davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-11-14
Secret of Turkish Failure

Officers of the general staff at
Washington who had served as mill
tary attaches in the Balkan countries
agree in putting the responsibility fol-
defeat on the Young Turks. When
they brought Mohammed V into pow
er after deposing Abdul Hamid they
turned their chief attention from
preparation against war to schemes
of internal improvement. They wanted
more progress in material sense
and the large appropriations that Alb
dull Hamid had annually spent or
preparations for war were largely
cut off.
The schools for officers were closed
and the German instructors were dis.
missed. No new guns were purchased
and little or no ammunition for the
old guns. The Turkish officers edu.
Gated in the German schools were
driven off, and ohe-third of the army
was discharged. Most of all, no effort
seems to have been made TO ascertain
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-11-14
North and South at Arlington

There certainly is hope that section
alism will die out in this broad land.
The people of the two sections met in
the Arlington National cemetery near
Washington and there they laid the
foundation for great monument to
the Confederate dead. Hilary A. Her.
bert laid the corner stone and William
Jennings Bryan delivered dedica-
tory grafton. Corporal James Tanner
of the Grand Army of the Republic
pleaded, too, for the eradication of
sectionalism from the land. Colonel
Herbert declared that the era not only
for honors to the dead but for justice
to the motives and patriotism of both
Union and Confederate soldiers had
set in. Among those present grouped
about the corner stone was Miss Mary
Lee, daughter of Robert E. Lee.
The monument will be erected in
the center of the Confederate section
of the cemetery. This section contains
the graves of the Confederate soldiers
brought there from out-of- the-way
graveyards and prison cemeteries
throughout the country. In all the
preparations for the laying of the
corner stone the war department CO.
operated with the Daughters of the
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-11-14
aHowLERsn OF NOTED WRITER'S

From the Boston Herald.
La Revue Paris) is publishing series
of howlers and those of lights in litera-
ture. not those of schoolbeys. Theirs
wrote: Throughout the day torrents of
rain poured down and 5000 Austrians bit
the dust" The distinguished lawyer,
Troplonga proclaimed that, in the midst
OF many erumbling institutions that OF
property stands erect on its feet, seated
upon justice"
The critic Sarcey slipped more than
once: ION his helmet waves missing
plume" is equaed only by 'In the tones
of Mile. Ugaldo one recognizes her moth
er's familiar hand.' And what is to be
thought of NJ. Toussenel, journalist, nat
uralist, historian? He is guilty of this:
THE English and Russian nations. the
two greatest powers in the world, are
precisely those in which the man makes
the greatest efforts to resemble the wom-
an; the Englishman by shaving himself
daily the Russian by putting out his
chest"
When Flaubert was at work on "Bou-
ward ct Pechuchet" he made three vol
umes of notes, foolish quotations from
more or less celebrated writer's There
are delightful examples taken from these
notebooks in Maupassant's preface to
Letters de Flaubert a George Sand"
Here are two from Bernardin de Saint
Pierre:
"F'less leap on anything white, wherever
they may be. This instinct was given to
them so that we can catch them more
easily"
1.-The melon has been divided by nature
into slices so that it can be eaten in the
family. The pumpkin, being bigger. can
be eaten with the neighbors.
1t was the Emperor Louis Napoleon
who said in 1865: 1.-THE wealth of coun-
try depends on the general prosperity"
and the bishop of Metz declared in 1916
that the foundations of the Loire were
"due to excesses of the press and the
nonobseryance of Sunday"
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-11-14
confederacy. President Taft was pres

Confederacy. President Taft was pres
emit, and he, too, appealed for an
elimination of all sectional feeling.
He almost welcomed democratic adj
ministration because it would do
much toward making the south feel
that it is part of this country.
The laying Of the corner stone of a
monument that is, to use Mr.. Bryan's
words, ITO be emblematic of our ma
tons unity of aim and purpose" and
the warm reception accorded to the
Daughters of the Confederacy on
every hand in Washington, are
destined to do much toward bringing
about true community of feeling be-
tween the north and the south.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-11-14
County Affairs Again Discussed


DR.. H. N. Rosser, health officer of
Jefferson county, presents a special
report on the county's almshouse and
Jail. This report should be carefully
read by every citizen of the county.
His conclusions concerning the aims
house are brief and to the point, as
follows:
81. There should be erected new
almshouse.
"2. The present one for prudential
reasons should not be repaired.
"3. The inmates are kindly treated
and adequately fed.
"a. The institution as now consti-
tuted is well cared for by an efficient
corps of managers"
He condemns the Jail unreservedly
1t is too small, and the county should
construct "a more modern building
and of larger size" But the county is
estopped from erecting such build
ing unil two years have elapsed from
the last referendum on that subject
and the tiding over of that period viii
inevitably rise up in one form or an.
other before the board of revenue.
Could the county get rid of the fee
system at once the Jail problem coulc
perhaps wait without special actor
until the two years had elapsed, but
there is small prospect of any neal
relief from that system.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-11-14

whatever, and not less than six will be
in similar condition within two years.
The whole number of motor vehicles now
used by the New York department stores
is estimated at 700, with SIS in Manhattan
and It's in Brooklyn and other boroughs.
OF these approximately go are eleetries'
the rest, 40, gasoline. At the same time,
about 5000 horses are still in use hauling
1900 wagons. Some OF these will never be
replaced, but approximately half OF them
will, making place with the natural
growth of the business for, about iVoo
more trucks in the next five years.
Some idea of the extent of area served
and magnitude of the general PROPOSE
ton of large department store delivery
may be gained from description OF
several of them. One firm covers all
places south as far as Lakewood and
Point Pleasant, N. j.; as far west as
straight line north and south through
Boonton, Parsippany, Summit ana ran
wood, N j.; as far east as Woodbury.
and Oyster Bay, Long Island, and SIAM
ford. Conn, and as far north as Wnite
Plains, Elmsford and Pearl River y.
Y, and Ramsey, N. ].
This makes an area 80 miles wide by
e5 miles long, out of which the ocean
cuts a corner approximately % by 80
miles. These figures give a resulting land
area covered of $500 square miles In
round figures; that is, half as big as the
entire state of Connecticut.
To cover this area in anything like a
proper manner requires organization and
we'll thought out plan. There are near
ly 20 depots or sub-stations, the number
varying with the character of the service.
These are supplied by big three and five
ton gasoline trucks, which make the long
runs at night and in some cases during
the day.
From the sub-stations radiate the &C
tual deliveries by electric automobile
when the distance Is long and by horse
when it is short. The majority Of retail
deliveries in New York city are made
from the main store, the Long Island
City and coney Island depots by means
of light electrcs. These have radius
up to 80 and 40 miles a day, whereas the
best the horse can do is 10 to Is. with y
as a maximum of Isolated country deliv-
cry
Cost figures are more or less difficult
to handle, but it may be stated that gen
orally speaking the one ton truck will do
so miles q day at total ton mile cost of
20 cents, or IS a day, while one horse
wagon will cost 81 day and do but %
miles (maximum), making the ton mile
cost Se cents Moreover. these figures
show that in mileage covered the former
is equal to S.6S, or since a horse cannot
be divided, four one horse outfits, which
at the "a a day figure would amount to
si6 a day. Hence the motor shows a saw
ing of about s12 day on equal mileage
requirements.
However, cost alone Is not the deciding
factor in the department stores gradual
but very certain adoption Of motor
trucks, that is its quickness of action,
allowing of rapid delivery, or as it is
usually termed. more prompt service, an
extension of available territory and a
lowered cost being the secondary decid-
ing factors.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-11-14

what the Bulgarians and Servians
were conspiring to do.
When the clash came last month
the allies were ready for it and the
Turks were not, and they lack today
ammunition, modern guns and sup
plies Of other sorts. They are simply
in a hopeless condition, and nothing
can keep them longer in Europe ex-
cept possibly the schemes and greed
of Austria Hungary, and the green
eyed monster among the powers may
prevent even that.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-11-14
Detroit Free Press.

Detroit Free Press.
what, new Panama."
Yes"
How much did you pay for that?"
"Seven-fifty''
"Seven-tifty for straw hat? Why.
the papers are full of advertisements for
straw hats that you can get for 81. And
they're good straw hats, toe"
But l can wear this hat for several
years"
You men are the siliest things about
styles. You'll pay seven-ffty for Pan
anna hat when you can get perfectly
splendid straw for So. Why don't you
practice some of the economy you talk
about so much?'
How much did you pay for your new
summer hate" he asked feeby.
II want you TO understand that / saved
81 on my hat. 1t was $685. but l stood
and argued with the proprietor until he
let me have it for s31.''
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-11-14

A Birmingham musician now in the east
recently heard the Philharmonic orchestra
of New York, Josef Stransky conductor.
and writes thus: II should say that it
compares TO the Boston symphony as a
good design executed in yarns with aniline
dyes would compare with the same pat
tern in an old Persian rug with all its
softness and beauty of tint and texture.
"Stransky makes lot of fuss trying
to get his effects, and jumps around and
shakes his fists, while Frederick Stock of
the Theodore Thomas orchestra and DR..
Muck of the Boston symphony get their
fine results coupled with SO much dignity
and repose that it makes the athletic con-
ductor-al of them--look foolish
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-11-14
THE coNauERoR WORM

By Edgar Allan Poe
10! tbs a gala night
Within the lonesome latter years
An angel throng, bewinged, bedight
IN wells, and drowned in tears,
SIT In theatre to see
A play of hopes and fears,
While the orchestra breathes ftfully.
The music of the spheres.
Mines. in the form of God on high,
Mutter and humble low
And fither and thither fly;
Mere puppets they, who come and go
At bidding of vast formless things
That shift the scenery to and fro,
Flapping from out their condor wings
Invisible woe.
That motley drama--oh, be sure
1t shall not be forgot! s
With its phantom chased forevermore
BY a crowd that seize 1t not.
Through a circle that ever returneth in
To the self same spot;
And much of madness, and more of sin.
And horror the soul of the plot.
But see amid the mimic rout
A crawling shape intrude:
A, blood red thing that writhes from out
The scenic solitude!
1t writhes-it writhes-with mortal pang1
And seraphs sob at vermin fangs
In human gore imbued.
Out-are the 1ights-out all.
And over each auivering form
The curtain, funeral pail,
Comes down with rush OF . storm,
While. the angels all pqllid and wan.
Uprising. unwilling, affirm
That the play is the tragedy, Man.
And ~ here, the CenQusror WorR
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-11-14
THE coLONELs CALMNEss

From the Popular Magazine.
This is brand new piece of infor-
nation. Everybody who reads it will
appreciate it, because 1t destroys a fall
lacy, obliterates mistake and annihlates
a delusion-all of which is fine perform
ance in ruination.
Col. Theodore Roosevelt never got ex-
cited in all his life. The poetic quiet of
a summes night, the dewy stiffness of a
June dawn, the Swallowed hush of twi-
light, all these things are tornadoes,
tempests, and hurricanes compared with
the atmosphere of contemplative quiet
which necessarily surrounds this states
man. If you don't believe it, he will tell
you so himself.
Last June, wheDhe was at the Chicago
convention, waving a bandanna in the
air and fighting like II wildcats, a news
paper man asked him late one evening:
Colonel, are you excited about this
situation?"
MY dear boy replied the colonel
smiling benighnly 'you know l have al
ways been famous for that craterlilSe calm
which is my chief characteristic"
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-11-14
DEPARTMENT STORE MOTORS
From the Scientific American.

There are said to be 400 department.
stores in the United States. of which
New York city possesses not less than 10
per cent and probably more, Manhattan
alone being credited with 90, while good
many of the largest are classified as dry
goods stores. These serve not less than
100000 people
TO do this it has been necessary in the
past to maintain enormous stables of
horses, with tremendous proportion OF
reserve horses in order to take care OF all
emergencies With the coming OF the
motor truck this has been changed ma
terially.
-Four large firms are using no horses
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-11-14
Business Conditions !.

ct was generally predicted that pros
perity would not slump as a result of
democratic victory. and that prediction
has been borne out in fact said Charles
w. Gayle of Chicago. Business condi-
tons, looked at from a large point of
view, could not we'll be better. We have
had prosperity practically all this year,
and we will have it. l believe, all next
year. | voted for Roosevelt, but feel
that Wilson will make as high class a
President
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-11-14
RESTRICTIONS OF A BACHELOR

From the New York Press.
Dreaming millions makes II all the
harder to get dollars.
man gets afraid to ruin his stomach
after it has happened.
When a mans family spends all his
money. he'd do it anyhow If they don't.
1t seems as If the way a woman judges
her daughter wouldn't iirt is she always
did when she was that age.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-11-14

From the New York World.
"Finnegan gave it to me- is the latest
catch phrase which all New York is re-
peating. 1t is a by-product of the famous
Becker Rosenthal murder trial.
where did you get the cigar"
''Finnegan gave it to me-"
"Wshere did you get the black eyer"
'Finnegan gave 1t to me-"
When Becker was asked where he got
money alleged to have been the product
of police graft he told reporters that John
Finnegan gave $4,000 to Mrs Becker
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-11-14

From the New YORK Sun.
Little difficulties of pronunciation will
be worrying most people as. the war goes
on, and they want to talk about 1t. A
few early hints may be1useful. Here is
list which Savonc scholar says may
be relied on:
Cettinje-
{ Scutari-Skoo-ta-ri
Uskub-Oos-kyub
Saoniki-Sa-lo-nic-a.
Branje-Bra-neyeh
Tirnovo-Teer-no-vo.
Observation-Disclosures
Observation-Disclosures
Mitrovitza-M it-ro-vitza
Constantinopie in Russian and Bulgarian
is Czargrad, which means Emperor
Town.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-11-14

ness was to destroy what lay in front of
them, to bayonet in the back those who
passed over them and, dying. to drag
down the slayer till he could be knocked
on the head by some avenging gun butt
There was a rush from without, the
short hough-hough of the stabblng spears
and man on horse, followed by some
80 or 10 others, dashed through yelling
and hacking. The right flank of the
square sucked in after them and the other
sides sent help.
The wounded, who knew that they had
but few hours to live, caught at the
enemy's feet and brought them down, or
staggering to a discarded rife. fred blind
ly into the scuffle that ragged in the
center of the square.
Dick was conscious that somebody had
cut him violently across the helmet; that
he had fred his revolver into a black,
foam fecked face which forthwith ceased
to bear any resemblance to face and
that Torpenhow had gone down under an
Arab whom he had tried to collar low
and was turning over with his captive,
feeling for the mans eyes. The doctor
jabbed at q venture with a bayonet, and
helpless soldier fired over Dicks shout
der. The flying grains of powder stung
his check. 1t was to Torpenhow that Dick
turned by instinct. He had shaken him
self clear of his enemy and rose, wiping
his thumb on his trousers.
The Arab. both hands to his forehead,
screamed aloud, then snatched up a spear
and rushed at Torpenhow who was pant
ing under shelter of Dicks revolver. Dick
fired twice and the man dropped Imply.
His upturned face lacked one eye.
The musketry fire redoubled, but cheers
mingled with It. The rush had failed and
the enemy was flying. If the heart of the
square were shambles, the ground be-
yond was butchers shop. The remnant
of the enemy-were retiring as the few--the
very few-English cavalry rode them
down
Throughout that night. when the troops
were eneamped by the whale boats,
black figure danced in the strong moon
light on the sand bar and shouted that
Khartoum, the accursed one, was dead
was dead--was dead; that two steamers
were rock staked on the Nile outside the
city, and that out of all their crews there
remained not one; and Khartoum was
dead-was dead-was dead.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-11-14

AT BAY.
Silent the Moslem awaits the foe,
There where the ulnarets redly glow,
Grinly he arms for the final fight,
Penned in the city of coming night.
Centuries watching unro1l the past
Back TO the time when the Moslem blast
Ragged thro' the land in a wall of flame,
Making a scourge of the Prophets name.
Now in the haven beside the straits
Fate is shaking the rotting gates.
There in the city of coming night
Crouches the Turk for the final fight.
Cleveland Plain Dealer.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-11-14
LIVES OF SINGERS

From 1.-THE Soul of a Tenor by w. J..
Henderson. Henry Holt & Co., New
York.
An opera company Is one of the most
peculiar of human institutions. It is
pushing, .eager suspicious community
in which the largest Of human passions
and the meanest of human jeaiousies
joste and elbow one another at all hours
and in all circumstances. There are
castles and there are iron gates through
which the lower may not pass to the
higher.
Away up in that binding glare of that
sun of publicity which rises with the
morning paper and sets only with the last
edition of the evening, dwell the royal
ties of the opera realm, those mighty
Processes and princes whose number OF
appearances are guaranteed for the sea-
son and who do not receive salaries but
cacfiets. often rising to the proud pro-
portions OF four figures.
These masters do not dine in little Ital-
ian restaurants. The most palatial hotels
provide them with gorgeous apartments.
armies OIL idSkCgs dii0 ioot 49, ANN@~'-
titles. Some of them even set up their
private domciles for the season and dis
play at least the outward semblance of
social dignity equal to that of their
employers.
Little Italian restaurants are for sing
ers who accept salaries, who humbly take
so much a month and sing as often as
the merciless impresario wishes.
And there are other lines of distinc-
ton, moral rather than financial, among
the citizens of opera land. There is, for
instance, the company Of undressing
women. Some OF them have husbands
whom they love and do not divorce.
These women bear children and rear them
with tenderness and intelligence. Also
among the uninteresting women are those
honest and ambitious beginners, who
| foolishly worship before the altar of the
chaste Diana, refusing the helping mas
culne hands readily proffered to them at
| 60 small a cost as a transfer OF their
0evotion to different goddess
| These vestals remain in the gloom of
minor roles and YEARLY wend their WAYS
through season after season with pain
fully slow progress toward the glories
Of the realm.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-11-14

Governor Hsdley and Senators Cum
minis and Kenyon of Iowa have just held
a conference, and it is said they will COM
bat any effort on the part of Senators
Root, Lodge and Penrose to regain control
of the grand old party. Thesreactionaries
and the progressives of that party have a
battle to fight
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-11-14

Senator Rayner is seriously Ill at his
apartments In Washington. 1t is thought
bis breakdown was precipitated by the de-
bate between himself and Bourke Cock
ran. Specialists are being consulted.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-11-14

1t is said that Senator Bailey has sent
his resignation to Governor Colquitt, and
will be appointed to fill tie vacancy.
Morris Sheppard of Texarkana is to fill
the seat after March by virtue of vic
tory in the urinary
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-11-14
A FIGHT IN THE DESERT

From 1.-THE Light That Failed" by Rud-
yard Kipling.
TyHERE was no need for any order,
The men flung themselves painting
l. against the sides of the square, for
they had good reason to know that who
was left outside when the fighting began
would very probably die in an extremely
unpleasant fashion. The little $50 pound
camel guns posted at one corner of the
square opened the ball as the square
moved forward by its right to get possess
sion of knoll of rising ground. All had
fought in this manner many times before,
and there was no novelty in the enter
tainment.
Always the same hot and sitting forma-
ton, the small of dust and leather. the
same belt like rush of the enemy, the
same pressure on the weakest side, the
few minutes of hand to hand scuffle,
broken only by the yells of those whom
the cavalry attempted to pursue.
They had become careless. The camel
guns spoke at intervals and the square
slouched forward amid the protesting of
the camels. Then came the attack of 5000
men who had not learned from books that
it is impossible for troops in close order
to attack against breechloading fire.
A few dropping shots heralded their ap-
proach, and a few horsemen led, but the
bulk of the force was naked humanity,
mad with rage and armed with the spear
and the sword. The instinct of the desert
where there is always such war. told
them that the right flank of the square
was weakest, for they swung clear of
the front
The camel guns shelled them as they
passed and opened for an instant lanes
like those quick closing vistas in a Ken
fish hop garden seen when the train races
by at full speed. The infantry dropped
them in close packed hundreds. No civ
ilized troops in the world could have en-
dured the hell through which they came,
the living leaping high to avoid the dying,
who clutched at their heels. the wounded
cursing and staggering forward till they
fell-a torrent black as the sliding water
above a mill dam-ful on the right flank
of the square.
There was no semblance of any con-
certed fighting. For aught the men knew
the enemy might be attempting all four
sides of the square at once. Their bust