davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-13
Germany'S Export Duty On Potash

For internal reasons the German gov ernment has laid an export tax on potash sold by certain independent potash mine owners that had entered into contract with American fertilizer companies, and American farmers are now compelled to pay ss7 ton for kanit or potash fer tilizer.
 AAgainst this injustice the south is ap-
 ealing to the President to exercise his bowers under the maximum -and-mini- mum clause of the Aldrich tariff. The President hesitates to do this because 1t would bring on trade war with Ger many, county that buys here cotton, grain and meats in large quantities.
 Germany holds monopoly of potash and while it's potash tax stands American farmers will have to pay high prices for fertilizers. The increased tax in the cot ton belt will go to high figures, and
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-13
Rivalry Retxxeen Cities

My recollection does not go back far enough to remember when New York was not regarded as the chief city in this country, although the time was when, as MT. Nelson points out, Philadelphia was contendng for the primacy among Amer ican municipalities, said a citizen. q do recall the rivalry between St. Louis and Chicago, however, at the close of the civil war. Those two cities were sup posed to have about the same population between 100000 and 2250O0. And it was a question which city had the brighter future. The public had an idea that Chicago was going to outstrip St. Louis, and thousands of people flocked to the Windy City In 1870 the feat had been accomplished. Chicago had outstripped the other city. The census bureau gave 1t population of ,977. St. Louis had only about 250,0O0. The very fact that prophecy was in favor of the lake met ropolis had a great deal to do with the realization of it's bigness. And it will
 be that way regarding Birmingham and Atlanta. The Georgia city made a little better showing in the last census than Birmingham, but thousands of young men have got it into their heads that Birmingham is the coming city of the south, and many are settling here in or der to grow up with the city. Atlanta will continue to grow, but it will be do- ing well to have 2oO,0Oo inhabitants in 1920
 Birmingham will have from 250,oO0 to 350,- 900 10 years hence."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-13
CHECK TO pEoNAGE IN THE soUTl


 From the Chicago Record Herald.
 A newer and fairer day seems to prom rse for the industrial south and for the humble units by whom most of its work is done. The supreme courts decision against the Alabama peonage law is fol- lowed immediately by President Taft's refusal to commute the sentence of an industrial magnate whose company did business in Alabama and Florida and who was indicted and convicted on a charge of conspiracy to violate the anti peonage statute of the latter state.
 The Alabama law was explained as an attempt to meet the endorsements oc- casioned by the instability of negro labor On it's face this law made it a misdemeanor to take advance pay for labor and then fail to work it out Prac- tically 1t meant that if workman con- tracted to labor and then found the con- ditons insupportable he could be re- duced to servitude by the indirect method of treating his failure to pay a debt as a crime. Under this law even domestic servants have frequently been SSHl tO tie cUdlil-SduS. II HOuSenOlQ e11- ployes could be so treated, think of the plight of laborers in improvised con- struction camps.
 The decision If the supreme court will be welcomed by humane and right minded people everywhere, and it will put new heart into the colored popula- ton of the south. This confidence will he strenothened bv the action of tba President in the case of the lumber and turpentine operator in Florida. It is not only likely that bad labor legislation in the south will be checked, but 1t be- comes less likely that offenders against the plain laws of humanity shall escape unDuniShpd
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-13
Benjamin Baker in the American Rev

Benjamin Baker in the American Review
 of Reviews for January.
 What scientific management means IS admirably illustrated by the story of bricklaying, so well given In MT. Gil- breth's testimony Ordinarily a brick mason makes IS different sets of motions in laying single brick. He bends over, in the first place, to pick up one brick, and in lifting it he lifts ten pounds of brick and about 100 pounds of brick mason-the upper part of his own body. In laying 1000 bricks, in days work, he lifts 100000 pounds of brickmason. This was an obvious waste of labor. So a common laborer was hired to put the bricks where the masons would not have to stoop for them.
 Another thing is that when mason picks up, a handmade brick, which is al- ways little thicker on one side than on the other, he losses the brick up, turn ing it over until his touch tells him which side is the top, before he puts 1t in place in the wall. The cure for this was to have all the bricks piled top up before they were brought to the masons. Then, further. everyone has seen the mason tap his brick several times to settle it into the mortar. More waste of time. The cure was to make the mortar thinner, so that the weight of the brick would settle it into the right position. This was scien- tific anagement-"motion study" It raised the days work for the average brickmason from 1000 to 270O bricks a day, and in individual cases to much higher figures. The mason made only six mo- tions where he used to make IS.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-13
IRKUTSK A WICKED CITY

From the New York World.
 George Woodruff, an American banker, who recently went to China to investigate the railroads there In connection with 8 new loan, spent two weeks in Irkutsk last October. As he had letters to the mayor he had an excellent opportunity to see life in that Paris of the wilderness. Mr. Woodruff is globe-trotter of renown He is familiar with Paris, London, Buda- pest, Vienna, New York and other capi- tals, but he declares that for genuine wickedness they are out-classed by IT, kutsk.
 "Irkutsk is not only the wickedest but
 it is the fastest city in the world" said MT. Woodruff soon after his return to New York. There is more night life in that little town of 100000 people than there is in all Paris or New York. In one of the gambling houses there I saw as much as s1Oo,OOO staked on the turn of card a dozen times in an evening. In the cafes I saw gay parties drinking bot tie after bottle of wine at $20 per bottle. In all my travels I have never seen so many beautiful and well dressed women and women of all nationalities
 "The opera there is almost as brilliant as the opera in Paris. Duels, suicides, murders, are of weekly occurrences, but a formal reception at St. Petersburg could not boast of any more culture than is to be found at a smart entertainment in one of the fashionable homes in this Si- berian city. If anyone imagines New York is swift, visit to Irkutsk will open his eyes. The quintessence of vice Is to be found there."
 Irkutsk Is the capital of eastern Si- beria. It has wide streets, lined with fine buildings.
 Irkutsk has among its citizens more millionaires than any city of its size in the world, and they have to spend their money in the city. for the reason tha. they are not allowed to leave the prov ince. Most of them, especially the rich ones, are convicts or the descendants of convicts who have amassed fortunes in gold mining. The Baikal mountains. near
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-13
ADRIFT WITH THE TIMES

Jackson is the only town on the map where they have to veil the bridegroom instead of the bride. Of course this is done in self-defense. One good square look at the average Jackson young man is enough to convince any one of the necessity of such a method of procedure. Then again somebody told us that Abra ham Lincoln received 19 votes in Jack son last year in the state election As to Jackson being a better town than Pine Hill we would simply say that Jackson has the cake. There are more tadpoIes in Jackson to the square foot than any town in the state, and the Pine Hill blade lost it's "devir' who has taken up his abode in the Slumbering City on the River.-Pine Hill Blade.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-13
Source of the Poison a Mystery

After taking all the testimony that de- tectives had rendered obtainable the cor oners jury held over the remains of Guy R. Coleman and Stephen H. Strickland were forced to report that the deceased came to their deaths "by being poisoned from drinking whisky containing strych- nine, the source of which the jury is unable to determine from the evidence"
 This probably is the final conclusion over two remarkable deaths. No one be- lieyes that the two men committed sui eide. All believe they were the victims of a plot. But the nature of that plot is not, 1t appears, to be disclosed. Every possible clue seems to have been traced. More shrewd detective work was applied to this case than to almost any other case that ever arose in this district, and yet at the end competent jury is forced to declare that 1t has no evidence in- culpating anyone.
 A similar mystery has arisen in dis trict near Washington, where young man and young woman about to be married were found dead, and it is im- possible to explain the tragedy. So it is here. Now and then cases occur that cannot be fathomed, and the untimely deaths of Guy Coleman and Stephen Strickland will undoubtedly remain mys- teries, although ths detectives continue
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-13
AN EASY CLIMB
pm the Superior Telegram.

From the Superior Telegram.
 Miss Annie S. Peck, the distinguished scholar and mountain climber, described in one of her addresses in Boston on mountaineering the strange effect that some mountains have on some men. , 'In 8 word," she said, "it is an effect of mendacity. Thus in a Boston club one mountaineer said to another:
 So Smith. fat Smith, actually climbed Mont Blanc?'
 " Smith? Not hep the other mountain eer replied.
 "But he said he did
 True; but in September, on his re- turn from Chamonix. he only said he'd been to the foot of Mont Blanc. Since that he's gradually lied himself sll the way ur to the top.'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-13
TOO cnMpI.AcENT.

TOO COMPLACENT. He simply wouldn't worry, But also wouldn't hurry. Nor took part in the hustle When others gan to hustle. Just sat around still dreaming, His brain with fancies teeming, Till Fortune passed right by him And vowed she'd never try him. Although, in sooth, 'tis needful To stay serene, the speedful Progressive sort of fellow Yet kindly-souled and mellow, Is one who'll cop the prize out And bulge old Envys eyes out.
 - VERY MUCH THAT WAY. ."So Scribbes has settled in a Kansas town?"
 "Yes"
 "Did he find a literary atmosphere out there?"
 "Oh, yes. He hadn't been in town a week before a cyclone swooped down on the Carnegie library and filled the air with flying books'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-13
EXECUTION OF PRIVATE HENRY
From the January American Magazine.

From the January American Magazine.
 A PAGE of unwritten history is
 "A supplied in the story of the he- 4 \ roic struggle made by Greedy and his men against starvation at Cape Sabine, supplying new facts and infor- nation not heretofore made public, di- rect from the survivors, five of whom are still alive, concerning the much-dis- cussed shooting of Private Henry by Lieutenant Greedy for theft and insubor- dination. In the official report of the Lady Franklin bay expedition, it Is sim ply announced that Shots were heard about o'clock, and later the order was read to the general party" The manner in which the order was executed here appears in print for the first time.
 Sergeants Brainard, Long and Fred manner of death by two ball and one blank cartridge. Greedy had failed to take into consideration that, at this time, the party had left only one serviceable rifle.
 The three sergeants drew lots to see who would do the shooting. When they had done so, they bound themselves with an oath that the identity of the man thus chosen never should be revealed.
 Henry was at the tent on Cemetery ridge with all the other men when the time for putting him to death came. What was to take place of course was known only to the three sergeants and the dom- mander. Two of the sergeants remained in the vicinity of the old hut, while the third went up to the tent to bring Henry down.
 The man who went for Henry told him that he was wanted at the old camp to help carry up some more of the supplies that had been left there. Suspecting nothing, Henry readily accompanied the sergeant to the place chosen for putting him to death.
 Now, Greedy had repeatedly cautioned the three sergeants to take no chances on Henry's getting away; for, although none at Cape Sabine knew the mans
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-13
Landscape Architects Work

said George H. Miller of Boston, the landscape architect who desigfrr1 the city beautiful scheme for the model residence tovtl, but people who see it five years from now will be even more enthusiastic.
 Corey Is ahead of anything in this country in the way of city building. I am giving especial attention to the planting of trees and shrubs; and in time Corey instead of looking the worse for wear, like most industrial places, will be, with it's trees and flow CTS, all the more beautiful"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-13
WHAT'S THE USE?

There was a man in our town Whose head was rather bald, The source of undiminished mirth Most everywhere he called. He tried nine hundred recipes, But every one in vain; Next June the flies will use his scalp For a skating rink again.
 Birmingham Age-Herald. Why not do like the other man Who was so wondrous wise That he discovered just the plan To bring back both his eyes. If brushing pulled out all his hair, With all his might and main He then should get another brush And brush it in again.
 Youngstown Telegram.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-13

1rkutsk, are filled with rich veins of gold, and it Is no exaggeration to say that thousands of men in this comparatively small town in the heart of Siberia have become rich beyond the dreams of ava rice. The flood of gold has naturally att tracted al 1.-the luxuries of the world, and, as usual, the luxuries have brought vices. There is nothing secret about any of the vice. Every type of beauty Is to be found-beautiful geisha girls in native costume wing with Viennese and Paris ian women in the latest creations. All the gambling houses are wide open, the more important conducted under police protection. The cafes never clos6, and it is between the hours of midnight and in the morning that they are at their liveli- est. Every one drinks; most of the Rus sian women smoke cigars. leaving their Parisian sister to enjoy the cigarette.
 Tragedies, as might be expected, are frequent. and suicides are so numerous that scarcely any attention is paid to them except by the immediate friends or relatives. ts
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-13
SENATOR SMITH NEVER FORGETS Ernn1 the WaShingtnn Herald

Y
 It has been said of Senator William Alden Smith of Michigan that he never rorgets his friends or anybody else. He was visiting in Michigan City and was taken down line of 300 persons to be introduced He looked them all in the eyes and every one of them was tab- ulated and card-indexed in his brain. One of the strangers was George Loring, g Civil war veteran.
 How are you, MT. Loring2" asked Senator Smith.
 Poorly; got some rheumatism" was the quick answer, as Smith proceeded down the line.
 Four years later, when Smith was making the fight for the senatorship, he was at Lansing, and Lorng went to see the fun. As he came out of the hotel Alden came in. He glanced around caught the eye of the veteran, and went up to shake hands with him without hesitation.
 How are your, Loring?" he said, cor dially. "The day we last met you were complaining of rheumatism"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-13

to say they will yet be able to arrest the guilty person. In all probability the deaths of Coleman and Strickland will remain as inscrutable as they were when the coroner's jury brought in its final
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-13

. The faculty of the University of Mis- souri means business. The young ladies in the economies class, for example, are required to take lessons at the washtub. This is putting college athletics on a practical basis
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-13
t, OH. THESE EDITORS!

OH. THESE EDITORS!
 Ths Sleepy, Slumbering South Alabam- ian woke up last week long enough to remark Gee. But somebody must have put the Pine Hill Blade wise to Jack son, for it has ceased calling Pine Hill the best town on the Southern railroad between Selma and Mobile" The South Alabamian is right in one respect. We've been put wise as to Jackson all right.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-13
REFLECTIoNs OF A BACHELOR

From the New York Press.
 A fond heart is a foolish heart.
 Bald heads act as if maybe it wasn't so after all.
 The more you can laugh at a man for his fads the more you wouldn't if they were yours.
 Most men are so anxious to make name it makes no difference to them whether it's good one or bad one.
 A woman takes the greatest pride in how she is so free of jealousy that every body is mean enough to say she has it.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-13

One railroad in the far west proposes to issue an order forbidding holders of passes to occupy seats in crowded trains. The deadhead has no rights that anyone is bound to respect.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-13
HOPELESS CA SEE

HOPELESS CASE. "Is he has-been?' Worse than that.' "A never-was?" Even worse" q know. He's a never-will-be." THE POETIC ATTITUDE. The bards of spring , Will warble soon, Of birds awing
 And golden June. Tho po'try mill
 But poorly pays, We'll have our fill
 Of roundelays, And sonnets, too,
 And triolets, When rhymsters woo Their Juliets And flood the world With needless sighs Bout rose leaves curled Where Cupid lies.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-13
HOW TO BE HAPPY THOUGH MAR
 REED

By Thomas Campiop, 1917. Never love unless you can
 Bear with all the faults of man; Men sometimes will jealous be, Though but little cause they see;s And hang the head, as discomfort. And speak what straight they will repent Men that but one saint adore. Make show of love to more; Beauty must be scorned in none, Though but truly served in one: For what is courtship. but disguise? True hearts may have dissembling eyes, Men, when their affairs require, Must a while themselves retire, Sometimes hunt, and sometimes hawk, And not ever sit and talk.
 If these and such like you can bear, Then like, and love, and never fear!
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-13

Chief Steward of Chicago is convinced a school should be established to teach women how to alight from a street car. He is an optimist
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-13

A Harmon boom may be sprung at the Baltimore banquet of January IT, A ban quet that cannot spring a boom would be a tame affair.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-13

The Erie railroad has given it's oldest locomotive engineer the engine he runs. It is difficult to see how he can turn it into cold cash
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-13

A skyscraper block away from J. P. Morgan's house is distressing him no lit tie. He does not want business going on so close at home
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-13
About Persons

Charles P. Pratt, solicitor of St. Clair county, was in Birmingham yesterday
 F. D. Miller of the Illinois Central left yesterday for Florida on an inspec- tion trip.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-13
GUESS AGAIN

From the Washington Post
 Birmingham, Ala, has just discharged one-third of her ponce force. Evidently sne wants the rest of the world to be- lieve that her morals are on straight.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-13

The afternoons are b minutes longer, but the mornings are no better than they were last month.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-13

Adams county, Ohio, is better than other corrupt districts that have maoe no effort to reform.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-13

Berths in sleeping cars in Sweden, both lower and upper, are CT cents apiece. We may get there after a while.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-13

The uplifting influence of the muck ralIing magazines has not, 1t appears, been widely and generally felt in Adams county, Ohio.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-13

The standpatters among aviators are all dead, and the living are all reformers who will study to be cautious instead of daring.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-13

Aviators will hereafter try to live as long as gladiators at any rate.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-13

past history as we presently shall know it. enough of the mans black soul had been revealed to make his comrades feel that no crime could be put past him.
 So, Brainard Long and Frederick eau toned by their commander and warned by their own knowledge of the man with whom they had to deal, had decided that Henry should be made to stoop to pick up something, and that then he should be shot from behind. At least one of the sergeants had no more com punctiori. g bout killing him than he would have had about killing mad dog.
 But one of the other two men weak ened at the last moment. To shoot a man in cold blood from behind, to send him into eternity with no opportunity to compose his soul, was too terrible a thing for him to stand. It was a mis- take that nearly proved disastrous.
 Henry was told, face to face, that he was to be put to death in accordance with the order of the commander and he was advised to kneel and make his peace with God. At the same time the execu- tioner appeared with his rifle at conven- tent distance before the doomed mans eyes.
 Henry stood agape He muttered something about something not being right. Near where the third sergeant stood an ax lay on the ground Henry's gaze. searching the ground, encountered the ax. He sprang for it. A warning cry was raised. The sergeant who stood near the ax jumped and got his foot on it, almost as Henry was upon him. There was a cry of "Quick" Even then there was danger of the executioneer shooting his fellow sergeant, if his aim was the least unsteady
 But. despite all he had been through, the aim of the executioner was true The rifle cracked and the bullet sped, pen etrating the breast of the man for whom 1t was intended when it was nodded Henry whirled, crying: "You have tricked me! You have tricked mev' Again the rifle cracked. The second bullet went through Henry's head and he fell dead
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-13

AS soon as MT. Carnegie's s10, GOO fund has abolished war it should next be used to abolish political whitewash.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-13

Ex-Senator Jim Smith has a press agent who aims to give Woodrow Wilson as good as he sends.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-13

The occupants of upper berths think the tip to the porter should be graduated also.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-13

The voters in Adams county, Ohio, sim ply considered voting the business of every citizen.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-13

Senator Lorimer can make it unanimous for everybody else wishes him to re- sign.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-13

Uncle Joe Cannon has given notice that no more s2,Ooo0OO legacies from Bombay will be received.