davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31
A Novel Christmas Window

That was a peculiarly United States exhibit I noticed in the window of a Creek restaurant during Christmas" !" said an observant man, mot to over look the national bird, and that other now being carved internationally, ac- cording to London telegrams.
 Prom far off AIaine's icy waters tine lobster had come, and his beady eyes shone between two boxes of large, red. ripe strawberries (s1 per box). The tropical fruits in apples of gold grape fruit and oranges-were in ev- idence. Red apples lent color to the waving plumes of celery from Mich gan.
 And so here in the great industrial heart of the south the products of Maine, Massachusetts and Michigan have been gathered to be grouped with the golden grapes of California, the berries and other garden and orchard crops of Florida and Alabama, to make feast for Santa Claus holiday sea- son,"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31

From Harper's Weekly.
 will Carleton, who died last week, was a poet not exactly of distinction but of worth and certainly of renown- His Farm Ballads GIarper's Broth ers), published years ago, had re- markable sale from the start and stu sells. His later books-"Farm Festi- vals." Farm Legends" City Ballads "City Festivals,'' City Legends "Rhymes of Our Planet" and, latest, Poems for Young Americans s'--all found an unusual market and found it in fairly expensive form. For some reason great many people were dis posed to buy Carleton's books. Upward of six hundred thousand copies of his various books, all in verse, have been sold and the sale still goes on.
 We speak of it, not because it is commercially important as merchandis- ing goes, but because these sales of verse so extraordinary and unusual in- dicate that Carleton had something in him that people liked and wanted. so he had. He was a remarkable man. His powers and methods as poet were primitive. He hardly belonged to lit- erature at all. But he had melody and rhythm and rhyme, and to these he was able to gear the homely, kindly thoughts and feelings and memories that the mass of the Americans hold in the recesses of their minds. He was common in the good sense of being more or less universal, but he was very uncommon man. He could not have written "L'Allegro,' but neither could Milton has written "Over the Fill to the Poorhouse" or Betsy and Are Out" Carleton far outsold Milton in his day and generation, and that was natural, for Carleton, though much worse poet was a much better fellow. though perhaps no better man. His verse was no great things in art but strong in nature, and the human feel ings that he managed to get into it were real valuables, sweet, uplifting, and consoling.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31
IN HOTEL I0B BEES
rhe es-.... =. somml.slon


 The ceserassHf a Commission
 'grhe ion that Is to uneh5 #e of horses for tf F .lA.a.s aau will in a few years produce excellent results . said a man who was at one time en- gagged in horse breeding.
 "The thoroughbred is a fine animal for the cavalry when fully developed, but believe the best results would be obtained by crossing the standard bred and selected scrub mares The pure thoroughbred is so full of spirit and nervousness, largely due to in breeding, that they frequently act | crazy
 ''The old type Morgan is well nigh extinct. This type was at one time the saddle horse par excellence for en- duranee and comfort for the rider on long, hard rides. l doubt if the di- rect strain can now be found although in the middle west and New England there are stallions claiming this honor.
 If l were going to breed horses for the. ambulance and artillery serv- ice l would cross the thoroughbred on the hackney, a small limbed-with a moderate sized foot-blocky horse, com monly called in England the coach horse. There are many very fine hack neys in this country, some of them worth big sums. Dr. Seward Webb of Philadelphia imported a number of very choice individuals of this breed some years ago. His great stallion Maxim has many descendants in the states; some of the noted ones were at one time in Virginia.
 Well, we will always have the mule, and for wagon trains in the army serv- ice they cannot be surpassed. The best class of mules have as dams the big thoroughbred mares The Percheron mares produce big, heavy dull mules, such as most of the western mules are. And speaking of mules, first class pair Of mules brings now about $500, style, age, size and color governing"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31
HAIR CHEAP IN CHINA

From the American Magazine.
 There is certain to be an enormous market for western clothing in China after the revolution, both good mate rials and the cheaper grades of ready made suits These poor devils, few hundred million of them, are deierm- ined to catch up,--five thousand years at clip,-- and some folks are going to make lot of money exploiting them It might as well be you, among others Besides the Chinese really want the clothes.
 Also, now is d grand time to pick up human hair for d song. Pigtails gre falling by the million. And there is nothing your chinaman won't sell You can even buy the right to disturb ar ancestral grave for about $10 Alex. If you have any friends in the hair business, tell them about it."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31
WHERE sTATERooMs STARTED

From the Milwaukee Sentinel
 Or the Mississippi river in olden days the passenger steamboats were very or nate afafirs, wing with each other in garish glory. One owner hit on the idea Of naming his steamboat's cabins instead of numbering them. So he named them in honor of the states of the union, each having above the door the gilt title of scme state, the big central cabin being called the Texas after the largest state. Other boat owners took up the idea, and thus the word cabin was gradually alter mated by state" room. For years the best cabin was still known as the Texas. Ther that sobriquet died with the ebb.-g story of the old river steamers. But the word 'stateroom" became incorporated into our language and in time even broke into the dictionary. as does many an other catch phrase. Not one person in l9o0 who occupied a stateroom knows the term once meant "a room named for a state.''
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31
The Old Year and the New

The old year that we see passing has been a good year for this country and for this Birmingham district, and the new year seems full of promise. In material way 1912 has been a record breaking year in this city and it's outlying territory. There has been large expansion in the industrial field throughout mineral Alabama. Coal production in this state has reached higher figures than ever before. There has been an active demand for coal all through the year and mine operators have been able to sell their output at satisfactory prices.
 Pig iron was in slow demand early in the year, but the market has been active since spring and during the last half of the year large tonnage was sold at $14 and upwards. The Tennessee company has been operat- ing its steel plant at full capacity and other industrial companies have been extremely busy.
 Here in the city new high record has been made in the number of large and costly buildings erected. It has been a phenomenal building year.
 The general trade of Birmingham has more than doubled in volume in the past few wears and 1912 has been banner year in jobbing and other lines of mercantile activities.
 The bumper crops of the country formed the basis of solid boom and even if crops are somewhat short next year the excess of last summer would even up shortage. But inten- sive farming has made bumper crops more likely and nothing short of mar kedly unpropitious seasons for plant ing and Investing will, it is safe to say, find this country with new ton- nages of hay and cereals in great volume the coming summer.
 One of the oldest and most con servative bankers and brokers in New York, in his annual financial review, says in part: Looking forward there is every reason to maintain an under- current of confidence. Trade condi- tions are sound. There is no over expansion in either industry or credit. Some cause for hesitancy exists owing to the uncertainties of tariff revision and trust decisions, but these may easily be exaggerated, and any wait ing on that account will have to be made up later. Securities have recent ly undergone marked shrinkage which fairly discounts all known un- favorable influences, The present seems particularly advantageous to the shrewd investor, because many securities of undoubted strength can be purchased at prices assuring good returns. It is time for hopefulness and discrimination"
 As great as has been Birmingham s progress during the past 12 months there is good reason to believe that the 12 months of 1913 will have far greater things in store. There is cer- tainly ample ground for optimism.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31
Wireless Messages 5000 Miles Ava

Wireless Messages 5000 Miles Away
 The giant wireless towers at Ar lington will be tested on January b. The scout cruiser Salem has been fit ted up with powerful wireless appa- Aratus, and she is to put to sea in or der that she may be ready on Janu- |ary 15 to respond to any message flashed from the Potomac towers 5000 miles away.
 That is the test-the catching oi messages sent cross the ocean blue with radius of 5000 miles, for al ready communication have been sent to and received from Colon, 2000 miles away. The final tests at distance of 5000 miles will demonstrate or dis pei the unprecedented power of the station at Arlington. If it can send and receive messages at that distance it will stand the greatest wireless station in the world.
 No wonder of the age quite equals that of wireless telegraphy, chiefly because of it's utter mystery. We dc not know what electricity is to begin with and the entire theory of electric waves stretching over a distance of 5000 miles is too shadowy and indefi- mite to discuss. The entire business is "a mystery and vet it is demon strated and accomplished fact.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31
Railroad Building in the South

In the south, exclusive of Missouri and Oklahoma, 1726 miles of railroad track were laid down in 1912, as against 1900 miles in 1911.
 In Alabama 151.1 miles have been constructed this year. This includes 5 miles of the Alabama and North western; 40 miles of the Alabama, Tennessee and Northern; miles of the Basket Brothers lumber railroad on the Sipsey river; 34 miles of the Birmingham and Southeastern; 6 miles of the Birmingham, Ensley and Bessemer; miles to Lock 12 at Ocampo; 1 mile of the Eufauia and Chattahoochee Valley; 3 miles of the Gadsden, Bellevue and Lookout Mountain; 15 miles of the Raul Lumber company; IF miles of the Tuscaloosa Mineral; 21a miles of the Tuscaloosa and Holt; F miles of the MMnistee and Repton, and 4 miles of the Mobile and Ohio.
 Nearly all these extensions consist ed of branches from main lines. The Cochrane lines did build about 40 miles and this is .pRst 96uan iRe
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31
nErrEcvIoNs OF A BACHELOR

From the New York Press.
 Santa Claus seems to hate poor rela- tions as much as millionaires do.
 Anyhow, woman has good enough business head to manage good business men.
 Girls have such imaginations they can think they have a religious feeling when it's their liver.
 Nothing puts the devil in better humor than for two men to make q business agreement on their honor.
 If a man knows how to build a suc- pension bridge, what he is more likely to be proud of is his whiskers.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31
LESS AND LESS.

What has become of the old-fashioned man who used to remark at musical show that the chorus didn't wear enough clothes to wad a gun?' "Oh, he's still about town, but the girls wear so little nowadays that he is at a loss for a metaphor
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31
Rhode Islands Clam.

stephen k. Coleman, land agent of the Republic Iron and Steel company, is a Rhode Islander whof takes vigor- ous exception to the references of Pres ident John Craft of the Alabama oyster commission 10 the fresh water clans of Rhode Island.
 IL will be remembered that Mir, Craft was quoted in Sundays Age Herald as saying that Alabamas salt water clams' were to be given a thorough trial and he predicted they would prove fully as palatable and delightful as the fresh water variety of Rhode Island.
 '"To a Rhode Islander it is startling information" said MT coleman yester- day, "as conveyed in your issue of yes terday -on the authority of the pres ident of the Alabama oyster commits sion that Rhode Island clans are fresh water clans. It is to be hoped that the official in question is surer of his newly discovered Alabama clans than of his Rhode Island fresh water clans, since the latter simply does not exist"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31
DEATH

By Joaquin Miller. Death is delightful. Death is dawn, The waking from weary night |Of levers into truth and light; Fame is not much. love Is not much. Yet what N'pu-'s re worth the touch lOf lifted fa3aas st5e daggers drawn? So surely iiie is skHle worth; Therefore, 4.. Look up; therefore, n say, One iifie sftr has more Bright gol than H}f the earth of earth.
 sartl
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31
seeks conductor J. II. ToIson

"I have just had telegram said J. R. T. Reeves. secretary of the Order Railway Conductors, here yesterday, which l would like to have published It apparently refers to one of our mem bers with whom l am not acquainted. The telegram is from Haleyvilie, Okla and reads as follows:
 "'Brother of Conductor J. B. Tolsor here not expected to live
 We have no record of J. B. Tolson and I am asking you to publish the message to see if he can be located
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31
Can Tell oyster. Age

"The average age or an oyster. said John stuart, of the Metropolitan cafe, '.before it is offered for consumption is about seven or eight years Those who have served in this business are able to distinguish the age of an oyster and the different organ0
 ''1he age of the oyster is shown by the number of rings about the shell. The co,ol of the little bivalve identifies it's sex the male oysters being lighter and larger When the oysters are served on the half-shell knife sewers a little tissue from the shell and the oysters die. So there is no danger of eating a live oyster, nor is there any basis for the contention that oysters should not be eaten from the shell on account of their suffering"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31

syndicate of Hollanders offers che state of Florida ss,Oou.oOo for the Ever glades, and the proposition may be ae- cepted. This Dutch syndicate knows what it is to do big jobs of draining and it would no doubt drain the Everglades thoroughlv
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31
bit a man under 40 from smoking

hibit a man under 40 from smoking cigars.
 T note that in the proposed ordi- nance 1t is said that a boy who does not measure up to the standard in re gard to mentality shall not sell news papers. That is one of the most lu- dicrous features of the very ludicrous measure. I know a newsboy who IS deformed in body and mind. And vel since infancy he has supported him self l wonder what would become of that boy if his visible means of sup port were taken from him.
 T have no idea that the city will consider the bill. The city has enough serious business on hand. One day We hear of a member of the police force being under arrest OH charge of rob- bery, and the next of police judge sentencing number of 16-year- boys to jail for craps shooting.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31
MuFFLED KNOCKS.

"Mibbs, I'm glad to see you living in respectable neighborhood. Have you got over your feeling of strangeness yet?'
 "Its fine to be able to ride in your own automobile, isn't it, old chap? l sup pose they demand a chattel mortgage oil one of these machines when they sell it. ''
 This picture doesn't look bit like you, Miss Oamley, but it's very pleasing to look at"
 "Gumweu. you write beautiful hand; I've seen your signature at the bottom
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31
SOME WORDS WE BUTCHER

gards his speech with indifference or contempt"
 Probably he is right, as he is Ph D. and the author of a book on American literature At any rate, study of his little book is likely to prove beneficial to any of us.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31
Labelling the Ne,vsboys

"Of all the monumental jokes I have ever heard.'' said q newspaper man last night, the greatest is that under way at the present time; that which, in oth- CT words. seeks to label the news boys.
 Just how the city is impowered to legislate in such a way that boy under 16 cannot sell newspapers is a mystery to me. If the city can take action to that effect the city can pro
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31

to this city, These lines would. add to the mileage of the state and they would go far to make Birming ham the greatest railroad center in the southeast.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31

Mayor Gaynor says the general impress sion of George Washington is full of er- TOT 'As matter of fact" he says, The as his contemporaries agree. He even is known to have sworn like a trooper at times. His face was ptted and he had bad teeth and other physical imperfec- tions.''
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31
WATING.

I care not though the skies be gray, And Winter doth his legions bring; : His somber rule will pass away When sounds the first sweet call O
 Springl
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31

MT. Loeb as a collector is a terror, and if he is going to collect for the Guggen- helms the people who owe them anything will be pretty sure to settle up before MT. Loeb takes hold.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31

There is still hope that the business men of Montgomery will get together and retain the baseball franchise in the Southern league. They can secure it by raising s15,OOo, now that Little Rock has refused to pay s20000 for it.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31
TANTALzING.

TANTALaZING. The telephone girl May have a sweet curl And smile that is wondrousIy bright. But shut up is she, So no one can see If the maid is a dream or fright.
 Birmingham Age-Herald. The telephone maid Is gamble, I'm 'fraid, Just as much as the wheel that you whtri The voice that sounds fine As it purls OCT the line May belong to the homeliest girl.
 -Johnstown Democrat
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31
CERTAINLY NOT.

sWhy do you call the damsel a queen? She isn't related to royalty"
 with face and figure like that she doesn't HAVE to be related to royalty!"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31
From the Century.


 w s$ ' : a:a';ss sa E s, s,s s s,: in addition to pen pictures of Shelf Ill Islam and the Rev Samuel M. zwemer, the militant missionary, who is foremost among the opponents of Islamism, some graphic descriptions of Moslem eharac- ter.
 The best Moslems are those most re- mote from civilization. Floating down the Tigris on a goatslSin raft, l had a handsome and alert Kurd for raftsman. One day he asked me if had been to Stamboul (Constantinople). When as- sented, he remarked, as though stating commonplace "Of course it is the greatest city in all the world, isn't it?''
 I was obliged to confess that there are some larger and mightier cities, and l named London and Paris, Berlin and New York He looked pityngly incredulous and said ''Stamboul is the capital of the world The calf lives there, and all the
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31
BE MERRY.

Look up, not down, And lit a song, However fast
 Misfortunes throng, And though the skies Be dull and gray, Just give your soul A holiday
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31

The suffragette pilgrims reached AL bany quicker than Governor-elect Sulzer did. He says he found the road to it long and weary.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31

In some sections of Breathitt county Kentucky. every child in school has the hookworm disease. Breathitt is in the feud district, and the hookworm may be at the bottom of It's shooting troubles.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31

Useless drinking in the Christmas sea son should be stopped, as well as all use less giving. The Spuds have plenty oi room to work in
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31

Some claim that if the President-elect can make peace between MT. Bryan and Speaker Clark he should be awarded a Nobel peace prize on the spot.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31
ADRIFT WITH THE TIMES

of so many proniissory notes. you know
 T wish I had as much money as you have. Rogers; Pd-er-spend a little of 1t occasionally .''-Chicago Tribune.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31

Colonel Goethals gets $15000 a year for building the Panama canal and boosting West Virginia coal.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31

The republican party has ceased to con- slider even reorganization. It is a hopeless case
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31

Horace Fletcher believes a man can live to be 100 years old if he ehews his food assiduously.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31
ATTENTION. CARINET-MAKERS

Just because man happens to have g wooden head is no indication that he is good cabinet material.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31

The President-eleet would like to dis pense with hand shaking receptions made up of the curious.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31
Alabama Soil surveys in 1912

"I have just read some interesting data on the federal governments soil survey work in Alabama during 1912" said a man yesterday who is intensely interested in the farm development work which is now being given such general attention in Alabama. T find that the bureau of soils, department of agriculture, in cooperation with the state department of agriculture, sur yeyed over 1000 square miles of de- tailed soil survey work in Alabama during the year.
 'The work was done in Chiffon, Clarke, Conecuh, Covington, Elmore, Madison and Marshall counties This brings @ total of detailed soil survey work done in the state by the bureau of soils to 29,440 square miles. The work resulted in separate reports being made of each county showing agricul- tural conditions and prospects and what crops the many different types of soils found during the surveys were adapt ed to, and what improved agricultural methods should be employed in order that the best possible yield per acre could be obtained
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31

Chicago begins to think that an expen- size orgy in a gilded cafe on New Year s eve is an orgy just the same.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31

Adrianople coud1 not be revictualed with Christmas turkeys or anything else,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31

When the Oxmoor furnace is blown in the Tennessee company will not have an idle stack. The furnace mas been out of commission five years ana the placing of it in operative condition means that the indications for a grea, consumption of pig iron in 1913 is well assured.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31

This seems to be a good time to un- scramble the police force of this city, sep arating the good from the bad.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31

A rich widow died in Connecticut last week. She was worth over s5O0,oO0 and she died in her ninety-fourth year. She lived all alone like a miser, keeping no servants. Ninety thousand dollars in bank notes was found ;n an old suitcase although the town in which she lived had a number of banks.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31
MOVING PICTURE ACTOR

Brooklyn is proud of It's perfect woman and it's system of new docks
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31

Gen. Rosalle Jones' army, bearing a secret message, has reached Albany, and it did not encounter any unfriendly scouts.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31

If I can catch him once upon the hip, will feed fat the ancient Grudge bear him.
 Merchant of Venice.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31
WISHES

Declared a man of wondrous wealth, "Pd give it all to have good health.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31
CALENDAR LESSON.

Write it thus 999 times at odd moments during the day. MayDe after that you will put '1alSp on the first letter you write tomorrow.