davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-08-27
BUSIEST SPOTS ON EARTH

From the September Strand.
 The most crowded spot in the world for five and half days of the week is that small tract Of territory. covering one acre, bounded by the royal exchange, the of London. It is veritable human gan glion If you were to stretch an invisible thread north and south across th,s space you would find that in the course Of each day no fewer than 500,000 persons passed and repassed, together with 50,000 vehicles. And the busiest corner Of all h this busy acre is immediately outside the Mansion House. for rather more than half the traffic crossing our imagi- nary boundaries passes that way. The results of traffic census taken by the city police show that on an average day some S0,000 vehicles pass this particular corner, while the pedestrian traffic Is well over 250,oO0 and these figures are constantly increasing.
 But it is to America that one naturally turns for big figures to rival those of London. Chicago boasts human ganglion in State street. where nearly 100000 people pass and repass on foot during the day. In New York the figures approach those of London, and largely exceed it if we count the actual number of persons on foot and in vehicles alike. For in Broadway, at the junction with Herald square, it is stated that 100000 pass daily. But this includes the passen- gers by tram car, the foot passengers alone being well under 500000.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-08-27
4 Centennial Exposition

Birmingham ought to be able to get up a splendid exposition in 1919, by way of celebrating Alabama's centennial as 2 state,' said member of the Chamber of Commerce.
 "Eleven or twelve years ago a Commer- oial club committee was appointed to consider the expediency of holding a great iron and steel exposition here 1 think the date suggested was 1905. The com mittee was composed of representative business men, but l think it held only one meeting. Birmingham was not large enough 10 undertake a great exposition. Our citizens were not prosperous enough to raise the required amount of money.
 But the situation is very different to- day Birmingham Is large enough to in- terest Congress, and by 1919 the imme- diate Birmingham district will have a population of 600000 or 70o,o0o Birming- ham will soon have more hotel accommo- dation than most cities of 200,0o0 With the completion of the Tutwiler and the Roden will have 15 hotels. If we are to have an exposition in 1919 We could count on several new large hotels. l am heartily in favor of pushing the exposi- ton movement
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-08-27
Rapid Growing Cities

"Prosperity is the rule in every section of the United States, and with few excep- tons the large cities are growing fast " said James L. Kendall of Chicago.
 Tn the south several cities that lid not reach the 100000 population class in the last census will be well above the line in 1920. This Is notably the case with some of the Texas cities. Memphis is growing at rapid rate, and so are Bir- mingham and Atlanta. And I am told that Richmond and Norfolk are both pro- gressing with phenomenal speed.
 T have not been to Richmond since the census of 1910, but I understand from those who have seen a good deal of the south, that in 1920 Rtanta and Richmond will be neck and neck Two years ago Att anta was ahead of Richmond in popula- ton by between 25000 and 50,o0o but not vithstanding Atlanta's continued growth, Birmingham in 1920 will outstrip in popu- lation every city south of the Mason and Dixon line except New Orleans, of course. But I believe in % years from now Blr- mingham will be even larger than the Crescent city"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-08-27
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
The Presidential Campaign

Notwithstanding the fact that there are more candidates in the field than usual, this presidential campaign is much less exciting then many of those in the past years,e said Ezra J. Wooten of Phl- adelphia.
 T have been voter since 1880, and have always voted the democratic ticket. There have been some wrathful eam- paigns in my day. In 1884 the fight be- tween the Blaine forces and the Cleve- land forces was terrific There was a great deal of mud-slinging-more, doubt less. than had ever been seen before.
 ''The campaign of 1888 was auiet-even uuiter than the present campaign. AL though MT. Cleveland was nominated by exclamation for reelection his defeat semed to have been discounted from the start In 1892 we had a pretty lively cam paign and in 1896 the contest between Mckinley and Bryan was strenuous and exciting We have not had hot cam paign since 1896, and one reason the pres ent contest is quiet is because Wilson's s election seems to be a foregone conclu- sion.
 ..If it were not for Roosevelts can didacy, the campaign would be the quiet est on record, perhaps. President Taft certainly has no show. It may be that the democrats will have to be stirred up, because there Is such a thing as over- confidence, but I have travelled through the east a good deal of late. and nearly everybody met predicted Wilson's elec- ton n
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-08-27
Birmingham Present and Future

Birmingham is a rushing, bustling city today, and it will continue to stride forward. The first half of the year witnessed exceptional activity in the building trades. In the matter of new construction this year ail former records have been broken. So many large and costly buildings are in course of construction that the hun dreds and hundreds of sealler houses being butt in the Birmingham district arc hardly remarked. -
 Birmingham wonderful prosperity is based on the increasing activity in the industrial field. The coal mining business has been unusually brisk in Alabama for 12 months or more. The iron market that was extremely dull all last year has been improving steadily for several months past, and is now active at price which enables every furnace company to make good profits. When Birmingham iron was selling at price from $9.50 and $10 on No. 2 basis only few merchant furnaces in this district were in op- eration, but now that it is in strong demand at SIP to Sl2.50, many idle stacks are being put in condition for blast. Birmingham iron is fast climb ing to the S13 level, and the price is almost sure to reach $13.50 during the coming fall.
 While no announcement has been made, it is believed that the man. moth wire mill at Corey will be a scene of great stir within the next week or two The building was com pleted some time ago, but the machin- cry is to be installed, and this work will require probably five or six months. That steel will be produced i at Corey in the spring of 1913 hardly admits of a doubt Trade conditions certainly warrant it. The very day that the installation of machinery be- gins everything in the Corey -Ensley section of Birmingham will hum. In fact it will be red letter day for Bir- mingham; but as prosperous as busi- ness is this year, next year will find it going at such clip as to make all past boom times look small.
 It requires no prophetic eye to see Birmingham double in population be- fore the next federal census year.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-08-27
Cnncerning Music

"A large number of persons will miss the music in Capitol park said a man who seldom failed to attend the free Sunday "The thousands who spent their Sunday afternoons in the park can but feel grateful to the Music Study club, under whose auspices Nappi's band rem dered varied programmes, and all the contributors, especially the Birmingham Railway, Light and Power company and the Tennessee company whose bountiful donations made the open air music pos- sible The city made a substantial ap- propriation, and 1t is hoped that next year the commissioners will feel able 70 appropriate at least s1500. With such a sum added to the other subscriptions the fund would be large enough to pay for daily concerts for season of 12 weeks. A band of 1s or 20, such as Nappi had this summer was able to play a great deal of high-class music, but in the future we should have a band of at least 2i or 20 men. That would mean more reed instruments and reeds are necessary for q proper rendition of standard overtures and compositions of the symphonic poem class.
 ..There has been some talk among mem bers of the musical union of organizing a concert orchestra While we have a number of first rate orchestra players, there could be no sucn thing as sym
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-08-27
The Large Cotton Crop

Early in the summer, when much of the farm land was under water, the outlook for the cotton crop was poor, in- deed, and 1t was generally feared that the Alabama crop would be next to noth- ing" said man in close touch with the agricultural districts.
 ''The summer is almost ended, and, hu- manly speaking, we can predict with safety an Alabama crop of nearly 100000 tales Some estimates go as high as 1,- 400, 600 bales. It has not been many years since we thought Alabama was doing well when it barely crossed the 1,o0e000 bale line. The farmer will get about Il cents this year, and with crop ranging be- tween 1,200,ooO and 1,4oo0oo bales the far mers will call this a bountiful year after all
 ''rhe corn crop seems to be larger than usual. and all things considered Alabama will be able to celebrate next Thanks giving day with great cheer
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-08-27
MATILDA MUGGINs.

MATILDA MULLINS. Matilda Muggins t(may her looks inns proveo Awoke one night from fleeting dreams of love, And saw. within the moonlight near her bed A spirit writing in book of red. In words of flame it wrote, with mien inspired. What names are those?'' the damsel then inquired. The spirit, answering, stayed it's sleaming pen. eThe maids whose beauty fires the hearts of menA' And am one?" she queried. May, not so, The spirit said. Matilda spoke more low. But hopeful still, and begged in accents bland write me as one that cooks to beat tho band" The spirit wrote and vanished. The next night It came again with a great scroll of white, And showed the names whom praise of men had blessed, And To. Matilda's name led all the rest.
 September Lippincott's.
 TOO TRUE. Of all sad words I know, alasi The worst of all are these: T pass,'
 Milwaukee Sentinel But sadder still is when you're in To have to say these words: You win"
 Cincinnati Enquirer. And sadder still next morn to say, My head is bout to split today PAUL COOK.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-08-27
THE sIkINk

Washington Telegram to the New York
 World.
 pr. Leonard tSeneger, head curator at the National museum, is the happiest man in America He has a skink It came yesterday, and was not brought by the slork, but by MT. Wood, a we'll known taxidermist. who found it in Florida.
 The slxink is not dwell. it is needless to say-.as his name would indicate. He dees not belong to the cat family. His scientific names is Leoseps reynoldsi. The skink is like an elongated lizard. He has four legs which he does not use, they having become paralyzed from the lack of exercise.
 Therefore Dr. Steneger claims that the skiniS is stand-patter and not pro gressive. He gets his food by laying in wait, with his sticky tongue extended, for something to come along. He lives by waiting and hauling in.
 The skink's remote ancestors walked The present day specimen walks not nor does he fly, but swirns in the sand where he lives.
 The only resemblance of the skinlS t. the bull moose is that he dives. The moose is fond of certain roots and to gel them he throws himself headlong into lakes. The skink dives in the sand fol insects.
 From the standpoint of the scientists this skink is interesting because he re seinples the skinks found in Persia ant the Mediterranean, making the old worle and the new ciescr kin.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-08-27
Bill of Lading Bill

The Senate has passed the long form of the Pomerene bill of ladng measure. Under this bill no ship ments in parts or sets would be per mitted All order bills of lading may be indorsed in blank or to a specified person, and are negotiable. A person who transfers bill warrants that the bill is geunine; that he has legal right to transfer it; that he has knowl- edge of no fact which would impair the validity or worth of the bill; that he has a right to transfer the title to the goods, and that the goods are merchantable or fit for particular purpose whenever such warranties would have been implied if the con tract of the parties had been to trans
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-08-27
Popular Campaign Subscriptions


 The Penrose disclosures of repub- lican campaign funds are incomplete, but they are sufficient to show what vast sums have been gathered from the trusts in the last 10 years by that party, including the Mark Hanna fund of 1896. Millions in big lots have been gathered in and the trusts and the tariff beneficiaries have for 16 years footed the consumer to the extent of their greed, and controlled legislation and the government. It has been saturnalia of greed on the one hand and corruption on the other.
 Money is needed in modern cam paigns, and every democrat in Ala bama should come to the aid of Ma tional Committeeman Jelks in his de- sire to secure in this state $25, 1000 in popular subscriptions to be expended by the national committed The dis grace of subscriptions by the trusts must not rest on the democratic party, and the way to avoid it is to hurry on popular subscriptions. Gov ernor Jellls reports that receipts are coming in freely, and every dollar is needed in the speaking and literary stage of the campaign.
 Beginning September 10 every dollar received by the democratic na- tional committee will be publicly ac- knowledged This will be done weekly to the end of the campaign. All collections by newspapers and banks will be traced to individuals, and due credit will be given to the actual donor.
 No repetition of subscriptions of the Mark Hanna sort will be per mitted and the hope is that the sweep of popular subscriptions will meet the proper, just and needful ex- penditures of campaign in AS states. The duty of the hour is found in pop ular campaign subscriptions.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-08-27
GROWTH OF OUR CITIES

From Leslies.
 Of the cities which have over 250oo peo- pie now, the lead in rate of growth in the past ten Years was greatest, 5a9 per cent in Oklahoma City with Muskogsa Of the same state, standing second, with an increase of 49i per cent. The growth there is due to the fact that the entire state of Oklahoma is new and is rapidly filling up, it's increase in population in the decade ending with 1910 having been 109 per cent. or more than any other state except Washington, whose growth in that time was 120 per cent. That great con- inonwealth of the northwest is diversify- ing its activities, and, with 1,200,000 inhab- itants, it is the most populous state west of the Rocky roountains except California. It's leading city, Seattle, with 237,0oo peo- ple, grew to the extent of 194 per cent
 in the past ten years. The largest rate of increase of any city of. over 100000 peo- pie west of the Mississippi in the deca<ie was in Los Angeles, 211 per cent. With 3l9, 900 inhabitants, 1t is the largest city on the sunset side of that river, except St Louis and San Francisco, and it will probably lead San Francisco by 1920 1t
 is a health resort as well as great busy ness center
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-08-27
OSCAR ". UNDERWOOD
From the Baltimore Evening Sun.


 Representative Oscar W. Underwood made a striking and very appropriate review Thursday. as a closing feature of the session. of the legislation en- acted by the democratic majority in the House since the election in the fall of 1910. The record made since this ma iority received it's commission from the under similar circumstances It was achieved in the face of the opposition of a hostile executive, and of Senate largely composed of republican reac- tfonaries tempered by republican pro gressives'' not in sympathy with the democratic party and not always to be depended upon in a crisis. The course of the majority was characters ized not only by self-control and ball anee, but by common sense. initiative and energy. and is maEred by com paratively small number of blemishes. On the whole. the democratic major ity has the right to feel proud of it's record and can go back to the country easonably confident that the people will feel the same way.
 Much of the democratic success at this session has been due to a realiza ton by the rank and file of the mem bership that the party was on trial and that it would be judged by their course and attitude. Even more influ- ential in the results accomplished was the leadership of Speaker Clark and of Mir. Underwood The party was fortunate in having two such leaders in the House at a critical period. and the country and the party owe much to the public spirit and broad minded ness with which they discharged thesi duties.
 As floor leader of the majority MT underw ood was nee essarily more ac- tive in the work of the House and more in the public eye than any othei
 member and to his leadership ant guidance largely the party owes il that it has steered clear of many dangers and that its record of achieve. ment is so unusual MT. Underwood
 has constantly grown in popular esti- 1 nation during this session. and 1t: close finds him universally recognized i as a public man of gseas strength ans ability. and one whom the countri
 would not willingly logo
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-08-27
A DEAL. IN SAND.

A dapper little man entered the office of building supplies concern and asked for the manager.
 q am he, said the head of the concern, who happened to be present.
 How are you selling your sand?''
 Tn five car lots we-'
 The little man held up his hand.
 T wouldn't require that much" he ex- claimed.
 Tn single cars it-'
 But again the customer raised, his hand. T wish only enough-''
 'If you only wish single wagon load, of course that's different.' 3The little man shifted from one foot to the other. then explained:
 q am making a sandpile for my baby to play in, and I only want about a peck. I'll take it with me in this basket."- Youngstown Telegram.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-08-27
From the New York Telegram.

From the New York Telegram.
 To psychologist has as yet explained M the reason for the peculiar fas- 4 cination of models over all classes and ages of mankind It undoubtedly exists, as any one can see by a visit to a museum, when he will notice that 1t IS the models, often of quite Commonplace objects. such as a locomotive or bridge that excite the greatest attraction. A model will also always attract the great est attention when exhibited in shop window; and the reason for this faseina- ton seems to be akin to that exercised by the most ordinary objects. such as a hansom cab or motor car, when they appear as stage properties In both cases the familiar gains a special inter- est when viewed from an unfamiliar standpoint.
 Today the art of the modeler has at- tained to proportions that were undreamed of a quarter of a century ago, owing to the numerous new uses to which 1t is found that models may be put. Educa- tionally they are of the greatest value. For instance, there is in the Science
 
 of miniature replieas of locomotives that give the student a more graphic idea of the principle of the steam engine and it's historical diagrams and explanatory let terpress. In primary schools the facg that a model can teach in unique way is now recognized to the extent of modelling by the pupils being recognized feature of the curriculum in many schools, while the old Kindergarten methods have been supplemented by many ingenious devices, instructing the young idea in the plastic and constructive arts by means of special modelling in clay and shapes of metal and cardboard.
 One of the most notable developments os the model is in the field of advertising. Today no steamship office is without its
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-08-27
WHY MODELS FASCINATE

replica of liner in the windows, far more attractive than any photograph or painting from the standpoint of com- polling attention, and the railway com panies have begun to follow suit At every exhibition one vii see a small sized railway track, on which miniature loco- motives and carriages and wagons run up and down all day. usually operated by electrical power; and the great popular ity of these free shows attests their advertising value.
 Those in charge of the publicity bureaus of holiday resorts are among thes latest users of models as a supplement to their advertising literature The nest per feet model of this kind has recently been constructed for favorite seaside resort in the north of England, and is now on view in London. It is difficult to believe that this really wonderful replica is al- most entirely constructed of thin card board, and the labor of building it up may be realized from the fact that over a quarter of a million cuts with knife were made, besides the work of the scenic artist, who supplied the pack ground and the sky. Each of the two piers is composed of over 1o,o00 separate pieces, and realism Is carried to such an extent that the rust stains from the rain water pipes on the promenade are repro duced. Every building is an exact replica of the original, while a tiny B1eriot mono- plane is suspended in the foreground from an invisible thread. When the model is electrically illuminated at night its real- ism is even more conyincing since the lighting in every building is contrived to produce the same effect as that given by the particular system of gas or electric light employed in the real structure This model, which may be said to represent the high water mark of the modeller's art, occupied the entire time of two men, working almost flight and day, for sey- eral months.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-08-27
Well, Congress did finally adjourn.
LIPTON'S MOTTO

There Is one motto." says Sir Thomas Lipton in the September Strand, which l would like to impress upon every young man in business-'There is no fun like work l always keep this motto before me. or course, after man has won the game he set out to win, after he has sue ceeded in life, he can do what he likes. But while he Is working. work ought to be all his life. It ought to be work and play. too I have often worked IS hours day. and enjoyed every minute. If man is constantly looking at the clock, the spirit of success which is lowering over that man will soon take wing and fly away. There is no fun like work"