davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-11
Drouth in the West

The corn belt of the middle west
has felt the lack of rain this season
as never before in years. Conditions in
Kansas and other states have become
serious. Some farmers are cutting
their corn for fodder, having despaired
of its coming to maturity.
Other effects of the continued
drouth also are being reported.
Freight trains are stalled because
there is no water for the boilers. The
wells in several towns have gone dry,
and human beings as well as stock are
suffering For five days and four
nights in Topeka the mercury never
went below rs and every day it crept
up to 100.
1t now seems certain that the har-
vest of some sections will be curtailed,
but it is probable that reports of dam
age have to large extent been ex-
aggerated. The farmer as rule is a
timorous creature, prone to look at
the darker side when the matter of
yield from ,his acres is under consider
alton. Taking the country as whole,
it is safe to predict that this years
crops will approach record.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-11
EARLY RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

From John Sharp williams Biography of
Thomas jefferson, Published by the Co.
lumbia University Press.
HlHE curious inquirer may read what
Jefferson says in his Memoir and
= his Notes on Virginia" on the
struggle in his state for religious liberty;
how the church had shown at once intol-
erance and incompetency, how the laws
had been adapted to the purposes OF the
church by making heresy a capital of
fense, punishable by burning, and by
many other less but oppressive, penalties
Happily for Virginia, these laws were
more honored in the breach than I'm The
observance.
The history OF the slow and gradual
steps by which ecclesiastical influence in
state affairs were destroyed in Virginia
is very interesting. and 1t will pay any
student to make special study of it, 1t
was step by step performances, leading
up through series of years to the grad
ual climax, which was the bill for religious
freedom. concerning the authorship OF
which Jefferson took so much pride that
he had it inscribed on his tomb, as one
or the three things because of which he
wanted to be remembered
Under the Virginia act of assembly OF
l1oo II person brought up In the Christian
religion denied the being of a God or
denied the Trinity or denied the Christian
religion to be true or denied the scriptures
to be of divine authority he was punish-
able, first, by deprivation of the right to
hold office or employment; on the second
offense by disability to sue or to inherit
or to take any gift or legacy etc, and
by three years Imprisonment without bail
Ii the offender were a father he was de-
prived of the right of the custody of his
own children.
me hrst step was to repeal the laws
which rendered criminal the maintenance
OF any religious opinions or the failure to
attend church, or the exercise of any
mode of worship except that of the estab-
lished church. The next to exempt dis
senters from contributions to the support
or the established church. The next was
TO suspend levies on the members even
of the established church. for the salaries
of their own ministers; but this last was
limited in its operation until the next ses-
sion of the house of delegates.
Jefferson's opponents. however, on No.
vember 10, passed a resolution asserting
that Assemblies ought to be regulated
and that legal provision ought to be
made for the succession of the clergy and
for experimenting their conduct" in other
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-11
New YOrk's Weak Point

What New York will be so years
hence if it continues to grow as it
has done in the past would furnish
subject for the new Jules Verne, if
there be such a man.
The statistics Of imports and ex-
ports into New York for the last year
place that city first in the list of all
the great shipping cities in the world
The sceptre once held by London
passed to Liverpool and now from
Liverpool it has crossed the Atlantic
and promises to remain there for
many years to come. New York owes
her greatness to her harbor which
presents over 700 miles of docking
facilities with deep water along the
entire length.
But great as all this reads and
seems, there is a weak point in New
York which may one day be the cause
Of the downfall of the whole fabric,
and that weakness is the fact that not
10 per cent Of the shipping in New
York harbor flies the American flag.
These great Atlantic liners that are
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-11
----s'
MUSIC AND AGRICULTURE

From the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
The auditorium of the New York
State College of Agriculture at Cornell
is to have a 100000 organ.
Naturally, this suggests nature work
ing in harmony. Before considering
the intensive effects of ensilage," says
the professor, "Dr. Carrots will perform
Won Seedlets Back-to-the-farm SYM
phony"
Whereupon DR. Carrots digs in and
produces the crop.
OF course, the superficial person may
say that pedals, and banks of keys,
and vox humanas have really nothing
to do with drawing hard earned pro-
duce from the soil But that's old fash
ioned narrowness.
Life on the farm is no longer a thing
of horrors, and stagnant barnyards and
ugly stumps, and lopsided barns, and
stony meadows. There Is a new order
of things, and well played voluntaries
will keep Jack, the would-be farmer,
from becoming a dull boy.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-11
WHAT is A MAGNETof
From the Electric News Service.
What is a ma pueto2

From the Electric News Service.
What is a magnetic?
The automobile owner will answer that
1t is the small dynamo. or generator,
which produces the electricity necessary
to explode the charge in the engine cylin-
ders. This is only partially correct and is
far from explaining Just how this little
machine produces electricity.
The magnetic is a small machine built
into the engine and furnishing current for
igniting the charge. 1t takes the place
-of batteries, and eliminates ignition
troubles to great extent. Magnetos are
universally used on automobiles. There
is scarcely half dozen makes of cars in
the country not equipped with them Mag
netos have not been used so widely on sta
tionary gas engines because they are more
expensive than batteries. and have not
heretofore been designed to meet the re-
quirements for stationary work. They
are now furnished. however. by all the
leading engine makers. and make the
farm engine as reliable as the automobile.
The slow speed engine times magnetic is
the most successful type. This will start
and run engines of all sizes, and requires
no renewal or attention beyond occasional
oiling. In appearance magnetic resem-
bles two or three large horseshoe magnets
set side by side. 1t Is, In fact. nothing
more than two or three magnets with
bundle of wire between them. This wire
revolved and as the wire passes the
poles" or ends of the magnets, a cur
rent is produced in the wire This current
is conducted to the igniter or spark plug,
where the spark is produced.
Just how and why the revolving of a
wire between the poles of magnet pro-
duees current of electricity Is hard to
explain. Faraday discovered, years and
years ago. that IL wire was forced
exist between the poles of every magnet,
that current of electricity would be in
Iduced. or generated, In the wire. The re-
volving part of the magnetic, consisting
of bundle of wires, is made to cut the
Lime of force" between the magnetic poles
by betting the shaft to the engine. As
these wires, in turn, are forced across the
lines of force" a current of electricity
is produced. All dynamos and generators,
which produce electricity by the applica-
tlon of mechanical energy work on this
same principle. But the magnetic differs
from the dynamo, or generator, In that
permanent horseshoe magnets are used In
the field. Permanent magnets are too
small and weak for the more powerful
generators and electro-magnets are used
instead. The electro gnet consists of
a soft iron core wrapped with many turns
OF insulated wire. They are. powerful
magnets only so long as current Of
electricity is flowing through the wire.
When this current ceases the magnetism
Yanishes.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-11

grandfather's wars The taxes could no
longer be borne. The Queen was inno-
Gently indiscreet and frankly set at de-
nance many of the conventional rules of
royal etiquette. She took part in amateur
theatricals. Belloc says she deered .aet-
ually to play another piece by that same
Beaumarchais whose wit was the smear
head OF the attack upon the old regime
The decision came neither of eynicism nor
OF folly upon her part; Ii came of tragic
ignorance" 1t was all very we'll for
Mozart to write his sparkling music for
Beaumarchais' comedy, but it was the
height of indiscretion for the Queen to
become an actress, and to take part In
ridiculing the aristocracy of which the
French nation was already weary
The crash of the revolution came. The
royal family was imprisoned, the king
beheaded. and Marie Antoinettes children
were taken from her. Sine was dragged
before the tribunal Carlyle tells us that
Marie Antoinette, In this heg utter aban-
donment, and hour of extreme need, is
not wanting to herself, the imperial wom-
an. Her look. they say, as that hideous
Indictment was reading, continued calm.
She was sometimes observed moving her
fingers as when one plays on the piano.
History says that In her prison In the
temple she was overheard to play the new
ny I'M VI lht ftNDiutiofi, Id MafSelfldlSt.
The princess of IS who left Vienna %
years before, weeping at her departure, Is
now an uncrowned widow. gray at the
early age of 80. She was forced to enter
an open cart like a common hay cart"
says Abbott. "The female furies who sur
rounded her shouted with laughter" She
was openly insulted by the brutal rowdies
OF Paris as she was jolted in the spring.
less cart. Her hands were tied behind
her. She could not sit down. The Queen
was thrown from her equilibrium She
fell this way and that way. Her bonnet
was crowded over her eyes. Her gray
locks hoated in the damp morning air
Her coarse dress disarranged. excited de-
rison." And so the beautiful Marie An
toinette passed on through her long last
and CHASTITY procession.
When her head fell into the basket OF
the guillotine the excutioner picked II up
and exhibited 1t deliberately this way and
that to the mob.
The remains of this royal woman of
beauty, like those of the sublime COM
poser of genius, were thrown into cheap
coffin and hurried to an obscure burial.
The records of La Madeleine church In
Paris now contains the charge of francs
(s1.40) for the coffin of the Widow Ca
pet" to whom the baby Mozart had con-
fessed his love.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-11
I have done the state some service
And they know 1t. Vsheh"'
Dallas Traffic Problem

The city commission of Dallas, lex,
has passed traffic ordinance similar
to that recently enacted in Birming-
ham. and half dozen policemen have
been assigned to see that 1t is en-
forced. The Dallas Automobile club Is
cooperating in every way with the
authorities in their efforts to curb
recklessness on the part of drivers OF
vehicles, and is furnishing cars for
the sole use of members of the traf-
fic squad The "speeder' has been the
especial bane of Dallas streets, and
his curbing has been decreed. Many
arrests have been made and in nearly
all instances convictions have resulted.
Here are some of the provisions of the
Dallas ordinance:
That each and every vehicle. motor
or horse drawn, shall have lights front
and rear and numbers properly dis
PLAYED to show front and rear. Lights
are to be used from an hour after sun
down to one hour before sunrise.
All vehicles must come to a full stop
and not attempt to pass any standing
street car taking on or discharging
passengers.
All motorcycles must have num-
ber plate displayed across the machine
and firmly fixed, to show plainly from
front or rear, and light to illumine
the number.
All street cars to o-stop on the near
side of all street intersections in the,
business district of the city
Pedestrians are to cross street In
tersections upon lines that would be
extensions of the sidewalks, and in no
case to make diagonal crossing. Where
there are traffic officers, the pedes-
trians are to follow the directions for
vehicles, as to halting and passing.
All vehicles must go to a street in
tersection before attempting to turn
about in the street.
The Age Herald sets these rules
forth in order to convince the citizens
of Birmingham that they are not be-
ing prosecuted. The regulation of traf-
fic in the crowded thoroughfares has
become one of the big problems of
modern municipal government. The
officials of a city are morally bound
to do all in their power to protect the
limbs and lives of the inhabitants. To
do this effectively certain rules must
be laid down and carried out.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-11

words. legal declaration of the wisdom
and righteousness of a qualified union of
church and state. Permission was later
secured for any person paying an assess
ment for the support of the clergy to des-
ignate pastor of his choice, even though
not member of the established church,
to whom his proportion of the assessment
should go.
On the 18th the house agreed that the
compulsory levies to support the estab-
lished clergy should again be suspended
for another session.
Thus, toe to toe, the pulling match
continued-the disciple of liberty now los
ing, now gaining ground. Up to the time
Jefferson left the Virginia legislature,
he had not yet accomplished his full pur-
pose. He left his statute for religious
freedom on strong ground, as legis-
lative legacy to his friends and they
finally won it.
The hatred, calumny and lies-scurrilous
and cruel-visited on his devoted head for
the balance of his life on account of the
dsestablishment In Virginia, and because
of the anger and fear arising from the
justly anticipated imitation of his legis-
ation elsewhere, are wondrous. During
his campaign for the presidency there was
positively no end to the bitter denuncia-
tion. 1t was charged by one preacher in
New England that Jefferson had obtained
his property by fraud and robbery" that
in one instance he had "defrauded and
robbed a widow and fatherless children"
of whose estate he was executor, "of
f10.0O0 sterling, by keeping the property
and paying them in money at the nominal
rate when 1t was worth no more than 20
for L. and this stupendous lie was closed
with the assertion that the reverend
gentleman could prove lti'
The New England clergy seem to have
adopted him as favorite text One, DR..
Mason. charged that Jefferson was So
licitous Ito wrest the Bible from the
hand of the peoples children"
John Fiske says that he 'has heard his
grandmother tell how old ladies' in Con-
necticut, at the news of his election, hid
their family Bibles, because it was sup
posed that his very first official act-per-
haps even before announcing his cabinet
would be to issue ulSase ordering all
copies of the sacred volume throughout
the country to be seized and burned"
And all this simply because Jefferson
was conspicuous advocate of freedom
of religion, or perhaps still more because
he had disconnected parsons from glebes
and state support-much to the improve
ment of true religion.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-11
banana Trade. Great Growth

Probably the most remarkable devel-
opment, in an economic and practical
sense, in the last few years. is the growth
of the banana trade throughout the
world,s said student of large business
affairs.
In the August number of the North
American Review, under the title. 'Ba-
nanas and Diplomacy we read of the
remarkable growth of the trade in II
months on the continent This interesting
article, by Chester Lloyd Jones, gives a
chronological sketch of the growth of the
trade in the United States. 1t appears
that cargo trade with us began in 1863.
but not until 1900 did full shiploads reach
England.
We read further that in 1908 the de-
mand in France was SO small that they
were not separately tabulated in the GUS
toms accounts, but returned In the re-
mainder column headed "other fruits :
But the demand in France had grown un-
til in 1911, the latest figures at hand, there
were 17,S13 metric tons (2204.6 jounds), val
ued at almost $l.o00.0OO! Germany's impor-
tations increased from 800 tons in 1899 to
30, 4sS tons the first nine months of 1911
The remarkable part is the recog-
nized economic value of the banana as a
food. 1t will ultimately affect the wheat
fields. or at least will help to supply the
ever increasing demand for starch foods.
1t Is good hog food. 1t can be cooked in
a green state as healthy vegetable. II
is being manufactured INTO flour, for use
where the fruit itself cannot be trans
ported by reason of the. cost and distance
from the fields. sr
ut Is on this side of the Panama canal,
by the way, that this new wealth of the
lndes will make a commercial Mediter-
ranean of the Caribbean sea- OF the
worlds supply of 52,OO0,0O0 punches in 1912,
the United States took 44,500O0Oi The sup
ply came as follows: Jamaica, is 900, 900;
Honduras and Costa Rica, 100000 each;
Panama, 4,0O0,00 Cuba and Nicaragua
about 100000 each, and Guatemala and
Columbia about 100000 with Mexico S0O.-
900 punches. The United States used over
go bananas per capita in 1912. The i'm
port value was approximately s14, 600.
And ii is interesting to read that there are
vast uncultivated fields as yet untouched
for the further development of the indus
try"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-11
THE OLD HOUSE

BY Ethel Augusta Cook. in Harper's Mag
azine.
How lost in trees gray house stands
with flowers about the door;
A gravel path leads to the gate, white
road sweeps before.
o brooding house, and shadowy grass and
flowers red and sweet!
The white road sweeping straight away
was made for children's feet.
Long years ago child voices thxUAsA
among the swaying trees,
Long years ago blithesome laugh was
borne on every breeze.
In every mossy hollow then goblin treas
ure kept:
In every fragrant blossom then a fairy
lightly slept.
All day horde of flying feet beat down
the willing grass;
All day bow of widened eyes watched
mystic wonders pass.
In shadows gray. and circling cloud, and
showers that frightened all,
And through the hours a little bird made
music with his call.
The wall closed out world unknown and
drew world about,
But when the gate blew open once. wide
wistful eyes looked out.
" DTOoulnS mousse, anu SnSdOWy grass, ana
flowers red and sweet,
The white road sweeping straight away
was made for children's feet
The road so white lay here In shade, and
there in sunlight cleaned
While all the way tall laughing grass its
wayward tresses streamed.
So far it ran no one could say what place
was at its end;
Wide, white and straight. it swept away
with never any bend.
The rushing feet have now grown slow,
and go with quiet tread.
The fairies sleeping in the flowers woke
long ago and fed.
The gate swings wide, the wall is down.
the mystic road is clear:
But no one goes with dancing feet. or
ever journeys here.
They fare, staid pilgrims far and wide:
the round world is their home.
They GO on every road but this; on this
they never come.
o brooding house, and shadowy grass. and
flowers red and sweet!
The white road sweeping straight away
was made for children's feet
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-11
Sulzer in a Corner

Chairman Frawley and Attorney
Richards of the New York legisla-
tive committee named to investigate
the campaign funds of Governor Will
liam. Sulzer declare that enough has
been discovered to warrant the i'm
peachment of the executive, and this
will be recommended to the assembly.
Tammany's strength there is great,
and Murphy men will look for support
from the followers Of Boss Barnes, the
leader of the standpat republicans.
Mr.. Frawley believes that two
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-11

Record.
OF 16,4ss,602 tons of pig iron made
in the first half of this year. according
to figures of the bureau of statistics
of the American Iron and Steel insti-
tute. 1,776.724v tons, or 1917 per cent,
were made in the south. The output
in the south was an increase of $685.
$40 tons, or at the rate of 25.7 per cent
over the output In the first six months
of 1912. while the output of 14,711,s
tons in the rest of the country was an
increase of 2,052.51S tons, or at the
rate of 1872 per cent. In the following
table the production in the south by
states in the first half of 1912 and 1918
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-11
THE WRONG PRESCRIPTION

From Pearson'ss Weekly.
Lewis Waller, the actor. who recently
returned from successful season in
America, tells story of very old
Irishman who one day astonished a
friend by announcing that he was about
to get married.
Married." exclaimed his friend AN
old man like your
well, ye see," the old man explained,
its just because I'm gettin' an ould
bhoy now. 'Tis foine thing, Pat, to
have wife near We to close the eyes
of ye whin ye come to the end"
"Arrah, now. ye ould fuller exclaimed
Pat. Don't be SO foolish What do ye
know about 1T? Close yer eyes, In
dade! I've had couple O. thin, an,
faith. they both of them opened miner
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-11
thirds vote, which will be required to

thirds vote, which will be required to
upseat Sulzer, can be mustered.
Governor Sulzer is charged with
having used funds contributed to his
campaign for speculation in Wall
street. Checks were produced before
the committee seeming to establish
the receipt by the governor of
amounts which were not accounted for
in his sworn statement of expenses.
Sulzer has shown a disposition to an
swer allegations against himself by
making others against Murphy, way
of arguing that carries little weight.
Had the governor been more submis-
sive to Murphy's wishes, however, his
troubles would not now be so pressing.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-11
A SnIenaid Hand

'Memoli's band is being compliment
ed not only by the average music
lover but by educated musicians who
chance to hear It," said a member of
the musical set last night. 1T was a
fine band at the beginning OF the sum-
mer season, but now II Is great 1t is
a splendid band indeed. / doubt If there
is another such band in the entire
south. Few concert bands in the large
northern cities are equal to it,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-11
Pig Iron Marked upwaa

"The Birmingham pig iron market
is now very steady at s11 on a No. ,
basis and the tendency is unmistakably
upward" said a broker. Il believe Bir-
mingham will be selling for s12 with
in the next three or four weeks. Pros
perity is in evidence once more all over
the country and the iron market will
probably keep active for many months
to come"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-11

Some travelled individual rises to declare
that Baltimore has had policewomen for
a long time. The Maryland metropolis
simply hasn't got Chicagos gift of self
advertisement.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-11
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
FIne nuslnenn Outlook

'While the corn crop in the west
may be damaged to a considerable ex-
tent by the drouth. there win be album
dant harvests. said John P. Solley
of Chicago. The big crops that are
in sight have stimulated business.
Many things have coneurred to help
trade and within the past week bust
ness men have been. decidedly opti-
mistic. The outlsolz is fine"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-11
A GREAT sLEUTH
e Chicago American.

The chief constable of small town
received by post six "Rogues' Gallery
taken in different posi-
tions, of an old offender wanted for
burglary in neighboring city. A fort
night later the city chief of police re-
ceived this letter from the constable,
II have arrested five of the men. and
am going after the, sixth tonight"