davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-05
An Auditorium Bond Issue

The Birmingham Chamber of Com
merce stands ready to push S150,O00
municipal bond issue proposition for
the needed auditorium.
Birmingham will soon be well off
in hotels and the thing most needed
here now is an auditorium with seat
ing capacity of fully 5000. 1t is be-
lieved by members of the auditorium
committee of the Chamber of Com
merce that $150,000 will pay for site
and building-a building which would
be credit to this city for many years
to come.
About the only way we can have an
auditorium is for the city to build it.
Bonds bearing per cent interest
would be quickly underwritten and
distributed among local business men.
Atlanta's auditorium with a seating
capacity of 1900 is owned by the city.
Savannah is soon to have a splendid
auditorium and that city, much
smaller than Birmingham, is about to
issue 100000 worth of bonds to pay
for it.
While Birmingham must of neces-
sity practice rigid economy during the
next two or three years, or until the
Legislature affords relief, the audi
torium is so much needed by various
classes of the community that when
the vote comes to be taken the $780,
600 proposition will, it is felt, win by
a large majority. Even with it's mag
nificent hotels and apartment houses
Birmingham can never be a first class
convention city until it has an audi
torium such as is now under considera-
ton. But with such an auditorium
this would be the most popular point
in the south for national gatherings.
Religious denominations are to unite
in holding a great evangelistic meet
ing here in the fall. A temporary
tabernacle or auditorium will have to
be erected. But real permanent audi
torium void have served the purpose
far better. Dozens of national organi-
zations-fraterna and otherwise
have had an eye on Birmingham for
some time past and are just waiting
until the city has an adequate audi
torium before electing to meet here.
The interest on the $150,000 would
be only $500 a year and that is a
small amount indeed for the city to
provide in view Of the great benefits
that would accrue to Birmingham.
The bond issue should be submitted
to the voters early in the fall so that
ground for the building might be
broken in time to give US the COM
pleted building by next spring.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-05
TELEPHONE
rbe world will be In love with night
And pay no courtship to the garish sun.
Romeo and Juliet.
Single Term Question

President Wilson handled the Jap
anese question capably, and so he has
the tariff problem, and the Mexican
situation. He has in fact made no seri-
Gus errors since entering the White
House. He has fallen into no traps. If
he goes on as he has begun he will be
the best all-around President the
country has had in many day.
And many people will sustain him
in his reputation of the one-term
plank of the Baltimore platform. If
Congress should go on and perfect a
constitutional amendment limiting
Presidents to one term, he would, of
course, accept it. But until Congress
does that he considers himself under
no obligation to act in that direction.
The people may not reward him
with a second nomination, but they
will be free to do SO in the absence of
a constitutional amendment. Eventu-
ally, however, single term OF six
or seven years will become law. 1t
should have been fixed in the consti-
tuition in the beginning.
The plank in the Baltimore platform
reads as follows: "We favor a single
presidential term, and to that end we
urge the adoption of an amendment to
the constitution making the President
of the United States ineligible for re-
election, and we pledge the candidate
of this convention to this principle" !"
But this plank is simply academic un-
til Congress takes steps to put an
amendment before the states.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-05
JAPANESE MORAL STANDARDS

From the Worlds Work
The moral and business standards of
the Japanese are difficult for the white
man to comprehend. 1t is a common
observation that the Chinaman's only
virtues are business virtues, whereas
the chief faults of the Japanese are
business faults. Therefore, the Ameri-
can business standards. judges the
Chinese by his virtues and the jap
anese by his faults
American and Chinese civilizations
are built on contract. Japanese civili-
zation is built on personal honor and
loyalty. So when the American busi-
ness man sees the Chinese keeping his
contract, he discovers in him the one
virtue he knows how to appreciate. But
when Japanese finds himself in a
contract which changed conditions have
now made burdensome, he wonders un-
comprehendingly how an honorable
gentleman could desire to impose on
him terms which are now unjust. And
the honorable gentleman understands
only that the Japanese wants to sneak
out of an honest bargain. The two
moral standards are incommensurable.
The Japanese who may evade a business
obligation but who will sacrifice his
life to punctilio of honor or patriot
lsm-he is a mystery But the Chinese
who Will rob his government, or per-
Jure the member of a rival tong to the
Sailows, but whose business word is
lhvlolable-he is easy to understand.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-05
OBLITERATTNG WATERJOO

From the Boston Transcript,
While Americans are preparing for the
observance of the semi-centennial of Get
tyspurg and thousands will study the
battle by the aid of the monuments and
markers on the battlefield, complaint
comes to England that the Waterloo
terrain is in danger. While La Hale
sainte and Hougomont still bear the
marks of cannot shot, both are in danger
OF being rebuilt and part of the Hougo-
mont wall against which the wave of
French courage dashed in vain has al
ready been pulled down. That is not the
worst of the situation, according to
British officer who recently visited the
field. 'Tramcars" and cheap fares have
been followed by "tawdry cafes" located
on the very spot whence the Imperial
guard recoiled. What is to be done?
The suggestion is that cooperation of
Belgians and Englishmen who would
preserve the topography of Waterloo
may be effective in doing for that famous
field what has been done for Gettysburg.
but the first step, it is admitted, will
be very expensive. If preservation is not
organized there is danger that the STRAIT
egic points will be obliterated by garden
and farm field
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-05
Harvey VIII BE NIissed.A

'The sale of Harper's Weekly to Nor
man Hapgood and associates Will become
effective this week, and those OF us who
have been constant readers Of Col. George
Hafveys editorials will feel as if we
had lost an old and valued friend" said
professional man.
"Mr. Hapgood is a brilliant writer but
Colonel Harvey belonged to fine old
school that is almost extinct. Gentle
humor and common sense philosophy are
characteristics of Colonel Harvey. He
could never be swept off his feet by
any hysterical movement. He was al
ways well balanced and what he said
always rang true.
"IIis farewell in last Saturdays issue
was delightful reading. but E, feeling of
sadness came over me as II a friend
were departing So far as ! know, with
the change in the ownership and editor
ship of Harper's Weekly, no weekly
journal combining at once force, spice,
culture, Judgment and conservatism Will
exist.
This paragraph from Colonel Harvey S
pen is well worth reproducing: All, we
suspect, will agree that mope causes than
one have contributed to the general re-
suit. Some friendly critics attribute 1t
solely to poor editing. and goodness
knows we wolld be the last to deny
so obvious a fact as that we haven't
been able to edit Harpers Weekly well
enough to make 1t pay. But wnen II
comes to admitting, as some assert. that
the weekly would be commercially as
successful today as 1t was 30 years ago
under Mr.. Curtis and Thomas Mast IL
now directed by those men OF talent we
have our doubts. Times have changed
The country was conservative anu
thoughtful in those days. Now II Is rad
ical and impetuous. The weeklys gen
eral policy has never veered. 1t mas al
ways stood for progress along cautious
lines. It has always held positive con-
victions and has never been timio IN
expressing them. 1t has always hateo
hypocrisy and despised humburs' lts open
eyes have always been turned 1or"aro'
never backward. The dominant issue ~
years ago was civil service REFORM III
recent years it has been tarin REFORM
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-05
"FISHING AS WAS FISHING"
rom the Outing Mavazinp

FIOH Tic OuliuS hdSdZiuc.
Every man who has lived in the cat
fish country knows how the trick was
done. You had a nibble and the cork
bobbed a little. Another nibble and it
bobbed some more. Then if you kept
perfectly still the cork went under and
you derricked Mr.. Fish out with a mighty
heave. He was usually about five or six
inches long, and he sailed grandly
through the air to land kerplunkl on the
grass behind you. Sometimes, as a va
Ration, he lighted in a tree or fell into
the middle of a red hawbush, which
meant trouble, but you always got the
fish eventually and strung him on one
branch of forked stick and anchored
him in the edge of the water.
When the fish weren't biting, which was
usually about Is per cent of the time at
a conservative estimate, you jammed the
butt of your pole into the mud and lay
back to watch the sunlight play through
the leaves overhead and listen to the birds
gossiping to each other. That's the real
secret of successful fishing. anyway
trout, cat or any lsind-where you have
soft grass to lie on and water to Gabble
your toes in and soft summer sunshine
to bathe you and make you forget yes
terday and tomorrow and their troubles.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-05
AHEAD
From Harper's Magazine.

From Harper's Magazine.
A Maine man tells a story of a friend
of his in the west who was induced by
a stranger to buy what was claimed by
the latter to be the best wolf dog in the
country. A few days later the man took
his new purchase and started out early
in the morning to try him out. The dog
soon picked up the scent and started Off,
the man following on horseback. The dog
was soon out of sight, but the man could
hear him bark occasionally and followed
on. About noon he met another man
coming from the opposite direction and
inquired If he had seen a wolf and
dog anywhere, to which the man replied
that he had
"And how were they going? queried
the man. WAS the dog nearly on to
him?"
"Well," answered the other, 'if re-
member correctly. the dog was just
trifie ahead"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-05

Five hundred girls in their teens, pupils
in the eighth grade of the Cleveland pub
lie schools, have begun a practical study
of infant hygiene with real live babies
to experiment upon. The initiation of the
course took place at the Sterling school,
where Edward Parsch, months old, son
of Mason Parsch, machinist, was
stripped and given a hygienic bath before
an interested class of girls in short
dresses. II believe this is an epoch-mak-
ing innovation in public school instruc-
tion," said Mrs. Ada B. Williams, city
supervisor of domestic science instruction.
who is sponsor for the course. Florence
Girz, IA, who had obtained Master Parsch
for the experiment, undressed the baby.
After the instructor had washed his eyes,
rose and ears, other pupils bathed his
body. Then Lorna Booth, II, dried and
powdered him and put him to bed. He
demonstrated the value of infart hygiene
by going to sleep at once.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-05
The Cbautnuoun Entertain ment.

1.-THE chautaudua attractions are all
excellent-some of them exceptionally fine
and it Is hoped that crowded houses
will be in evidence the rest of the week."
said a business man. But for showers
in the early part of the week there would
have been capacity houses, no doubt AS
it was, the attendance was quite large.
''The musical attractions have been
particularly good. There will be high
class concert Thursday night and Kyrl
and his band will give two concerts Fri
day-afternoon and night.
"The chautauqua has been guaranteed
by friends of the AntiTuberculosis asso-
citation and 1t Is sincerely hoped that this
association will derive some financial
benefit from the sale of tickets
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-05
SARAH GETS IT

Sarah Bernhardt, coy and sweet,
Says we don't know how to eat,
But when Sarah comes to call
We can scarce buy food at all.
Cleveland Plain Dealer,
Tut, tut, Sarah; don't be brash.
You're the one that gets our cash.
We could learn to eat, no doubt
II you'd cut your "farewells'' out.
Springfield, Mass, Union
Sarah doesn't worry us;
When we eat asparagus
What is good We gladly gulp
And expectorate the pulp.
Chicago Record-Herald.
Sarah is a grand old dame
Who no doubt deserves her fame;
Though she scoffs at what we eat,
Our good coin is hard to beat.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-05
ON MUSIC

BY Thomas Moore.
When through life. unblest we rove,
Losing all that made life dear,
Should some notes we used to love
In days of boynood meet our ear,
oh. how welcome breathes the strain!
Weakening thoughts that long have
slept;
Kin6ling former smiles again,
In faded eyes that long have wept.
Like the gale that sighs along
Beds of oriental flowers
Is the grateful breath of song
That once was heard in happier hours;
Fill'd with balm the gale signs on,
Though the flowers have sunk in death,
So, when pleasures dream Is gone.
It's memory lives in Music's breath.
Music! Oh, how faint, how weak
Language fades before thy spell!
Why should Feeling ever speak,
When thou canst breathe her soul 80
we'll?
Friendships halmy words may feign,
Loves are even more false than theyS
OH 'tis only Musics strain
Can sweetly soothe. and not betrayl
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-05
OYSTER "sHUCKERs"

vivid account of child labor IN
southern oyster and shrimp canneries-
an industry with which 1t Is not usual
1v associated in the public mind, Is
given by Lewis w. Hine in The Survey
In some states legislation is now pend
ing TO eliminate this exploitation Oh
children. others already have laws, put
without adequate enforcement. Mr.. Hihe
says:
"The wages of these workers vary
according to their locality, and the kind
of season they find. The work on the
shrimp is better paid than oyster
shucking, but it is much more irregu-
lar. On the latter families frequently
earn SO and SIS or $40 week, so when
there are several children, and the work
ia steady, there is a great temptation
to make them all help.
"Children of seven years earn about
25 cents a day, and at and 10 years OF
age often SO cents day or more. AT
1e and IA years they frequently earn
as high as 81 day and this Is adult
pay. The fastest adult shucker seldom
earns much moro than dollar day
after years of experience What then
is the outlook for children beginning
this industry?
"'What is your name, little girl?
"Dunno.
"'How old are you?
"'Dunno'
"'How many pots do you shuck in
a day?'
"Dunno.'
And the pity of it is that they do
not know.
What then do they know? Enough
to stand patiently with the rest pick
ing up one hard, dirty cluster of shells,
deftly prying them open, dropping the
meat into the pot; and then go through
this process with another and another
and another. until after many minutes
the pot is full-a relief. for they carry
1t over to the weigher and rest, doing
nothing a minute. and walk back
such a change from the dreary standing
ing, reaching, prying and dropping
minute upon minute, hour upon hour,
day upon day, month after month Or
perchance. for veriety the catch may
have been shrimp, and then the hours
Of work are shorter, but the shrimp
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-05
GROWTH OF MOVING PICTURES

From the Article on Moving Pictures, by
Herbert It. Wade, in the International
Year Book.
THE exhibition of moving pictures In
1912 had reached point where, in
L the United States alone, judged
merely as an industry, it had become
matter of striking Importance. The differ
ent business interests involved were said
to represent a total investment of over
5000 1000 and in one form or another
moving pictures were offering employment
to approximately 100000. 1t was estimated
that the daily receipts of the 10000 places
where moving pictures were exhibited az
gregated $4,000, while in Greater New
York alone some 100000 people daily were
visiting the shows. There were maintained
large studios, some of which represented
buildings and equipments valued at over
100000, and in the larger establishments
four or five plays week were being pro-
duced for Photographic record with all
the care and elaboration of a modern
melodrama. 1t is obvious, therefore, that
the moving picture business is entitled 10
special consideration, involving as 1t does
the use of real estate Tor exnipitioh hahs'
many of which had been specially buiit,
the operation and maintenance of the
shows. the manufacture of films and ap-
paratus, and the provision of suitable top
les for illustrations by exploration, travel
and mechanical and other forms OF en-
ternrise. From the kaleidoscope first ex-
bibited in the form of a sort of peep show
h,, Thomas A. Edison in 1898 to the pro-
section device of Lumiere of Paris and
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-05
THE MISSISSIPPI LEVEEs

From 'Flood Control by Levees," by
the Hon. Joseph e. Ransden, in the
American Review of Reviews for
June.
The recent flood disasters in Indiana
and Ohio were caused by unusually
heavy rains over limited areas, and
there may not be a repetition of them
within a century. These rains fell in
regions where the drainage is excellent
and the waters had little opportunity
to sink into the soil or remain in fiat
places. but poured rapidly into the
rivers.
l have had no opportunity as yet to
examine official reports on the SUBJ
ject, but am reliably informed that the
free flow of water in these streams was
very much impeded by artificial OBJ
structions, especially piers of bridges
and extensions of solid entertainments
for bridges into the streams, which
acted as dams and prevented the rapid
passage of the water. Until there is
more definite information, I would not
like to suggest prectical means of pre-
venting such disasters in the future
Doubtless much may be done and 1 cer-
tainly hope SO, but my impression is
that these floods were to a large ex-
tent providential and beyond human
control.
The situation is quite different along
the Mississippi from Cairo to the gull.
There we have a large area, about 29,-
900 squore miles, of low land, which
for years has been protected from over
flow by levees or artificial banks built
of earth, raising the natural banks of
the river from 10 to 25 feet, on prac-
tically the entire stretch from the head
of the passes to the mouth of the Ohio.
The levee system began In 171s, when
Bienville constructed the first levee in
front of the village of New Orleans.
and there has been steady growth of
levee building for nearly 200 years. In
the main, these levees have afforded re-
lief from floods, but occasionally, dur
ing high waters such as those of last
year and this spring. they proved in
sufficient and a great deal of damage
was done by overflow. Even in the
big flood of last year, however, the
greatest on record prior to that of this
measure of protection and not more
than one-half of the cultivated area of
the delta was submerged, the remainder
being saved from water by the levees
which held.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-05
Shingled Roofs a Menace

The proposed extension of the fire
district to the city's limits means the
use of material on roofs other than
shingles. The adoption of the pro-
posed ordinance would not abolish
shingles in many years. Every year
would, however, show gains and it is
claimed that the disappearance of
shingled roofs would mean decrease
in the number of fires to the extent of
so per cent.
The fire loss is heavy in Birming-
ham, and a gradual change from shin
gle to non-combustible material would
be no doubt fine achievement. AS 10
years would elapse at least before this
could be accomplished, why not start
the reform at once? Some of the sub
stitutes are not much more expensive
than shingles, and the additional cost
of new buildings would not be consid-
erably increased.
The reform is no doubt desirable. It
stands approved by the best judges of
fire losses, and little courage on the
part of the commission would give it
a start in city in which fewer fires
are desired. 1t is choice between in
flammable roofs and roofs that no
spark can harm and it would seem that
Chief BENEFITS advice in this matter
should be needed.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-05
A DIVORCE PANACEA,

Nowadays, when there is so much dis
cussion of divorce. someone occasionally
makes an observation fraught with SO
much common sense that it is worth re-
memberlng. We offer the following para
graph for the consideration of any indi-
vidual who is inclined to be hysterical on
the subject.
New York suffragette demands that
the cost of divorces be reduced to 81 SO
that the 'lower classes" may indulge in
the luxury permitted the wealthy. That
won't remedy matters any, sister. Divorce
is a tragedy, not a commonplace event.
Selfshness and idleness are at the bottom
of 90 per cent of the divorces secured. and
the panacea is baby. A little tad in the
home boosts fathers stock up to 1000 with
mother and makes father grin. even
stone. A baby kind of gets it's little
chubby fists around your heart strings,
and il divorces were marked down to 2
cents father and mother couldn't spare
that much between them.--Luke McLuke.
in the Cincinnati Enquirer.
VIEWPOINTS.
Room for the overworked bridesmaid.
Fish may not bite, but "skeeters" WILL
We begin to lean on the buzz fan, SO to
speak. PAUL COOK.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-05
As to Smaller Counties

The Montgomery Journal indorses
what the Hurtsboro Tribune says in
favor of small counties in this state.
Pupils cannot attend the county high
school, and men shirl1 jury duty be-
cause the courthouse is far away.
The truth is, in any state that has
not the township system whereby a
large share of the county business
can be transacted in each township,
counties should, as rule, be small.
Where there is branch courthouse in
. large county the public is usually
satisfied. The township plan does not
exist in the south, and Georgia has
made her counties small because it
does not.
Georgia has LAG counties and Ala
bama needs about 100 to get on a
similar footing, and the next legisla-
ture will be pretty sure to give this
subject attention. "The size of this
county," (RusselD, says the Hurts
boro Tribune, sis an obstacle in the
way of its progress, and the sooner it
shares portion of its territory with
q newborn county, the sooner it's cof-
fers will swell, the sooner its younger
generation will acquire the requisite
learning, and the sooner its roads, it's
population and its government will be
numbered among the brag assets of
the state"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-05
MARK TWAIN NEARLY DROWNED

Albert Bigelow Paine. author of Mark
Twain; A Biography" relates that It was
In Palmyra creek-or Bear creek, as Mr..
Paine calls it-in Hannibal, Mo-, which
tas just been converted into a sewer.
that Mark Twain learned to swim.
Time and again he had been dragged
ashore more dead than alive, once by a
slave girl. another time by slave man.
In the end he had conquered; he could
swim better than any boy in town of his
age" When in 1902 Mark Twain paid
visit to Hannibal he recalled, says Mr..
Paine, the time he nearly drowned in the
Mississippi. 'Onca, near the shore, ]
thought l would let down." Mark Twain
confessed but was afraid to, knowing
that If the water was deep I was a
gorer, but finally my knees struck the
sand and I crawled out That was the
closest call I ever had"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-05

Unable to travel by railroad James
flourish, cripple with a broken back,
was wheeled in specially constructed
chair from Philadelphia to the shore. a
distance of 60 miles. The cripple had ex-
pressed wish to go to Atlantic City and
get the benefit of the ocean breezes. lie
sustained his injuries two years ago from
falling from a roof in Philadelphia. Four
inches of his spinal column was removed
by a surgeon. The journey to the shore
took three days, and flourish will remain
several months. t.