davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-13
THE INAUGURAL BALL
BY BILL VINES


tariff. OF course, before you can al
tend the inaugural ball you must have
an Invitation. This invitation will be
accompanied by a ticket--or two tick
cts if you want 20 take your wife
or someone elses wife in case your
wife is out of the city. These tickets
will be good after they are signed by
the high mazook of the inaugural ball
committee who has writer's cramp and
can't affix his signature to anything
at all, to say nothing of a ball ticket
unless he can fix his gaze upon five
dollar William, and the same William
will only work once-you have to have
a new one for each signature and they
must be left with him as a token of
your regard and affection. l asked
them if they would use the money to
pay off the national debt. They said:
mo, it was to I'LL a long felt want"
The inaugural ball is an institution
which Is handed down to each admin
istration along with the Washington
monument. the great seal of the Unit
ed States and Secretary of Agriculture
Wilson. By going to the Inaugural
ball you get to mingle with lot of
total strangers at SO much per mingle,
and confer great boon upon the Pres
ident and his family by. shaking hands
with them and making them feel per
fectly at home. There Is nothing more
comforting to a now President when
he comes to the capitol than to have
everybody come right I'D and welcome
him to the city. 1t at once puts him
at his ease. The inaugural ball Is given
for this purpose and others of pri-
vate nature. and gives the President
an opportunity to hear everyones views
on how to run the government. 1t also
gives many an opportunity 20 offer
their services to the President. Some
people are a little backward about this
and in some cases wait until after the
President is inaugurated before they
think of il.
You can also get luncheon at the
inaugural ball or a dinner, or what
ever they call it--that is, you can get
tiff you have enough left from the
sale of your farm after buying the
tickets. You will be at perfect liberty
to go right into the dining hall and
order anything you desire from the bill
of fare including the date and the
name of the caterer, If it is your whim
to do so. 1t is your affair all right
and you must feel perfectly free all
the time. They urge you to feel that
way, so they may have something that
is free at the ball.
Anyway, / have no doubt that it will
be well worth the price of admission;
there will be an enormous crowd, for
the inaugural ball always draws; it
draws like an ironclad mortgage in a
state where the legal rate is IL per
cent.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-13
"RAGv
From Golfers Weekly.

From Golfers Weekly
Mr. Nahan F'ranko is q musician, it
would appear, in spite of the fact that
lhe has been leading an orchestra In
the tea room of one of New 9ork's most
magnificent hotels. Not only does Mr..
Franko survive after sevsra, years of
this experience, but he evidently in
tends that a few glimmers of his art
shall survive as well. He ventured tue
other day to play little Rubinstein
Mr. Franko was aware that as or
chestra leader in ->the tea room of a
Fifth avenue hotel he had to suit all
tastes nevertheless he ventured
Promptly appeared flunkey with d
mote from one of the stockholders, or
dering him to stop what he was play
ling and pick out something lively
The leader. who had doubtless desisted
from ragtime in much the spirit in
which a man whose head had been held
under water for two minutes might
lcome up to breathe, resented this COM
mand. Life was still sweet. He obeyed
land switched into ragtime, but he also
Resigned. Next day you might have
read this unexpected and really thrill
ling headlines .Franxo quits. Orchestra
leader refuses to play ragtime all the
time" Mr.. Franko appears to be both
musician and a man of spirit and
lit is a pleasure to behold him.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-13
BEER IN BAGS
From the Washington Post.

From the Washington Post.
According to the new regulations of
the commissioners. or the excise board
or whatever limb of district sovereignty
lit was that promulgated them, it is
now fashionable to carry your beer
home in paper bag. If the ordinary
paper bag will not hold the beer, the
human stomach will, and, recognizing
this great physiological principle, the
authorities have given Official sanction
to human packages" 1t is recognized
as the right of human being to wrap
himself around a quart of beer and
take it home Should he be unable to
take it home because of unseaworthy
llegs, the law specifically provides that
a wagon with gong on 1t shall be
called in order that the traveller may
be taken by Samaritans in blue suits
to the comfortable station house
Glass jars may be provided for the
"growler," if the person desiring beer
does not wish to carry the package
inside his vest. He has the right to
have it put up in glass jar, just as
his grandmother used to put up pre-
serves before the canning trust drove
her out of business.
1t is doubtless on the theory that
beer and other alcoholic beverages are
in. the nature of preservatives, closely
allied to the 81 varieties of the pre-
serve family" that the glass jar has
been decided upon as the solution of
the 'growler' difficulty. 1t should be
understood, however, by men about
town that they are not TO be permitted
to carry home the glas jar without
wrapping it up in a paper bag There
| is nothing to prevent them from doing
away with the glass jar and taking the
beer home in the bag, without any
other support, but leaks in the bag
would be condemned by the House
committee on irrigation of arid lands.
So many restrictions have been
thrown about the purchase of the
deadly "growler' that it is probable
great many men Will take time by
the forelock and drink their beer in
the saloon, reverting to the human
package" idea instead of waiting until
they get home and then drinking it
about the family board. The glass
lar will so hamper the GROWERS" for
mer joyousness and frothy freedom
that another lost art will be added to
the list.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-13
The Secretary OF Agriculture

"One of the most important cabinet
positions today is that of secretary of
agriculture and there seems to be pro-
nounced sentiment in some quarters that
DR.. Wiley would be capital man for the
place." said Clarence 7. Deaton of Phil
adelphia.
Il am not personally acquainted with
DR.. Wiley, but I, like many other demo-
Gratis, would be glad to see him at the
head of the agricultural department. as
the successor of Secretary Wilson. DR..
Wiley is not only a high class chemist,
but he is a man of great force of char
acter. He used to be republican, 1 be-
lieve, but in the November election he
supported Woodrow Wilson 1t may be
that the new President will prefer a
practical farmer, but my idea is that it
would be best to put Wiley in charge of
the department and have a practical
farmer for assistant secretary Of agri-
culture.
II remember 20 years ago the depart
ment of agriculture was looked upon as
something of a joke. 1t was referred to
frequently as merely a theoretical de-
partment with very little of the practical
side to it, but the public has seen for
some time that it has been of large
benefit, especially to the SOUTH
DR. Wiley, having served in the de-
partment with signal ability and fear
lessness as chief chemist. could take hold
as secretary with knowledge of de-
tails and also with a broad knowledge
of the needs of the country which would
render him invaluable"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-13
Gatun Dam Worlds Wonder

"A recent correspondent says that
owing to heavy rains Gatun lake has
reached a mark of Sc feet above sea
level. When the canal is ready for
operation the lake will be 81 feet
deep, but, as work is still going on
about the dam, it has been found nec-
essary to run off enough water to
lower the lake to 48 feet. The area of
the lake will be 164 square miles
when it rises to the 87-foot level.
Practically it's entire rise has been
made during the present rainy sea-
son. One more season of rain will
bring it up to the required depth, SO
that the fears of those who thought
It would take years to fill the lake
have been proven groundless.
This artificial lake in the tropics
viii cover just about four times the
ara that the present city of Birming-
ham does. Great forests and jungles
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-13

1ASHINGToN, January 12-(spe-
M cial.)-TAere is going to be
an inaugural ball held in
Washington some time round the early
days in March. as is usual when a new
President takes the oath of office and
begins to prepare for e-election-that
much is settled. but the selection of the
place of holding said inaugural ball
has been again indihnitely postponed.
There is probably no place in the
country, not to say in the world, which
mas as big corner on office seekers
and indefinite postponements as WASH
ington. Any one seeking a first class
indefinite postponement could be cer-
tain to satisfy the most fastidious de-
mand in this city. There are many
many worthy officeholders who have
been nominated by the President TO Of
flee and the nominations sent to the
Senate, who so far have drawn nothing
put indefinite postponements. Men who
nave no more use for an indefinite
postponement than resident of Cuba
has for seal skin ear muffs in July,
nave accumulated several from the
months.
But j was speaking of the inaugural
ball. Since I have been in Washing
ton they have not had an inaugural
ball. They do not have inaugural balls
just for the fun of the thing. 1 thought
they did, but naturally I am ignorant
upon such subjects. Inaugural balls
come high--in fact L am inclined TO
think that the common vulgarism,' the
high ball" must have grown out of
the inaugural ball. Everything about
an inaugural ball is high except the
dresses of the ladies. The party waists
worn by our fair ones at the capital
are as much In the minority as ever.
II you come to the Inauguration and
attend the inaugural ball and mingle in
the mad whirl OF Washington society
you will observe many of our fair wom-
en- clothed In an electric light waist
with trimmings of real vertebrae down
the back. This is one reason our fair
ones are demanding the responsibility
of voting thrust upon their shoulders.
A large Australian ballot on the should
ers of some of our dear ones might
prevent case of pneumonia, provided
the names of the candidates were heavy
enough.
] am not quite sure that will
attend the inaugural ball. though /
have been urged to do so. In fact
the urbane and perfectly gentlemanly
young man that extended to me the
invitation intimated that it was be-
ing given for my especial benefit. I
told him that l needed a benefit all
right, but thought that l might post
pone my craving for one until they
had passed schedule n reducing the
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-13
Artificial Precious Stones

The Smithsonian institutions an
nual report for 1911, with the usual
appendix, just issued is of more than
ordinary interest. The appendix con-
tains 81 papers and several of them
will be found readable by laymen as
we'll as scientists.
The Smithsonian has done vast
good in diffusing the most recent ad-
vances in knowledge and the series
of articles on subjects pertaining to
all branches of science which appear
in the 1911 report are well styled
unique. There are papers on the gy-
roscope, telegraph, ultraviolet light,
chemistry, electro-chemistry, artifi-
cial stones, time divisions of
the world, astronomy, geology
entomology, physics, evolution, ecol-
ogy, ornithology, architecture, physi-
ology, sanitation, travel, biography,
etc.-surely a range wide enough for
the most assiduous gatherer of in
formation.
The article which will be of chief
interest to many discusses the pro-
duction of artificial precious stones.
1t is from the pen of Noel Heaton,
well known chemist. AS the
Smithsonian publicity agent says in
speaking of Mr.. Heaton's contribu-
ton, the subject is Of "no little ro-
mantle interest due to the fact that
men of science have for centuries
strained their ingenuity in attempt
ing to solve the mystery of the ori-
gin of jewels in order to gain for
themselves both fame and we may
suppose untold wealth by producing
them artificially. Within the last few
years the subject has been, revived
with new force, since only recently
artificial production on commercial
scale, of any species of gem, has be-
come practicable. By the term 'arti-
ficiap Mr.. Heaton does not mean imi-
tation stones, but only such reproduc-
tions as possess the chemical and phys
ical properties of the natural stones
Many Of the processes of manufac-
ture are explained in this paper, and
the instruments and tests used in the
Identification of jewels are described
While the manufacture Of many
stones is scientifically possible, it is
not yet general, and can not inter
fere commercially if the dealers are
honest enough to properly describe
their wares"
For many years past the paste
diamond industry has been carried
on with more or less activity, but
when real precious stones can be made
chemically the paste manufacturer
and the paste merchant will have tc
retire from business. In the mean,
time, the dealers in precious stones
and the lovers of natural stones will
watch the development of the com.
mercial side of the chemical stone
with lively interest.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-13

From the February Wide World Maga-
zine.
Whereas in Australia and India pearl
fishing is conducted by men, in Japan
" is the women who dive for the precious
pearl oysters. In the Bay of Gokasho,
In the province of Ise, as well as several
other parts of the country where pearl
fishing is carried on, women are em-
ployed almost exclusively in gathering the
oysters which contain the pearls from
the ocean bottom. 1t seems that from
time immemorial there has been belief
that woman can work better and remain
| longer under water than men, and the
women pearl divers of Ise are frequently
mentioned in the classic literature of the
country. Some of them can relate stories
OF stirring fights which they have had In
the depths of the ocean with the octopus
and other monsters of the deep while
gathering pearl oysters or attending to
the beds, and many of the older divers
at the farm on Totokujuma island will
show you scars on their arms and legs
as result of these encounters. Indeed,
| the profession is one that calls for special
qualifications, and not every japanese
woman would make successful pearl
diver.
They are recruited from the villages
and towns upon the sea shore, and before
they adopt their strange vocation are well
acquainted with the sea, and know some
thing about the art of diving. They COM
mence work at the age of 13 or IA, and
are in the water almost all the year
round, except during the coolest season
from the end of December to the begin
ginning of February. Even during this
inciement weather. however, they some
| times dive for pearls. The women veal
| special dress. consisting of white knick'
ers short skirt and vest. while the hail
is twisted up on the head in hard knot
The eyes are protected by glasses t.
prevent the entrance of water Tubs Of
pals resembling butter barrels, complets
their diving outfit.
A boat, commanded by a man, Is as
| siened to every five to 10 women, ant
| carries them to and from the fishing
scene of their labors they land upon thu
rocks or islands, and at once plunge int
the water and begin their search for thu
oysters. These are dropped into the tubs
which are fastened by rope to the wom
| ems waists When the tubs are abou
half filled the women pull them towart
! the boat. help to lift them in, and thel
return to the shore.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-13
INDIRECTION

BY Richard Realf
Fair are the flowers and the children.
but their subtle suggestion is fairer;
Rare is the roseburst of dawn, but the
secret that clasps it is rarer;
Sweet the cxultance of song. but the
strain that precedes 1t Is sweeter;
And never was poem yet writ, but the
meaning outmastered the meter.
Never a daisy that grows but mystery
guideth the growing;
Never river that nows, but majesty
scepters the howing;
Never a Shakespeare that scared, put
stronger than he did enfold him,
Nor ever a prophet foretells. but might
Ter seer hath foretold him.
Back of the canvas that throbs the paint
ter is limited and hidden;
Into the statue that breathes the soul
of the sculptor is hidden;
Under the joy that Is felt lie the infinite
issues of feeling;
Crowning the glory revealed Is the glory
that crowns the revealing.
Great are the symbols of being, but that
which II symboled is greater;
Vast the create and beheld. but vaster
the inward creator:
Back of the sound broods the silence,
back Of the gift stands the giving;
Beck of the hand that receives thrill the
sensitive nerves OF receiving.
Space is as nothing to spirit. the deed
is outdone by the doing;
The heart of the wooer is warm. but
warmer the heart Of the wooinE;
And up from the pits where these shiver.
and up from the heights where those
shine,
1,xsin voices and shadows swim starwara.
and the essence Of lite y diyine.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-13
New York's Barge Canal

A big rich state does not hesitate
70 vote for an issue of $100, 900 in
bonds to build good roads, and at the
same time she voted SOL 100000 to
widen and deepen the Erie canal. The
canal work will be completed in 1915,
and then there will be waterway
from Buffalo to the Hudson river
nine feet deep. The locks are to be
widened to as feet. 1t will be big
barge waterway when it is opened IN
May, 1915. A great dam is being
erected at Troy by the federal gov
ernment which will be really the key
to the state canal system.
1t is now believed that the cost of
the big canal will outrun the first
estimate about $10,000,0 900, thus car
rying its total cost to $111, ,000,0
The state and city of New York con-
slider it we'll worth the money, for
they hope to see it and the great
lakes keep the great traffic of the
middle west from going either to
Hudson's bay or down the Mississippi
to southern ports. New York still has
to fight for the products of the mid
die west, and probably always will.
That is why the Erie canal was deep
ened and widened, and the process
may have to be repeated generation
hance
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-13
Southern Lumber and the Canal

Emory R. Johnson, the govern
ment's special commissioner on Pan
anna traffic and tolls, thinks that the
opening of the canal will add the
Pacific trade to the lumber trade of
the south. The hardwoods of the south
will meet with little competition from
the soft woods exported from the
Pacific seaboard of the United States
and from British Columbia. The yell
low pine of the south is also superior
to The fir, spruce and other timber
of the Pacific northwest, and there
will be an increased demand for it
along the west coast of South Ameri-
ca and across the Pacific.
1t is true, lively competition will
spring up between the Pacific north
west and the south for the trade along
the Atlantic seaboard. About six dol
lars per thousand feet will represent
a profitable average charter rate from
Puget sound to the north Atlantic
seaboard. Mr.. johnson thinks the
south will continue to hold the major
portion of the eastern lumber trade
against the Pacific producers, and
any losses the south may sustain will
be more than made good by gains in
sales along the west coast of South
America and throughout the Pacific
ocean.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-13
THE SCIENCE OF DREAMS

prof William Brown, NJ. A, in the Feb
ruary Strand.
Almost all scientific observers agree
that the materials of which dreams are
made are memories of past experiences
of the Individual. Curiously enough,
the memories that occur most frequent
ly are those of the previous day and
those of early childhood. The fcrmer
class are to be found in every dream,
and are probably an essential con-
dition to it's formation; the latter
trecollections of childhood) seem to be
of even greater Importance, since they
much of the hidden meaning
of the dream. In many cases where
the incidents of dream seem to be
entirely unfamiliar it has been shown
lby careful investigation that they cor
respond to actually experienced Aevents
that have escaped the memory of the
waking self Delboeuf records an in
teresting example of this. In 1862 he
the snow. He took them up, warmed
them, and placed them in a hole in a
wall, together with small fern, which
he knew they liked to eat. The name
lof this fern seemed in his dream to
be Asplenium ruta muralis Later on
| in his dream he saw two other lizards
come and eat the remains of the fern.
an dthen a whole host OF lizards COM
ling to the wall in long procession
which covered the entire street. On
awakening he could not remember ever
to have heard the name of the fern of
his dream, although he discovered that
a fern called Asplenium ruta muraria
really existed. Sixteen years later.
however, he happened to be turning
over the pages of a friends album of
dried flowers, and to his surprise came
! lacross the very fern. with the Latin
name written underneath in his own
Handwriting. He then remembered that
in 1860, two years before the dream, he
had met the sister of this friend. and
| to please her had written the Latin
names under the various plants in her
album at the dictation of botanfst.
Fifteen years after the dream he also
discovered the source Of the lizard pro-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-13
The stock Market

Henry Clews in his Saturday Review
says in part:
'.Since January l the stock market has
been marking time. showing a distinctly
better undertone without any pronounced
increase in activity or strength. Under
lying conditions are certainly more sat-
isfactory than month ago, and there is
ample reason for greater confidence be-
cause the already familiar unfavorable
conditions have been amply discounted
by low prices, and Improvement in the
money market must eventually have a
stimulating effect upon securities.
1.-THE present ease of the local money
market has already had the effect of
starting gold exports. The tremendous
activity of trade in Great Britain-and
also a lesser degree in Germany--has
imposed a tremendous strain upon the
financial resources of those countries for
some time past. In Europe the situation
was aggravated by excessive specula-
tion
Public attention has again been more
or less diverted by doings at Washing
ton. The decision of the supreme court
regarding the distribution of Union Pa
cific holdings of Southern Pacific had no
seriously adverse effect. The market,
however. is still waiting for the decision
upon the famous Minnesota rate case.
Hearings have started upon the tariff
and thus far nothing has happened to
change the belief that no radical re-
vision will be attempted. at least at pres
ent.
Taking the situation as a whole, we
are still inclined to the more hopeful
views expressed In these advices week
ago. The situation is by no means Ell
tirely an optimistic one, but the business
mind as we'll as the political mind has
been over-lmpressed- with pessirlistic
views. and it is time to assume more
cheerful attitude in order to get back TO
the normal and recover our balance fl
nancially as we'll as politically. For the
time being at least the market will most
likely have the support of powerful bank
ing interests who have underwritten the
new flotations.'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-13
BARNUMs FIRST EXHIBIT
oe Mitchell chapple in National Maga-

zine.
p. T. Barnum launched his career in
the show business by exhibiting a re-
markable negro woman, believed to be l6o
years old. and said to have been nurse
to George washington. An old bill of sale
was exhibited, properly dated, concern
ing Joyce Heth. then 81 years old. and
evidence was also furnished that she was
nurse to George Washington. Everything
seemed so straightforward to the young
man that he was eager to become the pro-
prietor of this novel exhibition, which
he purchased for $1,000. $500 of which he
paid down. selling out his interest in the
grocery business and the other $500 he
! borrowed. Ne saw that the thing to do
was to make people talk and become Curl
Gus and excited over rare spectacles. Re-
gardless of expense he advertised in New
York, Boston and Philadelphia. and the
ihalls were thronged until Joyce Heth
died