davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-10

things under the head of Require ments for Admission" these remarks:
 The examination in English will be as far as possible test of the candidates ability to express himself in writing in a manner at once clear and accurate, and of his power to dis tinguish in a broad sense literary values-the qualities which mark a work as being literature.4 The exam ination consists of two parts, which, however, may not be taken separately.
 "The candidate will be required to write upon subjects familiar to him. His composition should be correct in spelling, punctuation, grammar, idiom, and formation of paragraphs, and should be plain and natural in style. He will be judged by how well he writes rather than by how much he writes.
 lie CdluludIC ID iCduilOd Oo hof V some acquaintance with good litera- ture.'
 Thus it is seen that the young man intending to enter upon career Of specialized engineering must prepare himself as thoroughly as one who seeks admission to the United States Military academy at West Point. A good academic education is essential. In all the schools of technology there are stiff courses in literature, but the student hardly has time to do more than pursue his scientific studies. The only sensible way, therefore, is to get good deal of the cultural side be- fore entering a technological institu- finn
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-10
Oil Supplanting Coal at Sea

Congressman Ayres of New York is urging Congress to investigate the Diesel oil engine and other oil motors with view to finding one for eco- nomical use in naval vessels of the United States.
 This country is tagging in this mat ter, although our supplies of oil are apparently inexhaustibie. The Ger mans have put Diesel engine in a battleship cruiser, and Great Britain has adopted the Diesel for her new destroyers. It is said that the knipp Shipbuilding concern has spent more than S1 ,000,0 in experimenting with the Diesel motor and has succeeded so well in producing a satisfactory type that they have abandoned the manu- fracture of reciprocating steam engines and now construct only turbines and the Diesel. Some well informed engi- neers think that oil motors will soon displace steam altogether for driving vessels.
 If vessels at sea are to be driven by
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-10
TOYS THAT ONCE BROUGHT JOY

never saw another pair like them. You remember Theodore-the son of Tobias MilSkelson, who was first called Theodore Tobiasson and later in deferenoe to Amer ican methods was called Theodore Milk kelson-Theodore traded those rocker skates to brother for an old jackknife Those skates would be worth lot todaE to some museum How I did want pair of club skates. I have half mind to get a pair now and to order a wagon and wheelbarrow, too, and send the lot home. They could be kept in the basement, or even in my den, and whenever I looked over 1 might fancy the desires of boy, hood had been gratified. But no, could never explain to the wife, and if she didn't think I had gone daft she would laugh.
 Two small boys approached the window. The man acted on the impulse of the mo- ment He would listen to the wishes these boys would express and in trying to fill their wants hope to find the joy denied him in his youth.
 Gee! that's bum lot of things to have for feller's Christmas" said the first boy. q wouldn't have no wagon like that I want 'lectric railway"
 q don't want nothin.," said the other, "'ness it's a aryplane."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-10
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
The nnsiness ontIooI<

"Thes United States supreme courts decision dissolving the Hartman mer- ger of the Union Pacific and the south ern Pacific has had a bearish effect on the stock market, but I do not think that general business will be retard- ed by it. said J. s. Farley Of Phil adelphia. we have had business hoom, certainly a great industrial boom for the past six months and I am inclined to think that business conditions will remain sound for some time to come.
 Tariff revision may cause certain lines of business to sag during the extra session of Congress, but l feel confident that after the tariff is revised we will have high degree of prosperity from one end of the country to the other. We are sure to have good business next summer if the crops are anything like as big as they were this year"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-10
WORKING TWENTY HOURS

Elizabeth Towne in December Nautilus.
 Don't try to emulate Thomas Edison in working 20 hours out of the 24. His % hours work is surely broken up by many changes. No human being can habitual- ly work 24 hours steadily at one kind of work. You will find Edison reading, resting, playing, watching experiments, rowing about-all these things and more make up that % hours work of his The days work of an inventor. master of his own time and of the services of thou sand persons, is not suitable pattern for emulation. He is the only one of his kind You are different kind. If you need more sleep, take it. If you are tired after four hours work, change the form of your activity to rest yourself
 Don't try working too long for second wind And having found it. don't work too long on second wind Don't follow William James across to many fatigue barriers. or you will find yourself follow ing him out into the unknown where there are no fatigue barriers. presumably. Use little gumption about your hours Of work and see that they are balanced with hours of active physical play and plenty of hours of sound sleep.
 Fatigue is natures sure indication that some change of activity is advisable. To occasionally pass a fatigue barrier is a good thing. But to make habit of passing fatigue carriers puts too great a strain on the human organism; and the result is degeneration of the tissues.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-10
National Budgets in This Country

Other countries have budgets, nota- bly, Great Britain, and it is argued that Uncle Sam should have one also. But it is going to be difficult to say just how the change is to be accom- plished in this country.
 It would be easy on the part of the executive branch of the government to make up a budget for the coming fiscal year. This could be done with out difficulty and without change of any sort-but what then?
 Some say the House should have a budget committee-possibly the ways and means committee-to make up at the outset of the session a budget based to some extent on the executive budget. This official legislative budget would bind the party dominating the House to keep within its total. The various appropriations committees could then proceed to allot the sums named respectively by the budget com mittee.
 Under this plan the House would not be controlled by a budget from the executive department. The House must, under the federal constitution, be left free to allot government ex- penditures as it sees fit, but there never can be real all around economy when a dozen committees are each charged with the duty of determining government expenditures. Until the House determines through a budget committee the full size of the appro- priations it will make for the fiscal year there will be lack of method in government appropriations.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-10
Interstate Roads to Be Appraised

The House unanimously passed the Adamson bill empowering the inter state commerce commission to make a physical valuation of the property of interstate railroads and other common carriers, together with statement of their stock and bond issues.
 This is a far-reaching measure, for it looks to the establishment of rates based, not on water, but on actual values. The Mann amendment pro- vides that the investigations by the interstate commerce's experts shall "cover, so far as practicable, ques- tions pertaining to the issuance of stocks and bonds by common carrier corporations, subject to the provisions of this act, and the power of Congress to regulate or affect the same, and particularly methods to prevent the issuance of stocks and bonds by such corporations without full value being received therefor"
 The bill goes to the Senate indorsed by a unanimous vote in the House, and if it becomes law the entire sub ject of stock watering will be uncov- cred officially. It is difficult to see how any senator can consistently, with justice and fair play to the consumers, vote against it, and it may pass the Senate unanimously also. And then again it may be pigeonholed by some old-time standpat boss in the Senate and never be heard from. In the lat ter case it will reappear early in the Sixty-third ConpreSs
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-10
WHEN IRVING MET BERNHARDT

From the Washington Times.
 It is related by an American man who was Sarah Bernhardt's escort to the London Lyceum theatre the first time the Frenchwoman saw Irving, that the
 English actor sent an invitation to the actress begging her to take supper with him after the performance. in the famous Beefsteak rooms of the Lyceum.
 It was the first meeting of the two
 great players. Sarah spoke no English, Irving no French. Nevertheless they discussed art and showered each other with compliments until nearly o'clock in the morning, Sarah's American es- cort, a ready linguist, acting as in- terpreter.
 This is fair example of how Irving spent his nights-and he paid the price Mir. Sothern and Miss Marlowe, with
 their yearly tours of 40 weeks, and each with eight exacting Shakespear- can roles to play very wisely refrain from burning the candle at both ends.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-10
MISTAKES IN TELEGRAMs

From Tit-Bits.
 Although according to most telegra- phists, a telegraphist's life is not happy one, there are certainly times when the saving grace of humor banishes for a few moments the dreary monotony of 'key pushing"
 These little humorous interudes gener- ally arise from errors in telegrams; for, although the British telegraph service is the best and most accurate in the world, even British telegraphists are but human It must be understood, of course, that many of these errors are detected in transmission, and rectified before the mes sage is delivered.
 For instance, a person receiving a wire Lizzie got a fire box Come at once, " would no doubt be very mystified. For tunately the message was queried in transmission, and the resultant Lizzie got fine boy. Come at once proved to be quite satisfactory to the recipient Similarly, cookie ana cater works Is very different message to 'cycle and motor works" and also Send trousers iiitC 0teiitd et ftlN hisaAi9AeSNS-S
 stitute for Send trousers time stated"
 Most of these errors are caused through bad spacing of the Morse dots and dashes, and also faulty wires are very conducive to mistakes. The following is a good ex- ample of faulty spacing. Just about the time MT. Balfour retired from the leader ship of the conservative party a tele- graphist was receiving some press work in which occurred the phrase "(Mr. Bal four)" Now, brackets are signalled "kk'' before and after the word contained in them Through bad spacing, however, the words were received "Ta-ta, MT. Balfour. Ta-ta," result obtained by splitting up the "kll'' badly. It was fitting joke.
 Another funny mistaxe was that of telegraphst who got bowling paralysis" for bowling anlysis' in a cricket mes sage. Also the error a goddess game re- suited instead of "a goalless game re- sulted,' is somewhat remarkable.
 When Florence Nightingale was buried one of the hymns sung was "Onward. Christian Soldiers but unfortunately mistake occurred in the transmission of a certain message, and the result was, Onward Christian Solicitors"
 Then St Peters and Crockies' is not much like Starters and Jockeys yet the former was receiv Il for the latter. But nearly all these pale before the fol- lowing A message was received, Come at cnce if you wish to see baby arrive. !" It should have been, Come at once if you wish to see baby alive"
 Again, a man who wired to his fishmon- ger, "Send one cut salmon" would not expect to find that the message had reached it's destination, "Send one cwt. salmon" But it did. Then Two sta tionmasters collided in mid ocean" is a very mysterious affair, but two steam CTS collided in mid ocean" an all too com mon disaster.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-10
High Priced Christina. Market

"The Christmas market is somewhat
 higher than last year" said c. c, Hoop CT, the cafe man.
 Turkeys are somewhat higher and I understand that q still further ad- vance is expected Eggs are 33 cents a dozen wholesale Beef is as high as
 ever and pork has advanced in price. Celery is higher than ever-s5 per
 crate. Cranberries are some cheaper
 than last year and so are apples and
 oranges. Potatoes are lower in price;
 and the Florida stock of vegetables is
 about the same, with an excellent sup ply of good stuff Fish and oysters re-
 main about the same year in and year out"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-10
Urban Districts

"In travelling in different parts of the country 1 meet men on the trains who discuss the relative growth of various cities but I have never come across any one who had seen a bulletin of the census bureau, based on the cen sus of 1910, in which facts were tabu-
 lated regarding the population of urban districts said a business man. ? Tt Is one of the most interesting and instruc- tive of all the many bulletins
 "All cities credited with d population of 100000 and upwards are classified under the head of Cities and Their Suburbs
 In the table of cities of 100000 to 100000 inha bitants is shown the population with in the city proper, the population of other civil divisions which lie within 10
 miles of the city boundary and the com- | bined population of the city and such
 adjacent territory.
 Tn addition to New Orleans the south- ern cities which make a large showing are Birmingham, Atlanta, Memphis and Nashville. Birmingham as an urban c.n- ter shows a consolidated population of 211 96l. These figures are made up of two lteMS-ln the Clly proper, 10z,ooo dliu oul- side the city proper, 79,276. Atlanta comes next with a consolidated population inside the city proper and outside the city proper of POS, S,2S4-in round numbers. 1000 less than Birmingham's urban center population. Memphis urban center Lopu- lation is stated at 175, 1S3; Richmond 5 urban center population at 16s,S54; Nash villes urban center population at i50,s10
 Tn the same table is presented the area in acres. Birmingham, inside the city limits, has 3OSs1.2 acres; outside the city proper, 424,45S.2; Atlanta has inside the city. 16.42S acres; outside the city, 3iS, ,2s5.2 acres; Memphis has l1,760.9 acres inside the city. and 363,2 ,26O.9 acres outside
 the city Richmond is the most compact in area, having inside the city only 6,5SS acres.
 "In mileage extent Birmingham inside the city has exactly 50 square miles, ai- though in some unofficially estimated fig ures it is put down at AS square miles, Atlanta has 26 square miles, and Mem- phis has only 19-inside the city"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-10
Technical Education

Standards in most branches of edu- cation have been raised materially within the past few years. In techni- cal education the advance has been especially marked. The progress of civilization has been accompanied by great extension of the industrial world and commercial rivalry between nations has led to wonderful develop ment in applied science to the material work of life.
 The technically educated man has been in demand for some years and he will be more and more in demand in the years to come. Men now living can remember when specialized engi- neering and wide specialization in ap- piled chemistry were little heard of. The civil engineer has long been in evidence and the civil engineers of the past were, as are those of today, men of broad education. Civil engineers have always been not only scientific men but they have been men of the widest culture; and from the profes- sion of civil engineering has grown mechanical and mining engineering and, in the recent years, electrical and chemical engineering.
 The mechanical engineer, so impor- tant in the development of modern industry, dates back to about the mid dle of the last century. At first only the largest concerns employed me chanical engineer but so indispensable has he become, from an economic point of view, that today no we'll regulated machine shop is without a man who knows how to apply mathe- nlatics to mechanics; knows the theory as well as the practice of shop work.
 In view of the ever increasing i'm portance of technical education the requirements tOT duilllSSlOU to lllSl class schools of technology become more exacting. It has been so at the Alabama Polytechnic institute at Au- burn, and in the engineering depart ment of the University of Alabama The Massachusetts Institute of Tech nology. familiarly known as the Bos- ton Tech, and Cornell university which has one of the best engineering schools in this country, stress the necessity of good English education as foundation.
 The old idea that technical educa tion meant proficiency in certain branches only has long since been ex ploded. In the annual catalog issued by the Massachusetts Institute ol Technology is printed, among other
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-10
SUNDAY SCHOOL HUMOR

From Cassell's Saturday Journal.
 The Sunday school is not exactly the place one would look for humor bu' the following story, vouched for by the teacher, has it's amusing side.
 Recently, in a Sunday school class repeated the text, Arise, and take tho young child and his mother and Hes into Egypt and then l showed the children a large picture that illustrated the text in bringht colors. The child
 ren studied this picture eagerly Ther they all frowned and looked rather dis lappointed. Finally little girl asked
 Teacher, where is the ilea7"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-10
ENCOURAGE THE GIRLS

From the Huntsville Mercury Banner.
 The girls tomato clubs in the State this year were such a decided success in the fourteen counties organized that Mrs Robinson of Auburn, who organ zed the clubs is already making plans for new campaign.
 Under the state law the board of com missioners of each county have right to appropriate $50 annually for the work. This is supplemented by $50 from the gov ernment which makes it possible to en- ploy a field agent in the organized coun- ties for three months during the year. Mrs. Robinson is now looking after these appropriations in the various counties to see that boards are as liberal as they were last wear.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-10
A Practice Condemned

q read an editorial in a New York paper recently headed Christmas Blackmall,' in which the practice preva lent in all cities of holding up men in public life and especially men holding official positions, for chances in this or that contest for church or charity was exposed and condemned" said an old politician.
 q believe in helping religious and charitable institutions and l myself do so as far as my means will allow, but think the hold-up practice should be condemned. As Christmas approaches hardly d day passes that county and city officials are not called upon to buy a chance in some contest. The candi- date for watch or ring or piano or bed stead or what-not is unknown to the offieeholder solicited and it is a gross imposition when he IS pressed to buy a chance
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-10
SIMON GEAR.

Each time his little wife would frown
 The world seemed dark to Simon Gear; In spirit was so cast down
 He'd often shed a bitter tear No doubt you think it rather strange
 A married man should act that way, But Mrs. G. kept all the change And when she answered Simon nav He lacked the wherewithal to buy
 Cigars to smoke and drinks a few: And now you know the reason why
 His heart was sometimes filled with rue.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-10
OIeomnrgarine and Butter

T have been much interested in the exchange of opinions between two or three cores pond ents who have debated ! the cotton seed and oleomargarine question in The Age Herald columns" said citizen, formerly engaged in the cotton business,
 "As to the cotton seed proposition, know that the mills, by concerted ac- tion, have fixed the price. l also know that, whereas the present crop supply is at least 100000 tons of seed less than last year, the price of cotton seed l is much lower than last year. The Dal- las county grand jury took notice of the price fixing and indicted the three mills at Selma
 Now as to oleomargarine and butter: ] It is useless to try to argue that any product of cotton seed oil and beef tall low is as palatable as pure butter. Also l the statement that such a fine imita tion of creamery butter can be made of so per cent of refined cotton seed oil and 20 per cent of animal fat that lthe public can not tell the difference 1 is far fetched, to draw it mildly. If the product is so excellent all in all. why seek to misbrand it. l myself can tell the difference between pure butter and cotton oil products. and also hog fat; if not at once, within a few hours, for the effects upon my digestion of cotton seed oil products, whether inn itation olive oil, lard or butter. is too pronouncedly unfavorable to argue about l can, by the palate test, tell pure butter from any adulterated prod uct with beef fat in it. even butter that 1 has been so treated. The tallow will tell the tale.
 This country has been imposed upon long enough with substitutes. In the name of fair play, l say, make the manufacturers brand their products what they really are, then, if the pub lie want them, no harm is done"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-10
INGENIOUS PRISONERS
From Tit-Bits.

fTOH lll-Dllc.
 Amongst the prisoners in the french convict settlement of New Caledonia
 were two marine engineers who not long ago received a pardon-strange as it may seem-for making daring and ingenious attempt to escape
 Living together in the same hut,
 these men were engaged for years in digging secret tunnel from their hut to the beach. At the end of the tunnel they hollowed out a chamber, in which, with pieces of drifwood and little bits of steel and iron smuggled into the hut, they fashioned boat, the metal being at first used to make tools and afterward to form bolts and rivets.
 Then with infinite pains they built an engine to propel the boat, and after llaboring nightly for seven years they lcompleted their task.
 Everything was ready except the pro- lvisioning of the vessel, when they were betrayed by fellow convict to whom
 they had confided their plan. But go impressed was the French commandant by their marvellous energy, skill and patience that he managed after year to obtain a pardon for them.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-10
STATE PRESS
A PRIVILEGE OF STARS

From the Montgomery Advertiser.
 Cincinnati actress is suing Otis Skin ner for s5,ooO damages because he pinched iier arm until she had to go to the doc tor with it. She ought to dismiss her suit and thank her stars that he didn't pull her nose instead.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-10

Mrs Nina Smith of Buffalo went to pr. Pratt in New York to have her face made beautiful. She paid him $500 and he dis figured her face so much that she has at last secured verdict against him for S1S,O00 damages.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-10
WORD TO spENDERs
the Marion Standard.

From the Marion Standard.
 Whether or not the boil weevil is to do any great amount of damage next year it is the wisest man who keeps his hand on his purse and treads the soft pedal. It is no time for extravaganza to say the least
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-10

The progressives think they cannot or ganize too soon or too thoroughly. The standpatters prefer to postpone any strengthening movement to the latest possible period.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-10
CHANGE FOR ANDY

From the Lineville Headlight
 If Andrew Carnegie dies poor he must provide for several hundred libraries yet, as well as providing pensions for the ex- Presidents. Lineville would like to have one of Andy's libraries