davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-18
LUKE M'LUKE SAYS.

From the Cincinnati Enquirer
When she is 10 years old she will bor-
row wad of gum out of a boys mouth
| and chew it with enjoyment. When she
is 20 years old she wouldn't shake hands
with the same boy because she is afraid
she might be contaminated.
A single man can hardly wait for pay
day to come around. But it doesn't mean
anything to married man.
What has become of the old-fashioned
family Bible that contained a colored
frontispiece showing Eve in a green one
piece from being driven from the Garden
by an angel in red sheath gown?
The old-fashioned man who couldn't
| take a bath unless it was Saturday night
now has a son who can't swear off unless
it is the first of January.
A man might appreciate the compli-
| ment. But you shouldn't tell stout girl
| that she is all wool and yard wide
A man shouldn't try to tell the truth all
| the time unless he is a champion fighter
or champion runner.
We all have our own way in this world
| until they take the other nourishment
| from us and begin feeding us with a spoon
| for the first time.
Some men are SO contrary that you can
bet you are wrong when they agree with
| you.
| A girl can have a father and three
brothers at home and still imagine that
| her fiance has wings and a halo.
| Virtue is using much rouge and car
| mine paint these days that a man has a
| hard time locating vice.
| And it might help some If Dame For
| tune was as good mixer as her sister
| Misfortune.
| A princess will spend four hours dolling
up to be looked at and then get mad be-
cause a man takes a good square look
at her
| A British scientist says wearing clothes
Is unnatural and a bad habit. But the
women beat him to this last summer.
| And if the Reformers had the world
roped and tied and had everything their
own way, they would be miserable be-
cause there wouldn't be anything to kick
about
| A soft answer saves you many a hard
| wallop.
| A woman sits down and waits for Temp
tation. man gets up and meets 1t half
/ way.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-18
FIGURES AND FOOD.

From the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Whether we eat to live or live to eat
there is no getting away from the fact
that each one of us consumes an enor-
nous quantity of food
Have you any idea how much? If not
the following figures probably will startls
you. scientist with a love for statis-
tics has investigated the whole question
and, according to this authority, the aver.
age old gentleman, during the process oil
attaining his three score years and ten
disposes of something like "a tons of solid
food and SO tons of liquid.
He will have eaten 1900 eggs, 4Ot
pounds of cheese, about four tons of fish,
and, could it have been all baked at once
a loaf of bread equal in size to an ordi-
nary family hotel.
But think of the vegetables devoured.
Our scientist says a train three miles
long would be required to bring life's
supply to the average man; though in this
same train it might also be possible to
carry his 100000 cigarettes, his half-tor
of tobacco, his 10000 pounds of sugar
and his 1900 pounds of salt.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-18

or else allow himself to be chewed up,
which he was loath to permit.
Officer W. B. Foster. whose duty it is
to keep law and order on West Main
street beat, last Saturday during the after
noon heard the crashing report of a shot
gun. The bluecoat proceeded to where
the sound came from, which was an open
field not far away from the Watson brick
yard. There he discovered Henry Warf
standing triumphantly over the dead car
cass of jack rabbit, with a smoking gun
in his hand.
Shooting within the corporate limits is
forbidden by law" said the officer, as
he dug in his coat tail pocket for his
notebook and pencil Kindly give me
your name" After summopsing the man
to appear in court yesterday morning.
Henry Warf explained to the officer how
he was walking across the field when the
rabbit suddenly darted away from in front
of his feet, and ran to a nearby tree
where he sat up and watched the sur
prised pedestrian.
Whether the temptation of rabbit stew
moved him to do it, or whether he con-
sluefed the rabbits action in getting up
and leaving so abruptly as a personal af-
front Is not known; however, Warf
strolled across to negro's house not
far distant and there borrowed a double
barreled shotgun and strolled back.
The rabbit was still there body and
soul, but few minutes later only the
body remained, with load of buckshot
viii hin
bitten by rabbit" explained the trans
gressor, when Warf was asked for an ex-
PLANTATION as to the motive for the crime
yesterday, and the mayor, after due con-
! sideration, also came to the conclusion
that good and peaceable citizen should
not be called upon to pay for defending
himself against a savage rabbit. and he
dismissed the warrant
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-18
Outlook for Democratic Party

THE democratic administration al
Washington has made a most excellent
record thus far, and believe that it will
prove so popular and that the party will
continue in power for at least four more
years after the expiration of the Presi-
dents term" said w. J. Nichols of
Rochester, N. Y.
1T was a common remark just after the
last election that the democrats could be
counted upon to make blunders that would
cause its defeat in 1915. Those who ex-
pressed such opinions had in mind the
last Cleveland administration, when the
party had serious split. Even many
good democrats have said that it was the
rule of the party to have dissensions
which invited defeat; but harmony has
been remarkably we'll preserved in the
Sixty-third Congress, and no President
ever got along with the legislative branch
of the government so smoothly as Mr..
Wilson has done up to this time. or
course, much of the success of the adj
minstration has been due to Mr.. Under
woods able leadership in the House OF
Representatives.
Il have been a democratic voter since
1880, and do not recall a time when there
was less disposition on the part of those
who were not democrats to find fault with
democratic legislation. The republicans
have been so badly torn up that it does
not seem possible for them to rally in suf-
ficient strength to win over the democrats
in the next presidential election. I feel
sure that the next House to be elected in
1914 will be democratic by a safe working
maioritY"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-18
Alabama Marble

he Alabama Marble company, whose
quarry is near Sylaeauga, has had a
highly prosperous year." said Sidney e.
Hitler southern sales agent, with head
quarters in Birmingham.
In fact, our business this year has
gone away ahead of that of 1912, and we
thought we were doing well then A
great deal of our marble is being used in
birmingham, and we ship enormous guam
titles to New York. Chicago and other
northern cities. Alabama marble is bet
ter known in Chicago even than it is
right here in Birmingham It is therefore
great factor in advertising the resources
OF this state. We have practically an in
exhaustible marble supply. 1t Is my
opinion that it will even outlast the Bir-
mingham districts coal and iron.
In speaking of southern cities, Mr.. Hitler
said that while Birmingham would keep
up its rapid rate of growth, Dallas, Tex.
would before many years be a lively rival
in population gain. Dallas is a wonderful
city, and its progress this year has been
phenomenal" said he. TT is situated IN
the midst of a rich agricultural section
~ - - eStiiAiateu lHdt the PopuidlloH
within a radius of 100 miles is larger than
in any like area in the south"
Mr.. Hitler said that he was in Atlanta
the other day, and that he found tile
people complaining of business depression
I'm spite of the fact that Georgia made
big cotton crop" said Mr.. Hitler, bust
nness quiet prevails in Atlanta. Just now
1t is nothing like so busy place as Bir-
mingham.'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-18
Administering Digitalis

The national committee of the re-
publican party has decided that it is
clothed with ample authority to read
just the basis of representation in ma
tional conventions. It's decision was
unanimous. The dispatches say that
the extraordinary meeting in Wash
ington was marked by little bitterness
and no tangible evidences of ineradi-
cable differences. Even Mr.. Barnes
of New York seemed to have realized
that delegate nominated in a pri-
mary in which all the members of his
party took part is entitled to consid-
Grafton as we'll as the one selected in
a back room by a few bosses.
The recognition by the official rep
resentatives of the republican party
of the right of the rank and file to
have some say as to the manner in
which the affairs of the party shall
be conducted is epochal, but it comes
too much like death bed repentance to
have real effect. Smoot, Barnes and
their ilk are making no voluntary
sacrifices. What concessions they
make to the voters are wrung from
them and are granted begrudgingly.
The republican party is moribund. If
dissolution is to be avoided, heroic
treatment is necessary. The republi-
can party has been of great benefit to
a select few, but as corpse it would
be worse than useless. Therefore this
sudden catering to those who have a
vote. A political party without votes
is one of the most absurd things in the
world
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-18
THE CHRISTMAS CAROL.

From the Philadelphia Inquirer.
The derivation of the word carol is
uncertain. In the preface of book on
Christmas carols, published in 1885, it is
stated to be of Latin, Italian, or French
| extraction. but it has been naturalized for
centuries 1t was used by Spenser,
Shakespeare and Bacon, and its mean
ing is given as "a song of joy and ex-
| ultation, especially of religious joy"
The angels song to the shepherds of
| Bethlehem is sometimes quoted as the
| first Christmas carol. Jeremy Taylor in
the Greatest Exemplar," says, LAS soon
| as these blessed choristers had sung then,
Christmas carol and taught the church
a hymn to put into her offices forever,
the angels returned into heaven" Il
seems fairly certain that Christmas car
OILS were first used in the offices of the
church.
| With the progress of time the character
of the carols changed, as well as the
manner of singing them. Instead of be-
| ing used in the church services as for
merly, they were sung at Christmas time
| by wandering minstrels, watchmen. or
waits, as they are still commonly called.
This naturally led to some alteration in
the carols themselves. 1t was no longer
necessary that the words should be alto
gether sacred, they were now in many
instances indictments to the secular
mirth and enjoyment which now charac-
terized the season of Christmas, and had
we'll nigh superseded the primitive holy
| character of the time" Thus in 1921 we
| find a 'Sett of Christmas Carols" printed
| by Wynkyn de Worde, which were "fes-
tai chansons for enlivening the merriment
Iof the Christmas celebrity, and not such
religious songs as are current in this day
with the common people under the same
name"
| Sacred carols however, were not by any
means altogether superseded by those of
a more secular character. Many carols of
the kind were written in narrative form,
with great many verses of jingling
| metre, and rather calculated to try the
patience of the listeners as well as the
voices of the singers.
| The custom of singing Christmas carols,
though at one time there seems to have
been some risk of its dying out, appears
to have been continuous from the earliest
| times down to the present day. 1t sur
vived the SOLDERING effect of the reforma-
! ton and the Puritan reaction. Oliver
| Goldsmith makes mention of carol singing
in the Vicar of Wakefield" and in Ids
Brand, in his Popular Antiquities" gives
an account of it at Newcastle on-Tyne
and In the North of England.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-18
WASHINGTON'S ANCESTORS

then loyal colony and the established
religion that of the mother country
Sir John Washington had at least two
wives The first, named Mary was buried
in Northamptonshire, while the name of
the other widow was Dorothy. and she
was buried at Fordham, in cambrideshire.
John Washington, gentleman, the virginia
emigrant, states distinctly In his will,
dated September q. 1915, that he brought
his first wife from England with him;
that she died in Virginia and was buried,
with two children, on his own planta-
ton; and that his second wife's name was
Anne whom he appointed his executrix
In an American magazine of some years
ago appeared an article entitled 1.-THE
English Home of the Washingtons," the
writer of which gives an account of his
visit to Brington, and described the church
and the Washington memorials, illustrat-
ing them with engravings. He assumed
as true history the story which Mr.. Simp-
kinson, in his tale, 1.-The Washngtons''
QS6O), had founded on the parish regis
ters, the monuments in the church and
entries in the Althorp household books.
Mr. Simpkinson afterward became intl-
mate with Colonel Chester, learned from
him the result of his laborious investti-
cations, and was anxious to disclaim for
the tale the authority of actual history.
But all has been in vain. People still
go on quoting Mr. Simpkinson against
himself, either ignoring his disovowal or
misunderstanding the clear proofs of
Colonel Chester's discoveries. During 10
years Colonel Chester was trying to trace
the pedigree of the President back to Eng
land. The Virginia emigrants have been
identified, and their wills examined; but
the missing link between England and
Virginia cannot be found.
Too much stress must not be laid on
what President Washington wrote in his
letter to Sir Isac Heard. He says. II
have often heard others of the family old
er than myself say that our ancestors
who first settled in this country were from
one of the northern countries of Eng
land"
At the close of Colonel Chester's Pre-
liminary Investigations he says that Il
have accumulated a large amount of in
cessible to me, and believe that 1t en-
braces the real history of the family,
but yet lack the positive clew that would
solve the mystery and enable me to re-
duce the chaotic material to ORDER
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-18
Insanity and Crime.

According to the testimony of those
who have known him best, Hans
Schmidt has been crazy for years.
His father swears that insanity was
characteristic of Schmidt's kin. Sew
eral relatives hanged themselves,
others tried to commit suicide by
drowning, and another shot himself.
The prisoners sister testified that his
heritage of insanity came from both
sides of the house. When boy he
was afflicted with religious dementia,
she said. A boyhood friend of the
alleged murderer swore he believed
Sim to be of infirm mind and had been
of that opinion for years.
Hans Schmidt is the "fake" priest
who murdered Anna Amuller in New
York. His crime was particularly
fiendish. He killed the young woman,
dismembered the body, and at inter-
walls threw portions of the corpse into
the river. All the while he seemed
to keep up his clerical routine.
Many circumstances in Schmidt's
life go to indicate insanity. Now,
when he is on trial for murder, come
his father and sister and former
schoolmate to swear in their opinion
that he has been crazy for years. The
question naturally arises, if these
things were known, why was this man
allowed to go his way until he wound
up in the prisoners dock with charge
of murder against him? Why did
not his friends or his relatives or the
state take some steps for his confine-
ment and cure? This should have
been done.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-18
TerrOrs of the Sea

1t was in 1905 that the keel of the
Dreadnaught was laid. Her displace-
ment is 1900 tons; she has an indi-
Gated horse power of 27,500, and she
carries 10 12-inch guns. The an
nouncement of the Dreadnaught
caused sensation in the naval of
fices of the nations Of the world. The
fear was felt that ships of earlier
construction and lighter armament
were bound speedily for the scrap
heap. During the Spanish-American
war the Oregon was the hope and de-
pendence of the United States. The
Oregon is small as compared with the
Dreadnaught. She has displace-
ment of little over 10000 tons,
horse power of II 900 and carries four
13-inch breechloading rifles. In COM
bat with vessel of the Dreadnaught
class, the Oregon would practically
have no show.
Many professed to believe that the
Dreadnaught was the last word in
naval construction. But now it seems
that the dreadnaughts will soon be
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-18
CHRISTMAS.

BY Phillips Brooks.
The earth has grown old with it's burden
of care,
But at Christmas it always is young.
The heart of the jewel burns lustrous ard
fair,
And it's soul full of music breaks forth
on the ear
When the song of the angels is sung.
1t is coming. Old Eearth, it is coming to-
night!
On the snowfiakes which cover the sod
The feet Of the Christ-Child fal gentle and
white,
And the voice Of the Christ Child tells out
with delight
That mankind are the children of God
On the sad and the lonely. the wretched
and poor,
That voice of the Christ Child shall fall
And to every blind wanderer opens the
OF hope that he dared not to dream Of
before,
With sunshine of welcome for all.
The feet Of the humblest may walk in
the field
Where the feet of the holiest have trod.
This. this is the marvel to mortals re-
vealed
When the silvery trumpets of Christmas
have pe4led.
That mankind are the children Of God.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-18
The Christmas Spirit

Birmingham is now full of the Christ
mas spirit and l believe that charitable
institutions and needy individuals will,
be as we'll remembered as usual" said an
old citizen.
"Those of us who knew Birmingham as
very small city recall the fact thet
little was known of public spirit or civic
movements requiring concerted action
but no appeal for charity went unheeded
No city in this country has ever had a
more generous hearted people than Bir-
mingham. The citizens are liberal in a
marked degree in dispensing charity, and
trust it will always be so.''
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-18
RARELY KNOWN POEM

was copied throughout the length and
breadth of the land. 1t was pronounced
by such well known literary men as Will
liam Cullen Bryant and others as un-
doubtedly genuine and among the best
things the erratic poet had ever written.
Poe's biographer wrote to the Kokomo
Dispatch asking for the manuscript of the
poem, and offering to pay a large amount
for 1t IL it's genuneness was established.
This frightened both Henderson and Ri
ley, seeing they were to be called upon
to establish the authenticity of the story.
Riley called his friend Richards who was
an expert with the pen, to his assistance.
They went to a butcher in Kokomo, who
had small library which had been sent
him upon the death of relative In Phil
adelphia. They took him into their conf
dence and secured his cooperation From
this library they took an old thumb
worn copy of Ainsworth's dictionary and
In imitation of Poes handwriting, using
faded ink on the fy-leaf of this book
Richards copied the poem and signed 1t
e. A. P. This, when shown to the lit
erary men, was convincing proof that the
poem was genuine. their theory being that
the fact that 1t was written in book
was responsible for its never having been
published. Its genuineness was fully ac-
cepted by the literary doubters. Rileys
triumph was then complete, and the truth
regarding the whole affair was pro-
claimed by Henderson, Richards and
others who had in the meantime become
acquainted with the facts. Much to Ri
ley's surprise, instead of his story being
accepted as true, he was denounced as
an imposter, who was trying to steal
Poe's work. But the facts eventually be-
came established. and then the critics
proceeded to literally skin poor Riley
alive. William Cullen Bryan denounced
his action in the strongest terms and
never forgave him for having deceived
him. This gave Riley a new idea about
the whole business. and he saw for the
first time that he had been guilty of
something unprofessional. 1t grieved him
beyond expression when he realized that
there might be something dishonest in
his ruse that was meant only a joke
on a friend, and | know positively that
it is the regret of Riley's life that this
affair ever happened. He tried every way
In the world to suppress the poem
Leonanie,' and any reference either to
1t or the incident Is very distasteful to
him. How well he has succeeded in sup
pressing it may be surmsed by the fact
that it does not appear in either of the
many editions of the half dozen or more
volumes of his writings. and l. who have
read everything / can get, from his pen.
have never seen 1t. This incident hap
pened in 1876 or 1877, and Immediately fol-
lowing 1t he came to Indianapolis, where
the Indianapolis Journal took UP and pub
lished a great many Of his first poems"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-18
Large and Small Industries

"Those citizens who are always saying
that Birmingham needs more small in
dustries are right, but at the same time
they are wrong in undertaking what this
city has in the matter of diversified prod
ucts," said member of the Chamber of
Commerce
"Those of us who were in business here
10 or 20 years ago appreciate the con-
centration of interests on the great nat
ural resources of this district. Chief at
tention was paid to fostering and up
building coal and iron industries Our
raw material resources will always con-
stitute our mainstay, but small and di-
versifed industries have come gradually
until today they are very important fac
tors in Our commercial progress.
mo business center in the south has
the enormous pay rolls that the Birming-
ham district has. These pay rolls have
doubled within the last eight or 10 years,
and it requires no great prophet to fore
tell the prodigious strides that will be
made within the next three or four years.
The big industries will increase, and the
small industries, numerous today, will
become much more numerous.
And, speaking of industries. large and
small, the wire mill at Fairfield, which
has just been completed and which will
be in operation early in January, will
have, even at the start, a larger pay roll,
owing to the great number of highly
paid skilled workmen than a dozen of
the class employing from so to 100 work.
men. If some cities that are noted for
their boosters had the Steel corporation
plants that Birmingham has, they would
shout thepselves hoarse in proclaiminy
to the world what they possessed. Bir-
| mingham is all right"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-18

regarded as of antiquated type. The
Florida of the American navy, whose
keel was laid in 1909, has a displace-
ment of 1925 tons, develops 28,-
900 horse power, and is equipped with
primary battery of 10 12-inch guns.
Battleships of greater size and de-
structive powers than the Florida are
authorized or building in several coun-
tries.
The British battleship cruiser
Tiger was launched at Glasgow few
days ago. Her keel plate was laid
in June of last year, and the greatest
secrecy has been maintained regarding
her specifications. Her engines are
designed to develop 100000 horse
power, something hitherto never at
tempted. Her length over all, it is
reported, will be 700 feet, beam 80
feet, displacement 10000 tons. She
will carry eight 15-inch guns in tur-
rents, II 6-inch guns in easements,
and two torpedo tubes.
This mighty warship will for a time
hold the supremacy of the seas. And
then a nation will build bigger one,
which for year and day may be
considered the best afloat. It's fine
thing for those who make armor and
armament.