davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-30
Durazzo in Servian Hands

Austria and Italy now dominate the Adriatic sea, occupying opposing shores well nigh one hundred miles apart. The shore frontage of both countries is ample, that of Austria be- ing at least 300 miles long. Next south of Austria on the Adriatic is Montene- gro, a small kingdom, and back of Montenegro lies Novi-bazar and Ser via.
 The latter proposes to occupy the sanyak of Novi-bazar and to occupy in addition portion of Albania, includ- ing the excellent port of Durazzo, which has already been seized by the Servians. They will never leave Dur azzo except through the use of su- perior force.
 The occupation of Durazzo raises in an acute form the Albanian ques- tion which is, after all, the most diff ficult question of the entire war. The province is about as large as the state of Alabama, and it holds about 2,000,- 900 people, mostly wild mountaineers, known as Arnauts, together with some Greeks, Turks and others. The Ar nauts have in the past fought well and stubbornly.
 Austria wants Albania turned into an autonomous province nominally subject to Turkey. Austria is not ready to absorb it. Montenegro wants slice of it, and Servia wants Duraz- go and the hinterland. Servia holds to- day what she wants. She certainly needs a salt water outlet, and the world at large hopes she will secure it. She holds Durazzo at any rate to- day, and possession may prove impor- tant in this crisis.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-30
Fourth Class Postmasters

No more burning question will con- front the President-elect at the outset of his administration than the one relating to his predecessors order placing 31,000 fourth class postmas- ters on the classified lists for life.
 There is precedent covering the case. On January 14, 1889, President Cleveland issued an order placing the railway mail service under the civil service law. Six weeks later President Harrison came into office, and week later he issued an order suspending the order issued by Mr. Cleveland.
 Congressman Hull characterizes the order of President Taft relating to fourth class postmasters as piece of dirty politics. Coming at the time and under the circumstances it did," says MT. Hull, this order of the Pres ident is patently steeped in the deep est political dye and constitutes with in itself gross violation of the tenor, the spirit and the whole purpose of the civil service law, because it places this immense horde of republicans to the exclusion of democrats-per- nnanently in office without examina- tion or test as to merit or efficiency. If carried out, this order will make honest civil service farce and prove
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-30
THALEs

From the New York Telegram.
 Charles, the Greek scientist, is one of the first inventors and discoverers of whom history makes mention. About six hundred years before Christ this Greek discovered that by rubbing gum amber with woollen cloth certain bodies would be attracted to the amber. The Greek for amber is 'electron," and from thls root our word electricity and it's many variants were derived.
 It was Thales also who was one of the leaders in raising astronomy into an ac- tual science. He is one of the immortals, because of his genius in bringing what had been considered up to that time as "a black art'' into the most learned of sciences.
 Thales foretold several astronomical facts and was the first to formulate the theory that the earth was round. from seeing it's outline on' the moon in eclipse and from other deductions.
 Thales was born about the year GAO B. C., and died in 546 B. c. Herodotus and several other authorities claim that he was of Phoenician extraction, but other authorities state that he was a native Milesian of noble birth. He was regarded by his contemporaries as one of ''the seven wise men of Greece"
 This eminent philosopner created the geometry of lines. Until that time the only geometry known was that of sur faces, together with a sketch of that of sol ids. It was geometry consisting of some simple quadratures and elementary cuba lures which were obtained empirically. Thales was the first man to introduce abstract geometry the object of which is to establish precise relations between the different parts of a figure, so that some of them could be found by means Of others in a manner strictly rigorous.
 It was Thales also who was the first to use the Little Bear as guide for vessels at sea. He was the first to assert that the true stars were masses of fire, like our own sun. and to state many other facts which are known as truths today.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-30
LIVING IN TOWN

T left the farm to escape the dull rou- tine confessed an Average Man, and now I don't have to do a thing that I don't want to except grind on at my desk day after day, ride to and fro and fro and to in crowded street cars with the same internal lout standing on my feet. freeze or roast. in a hall bedroom about the size of a vegetarians grave, and list to the laments of infants to right of me. in- fants to left of me, and infants above me, interspersed with the sounds of intemper- ate gentlemen below and on the east and west sides, upbraiding their wives, and few other little bagatelles like that With these trifiing exceptions I am as free from care as a wild gazelle bounding from crag to crag or a prominent Ken tuclSian passing from jag to jag.p-kan. sas City Star.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-30
HELP ELIZABETH
'om the New York Telegram.

From the New York Telegram.
 Elizabeth, N. J., wants a solgan. and the board of trade of the hustling city is offering prize of s25 for an appropriate one for use in connection with the indus trial exhibition to be held there next Feb ruary.
 Among the suggestions to date are: Make Right in Elizabeth" Don't Envy a Well Located Factory-Come to Eliza- beth and Have One." Boom Elizabeth and Help Yourself,'' Elizabeth Means Peace and Plenty" Elizabeth Shows Sea-" and Elizabeth, the City of Peaceful Homes."
 .nere was the late Ezra Kendall s .iesponse to the railroad conductors loud- lv shouted Change for Elizabeth!'-'l don't know the lady, but here's quarter.
 Everybody should chip in and help Elizabeth.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-30
UNDERWOOD AND THE CABINET

From the Mobile Register.
 Mr. Barrett, writing under a pseudonym to his paper, the Birmingham Age-Herald, says:
 "The formation of his cabinet is the most important of the duties of MT. Wilson, and I do hope that his team work spirit and practices will be continued in it's forma- ton.
 "A broad, practical man is needed as Sec retary of the Treasury, and I am rather of the opinion that no mistake would be made if Oscar Underwood was selected for this position and that such pressure should be brought to bear upon him as to force him to accept it.
 ''Underwood has outlined a tariff policy in his leadership in the House. As Sec retary of the Treasury he would still be at the helm. so to speak, and would be in such close contact with the con- trolling spirits of legislation and the leader of the House selected to fill his present place, that he would practically exercise the same influence which he does today. And again he would be in position where the responsibilities of administer ing the law enacted by Congress would be upon his shoulders
 "As Secretary of the Treasury, with Will son as President. there would be practi- cal administration of this government; and an administration which would be certain to perpetuate the democratic party.
 q merely throw this out as a suggestion. am sure 1t will be as much a surprise to Oscar Underwood as to any other man in America. But 1t strikes me as prac- tical. It strikes me as a continuance of the Wilson policy. It would be prac- tical team work; and team work is al- ways successful work when the team pulling the wagon is possessed of good old horse sense"
 All that is here said of MT. Under woods fitness is true--he would make a valuable Secretary of the Treasury, charged with the execution of the tariff law with which he will be familiar. It would be a misfortune, hoStatar our opinion. 10 interfere in any ita iF
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-30
RoNsARD TO HIS MISTRESS

By Thackeray Some winter night, shut snugly in Beside the fagot in the hall, think I see you sit and spin,
 Surrounded by your maidens all, Old tales are told, old songs are sung, Old days come back to memory; You say, ..When I was fair and young, A poet sang of mel There's not a maiden in your hall, Though tired and sleepy ever so. But wakes as you my name recall, And longs the history to know, And, as the piteous tale is said,
 Of lady cold and lover true, Each, musing. carries it to bed
 And signs and envies you, Our lady's old and feeble now
 They'll say, "she once was fresh ar
 fair,
 And yet she spurned her lover's VOW, And heartless left him to despair; The lover lies in silent earth,
 No kindly mate the lady cheers; She sits beside lonely hearth,
 With three score and ten years! Ah. dreary thoughts and dreams al
 those,
 But wherefore yield me to despair. While yet the poets bosom glows.
 While yet the dame is peerless. fairi Sweet lady mine. while yet 'tis time Requite my passion and my truth, A ElI'er lls fafIr ff1t fr4. trina tae
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-30
Roosevelt.s Political strength

q voted for Taft, but I am not sorry that Woodrow Wilson was elected" said Charles F. Pool of Chicago.
 q have always voted the republican ticket and have been voter since 1880, but I believe that party change in the federal administration now and then is good Tor politics and good for the coun- try. I voted for Taft because I plumed myself on regularity, but I greatly regret ted that Roosevelt was not nominated by the republican convention. As things turned out, we can see that he would have swept the country had he been the repub- lican standard bearer.
 Nearly all of my republican friends in Illinois voted for Roosevelt. and in sev- eral states that l have recently visited many democrats with whom I talked told me that they had voted for Roosevelt. 1t is a safe bet that Roosevelt will be elected President in 1916.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-30
REFLECTIONS OF A BACHELOR

From the New York Press. $ It's the fourth cocktail that makes a man think he had only two. What makes girl tell secret is SO as sto wonder how it got out. People who wouldn; hurt chicken will murder human reputation. A comfort to a woman about losing all her hair is how young she is for 1t to happen to her.
 N hen man is going. to give his wife the money he expects to win on a bet it s a sign he has made up his mind he's go- &ng to lose it.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-30
HER JOB IS cINcHED

From the Jasper Mountain Eagle.
 There has not been even an intimation that anybody wants the Jasper postoffice. There are no doubt those who would like to have it, and who can blame them, but the public don't want change, and there will be no change. All would-be applicants know this, and there will be no opposition to Mrs. Coleman when the time comes to reappoint her.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-30
Negroes in the North

While have not looked up the census statistics as to the percentage of white and colored population of cities and states, negroes in Cincinnati. Indanap- oils, Cleveland and Chicago are much more numerous, Hs far as my observation goes, than they were 20 years ago." said man who travels much.
 '.I once lived in Cincinnati, and it was seldom then that saw a negro there. On a recent visit to that city I found that young negro men were employed at raj way stations. hotels and other public places. It was the same in Chicago. The Auditorium hotel. one of the finest in Chicago, has negro walters, and in all the office buildings in that great city found
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-30
STATE PRESS
ALABAMA HUNTERS

From the Montgomery Advertiser.
 Thousands of birds were killed in Ala bama yesterday. but very few were shot while sitting on the ground or on limb. There are sportsmen in Alabama. They don't dare to shoot a bird that isn't fly ing at the rate of 500 miles an hour.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-30

Mayor Gaynor of New York has no five foot shelf, but he has found time to set down the titles of books that have in- fiuenced his career the most, as follows:
 Morals-The Bible.
 Poetry-Shakespeare Homers 'Iliad and Milton's Paradise Lost
 Romance-Cervantes Don Quixote, Le Sages "Gil Bias" and "Rabelais.' the notes) and Gibson's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
 Economics-Adam Smiths ''Wealth of Nations"
 Philosophy-Bacon's works.
 Mathematics-Euclid.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-30
HOW TIMES HAVE CHANGED

From the St. Paul Dispatch.
 Miss Mary Donnelly, the New York suf- fragist. said at the suffrage lunch rooms:
 'I was walking the other week in Long Island. The sky was blue. The crystal air was pure and frosty. The trees were painted with autumnal colors-gold and pink and raw red. How beautiful it was.
 Tn a meadow a half dozen young women were practicing putting. They looked very smart in their trim golf suits, their skirts of rough homespun and their scarlet jackets. As I watched them an old farmer and one of his farm hands ap- preached.
 Boss grumbled the farmland. them girls in the medder is scarin' our cows
 '"rhe old farmer shook his head and sighed.
 An, Timothy he said, with profound truth. times is changed since I was young. In them days the cows scared the gals.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-30
WAITING FOR THE BELL

From the Huntsville Mercury-B Banner.
 The newspaper reporters make it warm for Governor Conner and Walter Seed whenever they visit the larger cities, try ing to make them commit themselves as to whether or not they are candidates for the governorship. Both gentlemen con- tinue to spar for time and give evasive replies, yet they are continuously in train ing and will be on the ground when the gong sounds.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-30
ADRIFT WITH THE TIMES
THESE wINTRY HORNS.

THESE WINTRY HORNS. Who fingers in his little bed
 Upon a frosty morning, Is not, methinks 1t should be said, A creature fit for scorning. Iris hard to lift the cover off
 Without still hesitating, Fen though the early birds may scoff And lots of work is waiting. One listens while the winter blast Der hill and dales careering, And when he crawls from bed at last Is in no mood for cheering.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-30
YES, vERILY

From the Andalusia Star
 Up to the great national capitol fel- low got up from family prayers and whipped his wife. Now the wife wants a divorce. Some of these loud worshipers are hard htters.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-30
Mathematics-Euclid.

The promoters are crying out against 'the blue sky law of Kansas--a law passed to protect the citizens of that state from those who would capitalize the blue collect money on shares issued against them. No new securities can be sold in Kansas until they have been approved by the banking commissioner.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-30
"pECANsv AND sPECONsn

From the Dothan Eagle.
 Southwest Georgia is fast becoming dis tinguished for it's oceans. They have been growing them over there almost long enough to call them ''pecans' instead of ''pecons' as we Alabamians do.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-30
DAMAGES

From the San Francisco Argonaut.
 The thrifty German proprietor of cir culating library charged for wear and tear. One volume came back to his scru- tiny. See here" he exclaimed. ''there is hole on page 19 of my beautiful book. And, see here.' he went on. turning over the leaf, there's another on page 20.''
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-30

Bermuda is a spot without politicians and without a daily paper. The Presi- dent-elect knew from experience the quaint stiffness of the little archipelago away out in the sea.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-30

The new administration should put an end to the franking of election literature, and it would serve the people if it would cut off the entire franking privilege. It is an old abuse and is very expensive.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-30

What we need now is law that forbids the crossing of sheep with short staple cotton for use in winter suits. The cross does not turn the wintry blasts away from the ultimate consumer.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-30

The Utah and Vermont electors may conclude to vote for Mrs Margaret Zane Witcher of Salt Lake City for vice pres ident. Negotiations are progressing.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-30
VERSE BY LovEMAN.

VERSE BY LOyEMAN. Robert Loveman has new book of verse in the hands of his publisher. The following song is copied from one of the advance sheets.
 HEARTH SONG. There's jingle in the ingle, There are forests in the flame, l see a spark--I hear lark, Warm music without name; Higher, higher, leaps the fire, Hickory, oak or pine, The songs they heard from every bird, This winter night are mine. Pile the huge logs lovingly, Upon the golden blaze, Higher, higher, friendly fire, In praise of happy days; The storm, the calm, the sun, the winds Clean glad in every spark O soul, my soul the living light, Doth furk in living dark.
 PAUL COOK.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-30

Oklahoma has a wealthy retired farm CT whose name is William Castlebury. He is 90 years old and his wife is S6 years old. They were married a year ago, and a daughter has just been born to them.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-30

Ex-United States Senator Gordon of Mississippi is dead at the age of 79. He was a Confederate captain, a planter, a poet and a gentleman.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-30
THE VERY PLACE.

Pa, whats phlebotomy?"
 'Phlebotomy, son? Er--let me see. Huml Oh, yes. Look in the dictionary under the caption of p and you will find very good definition of phlebotomy.e
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-30
WHAT wooDRow's MISSING

From the Wilcox Progressive Era. Governor Wilson may be enjoying his stay in Bermuda, but we fear he isn't getting any turnip greens and bacon to eat
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-30

To some all negroes look alike, and to nearly all umbrellas are in the same boat
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-30
LACK OF FORESIGHT

From the Gadsden Journal.
 An Atlanta man is suing for divorce because his wife refuses to be seen with him in public. They should have thought of that before the marriage vows were taken.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-30

The amateur cabinet makers drove their nails wide of the mark, and none of them use timber warranted to last be- Yond March L
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-30
A PARAGON

We've lately hired a servant girl
 I'm sure you'll think our luck is great: She always keeps her hair in curl
 And has not smashed single plate.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-30

Edison says women will soon be cook ing by wire, and when the wires get crossed trouble will begin.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-30

The taxidermists of the g. o. p. will gather, it is now said, in New York to view the once powerful elephant
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-30

woodrow Wilson will begin in March to make history instead of writing it.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-30

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 4f ahan A saiarahef ss2i agagress1a Wala of 3 saa- g eaairria hs H9use appropi J siona aomni ess jsss rstsusd Iron Panana. era Ae ss the lrst lip ill pass ht9ueh tle eanal on se9laaa1er # eyt- dats less than 70 months ava. Hs wsnt | che isih- aHs accompanied " elalt ati er ps n- be oi the appropriations commit aee, aii of whom eeat there in an oi sial capacity. Barring unforeseen and un- aeeable orakelas tle canal will no I9uaL Dc sre4sa At -h5 -l.Ao -len- toned, so far as the passage of ships is concerned, although the formal opening may not take place until Jan uary 1, 1915.
 The payroll at Panama carries the names of 34,957 men. Colonel Gorgas keeps this vast force in good physical condition, and Colonel Goethals keeps them employed with steady persever- ance at the great task.
 The canal will not stand complete next September, but it will stand at that time equipped for practical canal operation. Ships will be lowed through it electrically, and for all practical purposes it will be opened next Sep tember. For some useful and for more ornamental purposes it will not be opened until, perhaps, January 1, 1915.
 This district and Mobile should set up and take notice. In less than 10 months the canal will be opened. Will the Tombigbee dams and locks also be ready for navigation? Will Mobile be ready to send Alabama coal to Colon? | Will this district stand ready at that ,ime to circumvent anticipatory action | oy West Virginia and Pittsburg? These questions are important, for t is the early bird that catches the worms It is easier to be an early bird | than to displace bird that had se- cured the best nest and all possible prestige.
 -
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-30

A Boston theologian says it is a dull year that does not produce new view of he'll
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-30

Robert Knight of Rhode Island is dead at the age of S2. He owned more cotton mills than any other individual in the world When he died he had 9 mills which contained 5Oo,00O spindles and 12,oOo lnor1s
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-30

The "spug" army in New York is now 25,OO0 strong. Useless giving is getting a black eye.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-30

Tripiets in Rockford, III, are to be named after the Wilson girls. If the trgo had been boys they might have been named after the three candidates, and that would have been. distressing to two of tikm.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-30
WORDS DON'T MATTER.
WAITING ON FORTUNA.

WAITING ON FORTUNA. What sort of man is Jibworth?' He's what I would call a pecuniary op- timist.''
 What sort of person is that?" When he hears a few dimes jingling he hopes he's going to be buried under an avalanche of dollars"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-30
ON THE SEAS FLOOR

From Atlantis by Gerhart .Hauptmann
 B. ". Huebsch, Publisher.
 TNREDERICK attempted in vain to
 battle against a still life picture
 A which the Roland, valiantly strug- gling onward, with Its siren almost stifled in the storm, showed him at the bottom of the sea. He saw the majestic vessel in a coffin of glass. Across it's decks swarms of fish swam hither and thither. It cabins were all filled with water. A big polyp, jelyfsh, and red, mushroom like sea anemones, had penetrated into the very gangways along which the pas sengers were now walking. And to Fredericks horror, the liveried bodies of Pfundner, the head steward, and his as- sistant stewards were slowly floating about in circle.
 The picture would have been almost ridiculous, had it not been so gruesome and had it not so certainly lain in the realm of the possible. Think of all the things divers report! All the things they have seen in the cabins and gangways of submerged steamers; inextricably knotted masses of huban beings, passen- gers or sailors coming toward them with outstretched arms, upright, as if alive and as if awaiting them.
 A closer examination of the clothes of those guardians and administrators of lost estate at the bottom of the sea, those strange ship owners, business men, cap tains, pursers, those fortune seekers, money seekers, embezzlers, adventures, or whatever they might be, showed that they were filled with polyps, crustaceans and all sorts of ocean worms, enjoying their stay there as long as something re- mained beneath their shredded garments except gnawed off bones.
 Frederick beheld himself down there, too, one of those decaying phantoms, months old, wandering about in the ghast- ly abode of the sunken Roland, in that horrible vineta, where each man passed his neighbor mutely with frightened
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-30

The last few spasmodic kicks in foot ball will be closed out today.