davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02
FRENCH TOBACCO TESTERS

From the Hamburger Nachrlcnten.
 Tn the French ministry or finance there f. class of officials whose activity IS ,ittle known to the outer world. These men are the official tobacco testers. ana they pass judgment on every Kind or 'o- hacco manufactured in France.
 They consist of a chairman and nve as sistants. and from morning to evening they have nothing to do but smoke cigars ciuarettes and pipes, in order to arrive at a, estimate of the different kinds of to- bscco submitted to them.
 It is not only the products of home in- dustry that come before them for Judg- ment but the cigars and cigarettes that are sold in France have also to make their appeal to the decision of their pal ate. and the pleasantest part Of the day work comes when it falls to their lot 10 test the high price Havana cigars sold py the state.
 The officials who undertake this difficult and resnonsible duty are ex-inspectors Of tobacco manufactories, who have passeo a certain number of years in the state service and have given proof of their cap ability for this peculiar kind of work. -rbeir bv no means light duty consists In smoking from g in the morning to in the evening. and very often it is by no means the best kinds of tobacco with which they have to deal. The injurious influence of this tobacco debauch, which produces great dryness of the mouth and throat. and might easily lead to nicotine poison- ing. they endeavor to combat by drinking great quantities of black coffee. which acts as an antdote to the effects of the nicotine imbibed. And it is only black coffee that renders 1t possible for them to distinguish between and estimate the value of the various kinds of strong to- bacco.
 The danger run by these valiant officials can best be gauged by remembering the highly poisonous character of nicotine. as brought out especially by the experience of a Croatian in the Crimean war. who. on finding a snake in wall, knocked the bowl ofr his chibouk and plunged the end into its mouth, with the result that it fell dead at his feet as stiff as a piece of iron.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02
Headed for the Conventions

Clayton D. Lee. president of the United Press associations, with headquarters in New York, was in Birmingham yesterday.
 T am making short trip through the south," said MT. Lee. T came from the east by the way of Kentucky and Ten- nessee. I am going from here to Atlanta, and from there to Knoxville. Then I shall go to Chicago to be ready for the national republican convention. A week after the republican convention shall be in Baltimore attending the democratic convention, of course
 "The south seems to be prospering greatly. I was in Birmingham less than year ago, but I notice a decided im- provement Birmingham Is an attractive city, and is much talked about through out the country"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02
UTILIZING THE MIRROR

Norman E. Macl's National Monthly.
 A dentist was filling lady patrons bacl, teeth. When he had finished with the first tooth he handed the lady hand mirror that she might see the result for herself Then he went on with his task, repeating his performance with the mirror after each tooth was filled. Finally. when the job was completed and she had handed back the mirror with thanks, he said:
 Well, Madame; how do they look to you?"
 How do what look to me7" she re- turned. ''The teeth just filed"
 ''Oh, forgot about the teethr' she ex- claimed, reaching for the hand glass.
 What did you look at each time gave you the mirror
 My hair"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02

hours. Surely one can stand such ills in order to be protected from ty- phoid fever.
 The time will come when typhoid vaccination will become as common as vaccination against smallpox. It is more valuable, more protective and more desirable, because typhoid is a disease to be dreaded far more than smallpox. Physicians should en- courage the use of typhoid vaccine. The use of it in the maneuvers on the Mexican border limited the ty- phoid disease to just one victim out of 12,00O men.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02
Tynhoid Vaccine in Baltimore

In order to reduce it's number of typhoid cases, Baltimore has decided to issue typhoid vaccine to any regis tered physician who desires to use it in his practice. Baltimore is also placing large quantities of the vac cine in the various dispensaries throughout the city, and every one who visits them on account of other ailments is urged to protect himself or herself against typhoid fever.
 The preventive kept an army of 12,O00 men on the Mexican border free from typhoid. It affords pro- tection and it leads to nothing but slight soreness of the arm and a headache and slight fever for 24
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02
Take physic, pompj
The Unequal Tax Burdens

Nothing is palmer than that ex- cessive taxation retards the business prosperity of any community.
 Jefferson county is recovering from industrial depression that began with the Wall street panic of 1907. New capital has recently been brought into the Birmingham district, and plans are being made for industrial development on large scale. But if the county tax commissioner in- creases assessments in several thous- and cases amounting to about $25,- 000,00O on top of the state tax com- missions enormous increases, the ef- feet in checking progress will be more far-reaching than can be well estimated.
 The taxpayers of Jefferson county, large and small, are aroused as they have never been before. The excess sive increases of the state tax com mission will be resisted vigorously through the proper legal channels, but the increases proposed by the county tax commissioner can be handled in very simple manner by the county board of revenue. It is within the province of the board to refuse to docket the increases. The board of revenue should exercise it's privilege; and it will doubtless do so, in response to the protests of the Chamber of Commerce committee, of which J. D. Moore is chairman, and of which Robert Jemison, E. L. Brown, Frank Nelson, IT,, and John L. Gil lespie are members.
 Equitable taxation should meet with no resistance, but it is seen that this county is already paying about 20 per cent of the taxes raised by the state. This is manifestly unfair, and now it is sought to pile up additional tax burdens. The entire community is naturally restive in view of the sit uation.
 Industrial development should be encouraged everywhere, but to carry out the policy of enormous assess ments would be like killing the goose that laid the golden egg.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02
Eight Hours a Days Work

Anything of popular nature is possible in a presidential year, and even the Senate has accepted by a vote of 40 to II the House bill ex- tending the eight-hour principle to all contracts involving labor on govern ment work. Ten of the II negative votes were cast by standpat republi- cans.
 The passage of this bill is the end of long fight conducted by the labor interests. Hereafter every govern ment contract calling for the employ ment of laborers or mechanics must contain provision that a calendar days work shall not exceed eight hours, and fine of $5 is imposed for every violation of the provision.
 The 10-hour day was made possible in this way, and the eight-hour day is now put forward favorably and it may be equally well established. The entire progressive sentiment in the Senate supported the House bill, and it will no doubt be signed by the Pres ident.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02
TESTING INTELLIGENCE OF TIsH

From Knowledge.
 There are not many precise data in regard to the intelligence of fishes Some observers say they can be trained little; others, like Edinger deny them even memory. It seems that the brain, of bony fishes in par ticular, remains at low grade. M Oxner has recently made some in- teresting observations at the Oceano- graphical Museum at Monaco with a fish called coris julis When he dis guised the hook perfectly he caught the same fish as often as he pleased. But that only proved that the dis guise was perfect and that the fish was hungry. In another set of experiments he used an equally well hidden hook, but placed a piece of red paper on the gutline a couple of inches above 1t.
 For the first week the fish remained indifferent: on the eighth, ninth. tenth and eleventh days it took the bait; on the twelfth day 1t refused the bait till the red paper was removed; on the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth days 1t refused the bait with the red paper, though 1t examined 1t carefully; on the sixteenth day and on the follow ing six days it began by snapping at the red paper, and then turning to the hook bit off the bait in small scraps without any hurry and with thous- and precautions.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02
IN HOTEL LOBBIEs
Family of Di.tinguished cIereymen


 Tn looking over the account of the graduation exercises of the General Theological seminary in New York, a well known Episcopal school for the training of its clergymen. I noticed the name of Walter O. Kinsolving," said a member of Blrmingham's Virginia colony
 Walter Kinso1ving comes of the fa- nous Kinsolving family of Virginia. He delivered one of the graduating or ations and it was said to give promise of high homiletic achievement. Young Kinsolving is the son of Bishop Kim solving of Texas, and his father pre- sided at the exercises and presented the diplomas. Bishop Kinsolving of Brazil is a brother of the Texas bishop and another brother Is the Rev. Dr. Ar thur B. Kinsolving, formerly of Brook lyn and now of St. Pauls in Balti- more, and frequently voted for for the office of bishop by diocesan conven- tions. A fourth brother is a rector of a parish in Virginia.
 "The young graduate will be ordained next Sunday and then there will be five Kinsolvings in the Episcopal ministry at one time. Such large number of ministers recalls the Beecher family. of which Lyman Beecher and his son, Henry Ward Beecher. were the distinct ly notable representatives.
 T have heard Bishop Kinsolving of Brazil and Dr. Arthur Kinsolving preach-the last named several times. They are c1ergymen of singularly fine address. Arthur Kinsolving Is one of the most brilliant preachers that I have ever heard and I have heard great many of the distinguished di- vines. Their home in Virginia was in Halifax county"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02

Marion Fairfax, the author
 \ of .The Talker," ''but I am in the unusual position of ono who has never had play rejected or, for that matter, who has ever written a play that has not been given Broadway hearing, and who hates the very thought of writing a play. It is not the process of composing, the actual work of imagining my characters and making them alive that I dread. be- cause that is creating, and one likes to create something, but the thought of the terrible days which inevitably must follow the completion of man. uscript.
 "To begin with, there are the days when the readers are going over your manuscript, which are very trying days and after it has been accepted there come the awful weeks of rehearsal, each day of which is as wearing as an opening performance is to player. The process of readJusting oneself from the ideal that one has pictured in the mind to the real, which, no mat ter how excellent the cast, is neces- sarily different-is difficult. The re- suit Is that as the time for the first night approaches I think less and less of my brain child, until on the eventful night I am actually apologetic.
 Even if the play is success and pleasant things are said about it. the publicity that must fall upon the dra- matist is distastefui. It is different with successful book. the aftermath of which seems so much more digni- fed. There is nothing I would rather do in the world than write a me novel, and yet I know l never shall have tried, but the drama seems to be my metier. I have just finished play which started out to be a novel. I had every intention of writing novel when I began, but by the time had reached the end of what l had planned
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02

From the New York Press.
 Our plans for doing things are made in cents and they come out in dollars.
 Incompetence always has an idea that few medals would make it genius.
 The devil put envy into the human equation just to make his business a sure thing.
 one comfort about general morality is that no human being ever begins to lie before being able to talk.
 Even if a girl had sense enough to make her own dresses no man would have sense enough to marry her.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02
u,vhv,x. ,u citv and County

"The road between Birmingham and Ensley built by Jefferson county, was in splendid condition when Greater Birmingham was created. but now 1t Is worn and rough" said taxpayer. T was in favor of the Greater Bir- mingham bill, which was enacted into law, but had no idea how we would suffer in the way of poor roads in- side of the city limits. hope the city commission will find some way to repair the Birming gham- Ensley thor oughfare.
 The county is making steady pro- gress in road building and 1t keeps it's roads after they are built in good repair. Legislative action and consti- tutional amendments will be necessary before Birmingham will have anything like adequate revenue to do the work expected to be done in metropolitan city. In the meantime important high ways in the outlying sections should be kept in passable condition"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02
ADRIFT WITH THE TIMES
A HAPPY CREW.

4 HAPPY CREW. The gods upon Olympus Were always feeling prime And never knew the sadness Of working overtime.
 Birmingham Age Herald. The gods upon Olympus In songs were wont to join. They never had to bother About vacation coin.
 Youngstown Telegram. The gods upon Olympus Were in a happy mood. They never were expected To live on breakfast food
 Milwaukee Sentinel
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02
WAS sHAKEsPEARE APAGAN,

From the London Chronicle.
 Canon Lyttelton, headmaster of Eton, In a sermon preached at Stratford- on- Avon, declared that Shakespeare was not Christian and asked how it was that 'one held to be the supreme interpreter ot human life completely ignored the su- preme wonder of earthly existence"
 Sir H. Beerbohm Tree, who was inter- viewed on this subject. remarked of Shakespeare;
 ''ro him 1t would have seemed a selfish creed to do good in order to obtain re- ward Was he a Christian? Why, he was in a great sense even something more Tn Dryden's undying words in 'Absalom and Achitophel,' he was
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02

New York's Cathedral of St. John the Divine is progressing. Funds are on hand to build a residence for thu dean and another for the bishop, each to cost s15o,000, and s1.o0o,0 ,00o Is to be raised to complete the nave.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02
LIKE THE STRAITS

From the Washington Star
 England and Germany spending all their cash on armaments, remind one of Mir. and Mrs. Spratt"
 The speaker was Mayor Esterbrooke of Pawtucket. He continued, with smile:
 England and Germany will arm them
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02

900 Protestants are in sympathy with the unity movement Representatives or the Greek church and Cardinal Gibbons the head of the Roman Catholic hierarchy Of the United States have expressed them selves in a friendly way to the move ment without committing themselves to any particular plan"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02

 selves to the point of bankruptcy. to the point of impotence. It will be a case of MT. and Mrs. spratt all over again.
 MT. spratt. you know. once told his smoker and Mrs. Spratt told hers very firmly that he wouldn't. Well, nonpar- tisan acquaintance. the evening of the smoker In question, dropped in at the Spratts' to see who had won out
 'The visitor found spratt and his wife fast asleep in their chairs at the dining room table. Spratt, you see, had put sleeping powder in Mrs. spratt's coffee so that he might slip away, and she had put sleeping powder in his to prevent him from doing so.'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02

Gen William Booth is now unhappily blind, but he kept his sight long enugh to see the Salvation Army become one of the greatest influences for good in the world.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02
LYMAN NATuRE-

We all have our limitations"
 Quite so. Quite so. What Is your latest philosophic conclusion?"
 "The savant who given one bone, can reconstruct a prehistoric monster. often fails at being the architect of his own fortune"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02

CLOSE FIGURING. There is a man whose tip never exceeds ten cents"
 How do you know?" 'The walters bow was so slight as to be almost imperceptible."
 AT THE CLOSE OF THE DAY. At the close of the day, When the gold and the gray Are blended and shadows are creep
 ing, We'll rest from the strife From the sorrows of life, And the toll and the heartache and
 weeping. Mid blossoms or snow, We never will know, And, sooth, we'll be little for caring, The ages around Our sleep will be sound And our souls to the stars may be
 faring! PAUL COOK.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02

The Tammany delegates to the Balti- more convention are to be quartered in sleeping ears instead of in the Balti- more hotels. Even Tammany feels the pinch of the times.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02

There is to be no Colonel New in the Chicago convention, and no Urey Wood- son in the Baltimore affair. These are changing times.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02

Ex-Vice President Fairbanks is men, tioned for permanent chairman of the Chicago convention, although Uncle Joe Cannon lives nearby.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02

The French detectives say they are on the track of Mona Lisa, but Lisa cannot displace in this country both baseball and presidential campaign.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02

The making up of a roll of dele gates for the Chicago convention may prove to be as difficult as the making of g. nomination.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02

John D. Rockefeller has shown that he can say more and tell less on a wit ness stand than any living man.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02
A REALM OF REST.

The poets sing of Lotus Land Of Lotus Land, so sweet and fair; No troubled heart from sleep is banned And no alarm clock ringeth there And all the days are still the same The nights with dewy slumber
 fraught, And weary mortals mock at fame And find the peace they long have
 sought.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02

The wide brim of Champ Clark's hat Is what enabled him to carry Arizona and Montana
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02

History will not outrank the Lincoln Douglas debate with the Taft-Roose- welt debate of the present year.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02

Charles w. Morse has lost, 1t Is re- ported, all respect for expert medical testimony.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02

The federal steam roller Is doing a great deal of puffing at present and not much real work.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02

The deadly grade crossing-has it been forgotten by the city's commits sioners as well as by the railroads?
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02

The ambulance as well as the band wagon is awaiting the Chicago conven- ton.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02

The wealthy oil men are making up big pool to bet on MT. Flynn at Las Vegas. John D. is. however, not one of the number.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02
THE RARDS

Newspaper bards. we rather think. Are few and far between; Who've never knocked the poetry In any magazine.
 Birmingham Age-Herald
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02
THE DRAMATIST

to be the first chapter found that [ had unconsciously reached a curtain and so I went ahead and finished 1t as a play.
 T have often thought I would agi- tate a reform by which a playwright might be allowed to lay aside his first 10 plays without ever offering them for production, and then submit the eleventh for the inspection of the pro- ducer and public. By that time, if he wer ever to arrive he would have mastered his craft at least to degree, and both he and the public would be spared many things. But, of course, such a condition is merely an ideal one, and the aspiring writer for the stage must perfect his art by writing plays which are produced, and in the process the public learns and he learns, too."
 Speaking of the increase in the num- Der of theatres in New York was in- troduced, and Miss Fairfax gave her idea of the effect it would have on the writer of plays
 Tt seems to me-" said Miss Fairfax, that 1t cannot help but prove benefi- cial to the playwright. Why. after
 
 while we will have theatre for each play, if they keep on building, and then everyone who writes for the stage will have a chance. I don't be- lieve more theatres will mean that a bad play will live longer. On the other hand, it will mean that there will have to be more good plays to keep the playhouses open, and this should prove stimulus to the thousands who are trying to write for the stage. Un- doubtedly there are thousands of plays already written and never produced that fall short of being good plays through some deficiency in technique. With the application of expert knowl- edge of the technique of the stage many of these could be made producible. and with more playhouses to fill, the result may be that these plays in embryo will be utilized"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02

It is all over but the claiming, and the claimants are very alert and ag- gressive.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02

The country is experiencing a Hull In politics. although LaTollette Is still speaking in South Dakota.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02

The President got stung in New Jer sey, the Mosquito State.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02

MT. Taft still insists he will be nom mated at Chicago. No one else does.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02
DARED HIM OFT.

Has publisher ever made you an offer, Mr Scribbles?"
 "Oh, yes, but his offer was so bel ligerent that I didn't accept it.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02

The public comb and brush have gone to join the roller towel.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02

Boston wants pr. Wiley to become s75o0 a year.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02

Hate to believe. yet, alackl They make 1t plainly seen; That bards who get their poem bacl All knock the magazine
 Philadelphia Telegraph.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02
READY.

A woman's prepared
 For any old fate, If she's dressed in style And her hat is on straight.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02
A HARPY THOUGHT.

fain upon the sod would rest.
 Beneath shady tree, And let the leaves, by winds caressed,
 Make music over me!
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02

A drifting logs imbued with life,
 A draggled bough in shadow seems A ship that sails from earthly strife
 Unto the golden shore of dreams.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02
THE MISSISSIPPI AT NIGHT.

THE MISSISSIPPI AT NIGHT The rivers voice is calling me, l seem to hear the nipples flow And I am as I used to be.
 With all the joy of life aglow. The yellow tide to seaward sweeps And all my hopes 1t bears along. When Night her star1it vigil keeps What troops Of wayward fancies
 throngl
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02
PAINFJIA

PAINFUL The man who doth a-fishing go And gets sunburned the while. Doth after wear a look of woe And finds it hard to smile.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02
A LAY CRITICISM

Was the concert success?"
 T presume so. The conductor seemed to be having the time of his life"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02
REFLECTIONS OF A BACHELOR

"A man so various that he seemed to | Not one, but all mankind.s epitome.'"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02
OUR HEART GOES OUT TO EDDIE.

OUR HEART GOES OUT TO EDDIE.
 Sixteen young women employees of the Ladies' Home Journal have been dis charged because the editor, MT. Box, saw them dancing the Turkey Trot. MT. Box was so greatly shocked that his maid had to administer smelling salts and fan him for several hours. He will return to his desk in few days, but 1t is feared Mr. Box will never be quito the same.-Kansas City Star.