davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-23
After Thirty Years

Comparatively few of the men I knew when l first came to Birmingham are living now" said Ben M. Jacobs, "ho' although not an old man, settled Tn this city in 1880 when the census population was just little above 3OOO Tn looking over company of 45 or 50 assembled at luncheon given in ! compliment to pr. Allen and Dr. Burks remarked that MT. VanHoose was the only gentleman present who was living in Birmingham when I came.- It was T thoroughly representative party, prom inent citizens from various walks; and life heinz seated at the table; and some of them were what might be termed old citizens, but with the single exception named these gentlemen set tied here after I did.
 '1 am not given to reminiscent talk. but some times l like to recall the early days. l started here in the mems furnishing business in a store on First avenue. My two brothers who are with me in the furniture business on Third avenue came later. My father was very enthusiastic about Birmingham's flu. | ture, and wanted to settled here but ] discussed the matter with him and told him that Birmingham was a young mans town, and that while it would | be great city some day, he had better at his age remain in the community where his old friends were I remem- Der my father predicting that Bir- mingham would be not only the Pitts burg of the south, but some day a | Irr,n
 dissented from that roseate forecast and said that while the Birmingham district would cut a figure in the iron market this city could not be expected to grow very large because it was an inland town that Pittsburg being on the river would always have an ad- vantage My father said
 Wait and see. Birmingham has the raw material upon which to base untold greatness. It is not on a river but some day it will be on a canal
 My father was a good deal of a prophet, for he outlined the scheme that MT. VanHoose has been urging for many years, and with which the peo- pie of Birmingham are familiar He said nothing should seem impossible after the successful operation of the Atlantic cable.< There are, he said, men living now Chat was in 1SS0) who will see passenger balloons and many other marvellous things that arc practically unthought of now
 My father has been dead several years. but he lived long enough to seq his predictions about Birmingham full filled in large measure. When I first came here I never dreamed that I would live to witness Birmingham with population of 150,0O0, but we have got to the point where feel that f I am allowed to live out .the Psalmist's three score and ten I will
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-23
The HiIlman Hospital

The people of our county and city can.ot afford to turn down the request on the part of the board of control of the Hillman hospital for an appropri- ation with which to make the neces- said a prominent citizen. No man who has even the least sense of humane ness can deny the great need of larger infirmary for poor people when he, un- derstands that an average of at least l. persons a day are refused admis- sion to the Hilman hospital because of the distressing limitations of the place.
 The first distin gushing trait of hu- man nature as compared with the low CT animal nature Is the care of the weak, and charity houses which unuer- took the care of invalids were among the first institutions of the present civ ilization. Our city cannot boast the maintenance of a charity hospital and on good authority it has been said that 1t is the only city of its size in the country which does not support an ih- stitution of this kind.
 The people of Birmingham are to be censured no more for the lack of an infirmary for the poor than for the lack of many other great necessities which have been neglected or over looked in the rapid growth of the com- munity. It is by no means a condi- tion which is unlikely under the cir cumstances. Still the city has grown far beyond the proportions where such conditions are tolerable, and people should be awake to their responsibil- ltles In a matter which means the preservation of human life"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-23
President Taft Indicted

The reciprocity agreement is be- fore the Senate committee on finance. This committee represents the special interests, and Senator Hale of Maine unwittingly opposed the entire agree ment because the President, in mak- ing it, had not consulted special in terests, preferring instead to act for the greatest good to the greatest num- Der. Mr. Hale's specific charge was that President Taft, Secretary of State Knox and the American com missioners "had failed to consult any of the interests affected before the agreement had been negotiated"
 This explains the extraordinary popularity of reciprocity. The Pres ident consulted his sense of right and the consumers of this country, let ting the special interests severely alone. The latter were indeed shocked by the reciprocity agreement. It was negotiated without their consent or even knowledge. This was violation of all custom and precedent since the war, and Senator Hale, who stands for special interests on all occasions, had the hardihood to denounce the agreement because the consumers were consulted rather than special in- terests.
 The special interests are securing an inning in the committee on fi- nance, but it will do them no good. It may lead to an extra session, and an extra session would usher in a new committee on finance, and the agree ment would speedily be ratified. Senator Hale's swan song is really the swan song of dying dynasty that has ruled this country almost without pause since the days of the Civil war.
 President Taft stands charged with consulting 90,000,000 of people in this country when in fact he should, says Senator Hale, have consulted the fish, ermen of Gloucester, Mass.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-23
AT MONTE CARLO

From the Chicago Record Herald. x Is the season languishing at Monte Carlo? Circumstantial tales of enormous gains, spread broadcast. would seem to indicate that things along the Cote d'Azur'' need a fillip. Englishmen and Americans, so we read. are daily piling up sums varying anywhere from $5O0O to S1 ,Oco.OOO. As yet nobody seems to have broken the. bank" That galvanizing stroke is commonly held back as a last resort ss,t It is pleasant to note that Charles M. Schwab, our eminent multimillionaire. has helped along the good cause by giaciously winning some $10,OO0. In rather discredit- able contrast to this freehanded play was the course of A. J. Balfour. an English statesman. This fa!nt-hearted individual chanced a napoleon-four dollars-won twice that amount and stopped. s .ss
 Mir. Balfours prominence at home doubtless makes him worth an anecdote. At least. he can be made to illustrate
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-23
WHY HOGS ARE THINNER

From the Washington Post.
 The American hog is the exception to the rule that the fatness of meat animals is the yardstick of flavor and quality. And it happened that about the time the consumer made up his mind on this point the stock raiser found that 1t was more profitable to get three good-sized porkers ready for market than two inordinately fat ones
 That this is a matter of common knowl- edge among Secretary Wilson's constitu- ents probably accounts for his failure to explain why the average hog of genera tion ago weighed one-fourth more than the breed of today. In earlier history of the corn belt the keenest rivalry ex- isted in every community for the honor of carrying off the blue ribbon at the county fair for weight in the live hog class. The prize winners were sent to state and interstate fairs to compete for higher honors, and the most absorbing topic in the agricultural press was breed ing and feeding for weight.
 Iowa won and beld the championship of the corn belt. But as the hog waxed fatter the market price went down. Too much lard in proportion to the meat proved sigma that put an end to the craze. Virginia razorback commanded three times as much as the overfed west ern variety which had lost both firmness of texture and fineness of flavor in the making.
 Lard is cheaper than pork, and after reaching normal weight the hog takes on additional pounds only at an increased ratio of consumption of corn so there Is a double reason for the movement toward razorback proportions. The higher value per pound of the meatier animal more than compensates for the loss in bulk, Wherefore Secretary Wilson. in setting forth the unembellished figures sees lit to leave something to the general read- CTS imagination.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-23
THE WOMEN OF CHINA

From Scraps.
 It is usual to dismiss the considera- tion of woman in China by saying she is unwelcomed at birth, unnoticed in youth, unoved in maturity. uncared for In old age. unwept at death and unremembered afterward. Much of this picture is over drawn and recent writers sketch very different one. The dress of woman in China used to be described as monstros- ity-uncouth, awkward and uncomfort- able It is now reported upon further in- spection to be not only more natural and comfortable than the dress of our women, but what is more significant to be more modest. Every Chinese woman is a wife, There are no exceptions. She may be blind. She may be deformed or helpless invalid, but she is sure to be married sooner or Aater to somebody who never saw her before. The genius of the race has so arranged matters that when the groom does see his bride they are no longer twain, but have become already one fiesh It is now declared that the law in China pays no attention to a woman, do what she may. Unless it be for the gravest crimes, such as murder and treason, it is impossible to get Chi nese official to touch woman offender And every Chinese woman knows this fact She may plant herself in a rage at the front door of the shopkeeper who has cheated her. she may shriell, stamp her feet and tear up everything in sight mak- ing the air lurd with billingsgate. but the law takes no knowledge of it and there is nothing that men so dread My old mother, 80 years old, is unwilling, and of course I can do nothing" is said to be a valid reason in China for breaking any bargain. Does this look like she amounted to nothing there?
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-23
A QUEEN ON DISPLAY

From the Countess Potocka's Memoirs.
 Leaving the Emperor's study we passed into the Empress waiting room, where a number of people were already assem- bled. Marie Louise was quitting her apartments, followed by numerous and dazzling train. The taste with which she was dressed had made her little less ugly, but the expression of her face remained the same. Not an affable smile not an inquiring look lit up that wooden face. She went around the circle of her visitors, moving from one to the other like those machine dolls that go when they are wound up, showing off their stiff slender figures, and their large, pale blue, porcelain eyes, staring and fixed.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-23
HAVOC WROUGHT BY MATCHES
From the Louisville Courier Journal

From the Louisville Courier Journal.
 NvER 20 per cent of the fire losses
 annually in the United States are
 caused by matches. Add to the property loss the loss of life in these fires and the ravages of the shocking disease, necrosis-commonly known as ''phossy jaw'-incident to the manufacture of the white phosphorous match, and it readily becomes apparent that the matter is one of grave public concern. The Esch bill, now pending in Congress, seeks to reduce some measure of the tremendous waste of life and property each year due to this cause .by imposing such a tax on the out put of white phosphorous matches as practically to prevent their use. The eff feet of the law. however, would not bear very severely upon the match industry, since the existing machinery can with but little trouble be adapted to the manu- facture- of what is known as the sesqui- sulphide double-dipped match, which is comparatively safe.
 It will be a cause of surprise to the av- craze reader to know that the daily out put in the United States is estimated at so00O0,000 matches and the annual output at 1s5,o0O, ,0o00OC. The factory at Barberton, O., which is the largest in the world, has turned out as many as 245,0OO,O0O matches in single day, and from the statis- tics of consumption the deduction has been drawn that 10000 matches are scratched in this country every second of every "A hours. In view of the vast number used and the danger attending the ignition of the white phosphorous match, it is a bit strange that the num- Der of fires is not larger.
 The mischief of the white phosphorous or ''parlor' match is that it will ignite by friction or concussion with the great est ease. Children use them extensively in their play. They strike, fire when pressed upder foot and there is large dan- ger as well even when they are handled in bulk if the box or cartons are full.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-23

central organization would send us, would be adequate for a grand opera, and as for a local chorus there are fully 150 to 200 singers here who have had chorus experience either in church choir or festival. The Mu- sical Americas Washington corre- spondent says it is expected that a committee will be appointed to take charge of the Dippel movement and decide upon plan of action, each of the cities named to be represented. Local music lovers and musicians will be ready to cooperate and assist in every way possible to further MT. Dippel's national opera proposition.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-23
AN HISTORICAL EPIsoDE.

Caesar fell at the foot of Pompeys statue, pierced full of holes. "Ahr" he sighed, "Brutus used to say my preten- sons would not hold water and now his crowd has made my body sieve"
 Shortly after Marcus Antonius delivered his famous address, which was taken down verbatim by William Shakespeare.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-23
IN OTHER DAYS.

Belzhazzar looked up and saw the writ ing or the wall.
 Who let that wireless message in here?" he asked facetiously.
 Thereupon his guests laughed heartily, the consensus of opinion being, That's good one on Marconi'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-23
REFLECTIONS OF A BACHELOR

From the New York Press. The better the deed the fewer (people to do it.
 Loaf1ng could be just as hateful as work if you got salary for it.
 Most people can brag three years about three weeks trip they took
 Maybe we like to talk about the weather becaIse we don't like other peo- Dle to.
 Enough money to satisfy the greedy would have to be just little more than there isi in the world
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-23
"HE WHO DIED AT AEAN.

By Sir Edwin Arnold.
 He who died at Azan sends
 This to comfort all his friends: Faithful friends It lies, I know. Pale and white and cold as slow; And we say. "Abdallah's dead!' Weeping at the feet and head. l4ss l can see your falling tears,
 can hear your sighs and prayers; Yet smile and whisper this I am not the thing you kiss; Cease your tears, and let it lie: It was mine, it is not l."
 Sweet friends, What the women lave For its last bed of the grave, Is tent which am quitting. IS garment no more fitting,
 E cage from which, at last, Like hawk my soul hath pass'd Love the inmate, not the room,- The wearer, not the garb.--the plume Of the falcon. not the bars Which kept him from the splendid stars. Loving friends. Be wise. and dry Straightway every weeping eye,- What ye lift upon tho bier
 Is not worth a wistful tear
 Tis an empty sea-shell-one Out of which the pearl has gone; The shell is broken, it lies there; Z, The pearl, the all. the soul is there
 Tis an earthen jar, whose lid Allah seard. the while 1t hid That treasure of his treasury, A mind that lov'd him; let it lie! Let the shard be>earth's once more, Since the gold shines in his store Allah glOrious! Allah good! M Now thy world is understood; Now the long. long wonder ends; Yet ye weep. my erring friends, While the man whom ye call dead, In unspolsen bliss, instead, Lives and loves you; lost, 'tis true, :, By such light as shines for you: But in light ye cannot see Of unfulfill'd felicity Thy enlarging paradise,
 Lives life that never dies. Farewell, friends! Yet not farewell: where l am, ye. too, shall dwell am gone before your face. moments time, little space. When ye come where have stepp'd. Ye will wonder why ye wept; 4 Ye will know. by wise love taught, That here Is all. and there is naugh.. weep awhile, if ye are fain,- sunshine still must follow rain; Only not at death,-for death, Now I know, Is that first breath Which our souls draw when we enter Life, which is of all life center. Be ye certain all seems love. Viewd from Allah's throne above: Be ye stout of heart, and come Bravely onward to your home! La Allah lila Allah! yea! Thoti love adivfnAi Tvhou lova aIu,.x,., He that died at Azan gave This to those who made his grave.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-23


 HELD IN ABEYANCE. aA (Contributed.) I know you most approve the bard Whose thoughts burst forth in spring, But I'm at best, truant bard, A wicked little thing. T s> For I steal off. quite elfin-like, However cold the day, And dream the sweetest sort of dreams And write them-in way. And I am sure these little dreams Would give the best of cheer To some lone heart or some poor soul While winter still is here. Yet just to be quite circumspect I hold them back till spring. Iris then like birds and butterflies You'll see them all take wing!
 -"Natalie."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-23
ONE OF RRAnY,s o1rIps

Wilton Lacllaye, the actor-editor, has friend named Brady, press agent, who in summer precedes a circus and in win ter goes ahead of an opera company. He works mostly in the west. Recently" said MT. Lackaye. Brady was enabled to visit his beloved New York, the place of his birth Shortly after his arrival I ran across him on Broadway. Well, old man, l said to him, I suppose you're glad to be back in New York again?' Wilton, he answered earnestly, its like glimpse into another world. But I've been away
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-23

These hazards are largely eliminated by f the use of the sesqui-sulphide double
 dipped match, which cannot be ignited by | pressure under foot Experiments have l shown that while a small box of white phosporous matches will ignite with a five-foot drop the sesqui-sulphide double dipped match will stand a 2O-foot drop. | The new match contains a considerable 1 proportion of glue which holds the com bustible materials together. and it is thus free from the danger of the "paror''
 match, which is prone to scatter sputter- ing, blazing particles into inf1ammable substances.
 Not only is the new match which the
 Esch bill would introduce much more
 safe, but it has no poisonous material in
 US constituents and it's manufacture | therefore would eliminate the disease of
 "phossy jaw" The formula was discov-
 cred by two Frenchmen competing for a
 prize offered by the French government,
 which manufactures all the matches used in that country and has, accordingly ad-
 dressed itself to the solution of the impor-
 tant economic problem of reducing the waste of property and life. The Diamond Match company secured the patent rights to the manufacture of the new match
 ir this country, but recently renounced its privileges and made the formula pub lie. At present the various states either
 have conflicting laws on the subject of
 the use of matches or no laws at all, and
 a federal enactment along the lines of
 the Esch bill is needed to make the man.
 ufacture of the new match profitable. In
 the event of such legislation the field of
 manufacture is open to all, since the for
 mula is now available for any who may care to use it.
 The losses due to the dangerous varie-
 ties of matches being matter of indis- putable fact, it would appear that the
 Esch bill is sorely needed measure in the line of the general policy of con- serving our natural and created resources.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-23

the existence of parsimony in high places. Otherwise he is of little use to Monte Carlos press agent-he is even a detri- ment. MT. Schwab, going it in his usual breezy, reckless manner" is at once T greater credit to his native land and a greater advantage to the principality ot Monaco.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-23

The tanning of Colonel Roosevelt is the greatest event of the age. He is so tame now that he can set at a banquet with Chairman Barnes and look pleasant.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-23
MATRIMONY

Man wants but little here below" You've heard it said; That's what he gets, the records show, When once he's wed.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-23

American heiresses are waiting for an advance list of King Georges appoint ments of 800 new radical peers. Some of them will be laborites. no doubt
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-23

A scratching sound is heard in Balt- more of late. It comes from the alert Baltimoreans who are signing up their
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-23

Eternal vigilance is not winning togas in four deadlocked states, and the extra session is coming on apace.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-23
A COLD WELCOME.

R COI1D W EIOOME. O, Mister Blizzard! sS Where have you been so long? The peach trees bloomed while you were gone, .H .H.-.t The poet wove song. When everyone was feeling prime And dreaming dreams of May, You swooped down from the frozen north And drove our smiles away.
 PAUL COOK.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-23

Despite electricity in it's various uses the mule goes right on becoming every year more valuable.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-23

Johndee must be queer proposition when his pastor offers to accept a less salary in an earthquake district in order to get away
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-23

Census Director Durand thinks he may have missed a million of population. He may be sure. however. that he missed none in Atlanta
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-23

The s7500 congressman could see no sense in giving the President slo,OOo sec retarv.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-23

It costs Caruso $2,20O a night to get dust in his throat. He should stay in the wake of a street sprinkler.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-23

Lee O'Neal Browne has not been invited to make Washingtons birthday address, or to speak anywhere on "The Beauty of Truth"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-23

Senator Atlee Pomerene has gone to session. His remarkable name had made him famous even before his arrival at the capital
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-23

The Russian-Chinese trouble has dis appeared into thin air. Russia was simply trying to get an extension of the present treaty.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-23

Baron Albert Rothschild left s145, ,O0O, 900 when he died. and he gave it all to his family except s50O,0O0
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-23

Kansas City shies its castor into the ring as a disputant for the honors of the democratic national convention.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-23

Ex-Mayor Gill of Seattle should not be expected to come out for woman suffra ge and the recall all at once.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-23

Judge Lindsey of Denver holds that women are 50 times as honest as men. The judges figures. like his law and his juvenile court are no doubt all right.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-23

The harem skirt has displaced the hob ble skirt. and it bids fair to become pop uar.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-23

After Dorothy Arnold has been missing a month or two longer she will be equipped in advertising for a stage ca reer
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-23
FRIGHTENED OFF

From the St. Paul Dispatch.
 Washington car conductor, born .n London and still cockney, has succeed ed in extracting thrills from the alpha bet imparting excitement to the names of the national capitals streets. On 1 recent Sunday morning he was calling the streets thus:
 "Haitch!''
 'High!-
 'Jay!'
 ''Kay."
 "Hell.'
 At this point three prim ladies picked up their prayer books and left the car.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-23
IDLE CURIOSITY.

"A traveller who dined with Doc. Cook says Doc. Cook is a persecuted man." Well! Well! Did Doc. Cook pay for the dinner?"