davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-08
SeaCharqed With Radi,1,71.

- HE wonderful effects on the human
 system caused by sea bathina have
 been known from time immemorial and it's curative and tonic effects have long been attributed to the salts that the ocean holds in solution However 1t has only been recently that analytical chemistry has been enahed to reveal the true secret of the salt water.
 long and careful series of experiments are claimed to show a strong trace of radium in certain sections of the ocean. Thorium, an element that also sends out invigorating emanations, is also present in certain waters of the ocean, and 1t Is now claimed that the bracing, nerye- strengthening effect of bathing in certnin sea waters is due very largely to the action of radium and thorium rays that play continually in the ocean.
 Now although the actual chemical com position of the ocean Is practically every where the same yet the rays given off by the radium In the seq water diher greatly in relative strength in various places This Is due to the fact that the presence of organic particles whether from tiny animals or from sea vegetation diminishes enormously in some sections the radium power of the ocean.
 1t is Interesting to learn, however, that the vast oceans of the earth. covering far mora space than the dry sections are alive with radium and that every gallon of sea water is sending out radium, waves that contain health and strength for the nations. The waters of the Medi- terranean contain the smallest proportion of radium of all the open waters of the
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-08

more, any strength for social duties which may be lacking in the mother owing to her illness finds full equivalent in the youthful enthusiasm of the daugh- ter, who has cut short her college career and come home to take upon her young shoulders a goody share of those social responsibilities from which no incumbent of the White House can wholly escape.
 During the campaign that resulted in the election of President Taft, so much was printed irf the newspapers depicting the only daughter of the family as an intellectual, not to say bookish, girl, that considerable portion of the reading pub lie was taken completely by surprise . few months ago, when it was announced that Miss, Taft would forsake Bryn Mawr College at the end of her sophomore year The chief reason for the Interruption of her college course was found, to be sure, in the i'll health of her mother and the latter's frequently expressed wish that her daughter-now grown to young wom- anhood and in every way qualified to be comfort and companion to her moth er-would return home and assume some of the social responsibilities that we'll nigh overwhelmed the Mistress of the White House.
 At the same time it is only fair to say that from the time the Taft family be-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-08

light refreshments. with the emphasis on the light but decidedly hearty hand. outs embracing such items as salad and hot biscuits. Hot biscuits, mind you. for LOO people at 10 or II o'clock at night No wonder the White House duties have necessitated a succession of three or four different cooks during the Taft tenure.
 Mrs. Taft has also revised to some ex- tent, this season, the plan under which the state parlors on the first floor of the White House are utilized for social func- tions. Heretofore, 1t has been traditional that on all occasions the receiving party should stand in the blue parlor to greet their guests as they passed in single file before them. This time hon. ored plan Is still adhered to for some of the formal functions but for the enter tainments that bear the impress of Mrs. Taft's individually, such as the balls and teas, the scheme has been amended so that the President, Mrs. and Miss Taft receive In the Green Room instead of in the Blue Room. This is a sensible re- vision since the Green Parlor directly joins the East Room where the dancing takes place and which at all White House functions is the great promenade for all those who desire to see and he seen and the rallying place for the folk who wish to meet old friends. Mean While the Blue Room has been i'll a sense converted into a music room, with Mrs Taft's new ivory and gold piano--that was designed and manufactured specially for her-and the big talking machine that gives the President taste of tue grand operas of which he is so fond
 The active management of the White House social functions is this season in particularly capable hands Mir. Charles D. Norton, the new secretary to the President has most distinctly made good" not only as the right-hand man of the Chief Magistrate, but also as gen. eral manager of the official social ful1c- tions at the mansion, the latter u sphere which is just as important in it's way as that of executive business and has far more pitfalls for the major domo. Il his role of "court chamberlain" for Uncle Sam the diplomatic MT. Norton has the . cooperation of Miss Mary C. Ietterman. who is the private secretary to Mrs. and Miss Taft and who performs such sponsible tasks as getting up the lists of persons to whom invitations are sent for the private entertainments at the White House. Miss Letterman was for years a clerk fin the State Department before being appointed to her present position and like MT. Norton. she has at her finger tips tb r,e of who's who iH social and offlcia Washington and the yet more ticklis.I intuition for deter mining who goes ahead of who in the social panorama. S
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-08

globe-a fact accounted. for undoubtedly by the narrow connection afforded by the Pillars of Hercules.
 AS to the interesting question of the origin md the source from which the ocean gathers it's radium rays-science teaches that the main factor is the ocean current. The chief quantity of radiuln rays are claimed to originate in the great ascending currents that lie near the Equator. Ss ffa~
 For 1t is along the Equator and along certain seashores swept by these currents that the sea water gives of the most powerful radium rays. The Indian Ocean is especially strong in radium, while all around the entire earth along the line of the Equator the radium emnnations are 300 times as strong as the average found in the entire atmosphere.
 But since the radium deposits that furnish the oceans supplies must be enormous, scientists who have investl- gated the matter deny that 1t Is the ocean itself that provides its radium rays. If 1t came from the ocean bottom, caIc,A- layer about e7s feet feet thick nli over the bottom of the ocean bed. This is an impossible supposition, so the explanation is offered that the ocean acquires its radium rays from tlie vast 1mntlty cnrried Into 1t from all the waters of the earth In other words. 1t is the de. posits carried into the ocean from the eating away of the continent that supply it's marvellous and until recently utterly unexpected radium powers.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-08

during her kindly and democratic regime.
 Latterly, as the wife of the secretary of war in the Roosevelt cabinet Mrs
 Taft had no end of opportunity to study the social life of the White House at close range and to decide what she would do differently If she were In au- thority at the spotless mansion. Sim ilary, as a member of Mrs. Roosevelt's
 social cabinet" she had opportunity to hear every question of White House so- cial policy discussed pro and con, from every standpoint at the weekly gather
 ings in Mrs. Roosevelt's private apart ments, when she discussed her social plans with the cabinet women just as her husband might invite the judgment of the members of his official household on official matters. That Mrs. Taft formed very emphatic opinions of her own on domestic ethics at the White House was attested by how quickly she made certain radical changes once she became first lady of the land-for in stance, her stationing of liyeried servants at the public entrance to give the sem bance of a private residence instead of the suggestion of a public building con veyed by the presence of the policemen who had previously been on guard there.
 Likewise, did Mrs. Taft take up her duties at the White House with thor
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-08
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ties this season, but has proven generally the most influential social factor in the seasons life at the capital. Every household of prominence in officialdom and dozens of wealthy families that make the seat of government their winter playground, have entertained or will en- certain the belle of the hour. Her en- gagement book shows that there is not day in an interval of several months when she Is not scheduled to be the guest of honor at anywhere from one to half dozen different functions, dinners, eotil- Ions, theater parties and every other imaginable form of merrymnking, and. if the season were twice as long, the added time could be easily filled with the invitations that the daughter of the White House has been compelled to de- cline.
 More significant, however, than this lavish entertaining for Miss Taft in pri- vate homes is the pronounced degree to which she has become the person of the hour within the social domain at the White House. number of entertain ments have been planned wholly in accord with her personal preferences, and she has from time to time entertained house parties'' of her college friends This eentering of the social lime light on the daughter of the household is rather a new experience at the White House. The presence of a debutante daughter in the Executive Mansion is not the novelty that it was up to the time of the Roose- welt administration, prior to which there had been no bud since the days of Nelly Grant, but, neither for Miss Ethel Roosevelt nor for her half sister, "Prin- cess Alice,"t was the whole scheme of existence at the presidential mansion made subseryient to the wishes of the debutante to the extent that it has been in the case of Miss Taft.
 Partly because of the presence of a Nebutante daughter this season has wit messed additions to the list of standard forms of entertaining in vogue at the White House. For one thing, the o'clock tea now has place among the hos pftalities, the women of the White House thus indorsing what has been from time out of mind the fayorite form of enter taining in private homes in Washington. Mrs. Taft continues her musicales, but these are not an innovation, because Mrs. Roosevelt gave similar entertainments, though she employed less expensive sing CTS and musicians
 Perhaps the most discussed of all Mrs. Taft's social innovations at the White House is the current practice of serving refreshments at not only the private en- tertainments attended by q comparative ly small number of guests, but also the big evening receptions when 1.200 or more persons are present. And what ls more the menus have not been merely
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-08
Picturesque Customs and Costumes.

Picturesque Customs and Costumes.
 Until this very day the trip into Mon- 'tenegro takes the adventurous traveller back into old world conditions. No rah- road has even yet connected the tiny capital of Cettinge with the progressive sections of humanity. The capital has some 4,0O0 inhabitants and is therefore nothing more than mountain village whose houses, aside from the new govern ment buildings, are evil smelling stone structures, usually one-story high, lack ing decent chimney and in civilized countries would attract unfavorable com ments if used as staples.
 During the recent celebrations in con- nection with the change of Montenegro from principality to kingdom, electric lights were first seen in Cettinge, where they had been installed in the recently built government buildings. The first hos pital in the kingdom Is being erected in Cettinge through the generosity of Queen Helena of Italy.
 But aside from these trifing innoya- tions, Montenegro has lost little of It's medieval nature. The quaint national customs persist everywhere and when company with his consort the worthy pair were attired in the same time-hon- ored and historic national Montenegrin costumes that they had worn fifty years before when they were welded.
 There Is not much difference between the Montenegrins and their neig4bors. the Bulgarians and the Serbs, except a strong difference of opinion as to politics ana
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-08

came tenants at the White House Miss Taft had about decided that she would cut short her school course in order to enjoy a taste of life at the pivot of offcialdom. Not the most hardened high brow'' could be expected to remain wholly insensible to such a1lurments and Miss Taft isn't that by any means. On the contrary, she has herself confessed that she is about as fond of q good time as any girl can well be. Accordingly, when, after preparatory courses at the Cathedral School, near Washington, and the Baldwin School, she entered Bryn Mawr, she had the forethought to map out special course of study that she could complete in two years. And, incl dentally, it may be remarked that with her booklearning backed up by travels around the world and a summer of study in England, Miss Taft is better educated than many a young woman who has had not only full college course but post graduate courses galore.
 So, Miss Taft came home from college to make her debut in the historic mansion a few weeks ago and to have the whole social program of the White House for the present season arranged with special reference to the. interests of the debu- tante. What is more. Miss Taft has not merely dominated White House hospitali-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-08

herd Is of the simplest sort, It is sur yival in Europe of that ancient pastoral and patriarchal regime that died out many centuries ago in all civilized coun- tries. Whether he is called prince or king, Nicholas of Montenegro is, above all, the father of his tiny race, and all nations agree that this old ruler has done, much for his country and has deserved the almost idolatrous fondness, with which his subjects regard him.
 The whole existence of the Montene- grins, their methods of living, their love of war and dislike of commerce, their in tense hospitality, yet deadly feuds, all resemble the picturesque life of the old Scottish Highlanders, whose manners and customs are familiar to all from the Waverly novels of Sir Walter Scott The main wealth of the Montenegrins is in their vast herds of goats and sheep, and every Montenegrln woman weaves the cloth for her family on a great old-fash- toned weaving machine that stands in every cottage living-room.
 In the rural sections every male over the age of 12 carries a rife,. two pistols and the long twO-edged dagger that Is everywhere seen in the Balkan mountain ranges. They are splendid shots and think more of their guns and daggers than of any other possessions. s
 Montenegrin Army
 This tiny kingdom boasts coinpara- lively powerful army. for the simple req son that every Montenegrin Is soldier and good soldier Az result King 4f
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-08

oughly formulated social plans. She set about carrying out the prearranged pro gram with the energy for which she had always been noted, when all of a sudden i'll health put a temporary veto upon all her projects. The nervous breakdown which Mrs. Taft suffered a few months after entering the White House was prolonged In it's effects, as such a col lapse is almost certain to be, and seri- ously interrupted the whole social order of things at the Presidents house. For about a year and q half Mrs. Taft was able to give little thought and no per sonal supervision to the formal hospi- talities in her home, and newspaper readers will recall that last winter one or another of Mrs. Taft's sisters 1one of her near relatives was with her con stantly) acted as hostess at each of the state dinners and receptions which time honored custom prescribe must be given at the Executive Mansion each season.
 However, this season, happily, the cloud has been in great measure lifted from the home life of the White House family and therein lies the promise and already partial realization-of a gay season at the White House. Mrs. Taft is sufficiently restored iu health to take much more active part as the titular head of the social procession. Further
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-08

Nicholas can put in the field, or, rather. behind his mountain tops, some 50,0O0 of the most dangerous sharpshooters in the world. sThe men know little of drill and could not be expected to stand before American or German soldiers In an open country
 History has repeatedly proven by bloody battles that not even 100000 Turks-nat- urally' warlike and braye-can force a passage through the rocky defles that lead up into the Montenegrin country. The country has never been occupied by foreigners but once. and that time an enormous Turkish army got into the coun- try after first capturing the Montenegrin prince and his principal generals by treachery during conference. '
 For 20 years the Turks held Montenegro, and then one night the natives rose in unison and massacred every Turk they could locate The few who escaped car ried the tale of blood back to the Sultan, who sent vast army, which the Mon- tenegrins cut to pieces in rocky deiie of their mountains That was a century ngo, and since that date no nation has ever thought 1t worth while to attempt the conquest of this barren territory so desperately defended by the warlike sons of the soil.
 s9s Mall Coaches Still Run. -s
 The traveller in Montenegro feels him. self carried back 75. years in the history of progress, for the mail coaches run every day between the capital and the only hafRor or Montenegro Dulciguo. q
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-08

religion. All these nations wear bright colors, red, green and yellow laid on in broad stripes form prominent features of the popular garb of Montenegro.
 The national costume consists first of all of richly embroidered vest, made up of violent color contrasts It is probably because the Montenegrins are so proud of these rich vests that the national cos tune does not include any sort of coat they want the vest to show and certainly 1t can be seen long distance. shawl of many colors thrown well on cue shoulder is carefully arranged so ns not to obscure the glorious coloring of the fancy vest.
 Silk stockings and silk knee brooches complete the costume in the case of Nicholas was crowned he also wore the cross of the Order of St. Anne. It is perhaps needless to explain that this cos tune is varied greatly by the poor noun taineers. who certainly never wear stock ings of any kind. With the poor people the materials of their national costume is made up of cloth woven by hand from the rough wool sheared off the mountain sheep of their own rocky pastures. But 10 matter how poor Montenegrin may be, he always wears the vest and tho knee brooches. which make up for pow erty of material by the yfyidness Of the colors displayed.
 Pastoral and Patrinrchal.
 The life of Montenegro from the royal family down to that Of the poorest sbep--
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-08
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- ETWEEN the Austrians and the
 A Turks, tucked away between the
 last of the European and the be-
 ginnings of the Asiastic races is
 Montenegro, newest and smallest of all kingdoms. It's able ruler after reigning 50 years as Prince Nicholas, on the 2Sth of August last in his diminutive , capital of Cettinge assumed a royal crown and received the felicitations of foreign nations as King Nicholas I. of the Kingdom of Montenegro.
 Nor is there a more picturesque spot on earth than this same little mountain principality now called Kingdom. Hedged in between the historic Tara Mountains and the Adriatic Sea, Monte negro is merely a series of desolate, rock -strewed mountain peaks enclosing tiny plateau cut into three divisions by smaller mountains.
 It's very name of Montenegro or Black Mountain reveals the fact that the worlds newest kingdom is not either of wide extent or of very fertile character. The entire population living under King Nicholas is some 250.000 souls, rather small sized town in the United States. Yet in the peculiar environment that has been given by nature to Montenegro,
  make up a distinct race, speak recog- nized language and support all the high est claims to a national existence.
 One of the daughters of King Nicholas. born and bred in the big, old farmhouse that answers for the royal palace in Cettinge, is now Queen Helene of Itaily, very tall, very athletic, very handsome; aa true daughter of the black mountain country that gave her birth and a decided
 ...x f-tt ttA1 but |, diminutive individual, her husband, King Victor Emmanuel.
 Politically Important. [ Today as always, the geographical sit uation of Montenegro gives the little Kingdom its importance in a political sense and It's power to maintain an in dependence which for centuries has been yearly threatened by armies that at tackled it both from the Austrian and the Turkish side Montenegro is the only break in the military chain that connects Germany, Austro- Hungary and Turkey.
 Consequently. King Nicholas has the |. .warmest sympathy from the diplomatic headquarters of England, Russia, Italy and France Nor is this a new situation; for as far back as the time of Peter the Great. the renowned Czar of Russia, Montenegro was counted on to repulse the Turks. letter sent by Peter the Great to the Montenegrins informed them that this great monarch depended above all on the valiant Montenegrins" to help hold back the Turks.
 The primitive history of Montenegro dates back to the destruction of the east ern half of the old Roman empire and was for centuries the same as that of old Servia. When the Turks swept into Europe, old Servia fell under the yictori- Dus march of the Moslem armies. Only on the rock-surrounded plateau of the black mountains did the bold, peasantry beat of the Turkish soldiers and suf- rounded by infidels kept aloft the banner of Christendom. Thus was begun the state of Montenegro in 1480-12 yeArs h. fore Columbus added another half fs tic known world
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-08

port on the Adriatic Sea, of some 5000 inhabitants. The arrival and departure of the mail is the big event of the day. Two and three coaches make the trip together, depending on the number of travellers, and it takes two horses on the trip down from Cettinge and six up.
 There are plans already made by King Nicholas for railway from the Adriatic to Cettinge, and as Montenegro has not made sufficient progress as modern state to have accumulated big national debt there is no doubt but that the funds will be easily procured. Once the railway has forced it's way past the hitherto difficult defles of the Montene- grin Mountains, the smallest kingdom in Europe will undoubtedly quickly lose its present picturesque and old-fashioned methods of dress and living.
 The personality of the King is a fasci- mating one. His own long life joins the history of his country from ancient to
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-08

modern times. When he became Prince of Montenegro. France was an empire and the Civil War had not begun in the United States. His state of Montenegro Was, threatened on every side, and had no friend but the lukewarm friendship of Russia
 A few weeks after he bechme prince, Nicholas of Montenegro married his own cousin Milenn, the pretty daughter of Montenegrn mountain chief named Vuko- tick, all of whose worldly goods would not have brought $10,000 in the open market.
 The daughter of tllis mountain maiden sits now on the throne of Italy, and her grandson is expected to wear the crown of that same Kingdom, and Nicholas himself has changed from being an isolated, lit tle-known mountain chief into q king. whose unfinished reign has already spread over more than half century of modern history.