 'I think you are far more beautiful than any other girl that ever breathed."
 well why didn't you say that in the first place."
 That was what l meant, if didn't ex- actly say so"
 "Oh. well, go on. My goodness! Must I suggest everything nice that you say 10 me?''
 What more can I say?' | Heavens! I'm not going to sit here giving you lessons. I thought the way you started out that you had made love before"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-18
TO WINTER.

By William Blake. 4ass. o Winter bar thine adamantine doors. z The north is thine; there hast thou built
 thy dark Deep-founded habitation. Shake not thy
 roofs s-:f-. v Nor bend thy pillars with thine iron car.  He bears sssa me not but Der the yawnlng Rides heavy: his storms are unclaimed.
 sheathed 4h ribbed steel; I dare not lift mine eyes; For he hath reared his scepter OCT the
 world.
 Lo. now the direful monster, whose skin
 clings
 To his strong bones, strides OCT the
 grooming rocks; He withers all in silence. and in his
 hand Unclothes the earth. and freezes up frail
 life.
 He takes. his seat upon the cliffs, the
 mariner Nil q rfet 4 Cries in vain. Poor little wretch! That
 dealst l,-fss With storms. till heaven smiles and the
 monster
 Is driven yelling b his caves beneath
 Mount Hecla
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-18
SOFT DRINKS IN ALABAMA

| From the Richmond Times.Dispatch. 1 Montgomery is the capital of Alabama On Thursday 1t was filled with the mem oers of the legislature. who were assem- bling for their regular session Just to | meet his friends the Hon. Culpeper Ex- um. mayor of Birmingham, and we'll known recent visitor to Richmond, went up to Montgomery to shake hands and see tine boys They say he is good guberna- torial material s
 Immediately on his arrival he was be- seged by newspaper reporters. They sought his views concerning prohibition. As mayor of so-caled prohibition city, what he might say would be of interest. Exum told his interviewers that ''he fav- ored a few well regulated saloons, in spite of the fact that he was aware that the dispensary is a greater producer of rev enue." Then. he added: ''In Birmingham we are needing the money at the present time.v On the practical aspect of prohib- ton. on the desirability of prohibition, his silence was eloquent.
 Later in the evening Mir Exum "strolled around Montgomery for the purpose of finding out just how Mayor Gunter, Sher- if Hood and Governor Conner are enforc- ing the prohibition laws in Montgomery"
 What did he find. my masters?'
 He was in the capital city of Alabama. Legislators were here. there and every where. The retiring governor, Braxton Bragg Conner, was in the executive man sion, few blocks away, perhaps writing that part of his message which declared prohibition success in Alabama, Poice- men sauntered nearby on their beats.
 Here was what Exum found as sam pie of conditions: Tn the first resort wis ited, after every other person had ordered beer, whisky or highballs, MT. Exum re- specttully requested that he be served with certain well known soft drink, made in Atlanta The 'barkeep' was ex- ceeedingly surprised, and declared that the soft drink was something he did not sell Mayor Exum strove in vain, but beer and whisky were all that could be had in the prohibition capital of prohi- bition state"
 And yet they tell us, these wise statisu- clans, these self-appointed prophets, that prohibition prohibits. Beer, whisky and highballs1anywher any time. Wide open bars officers of the law blind, be- cause public sentiment bids them be so. "Barkeeps on the job.
 There may be some advantage in pass iVg law the only practical effect Of which is to cause whisky to be designated as .'soft drink but we confess we can not ascertain the nature of this advant-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-18

the two republican factions together But
 the state is absolutely necessary to re- publican success, and the democrats will make play for it either by urging one of their number for first place with Gov ernor Harmon for second, or for second place with Governor Harmon for first. This maneuver ths republicans cannot ig- nore"
 In other words, the Star advises the republicans not to count on southern sup port next year-to select in other words a candidate for vice president who will bring to Mir. Taft some geogra phieal sup port. for in 1912 the republicans will need all the aid they can get, and they can get none in the south.
 All this is very true and the Evening Star has perhaps as correctly outlined the campaign of 1912 as it can be out lined this far in adRnce. The republicans will get right down to brass. tacks in 1912, and so will the democrats. and neither ticket will be apt to carry the name of a southern candidate for even the unde sirable office of vice president.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-18
Anniston Fiourishing

A. J. Goodwin of Anniston was here yesterday visiting his brother. c. s. Good win of this city. He is prominent real estate man and a leading citizen of An niston.
 Our city is booming right along, he said yesterday. "Values have been high for the past several months and every line has been brisk. However, a slight reaction started immediately following the holidays which think has spent It. self. I have a very hopeful opinion of Anniston and believe it to be one of the best cities in Alabama.
 We are all very much interested Tn the new service given by The Age-Herald to our city. Your paper reaches us at breakfast time every morning and we are instantly in touch with everything happening in the world. In addition Bir- mingham is coming to be looked upon as the center of affairs in this state, so 1t Is important for us to have local news or this city The morning paper gives us this fully and in a crisp style which IS appreciated by our business men.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-18
REFLECTIoNs 'oF A BACHELOR

From the New York Press.
 Making excuses is a steady job for lots of people.
 Most of us are willing to believe that our vanity is merely proper pride
 Hints would be taken much more freely if they were other peoples property.
 Any woman knows how to manage a man, but few rYen know how to let her,
 The most you can count on with the average man Is that you can't count on him. ,i.s
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-18
sTORK,s LAZY HOUSE BUILDING

Lucas: "A Wanderer in Holland
 The most interesting sight in the Rot terdam zoo was the stork. whose nest is set high on a pinnacle of the buffalo house. He was building in the leisurely style of the British workingman He would negligently descend from the heavens with a stick. This he would lay on> the fabric and then carefully perfom his toilet. looking around and down all the time to see that everyone else was busy. Whenever his eye lighted cn a toddling child or perambulator 1t visibly frightened My true work!" he seemed to say. This nest building is mere bypaths of industry" After drinking, and overlooking. and congrat- ulating himself thus for few minutes, he would stroll off over the house tops for another stick. He was unquestion- ably king of the garden.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-18
BEAT THE OTHER BY ONE
mn the Ladies' Home Journal.

From the Ladies' Home Journal.
 Some little girls were boosting of their respective families. They had passed from clothes to personal appearance and finally came to parental dignity. The minister's little girl boasted: Every pack age that comes for my papa is marked D. D."
 And every package that comes for my papa Is marked M. D." retorted the daughter of the physician.
 Then followed look of contempt from the youngest of the party. 'Huh! she exclaimed Every package that comes to our house has three letters on 1t: e. o. D."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-18

From the Philadelphia Ledger.
 The body of girl, strangely preserved among the dust and hardened lava, has been discovered in the excavations at Pompeii From the attitude in which the remains were found. and the fact that jewelry was still in the clasp of the finger bones, feshless. for IS centuries, 1t is inferred that she was but one of the many victims who sought in vain to carry their most precious belongings beyond the deadly zone of noxious gases, the black clouds of lapili and the glowing torrents of lava on the last day of Pom peii.
 The ruling passion has been in evil dence in the case of other discoveries made by the excavations. Thus. Ro- man sentry was found-virtually pettri- fled by the preservative incrustation-in his sentry box, proving his devotion to duty stronger than the first inclination to flight A dogs skeleton was found stretched above that of his young mas ter An inscription on the collar of the animal proved that on two previous oc- casons he had saved the boys life once in shipwreck once in murderous attack of brigands.
 Most of the inha bitants succeeded in making their escape. Those who per- ished presumably gave their lives in the effort to save their valuables. The most conspicuous instance is that of hud- dled group found amid their pewelry and trinkets in a wayside inn on the road to Stabiae Hampered as they were by their worldly wealth. the fiery deluge fell upon them consuming Dives and sparing his riches for the patient archeologist centuries afterward.
 Who shall blame the poor girl, whose skeleton has just been unearthed, for wanting to take with her the necklace and bracelets and the twnlling adorn- ments of her hair? She literally gave her life for the very things for which many lives are sacrificed today. /
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-18
NEW DECATUR PLEASED

From the New Decatur Advertiser 1
 Since the inauguration of the new night trains on the Louisville and Nashville the Birmingham Age-Herald arrives in the Decaturs before any other morning pub lication This is gratifying to the large number of readers of this most excellent newspaper, as it is possible now to have the news at the breakfast table; and more especially on Sunday, as hereto fore it did not arrive on that day until the middle of the afternoon.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-18
New England'. Point of View

"The cause of temperance will prob ably make, more progress within the next year or two than it did under the ing over large part of the country in 1908 and 19O9," said Edward w. Harbison, a textile manufacturer of New England. 1T spent the winter before last in Flori- da and heard a great deal of prohibition talk
 ''If hadn't been an observer of waves and isms during a considerable period of time I might have thought statewide prohibition was coming to stay; but I knew it was not reasonable to expect any progressive state to submit long to drastic sumptuary laws. Florida escaped statewide prohibition and it seems that Alabama is about to have relief from the severe measures passed by the last legislature.
 'Everyone admits that there is liquor evil. Alcohol has done untold harm, but I believe real temperance can be better brought about by rigid regulation of the liquor traffic and by moral suasion as applied to the individual than by ex- treme statutes. I am familiar with the failure of constitutional prohibition in Maine. The democrats in that state arc working hard to have an amendment re- submitted to the people and they will ul- timately succeed. And Maine once rid of her farcical prohibition laws will stay rid of them.''
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-18
The Fayette Gas Field

'I am in no wise connected with the Alabama Central Gas and oil company but am glad to know. that that com pany has a strong flow of gas with a good prospect Of finding oil in com mercial quantity on its property in Fayette county. about three miles from Bankston," said Dr. G. B. Grove.
 "This is a further demonstration of the fact that the Fayette field is rich in gas. The situation certainly looks better and better.~