davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-02

scores of independent mills and the Big Three will never be able to control the business of crushing the oil from the cot ton seed.
 These mills turn out hulls, meals and crude oil The two former are readily turned itno cattle feed and even into horse feed. The time is fast coming, however when the meal will be needed for human consumption. Just as the oil has supplanted in households animal fats so will cotton flour take the place of wheateh flour. beginning has been made and it will go on until cotton flour mixed perhaps with wheat flour or corn meal will become exceedingly popular
 But it will be long time before cot ton four becomes as valuable as the oil itself. Thus oil and it's by-products is put to a hundred uses, but it's best use is as cooking fats to take the place of the uncleanly animal fats.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-02
WONDERFUL TRAINED FROG

frogs devoured each year by the bass family he was that peevish that he was ready to do anything I told him, which was very simple, and any fair-minded fisherman ought to believe 1t. The first thing I did was to have harness made with a collar attachment, then I got good strong line and attached 1t to the collar I also got small dagger which he carried in his belt for cases of emer- gency. My final instructions were that I was to attach the line to the collar, take him with me in the boat to the bass grounds and turn him loose. He was to dive to the bottom, snoop around and pick up the largest bass present. grab him around the neck and try to choke him to death. If the bass showed, too, he was too strong, he was to fatally stab him and nod his head twice, which was the signal for me to pull him in. It worked like a charm. could have cleaned out the lake if I had not been a true sport and believed in giving the bass a chance. After thinking the. mat ter over I decided to have him try his luck on some other kind of fish, so told him to cut out the bass and look for big
 ger game. He gave me the wise look and seemed anxious to try his luck at once. So harnessed him up and started up the lake. He finally signaled me to stop and then jumped overheard. He was gone so long that was getting anxious. When I got the two-nod signal and pulled him in you never saw a young heiress half so proud as MT. Frog was when he showed up leading a 25-pound dogfsh by the ear and five half-grown puppies. After that I gave exhibitions with him, and people came from all over the coun- try to see him perform. One chap from St. Louis offered me se)0 for him.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-02
Assistant Coneressman
state.

The Washington correspondent of the Boston Herald says a plan is under dis eussion at the capital to create a new lot of officials. This plan arises in con- nection with the pending apportionment law. According to this plan 300 assistant congressman at 5000 year are to be created to shift from the shoulders of representatives of the people the routine work of conducting correspondence and running departmental errands in order that the real representatives might de- vote themselves to the more dignified tasks of studying public questions and attending to the simon-pure matters of legislation.
 The advocates of such an innovatio believe the House of Representatives should consist of between 200 and ac0 members. instead of the 2e1 at present They would, therefore, not only reduce the size of the House in its membership, but probably would go so far as to make the size of membership permanent. A law was enacted back In the sos prescrib-
 ing that the House should consist perma- nently of a given number of members something like 2Oe-but, of course, it could not be made binding upon subsequent Congresses, whenever they chose to en- act new apportionment laws at the To- year census periods
 The proposed assistant congressman would each have one or more stenog- raphers, and the representative would thus have an official establishment equal to that of a senator who is chairman of committee
 The plan is freely discussed in Wash | ington, but it is plain democratic simplic- | ity of the Champ Clark sort will not The republic will have to grow some
 more and the extravagant republicans l regain lost ground before any such scheme can be carried out. It is Wash ington day dream only.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-02
A SCENTLESS NATION
From the Washington Post.


 The department of agriculture has recently called attention to the back wardness of this country as producer of the particular kind of crops that go to the making of perfumes Swift in the development of other industries, we have been extremely neglectful of our opportunities in this particular, since, 1t Is claimed, we can raise in one part of the United States or another all of the plants needful for an innumerable variety of sweet odors, from ylang- ylang to altar of roses.
 This information doubtless is in tended to serve as a timely spur to our industrial and commercial lethargy And yet the news fails to carry with it any great sense of shame. It Is difficult to assign the reason why the possibilities thus pointed out produce little or no enthusiasm. yet such is the case. It must be because the making of perfumes is not pre- eminently an indi- cation of national vigor or greatness Certain it Is that their universal use | by people Is not sign of virility. Weak and effeminate nations have been given proyerbially to the use of un- guents and ointments, whereas soap and civilization have been inseparably con joined. So long as we lead in soap, | 1t matters little who manufactures the aromatcs. A good bath is better than much volatile oils, while civet and musk may cover a multitude of sins, especially those of omission.
 Strange to say, there is a psychology of scents. not clearly reduced to a sci ence, perhaps, yet recognized by many writer's Hotspur preferred the fumes of "villainous saltpeter' to the odors of the flop. Opie Read wrote of the l half sad smell of the geranium," and another writer has likened the frag-
 rance of the magnolia blossom to the sensuous music of the waltz
 All in all. there is as much to be said ! against perfumes as in their favor, an ]
 we may rest content, though other countries continue to outstrip us in | their manufacture.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-02
Cuban Affairs Going from Bad to Verse

The United States has, 1t is reported 5000 troops in readiness to send to Cuba Graft is prevalent there and so are plots and counterplots. The island is filled with z discontent ill-government, and the germs of revolution. Trouble that calls for in- tervention may come at any moment.
 We will not send troops to Cuba to put an end to graft, for We have plenty Of that at home. We cannot, or do not stop it here at home, and we have no right to send troops to stop it in Cuba It is really an American device bred here in the United States and carried farther and worse here than anywhere else in tic world, Russia not excepted
 Intervention can be justified by an in- surrection and by the failure of the gov ernment to maintain law and order. and then it will be our duty to intervene, for we are obligated to maintain there peae c and the safety of property.
 The occupation of the island for the third time will be permanent and Cuba will be put in way to become an Amer ican state. She will have to go to school and learn English, for this an English speaking country, and we cannot have a state conducted in another language. But there is no need to anticipate.
 President Gomez is losing ground daily and several large interests are plotting to stir up an insurrection against him. Altogether the chances are that We will soon go to Cuba to stay. The collapse of 1906 can not be repeated with impunity fin 1911. President Gomez went into of hce in 1908, and the American troops sailed away as they did in 1902 when Pres ident Palma was inaugurated. There will be no sailing away we go there in the immediate future. The Cubans mus, either reform themselves or get ready to become part of the big American re- public. There is no middle course. Cuba would as state probably become No. 4s
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-02
ANCIENT CITY OF BAGDAD

are not very exacting, and I have em ployed much of my spare time doing spe- cial newspaper work. Ther, too, we could play either in heat that sent the thermometer up to 120 degrees. This
 is the way Old Sol treats us from May to October, and it is some sizzling. St. Louis feels to my wife and me now like the arctic circle must feel to the north pole hunters.
 Some of the greatest scholars of the world have journeyed to Bagdad as the Mohammedans journey to Mecca. Raw
 inson, Laird and George Smith, learned men, whose labors have enlightened the human race, spent years there, digging for cuneiform characters. studying As- syriology, reading the hieroglyphics they found as we read English and making all people profit by their labors.
 For 23 years pr. Holloway of Ber- lin, representative of the German Ori- ental Research society, has been carrying on the work Rawlinson and his col leagues began.
 "Bagdad is now city of some 100000 people, Forty thousand of them are Jews. Near the city is the tomb of Ezra, shrine of all Hebrews in that part of the world. Nearby is Nineveh with it's million historical associations. At kirkouk, only thre days by ass from Bagdad, is the tomb of Ananias, who gave the world an exhibition of his abil- ity to transform the truth into it's re- verse meaning.
 "Then there are the hanging gardens, the ruins of Belshazzar's palace, and memories of the feast that ended in death. and the ruins of Nebuchadnez- zar's palace, and many other spots or mighty interest almost too numerous to mention. We feel that God is near in all that section of the earth.'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-02
GODIvA: BY ALFRED TENNYSON
I waited for the train at Coventry; T hung with grooms and porters on the bridge To watch the three tall spires; and there shaped The city's ancient legend into this;

waite for Coventry; The etys ancient legend ths Nev New 0m's men, "i that 'Ah in flying wheel
 ns olsys.ss lsys sae PsGps psl ss we'll 1sia Ths %o ~omsn a1s of andS,M thousand 9g % ooS.ns4g T o of nsn shst frm ns laid a'a s @ Ehsr sasst her oa and @ s' s ss :5, s 5 ;' @ And aAr% praysd him. If this they satrve 1su rs ssss wsaa ss ns let % s. ass at s ss sP by r''' 9n 9n sy psv sy to 's me 'Sq what Iss
 s: :; s::s ''' Ssss as each % s;ss ls and ''" Ana ssi ss s% s "s sa' iSss' % ss ss:s ~;s ss !ss s:ss;a sss:. ssss @ ssss ss sss Knee. aas asas ss'Ss tni 'Rss ssss :s 1.ss ss, ss.y tr.., sss ss Sits chastity 7ss zss ssiP s ss is1 tss sss 1:s; ss, s:s s.. shot Were full of chinks and holes; and overhead Fantastic gables, crowdng. stared; but she Not thro'a LII, ID, till last she The white howerd elder-thicket from the field Geam through Gothic archway in the wall rodes ! And onelo chur, of thankess earth, The all Boring a before they their~ Were his / And cancelld misused;
  ssss ss s but gaind $ reissuing, crownd To meet her he he t \ herself
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-02
In the Business World

Henry Clews' annual review of business
 conditions is always read with interest,
 for no one understands the financial pulse
 better than he and few write with more
 calmness. His review, just to hand, be-
 gins with this paragraph:
 we are entering 1911 in a much so-
 berer mood than we entered 1910. Then
 optimism was the prevailing spirit; now
 conservatism Is the rule everywhere,
 tinged with occasional pessimism. What
 ever point of view be taken there is
 sharp contract between conditions now
 and a year ago, particularly in the east,
 which as the financial center of the coun-
 try is always first to feel reactionary
 influences and first to take the initiative,
 either in forward movements or retrench-
 ments. For six months at least contrac-
 ton has been the order of the day. and
 there are no indications as yet of this
 tendency having exhausted itself" After giving many interesting facts and figures MT. Clews concludes as follows: .Because we have scared too high, be- cause the buying power of the people has been exhausted temporarily by extrava- gance or too free expenditure of capital,
 
 the only cure is for commodities to de- scend to lower level, thus stimulating fresh activity and restoring the normal. This can certainly be accomplished with out any prolonged cessation of industry; and in due season it will be found that prosperity can be continued even upon a lower basis What the country most needs during the coming year is rest from political agitation, rational treatment of business and social questions, and econ omy in national, state, municipal and do- mestic expenditures. In this direction will be found the true cure for present de- rangement The situation will soon cor rect itself if natural forces are not un- duly interrupted. As for the stock mar ket, that is likely to anticipate any bus
 mess recovery, especially as cheap money and investment conditions are favorable | to a rise"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-02
From the Fargo News.

From the FargO News.
 4 LTHOUGH the fishing season is far "A away, the mind of the real devotee 4 \ of the rod and reel is ever on the sport. H. Becher, varously known as the Pickerel Kid and the Alaskan Spin ster, is responsible for the following, Frog As M. Anthony said to the op- posing pitcher, If ye have tears, pre- pare to loosen" The story:
 Why is it that when a man is telling a party of friends about the luck he had
 fishing that your nearest and dearest friend will give you that (wonder how strong he is going to make it) look? It is generally understood that man deals a rather liberal hand with the truth when it comes to the size and number of the catch. I was telling few of my friends about my method of catching fish, bass in particular, and I don't believe that nine out of ten believed it. I can't unz derstand why some people are so stub born, as my method to my mind was not so very unusual
 "Questloning my veracity all came about in this way Last summer I was not feel ing very well and the doctor told me to go out to some good lake and stay for a month or two and I would be all right I went, and near where I was camping there was a small pond that was just alive with frogs, the largest l ever saw. One in particular was nearly as large as cat, and as he seemed to be a pretty good-natured old scout we soon got to be very good friends and spent many pleasant evenings together. It was then that I conceived the idea to train the frog, whose acquaintance had made, to do the fishing
 After telling him about the number of
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-02
From the St. Louis Republic. E<K x ARRIAGE cures the wander
 M lust" said United Sttaes Con-
 y Sul Frederick Simnich. who

lO1n lilt pl iOulS IkcpuDliC
 t<K MARRIAGE cures the wander
 M lust" said United Sttaes Con-
 \ sul Frederick Simpich, who represents the majesty of Uncle Sam at Bagdad, Turkey, at the Southern hotel.
 Simpich and his wife, the only Amer jeans in that part of the world, felt so blue over the idea of spending another Christmas 1000 miles from home that he asked and obtained leave of absence to eat Christmas dinner at New Frank lin, Howard county, Mo. This is the town in which both the consul and his spot in their imaginations while the only thing they ever saw to remind them of home was the Stars and Stripes waving above the consulate.
 "Bagdad is one of the most interesting places in all the earth" said Mir. Sim pich. ''and we found much there to in- terest us. but it is good to be back in Missouri again. My wife and l were the only Americans in that part of Asia, and but for the presence of a number of Britishers, a few Germans. and fewer French, we would have felt more home sick than we were.
 "It ought to be of interest to Mis- sourians and to all others who would like to see the Mississippi river made navigable the year around to know that the present navigation of the Tigris, the historic stream beside which ancient Babylon stood and where modern Bag dad stands now, was made possible by a study of the boats in use on the river at St. Louis. A big company formed for the purpose of navigating the Tigris sent an Englishman on tour to learn methods employed on rivers of other countries.
 "This man came quietly to St. Louis, took a trip down the Mississippi. and made a careful study of boats of light draft and heavy tonnage. He reported to his employers in favor of the Mis- sissippi boats, and now they are the sort which carry the travellers to and from the place we used to read about when we were children, the home of All Baba and the host of characters inter esting to juvenile minds
 "Bulbuls, carpets, dates. and wool are the chief imports from Bagdad to the United States. The duties of the consul
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-02
Literary Contributions

q am close reader or The Age Herald" said a man well known for his love of letters, "and read with great plea sure the various contributions on literary subjects which appear in Sundays papere. have been es- pecially interested in Dr. Hiden's short pieces printed within the past few months. There is directness in his narratives or discussions as well as q literary charm and flavor.
 "His account of the country wedding | on the Eastern Shore of Virginia was a classic-as good as anything in Ian MacLaren's Beside the Bonny Brier Bush' And another gem, I thought, was his article on George Eliot-'Char- acter and Genius of George Eliot which was printed in The Age Herald of Sunday, December II. It contained about as much Illuminating analysis and sane criticism as have ever known condensed into the space of something like 2O00 words. It was sympathetic, | too, but its tone was characterized throughout by due moderation as well as acumen. Several persons have | spoken of it to me and referred to il as a masterpiece. I make this little extract as an example of Dr. Hiden's
 clear literatry vision: The power to in-
 terest one deeply in the sayings and do. ing of very ordinary and commonplacs people, take to be the mark of genius
 of a high order and this power Georg;
 Eliot possessed in very extra ordinar, degree. Tom Tulliver was stupid a his books, and yet his career at thu school of Mr. Steling Is depicted
 with such sympathy as deeply to in
 terest the profoundest scholar. Mag
 gie Tulliver was bright, and Aunt Glegs had some stray gleams of intellect
 but, with these exceptions, the who'll
 Dodson crew were rather phenomena
 in their stupidity. and the Tullver
 were cen crows of the same nest; an,
 yet they are all made interesting t.
 almost every type of reader. The Tn
 diyiduality with which the author man
 aged to stamp each one of these dull
 1910 there will be good deal of prosperit.
 velous.'"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-02
CONCESSIONS AT cONEY
From the Brooklyn Eagle.

From the Brooklyn Eagle.
 The great demand for space along Surf avenue is indicated by the price paid for privileges. Just about enough room for a man and his easel of souvenir post cards costs him $50 week. A candy vender, who sat on camp stool and held his box of penny confections on his lap or in front of him on a stool, paid SEQ a week for the privilege And next to him stood an ice cream sandwich man who was tenant at the rate of SIS a week. An astrologer, who sat be- hind a small desk, was only lord of what he could survey in space three feet by five, considered himself lucky to have a three-years' lease at s25 week.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-02
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
Getting Back to Normal

Everybody is talking conservatism ir business for the first half of 1911, but that does not mean that we are going to have anything like depression or dullness, said Wilbur D. Eekermann of Chicago
 Tt simply means, as the great finan- ciers tell us, that We have been. living toe high and that we must go slower and practice economy a bit. It means, in fact, that we must get back to normal conditions. I am in touch with the bus mess situation throughout the west and south and I feel that we are going to have a good year-good enough to satis- fy all reasonable people,.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-02
Tho Coal Trade

If the Birmingham district has as large coal trade this year as it did Tn 1910 there will be a good deal of prosperity no matter what be the degree of activity in other lines of industry said man prominent in industrial operation.
 "The year just closed was the best we have ever had in the coal business-not only the largest output, but about the best prices I recall. New territory mas opened to us and I think we will holu it. I would not be surprised to see Ala bamas 1911 production reach 16,ooO,ooV'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-02
THE PARsON KNEW

r tIIe
 The story is told of the Rev James Paterson of Philadelphia that he once said, in a circle of his brethren, that he thought ministers ought to be humble and poor, like their Master q have often prayed" said he. that l might be kept humble; I never prayed that might be poor-I could trust my church for that
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-02
WANTS TO SELL HIMSELF

From the Rochester Democrat and Chron-
 icle.
 A young man in New Orleans who has availed himself of free advertising space set aside for charitable purposes, under the heading For sale.' offers to sell
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-02
The Finnisl, Composer

''One of the most beautiful short pieces written for the piano that l have hearo recently is the Romance by sibelius' played by Mrs. Aldrich at the MUSIC Study clubs open meeting last Friday said a man of the musical set. "A sup tie. haunting melody runs through It. Starting quietly, with a suggestion or mystery and longing, 1t works up to a moving climax of high-tone color ana profound passion. It was played Wi'h poetic insight and fine emotion and was enjoyed perhaps as much as anything on the programme.
 "Jean Sibellus, the composer, is recog- n;zed as the head of the younger Fln- nish school He was born in 1865, was ed- ucated for law but loved music ana learned to play the violin. He studied counterpont with Albert Becker in Der lin and with Goldmark later. A well known writer of musical biography says of Siberlns: He has added new lustre to the musical fame of his country, has proven himself composer of real great become known to the world at large.
 'Sibelius has written symphonic poems of rare beauty, successful operatic works cantatas. violin concertos, and much chamber music. All the noter or chestral leaders of the United States have been partial to his compositions in the past three or four years"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-02

gressman Weeks of Massachusetts chair man of the republican national commit tee and manager of the campaign of 1912. He Is considered half insurgent and half standpatter He is a banker at home.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-02

Alexander wept because he had no more worlds to conquer when he should have hustled around and found few.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-02

The Pullman porters have organized a union and the public is face to face with a new peril.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-02

Although two sets of triplets and 57 sets of twins have been born in Texas this month yet that state has just imported
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-02

Gongs are to be added to automobile horns in New York city and the people are seeking homes in the suburbs.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-02

The unarmored cruiser Detroit, which cost s1, 900 has just been sold for $20.00O So run the fighting ships away.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-02

New York's biggest hotel to be erect ed next year. is to have 16OO sleeping rooms and 1000 baths. The clerk will wear diamond as big as walnut
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-02

One hundred and fifty men are working in three shifts to expose, not to raise, the Maine. It will stand fully exposed about April |
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-02

A republican has broken into the Texas legislature and the matter is to be in- vestigated.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-02

The typewriters are clicking away on your Happy New Years bills.