davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-08

souls of these people. At best you give only instruction concerning earthly things. There is nothing to speak to these people about heavenly things. You are patching, patching Your neighborhood work. your corn clubs, your men and religion move ments, your sanitation and good housing propaganda, your hospitals and sanatoria and schools, all are of the earth earthly. This sign of the Son of Man is on the earth, tells only of His physical restora- tion."
 /. I am willing to acknowledge the partial and incomplete character of the modern crusade. In the present instance l write with clear perception of the causes of that limit placed on the modern movement towards humanity.
 Aside from that criticism, however, how tremendous, how superb, has been the movement itself! You may almost say that modern men have rediscovered the passion of Jesus to heal the sickness of mankind. Rediscovered? Yes, and re- clothed it with flesh and practically exhib- tied it in deeds innumerable. It was not till modern days that any man cared to teach the urchins of the city, the chill dren of the publican and sinner. Only of late did men begin to think of a hospital for every sick person. A few sick, a few unfortunates, few of the deserving poor' used to get attention in mediaeval times. A few poor boys could get 10 school and d few old folks had the luck to go to an almshouse and be visited by the, curate and ladies with tracts. Now we see the extent and causes of poverty and sickness, and for the first time are daring to talk of their abolition. Less
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-08

~ AUNTERING through the towns
 heart any fine night from six 10 o twelve, or bystanding at any teeming corner of late afternoon, we get our best lessons in sociology. These folk who pass and repass-from your noisiest street rat scurrying with his newspaper, chanting its name, to your prominent market man. also scurrying, with his cranium checked with trade and shop-are equally worth ones study. This is indeed the pageant of all pageants. beside which all the nov ing picture processions are but sham and tinsel. and all of your player pianos but tinl1ling irritants,
 Here are 15o,0OO people. unafraid of the complex, fighting life since they are well in it-taking risks, chances playing the game to the last card Here they are, walking your streets fully emerged from the shell called Shop, talking, laughing, glooming together in a picture of 365 reels.
 God knows where we have recruited this citizenry, Those who ride street cars may swiftly conclude that the most of these are from the provinces-the simple rural folk emer erging from
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-08

bettered? These alert young men who faithfully ring up cur fares - these brave young women whom We recruit from the little towns and from places remoter than the little towns: the coun- try's heart-what of this young blood? Is it better for them that they arc here?
 Leaving out of account our under standable hunger for half-million pa geant, 1t is neither good for those who come nor for us who receive them. And this Is as true of any lusty city as it is of Birmingham It is fine thing to have our daily pageant-to confab with the strange and curious of many lands all of the movement and stir has its appeal for the minimizing man or woln- an, girl or boy. But how does 1t strike the minimizing? Which is greater: the lesson or the lure?
 see that as the years grow our moving picture will be altered to conform with Birmingham greatness We are even developing a ragged sky line of buildings of some importance to house the players in our civic motion picture play; and whether we praise or blame our Birmingham, we need have no fear that the population will de-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-08

be had from a pageant of people. or from a skyline, no matter how ugly and jagged we may make 1t with tall build ings
 There must be music in this new city We are huilding-not dependent only on puny private subscriptions, but the sen- sible gift of a city that must mother its miserable in all high and noble ways
 The churches must be thrown open for clean and elevating concerts. It Is grievous thing that the wonderful tones of pipe organs should be kept silent for six days out of the week when they might be such servants of Joy for a mad city whose musical education Is derived from the iangle of foolish dis- cords.
 Spacious playgrounds must be plotted to content those who come to us from the farms with fresh air in their nos- trils. (for are not these who come to us from the farms the real Social Re- servists whom society perhaps may ask to return again one of these days to tha fields to make bread for a hungry peo- ple?): and to comfort those poor souls who confuse fresh air and tho open sky with the mere act of opening a. closed window.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-08

ten consecutive years, becoming the pre- siding officer of that body in 1s47.
 The ability of Governor Winston be- came more generally recognized in ISIS. when he went to Baltimore as a delegate to the national convention which nomi- hated General Cass for the presidency. Mir Winston made a speech before that body in the vindication of the national democracy. which attracted widespread attention and brought him into promi- hence before the entire country.
 During his senatorial career he entered into the cotton commission business in Mobile, which commercial relation he continued till the close of his life. While not engaged in official duty his attention was divided between his planting interest and his business in Mobile, where he-spent much of his time. The sterling worth of Mir. Winston, his clearness of judgment, range of comprehension, force of charac- ter and exact practicalness, together with his undoubted leadership of men and
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-08

that we cannot think of these phrases without thinking of Him, and trying to guess at what He meant by them.
 His deeper meanings are for us who think today And we are free to suppose that His clear and sun-lit thinking antici- pated the ages unfolding and the coming of a time when man" should reach his destiny, and behold "the sign of the Son of Man in heaven," or, as we say, appre- bend his destiny, clearly perceive the goal and harbor whither he is bound. Here "the enthusiasm of humanity" which Jesus exhibited surely reaches a climax. lifted to the heavens At last man has planted his standard beyond the stars.
 In this high sense we may certainly claim for our own time the vision of the sign of the Son of Man in heaven" A thousand indications and illustrations press upon the modern mind. Ours is the day of the common people. After all the cynicism of the day has uttered it's last bark and yep the astounding achieve ments of manhood still must be acknowI- edged. This is the supremely dominant tendency among us-the service and ex- altation of man.
 Spiritual men today are indeed deplor- ing the form that the modern tendency is taking. They say that it saves all its regard for physical well being They point to the institutions which serve the sick and the broken hearted, the poor and the degenerate, the criminal and the vicious. and they exclaim:
 Beautiful! But it is all for the bodily lifei You are caring only for temporal things. You have no healing for the
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-08

CTS in Israel" are more closely acquaint- ed, not infrequently, with the laws of bridge whist than with the souls of their offspring, and the dear old dad has too soon become disciple of the doctrine that nothing matters so much as money, sonvenently and comfortably canned. The churches have certainly lost the au- thority to restrain their own people. And I dare to connect that fact with the cer- tainty that they so long discounted the importance of the life of men. They did not reprove the social oppression, the wage oppression, the housing oppression, suffered by multitudes In the hour of their sway they thought only of the souls" of the people. Now they see the sign of the "Son of Man in heaven" Or if they do not see 1t, still the sign is there, awaiting the opening of their eyes Slow ly and steadfastly and contritely must they march now up the long road that should have been covered long ago. identi- flying themselves with all the interests of men, fighting the battle of the poor of the people, setting justice in the earth, caring for everything concerning the whole welfare of every child of man, if they would regain their lost authority. What proof, for instance, is there that any church in Birmingham cares for the social welfare of the dweller in the board ing house? Yet the churches have money and men and women.
 On the other hand, the labor leaders, too generally think of wages and present welfare as the identical and fundamental necessity They are part of the. protest against the gigantic squeamishness of the churches spirituality. With all the mod
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-08

and placing his bridle reins in his teeth he led his force with large pistol in each hand When commanded 10 surrender his reply was that he had not joined the army to surrender and that was not his business. On his return home he devoted his attention 10 planting. and with un- abated patriotism aided in every way pos sible the fortunes of the Confederacy.
 In 1se5 Governor Winston was sent as a delegate from Sumter county to the con stitutional convention of Alabama, and was afterward chosen for a seat in the national Senate. but his seat was denied him, and he was afterward disfranchised by the radical forces then in control of the government This closed his career of public service. He never recovered from the rheumatism contracted while In the service in Virginia, and died in Mobile on December 2l. 1871. at the age of a.
 The combination of qualities entering into the character of Governor Winston was more than ordinary. all of which characteristics were based on a clear.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-08

crease. We will grow in greatness and WAX richer as the years pass-none need doubt this, for it is the habit of cities. We will have our half million Of people shortly whether we make further annexation or not.
 But we have much of sordidness to rid ourselves of. Without the larger con- cept of a city's growth we shall be no more than other teeming cities-merely rows on rows of houses to the streets endings; not homes for men, but merely houses for clever rats and mice. Who ever sees beyond the tip of his nose must see some things we have to avoid,
 We have to understand that assemb- ling a half million people together is in itself not the desideratum-not in itself the fine thing. Getting men to change their place of dwelling is largely mat ter of appeal to the dollar-lust; fresh brains and hearts can be lured far hy their jingle. That is the irresistible appeal that has caused farms to be abandoned and has largely. to my mind, been the cause of half the distress we are passing through because of high prices of life's necessities. Inelastic currency-high tariff on imports-meat,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-08

4 LL the evidence accumulated goes
 "A to show that the Lord of men, 4 whose birthday anniversary is again drawing near, used the language of His own people and His own time. Cur rent phases of that day he also took up, and talked as His contemporaries talked, of "the Kingdom of God" or "the King dom of Heaven" of Satan and de mons," of signs" and clouds of sins" grace" baptism" repentance" These were words in everyone's mouth. So when he spoke of "the Son of Man" he unquestionably used phrase of the day, a word carrying to his bearers the idea of MAN" as distinct from the Almighty God, and from angels, and on the other hand from the beasts of the earth.
 Unprejudiced scholars will also allow that in the mouth of the Master the words referred to Himself as though He laid -claim to the title as peculiarly His own. He thought of Himself as singularly the typical man, and of His own self-con- sciousness as the prophetic quality, antici- patng similar consciousness for all men, So he reads into the current phrases His own deeper meanings The words mean more to Him than to the parrot-like jar
 gon-mongers of the schools and streets and markets. The "coming of the King
 dom" was of vaster scope to his mind than to those who had not His supreme intellectual sensitiyeness. But He turned to the common people and popularzed His interpretations by hundred parables, and made His reading of history and prophecy the inheritance of all nations and ages We are so influenced by Him
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-08

1 Where then?
 The poor woman who does your wash ing has undergone an operation at thu hospital You go to see her and bring tc that charity ward big bunch of Ameri can Beauty roses. Look into the wom- ans eyes. There you will see gratitude. 1 Where?
 An infirm, gentle old man is scarce able to alight from a street car. You help him down the steps and through the crowds to the sidewalk. In him you will find the personification of gratitude Where?
 | An honest neighbor vainly strives against the tide of misfortune. Letting no man know what you do, you give him a lift. He knows you have made real sacrifice. Never fear but you will find gratitude. Where?
 Anywhere. everywhere. You can find gratitude in that mite of newsboy cry | ing because he cannot sell the pitiful remnant of his evening papers. You can find 1t in your own home. Gratitude a strange thing? Why, it is as common as people are common. only, Mir. Morgan. you must give more than money. You must give some of yourself. We have only recently learned tha. drunkenness is disease-and curable. Is crime a curable disease? Can men who have offended against the world be turned from their grosser selves and made over into their better selves? Judge Lindsey. the Denver children 8 judge, says it may be done-if you begin in time.
 When he commits a bad boy to the re- form school he puts him on the train, buys his ticket and sends the boy alone to report to the school authorities. He puts the boy on honor, asking only his personal pledge.
 Out of hundreds of such cases but one boy has ever betrayed his trust.
 But the older criminals? Can the dis ease of crime be cured when the disease has grown to be chronic?
 Governor Hunt thinks so. He is governor of Arizona, and he makes the same appeal to the slumbering
 
 his boys. He believes that the feeling of honest manhood is never quite extin- guished in the human breast He trusts men. Governor Hunt sends hardened crimi- nals-thieves, burglars and murderers- on missions of trust. He sends them by train or on horseback over the noun tains, with money to pay their expenses, hundreds of miles away. Nobody watches them. All he exaets is their word of honor that they will do the errand and return. And They do return,
 Not one of these calloused prisoners has
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-08
THE SIGN OF THE SON OF MAN'-By George Eaves D.

ern movement they have swung to ths extreme of materialistic ideals. They sec the sign of the Son of Man as a full dinner pail and little home. paid for. and six hour working day. not in heav- en, but very much upon tho earth.
 Now, in fact there is coming to pass precisely such an ideal upon the earth The progress of events will certainly shorten the working hours and increase the rewards of labor and secure for every man a larger proportion of the earth's good. The peril involved Is lest this should for any moment satisfy any man. Most dreadful of all is the peril that the next generation should generally deter mine to be satisfied with so cheap a vic- tory.
 Beyond all that what stretches? The home life of the whole nation redeemed; every boy and every girl, trained to noble living; every mother and father fore ordained to be the high priest and high priestess of God, holy, and of a home, foreordained to holiness; every youth as pure as every malden every amusement. or playtime lifted to the region of dignity. of poetry and beauty; each soul setting itself forward, hand In hand with each youth, each maiden
 "On, 10 the bound of the waste
 On, to the City of God"
 "Then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven But many a star must fall and much sorrowful disilusion come to pass before we reach that vision, as true Christian men. "Soe sharpe the assaye!' says Chaucer.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-08

Get up!
 You will never get around the next bend in the road by lying where you have fallen.
 Get up and go on.
 In the annals of the worlds unknown heroes none better deserves a place than nameless Swede.
 He was employed on a railroad up in northwestern Canada, far away from civilization and Carnegie hero medals and silver loving cups.
 One day this man was ordered to take three large packages of dynamite down the line. He took q "speeder"-the small handcar used to convey employees from one station to another.
 Soon came the climax.
 A long passenger train, which had been delayed in starting, was almost upon him.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-08

statesmanship, served to win for him an augmented public confidence, and in 1858 he became the candidate for governor of the state. and was elected without oppo- sition. Two years later. at the expira- ton of his first gubernatorial term. he was opposed by Hon. George D. Short ridge. The campaign was one of unusual energy and even of bitterness. The state was agitated throughout. both candidates appearing before large and excited au- diences in every part. Governor Winston was the democratic candidate. while Mir shortridge espoused the cause of the know-nothing, or American party. Mir. Winston defeated his opponent by ma jority of about 12000.
 Conditions had now conspired to make the farmer-governor the great leader of the democratic hosts in the state. No man who has lived in Alabama ever had a completer grasp on a party organiza- ton than that had by Governor Winston at this time. Happily for the state, it was
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-08

of the public funds, and there was now and then friction between the executive and legislative branches of government but he did not hesitate to invoke the power of the veto when he deemed 1t nec- essary Because of this he won the sou- hriquet of "the veto governor but to him principle overtopped popularity. and the protection of the common interest d matter of graver concern than the good will of the general assembly. While not possessed of oratorieal power on the stump or on the legislative floor. having q strident, rasping voice and the manner ism of a man of business, rather than that of trained speaker, he nevertheless won the populace by his directness and sincerity He retired from public life without the slightest tarnlsh on his con- duct or reflection on his career. An indi- cation of his solid popularity is found in the fact that the name of the county of Hancock was changed In honor of Gov ernor Winston to that of his own.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-08

than a generation ago only the fore handed" could think of life insurance. Now the beggar at your door carries in- surance, and perchance is asking for the means to pay the monthly premium. Whole nations have determined for them selves that their sons shall stay at home and be well fed, well taught, prosperous, satisfied, untempted by the lure of the emigration agent
 In decent communities there is no longer contempt for the man who is compelled to receive aid, and hardly any for the criminal What a revelation compared with the times fairly well described in "Oliver Twistr' To exploit the soldier, the pauper, the unfortunate. for personal gain has become an incredible, an un- speakable thing.
 Moreover it may be considered that modern science has yielded its chief re- suits for the improvement of the man who has no money. The streets are cleaned for him, the lamps are as bright for him as for any, hours of labor are shortened and sanitary provisions made complete for him. It is for his child that the milk is inspected. All medical and chemical and other scientific advance is already socialized. It only remains to se- cure for all an equal right to food and rest and sunshine and fresh aid.
 But again we are reminded that this Is all upon the physical plane. Man doth not live by bread alone" quote the malcontents. And it is fair to reply, No But neither doth man live without bread" As soon as the critics are as eager to give men bread as Jesus of Nazareth was they will be justified in approximations against
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-08
BUILDING THE NEW CITY-By A. B. Bealle

must be clothed and fed, the while his strong hands and brain are divorced from the fertile field he knew Just now
 We are not yet so bad as London is described by the gloomy Nerhaerep,- place where
 ..........'In the zinc air overhead Spires, steeples, domes, belfries and
 chimney stacks,
 Torments of stone and shadow, stab
 the air"
 There Is nothing essentially sweet and wholesome about a struggling city save as we are lessoned by it's needs, neither is there anything essentially vicious save in that certain viciousness which must surely be a part of us, however small it may be, If we grow great and opulent. To grow sweet and fine, the Family Idea must enter more into our planning. We have not only to minis ter to the needs of those who are sick, but we have to conserve the moral and physcal health of those who are yet well. Those who come to us to make a living and who enter into the making of Greater Birmingham, must be given somewhat more of sweetness than can
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-08

employed by the Turks Is this: They hold their thumbs touching one another horizontally. and extend the forehngers perpendicularly. Then they divide the thumb and forefnger of each hand into ! six parts. nominal hour points, one hand representing the morning and the other the afternoon.
 Where the thumbs join it Is twelve o'clock, the tip of one forehnger repre- senting six o'clock in the morning and the tip of the other six o'clock in the afternoon. By holding the hands in the described position toward the sun a shadow cast by one forefnger upon the other will point to the correct time, as judged by the hours nominalIy marked in mind. The hour divisions may be divided into additional parts as the quarter hours.
 To tell the time by the cats eye seems an absurd proceeding, but the Turks do it. The average person is perhaps not aware that the shape of the cats eye undergoes changes during the day. In the morning the pupil Is normally circular. but gradually it mar rows until noon when only narrow streak is left As the day progresses 1t resumes It's normal shape, becoming oval at about three o'clock in the after noon. In Turkey 1t Is common for the old folks to call the cat to their sides in order to ascertain the time.
 In illustration of the accuracy where by time can be measured by the shadow cast by the sun there may be cited Q trial In Nebraska a year or two ago held in the month of January. The defend ant was acquitted of charge of mur- der by means of an alibi esta biisheu by the shadow of church steeple cast upon a photograph that coptained the two accusing witnesses. These wit nesses had testified that they had seen the defendant between the hours of two and three in the afternoon while re- turning from church after the picture was taken.
 But from the angle formed by the shadow and the horizontal boards of the church in the photograph was talk en. with the result that it was ascer- tained that the exact moment was dur ing the afternoon at 3:31:2O, one hour