davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-26

~ NcE upon a time there was a
cunning little boy and his
~ mother asked him what he
meant to do when he was a grown
UP man.
The little fellow replied without he's
itation:
Either Methodist preacher. fire.
man, picture taking man or tele-
graph pole putter-upper."
Now
This little boys idea might have
originated as far as the fireman" part
of his ambition was concerned by
merely seeing his friends, the fire lad
dies" off duty. but still even so, the
life of fireman isn't all beer and
skittles-no. not by any means, even
when he is just sitting around spinning
yearns and enjoying an apparently leis-
ure life with his colleagues.
While on duty each fireman has some
work assigned to him.
The care of the harness belonging
to the beautiful horses is given to
some, while others are responsible for
the appearance of the big, new ma
chimes which convey the chemical en-
gines hither and thither-here and
there.
others see that the floors and dor
mitories are kept clean and tidy-ohl
they are wonderfully good housekeep-
ers, the brave fire laddies. while still
others busy themselves with the shin
ing brass and glittering metal belong
Ing to the apparatus connected with
the fire department.
Few sights or sounds are more in
spring than fire company in full ca
Ieer
Ordinarily the scene around a fire
station is a peaceful one.
The men, to all appearances, seem
lazy and comfortably smoking and
chatting and perhaps occasionally play
ing the passersby
A few blocks away someone let's fall
lighted match, unnoticed t
The fame spreads.
In few seconds 1t Is a blaze
The cracking wood and the smell Of
smoke tell their story
A rush is made for the nearest fire
alarm box.
Quick as lightning 1t Is opened
The hook is pulled down and then
in jiffy the number rim throughout
the fire stations and Is registered on a
tape.
In the peaceful fire station all signs
of quiet banish
At the sound of the gong the horses
with a trained intelligence beautiful to
see, plunge to their proper places while
the men snap their collars over them
and adjust the harness which hangs
suspended over the poles
Ieaping Justify TO the motor cars
that carry the great engines, the "honk
honk' is heard and the procession
starts with the chief in the lead and
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-26

siasm plus concerning the fire department
and kindness of heart and a big, gen
erals, whole -souled interest in humanity
just like the rest of US, all my misgiv-
ings vanished in an instant and we were
talking about things just like we'd been
friends all our lives
Chief Bennett is that sort of a man.
His flashing brown eyes beneath a
broad rugged forehead with shock of
iron gray hair above it, proclaim his
strength in every line of his handsome
face.
Chief Bennett is a vital man. physically
and mentally, and if | were looking for a
chief for a great big fire department.
l don't know of any man who from every
point of view, would more nearly fill the
bill than the present incumbent of Bir-
minghams splendid fire department.
In his office in the city hall. Chief
Bennett, like Kipling said of Admiral
Bob Evans,
:. sits in his coming tower.
Bossing a hundred men,.
Only the chief bosses more than that
number. and let me tell YOU he's some
boss"
Chief Bennett has to his credit a glori-
Gus record of duty well performed and
the best part of ii all Is he refuses 10
take any credit to himself, but declares
that to his men belong the honors.
What is the main asset of the Rir-
mingham fire department." ] asked the
Chief as he signified his willingness to
be interviewed.
'The main asset" the chief repeated
after me, and without a moments hesi-
tation said, rs the personnel of the fire
department. My men 7 mean by person.
mel not so much their ability. which IS all
that could be desired but their moral
character and their clean daily life
feel genuine pride in that l have all
ways contended that a man could lead as
good. clean life as a fire laddie, as he
could in any other office. That is the
end that I have continually in view with
regard to my men,
How many men are employed in the
fire department. ] asked.
"One hundred and fifty" said Chief
Bennett.
And what man is oldest in the SER
y;ee?'' ! inquired.
Our assistant chief, Mr.. w. p. Wall
ton" | was told. "He has been with the
Birmingham fire department % years
When he first started the streets were
rot even paved. There were no improve
ments of any sort to amount TO any
thing, and Birmingham was still an In
FAINT in arms. During these times they
didn't have as many fires In year as
we have now in IS days.
"And how long have you been in SER
yice?'' ] asked.
Assistant chief Walton exceeds me by
only few years" Chief Bennett said.
''I've been with the Birmingham hlfe
Department for % years.
How did you happen to choose the Ire
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-26
Yarns Of the Courthouse Gang
BY WELLINGTON vANDIvER

The young lawyer. with the bunny face
and smelling of the barbershop, paused
In the midst of the courthouse gang long
enough for the charter members TO ad-
mire his new plaid pants, and as is the
wont of young lawyers, he butted INTO
the pause caused By his apparel. long
enough to remark.
Since the recent statutes passed by
the legislature in regard to the examns-
ton of lawyers applying for admission
to the bar, the crop of this seasons at
torneys at law will not be so NNuriant or
prolific as it erstwilile was. Believe me-
there Won't be as many nubbins to the
acre bat the acreage will be less.
Formerly It was dead easy 10 be a
rising young lawyer-the woods vas full
of 'em-and when you passed in the road
e pie-faced young man, with a robert
tailed coat and derby hat, mounted
on the rotunda OF a shave-tailed rlule
holding a bulky brindle book under his
arm. you could safely make affidavit
that the apparitioh was rising young
lawyer on his way to Justice OF the
peace court.
When first began TO make feints at
pratcticins law | wore an air OF sepuchral
solernnity, and chin -whiskers and I knew
so much that it kept me awake of nights.
] was poor and needy, and anxious for
fees The motive power conveying me
from court to court was an eNli-eyed anu
oarnally minded mule that imparfiaiiy
kicked and bit everything on both sides
of the road. and SHE'D at everything il
the madle thereof.
Nothing but argument moved tnat
Palaam-ciesr cut Legal argument, IN he
shape OF a six foot hickory saplins. Whom
an inducement was held out tc him to
HE away Ger the Sladsome meadows,
that Internal animal would begin to
rf.t s1l.
lie. making regular and paraholic rrNClu-
tions with his narrative. for about one
fourth of furlong; when he would be-
come frightened. 1T mis- shadow il the
toad. and would stop suddenly, Tor &C.
dection, while 1 sat down instantane0usly
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-26

who is talking and where they live, and
all about them.
I'VE ask what the location Is and the
poor creatures are so excited that they
actually do not know the number of their
house. The consequence is, the fire de-
partment is blamed if it is late in getting
10 the fire, and their work is retarded in
this way
What is the reason that Birmingham
is not equipped with an adequate num-
her of fire alarm boxes?'' | asked.
Lack of finances. replied the chief.
I'VE ought to have a perfect system Of
fire alarms we need it, The device Is
purely mechanical and the firemen UNDER
stand exactly where to 20 when the alarm
is turned In that way and IT gives every
advantage 10 the person who is suffering
from the fire and also to us, who must
subdue it,
One thing that has always appealed to
me about the fire department has been
the beautiful horses that are employed
Knowing that so many of them had
been replaced by the motor car, | asked
Chief Bennett IL he thought eventually
they would be entirely supplanted by
mechanical devices.
"Trndonbtedly," said he; "in many of
our fire stations now we have no horses
at all
Everybody knows the familiar figure OF
tile big chief as he whizzes through the
crowded streets in his big Marmon, wheI
formerly his magnificent Kentucky thor
onghbred rBilly' performed the impress
siVe task.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-26

ing his quid of tobacco in one hand In
order that his elocution might be more
distinct pointed to the door with the
other, and hissed-'Go LIAR After this
public rebuke. Anak, Jr., bearing the
name of Goliah. slowly sunk in the social
scale descending through the Phiillstine
legislature to the prize ring. Critical
hackers predicted that he would soon be-
come the champion heavyweight OF the
Jordan valley, but David A. Jesses OF
Elah and vicinity posed in the yellow
Journals. as the warm kid In the light
weight class. A bout was arranged to bs
pulled off at Elah, the ring being in
small valley near a place with the pro-
fame name of -dammim.
''The hackers of both sides regarded
the locality as an ideal spot on account
of the opportunity 10 swear twithout
being turned out of the church, af-
forded by the California name of Epbes-
damming When the heavyweight stepped
into the ring 1t was seen that his fight
ing ring was manufactured by the Bir-
mngham Steel, Iron, Brass and Pewter
company. His shortcut hair was COW
cred with a 50-galon brass preserve
kettle. Kabo corset Of FURNISHED brass
weighing 5000 shekels encircled his bust
"rhe shepherd was lightly clad in u
Scotch kilt. and freckles, and it was
apparent from his gait that he had in
| uuiged III SnuB lnat MoIHlhS. Inc
| sheep shearer's hackers Dragged
| Ephes- -dammln. II he don't polish OFT
that one-gallon old bell foundry before
you can say Jack Robinson Goliad in
tlmated that he'd sling Dawes carcass
to the fowls OF the air. but the light
weight retorted that when it came to
singing, he was the only pebble on the
beach. After his exchange of eourte-
sizes the mill opened the sawmill. Round
one. Goliad brandished his lumber. and
sawed the atmosphere Dave set his
headblock, and sawdust on the brooks
smooth stones The brass foundry feint-
ed with his left. and the shepherd left
him IN a faint. with n rocky blow on
his conk. The champion lost his head
and took the count. The reporters and
local talent did rot stay 20 hear the de-
cision of the referee, and the Phillstine
betting contingent suddenly found that
| they had notes due IN the Cath First
National bank at 2:50 p. M
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-26

II even kept my horse who had taken
me to so many fires" he said. as | men
toned something about the splendid ami
NAL two years longer than | should
merely because | hated so to give him
up. felt toward him Just like lie was a
member of the family. He was such a
superb animal"
How are the horses for the fire de-
partment selected?' | asked
practically like the men," said the
chief "The same qualities that make
the men capable firemen make the horses
good members too. I've had some of the
finest animals you ever saw in the fire
department, who after a few trials had
TO be released because of their excitabil-
ity. After a fire they'd stand and trem-
bic like a leaf, lose their heads com
petely and become so nervous that they
We're unfit for work. That's one time
when they've got to have horse sense.
A fire department horse has got to have
that At present we only employ about
20 horses, all told, as against Is which
we used TO have in the department I
have I'm use q motor engines. so you can
see how the motor Is supplanting the
horse"
rs It peremptory that the chief attend
all the fires2" / asked
"In the business section of the town
or on the North or South highlands -
said Chief Bennett. II am always on
hand, otherwise Assistant Chief Walton
is there II its necessary, l am ready to
go from East Lake to Wylam-anywher
that I'm needed"
80 much has been said recently about
the long hours that the fire laddies
work" | suggested; won't you tell me
just what their hours arey'
"Twenty-one hours a day Is the fire.
mans worktime, with an hour off three
times n day for meals. lie has vaca-
tlon of ten days once year.
what are his hours for recreation?
/ asked.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-26

ahead of him in the middle of a ma
Cadamized road-bed Undoubtedly there
is such thing as outraging the feelings
Of saint, and possibly at these times
/ may have uttered language that sound
ed TO my political opponents like sixteen
ounce averdupois profanity; but Il so, it
had no more impression on that
uuadruped than the gentle upbraitlins OF
the Lady Sunday School Teacher when
Little Johnny. at the picnic. sits down
in the egg-custarti
Neither are the duties OF a lawyer
as irksome now as they were in the
sweet subsequently, The average men,
Der OF the bar has now a good deal of
leisure TO meander over the town sa wing
wood at 70 cents per cord. During the
olden regime people cheerfully died, SO ar
to give the struggling young attorney. a
chance TO represent the administrator
Adltem, cum testamento annexo. for
tritcr in re. or words to that effect But
IN there degenerate days ordinary folks
manifest a decided objection to deceasin4
for anxbody's benefit. Times are get
thing so that many wsl-raised and for
merry afflzeat attorneys will have to
take in plain sewing for living.
'Tiard-hearted farmer expect inlpe-
cinous and hollow-chested lawyers to do
5000 worth OF legal work on a dog
swapping case. and 10 take as a fee n
mortgage on p bull yearlinS in the rsn .e
The future of the bar OF Ala 5ama IS
gloomy. indesd-especiallv IN view of the
feet that taxes are due. and the post
office appointments are so few Some
timef ! feel like signing my nom de
plume TO promisscry note. anJ adjourn
ing to the free and nntranmoiled west
.3iere i could do posSh-rlimbing and
plain robhers WITH comparative ease
And the Young limb of tie law chewe.,
clovp and walked a way in the general
dissection OF the soft drink stand.
THAT there pinfeather disciple q
Blackstone sorter reminds me OF Hea-
berry Phillips, remarked the old Con-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-26
I|lN HzzzEa
MIN EzZzzzz4:3L ~,
|AAN KMzZl
W zzzzzzEN
w

EVERY tenth day." said the chief,
"he is allowed day Off"
Couldn't that he remeded by hav-
ing more menu | Gueried
Certainly" said Ire. 1T would take
about a third more men than we now
have to make better conditions as far
as the long hours are concerned"
Just one thing I want to ask" l said
curiously. "and that Is, why do fires
take such inopportune times to hap
pen? For instance, in the middle of tho
night when you aren't dressed for the
occasion. They are almost as unre-
liable and as little to be depended
upon as women"
Il wouldn't say that" the chief de-
Tended. 81 wouldn't say anything
against the fair sex-I like the ladies
too well for that. One Mr.. Thomas Nell
SON Page has said of women that TREY
are almost as unreliable the hind
leg of mule--and ] guess that's the
way with a fire You never can tell.
1t certainly doesn't send out invitations
beforehand when 1t decides to break
into society or break out anywhere
else and it's just as well for people
always to be prepared. My old war
cry of the deadly shingle roof Is still
the cause of more fires than almost
anything else"
Hasn't modern improvements in
building helped that great deal?''
within the past three years great
Improvement has been made in con-
struction." said the chier but 1t will
be 10 years fully before any decided
Improvement Will be shown In this
way"
rs there really such a thing as n
fireproof building2" | asked the chief.
There Is one in the United States
he answered THE underwriters labor
atory in Chicago, which is maintained
by the national board OF fire UNDER
writer's Everything is made of steel
and iron and stone. The furniture is
steel the doors are metal and the
floors are concrete. The paper on the
desk during the day constitutes the
only inflammable mater in the building
and a night these papers are filed
in steel cabinet"
what is the longest hose the Bir-
mingham fire department carries and
what Is the largest stream of water
that can be thrown?' I asked.
Now you are getting into techni-
calities." said the chief. When l begin
to tell you about an 1S00-foot hose and
the friction loss by forcing water
through rubber-lined hose, which Is
about 1900 pounds per 100 feet, why
you'll have to do some figuring; but
will say this. thar the fire depart
ment is we'll equipped to reach with
high pressure of water the tallest
buildings with effective results"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-26

THAT there pinfeather disciple q
Blackstone sorter reminds me Of Her
Berry Phillips remarked the old Con-
The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1913-10-22
10000 VOICES
And Many Are the Voices Of
Madison People

Thirty thousand voices-What IA
grand chorus And that the number
of American men and ONE who are
publicly praising Doan's Kidney Pills
for relief from b~ackache, kidney and
bladder ills. They say it to friends.
They tell it in the home papers. Mad
ison people are in this chorus. Here's
"A Madison case.
q. |. Brennan. farmer. X. L. ID. 4,
Madison, s. d., says: II have used
Doan's Kidney Pills for the past two
OF three years and | don't mind recon-
mending them publicly rs | know that
they are just as represented. ! had
considerable trouble with the kidney
secretions and attacks of backnche.
Doan's Kidney Pills soon relieved ME. >
For sale by all dealers. Price 80
cents. Foster Milbnrn Co., Buffalo.
New York, sole agents for the United
Statas.
Remember the name Doan' = and
take no other.
The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1913-10-22
FISH
HOLD UP STEAMSHIP
Become So Thick on Plates
That Engines Are PowerIess.

Boston.-Quite a strange story was
told by the crew OF the British steam
ship Rochelle. which reached port four
days late from Santo Domingo. Ac-
cording to the several men on board.
the delay TO the freighter was due prin.
cipally to electric Ash. which were at
tracted by the steel plates Of the YES
sci and fastened themselves by the
hundreds against her bottom and sides.
The vessel was In the gulf stream
north OF Cuba when she began to slow
down. The Rochelle is new, and her
engines were working splendidly. Some
Of the sailors said they felt a tingling
sensation about their feet and finger
tips. A few OF the crew. more super
stitiors than the others. began to be
alarmed.
The coal supply began to diminish
rapidly. for the stokers were kept busy
shoveling fuel into the furnace In an
effort to increase the speed.
Every part Of the vessel vas exam
ined to determine the cause Of the de-
lay. Finally one OF the sailors hap
pened to look over the port side and
found 1t covered with strange looking
fish. They We're two or three feet thick
along the port side under the water.
The starboard side also was covered.
As the Rochelle moved north and got
out Of the gulf stream the 6sh dropped
of and the vessel resumed her Gus
tonlary speed. The coal supply. how
ever. had run so low that Captain
Greig made for Norfolk. where the
bunkers were reflled.
While the presence Of electric 6sh In
tropical waters Is well known. the Ro-
chel.e is the first vessel to come to Bos-
ton whose progress has been impeded
by them. These fish are known also as
torpedo fish. They emit an electric
shock which Is powerful enough to kill
smaller fish. Some Of the electric fish
attain a weight Of 800 pounds.
The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1913-10-22

seem as if something was going to hap
pen. My blood was poor, my circula-
ton was so bad [ would be like a dead
person at times. / had female weak
ness badly, my abdomen was sore and /
had awful pains.
81 took Lydia Z. Pinkham's Vegeta-
BILE Compound and used the Sanative
Wash and they certainly did wonders
for me. My troubles disappeared and l
am able to work hard every day."-Mrs.
w. F. SAWYER, River View Farm, More
town, Vermont.
Another Case.
Clifford, Iowa.-"I was troubled with
female weakness, also with displace-
ment. I had very severe and steady
headache, also pain in back and was
very thin and tired all the time. l COM
menced taking Lydia E. Pinkham's
Vegetable Compound and I am cured Of
these troubles. ! cannot praise your
medicine too highly. Mrs. Ina MILL
slACLE. Clifford, lows.
The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1913-10-22


The record of ship fires appears TO In
crease each year; in 1906 there were
240 fires. in 1907 there were 2SS, the
next year there were $40, In 1909 there
were 313. In 1910 there were $50. In
1911 there were 424. last year there
were 3SS and in the first six months
OF 1913 there were 23n.
In 1912 and the first half Of 1913
these vessels were destroyed by fire
1sea, Spondilus, Consols. Z.nnia, Axel
Snorre, Sidney g. McLouth. Florida
kullervo. ~Trinidadian. Lofoten, Raft
sund, Winnitoba, Fagundis varella,
Dunholme, Ialli, John /. Brady, His
pania. Perdita, Estonia. Alum Chine.
Frost. Charles Nelson and Ophir.
Twenty-Five steam vessels had fires
I'm June last.
Among the known losses OF ships by
fire one OF the first was that OF the
Erie. a lake steamboat. which was
burned on Lake Erie on Aug. 9, 1871.
with a loss of It's lives. On Nov. 81.
1S47. the steamer Phoenix was burned
on Lake Michigan with a loss Of 24O
lives. On Aug. "a, 1s4S. the American
emigrant ship Ocean Monarch, from
Liverpool for New York, was burned
of the coast OF Wales. and about zoe
souls were lost. Another steamer ON
the great lakes. the Griffith. was burn,
ed on Lake Erie on June II. 1850. with
a loss of life of 300 persons.
n
The transatlantic steamship Amazon
was burned off the Scilly Islands or
Jan. "a. 1852. with a loss of 100 lives
A year later, on Feb. 10, 1853. 40 per.
sons We're killed In the burning Of tn.
Independence Off the coast Of Low,
er California. A st. Lawrence river
steamer, the Montreal, on her way
from Quebec to Montreal. was burned
on June 26, 1857, the death toll being
$50 persons.
The most appalling accident Of it,
kind up to that time was the burning
In midocean of the steamer Austria.
bound from Hamburg to New York
-Four hundred and seventy-one persons
lost their lives In this disaster. The
great lakes again come into the list
on April 0. 1868, with the burning of
the steamer Sea Bird on Lake Michi-
gan, in which 100 lives were lost. Oh
Oct. 81 OF the following year a Mis-.
sissippi river steamboat, the Stone
wall. was burned just south Of Cairo
ILL.,, and 200 were killed. A disaster
of practically the same proportions as
that Of the Austria occurred on Dec
9. 1874. when the Cospatrick. a shiT
In the emigrant carrying business. was
burned and 470 persons killed.
The eighties had their share Of ma
rine disasters, but fire was not a fea.
Iture Of them. On Dec. 20. 1890, ths
British stea mship Shanghai was burn
ed in the China sea with the loss OF
100 passengers and crew. The Abys
lslania Of the Guion line. bound from
New York for Liverpool was burned
IT sea on Dec. 1S. 1891. The North
IGerman Lloyd steamship Spree cama
Ialong M saved 10 llveo.
The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1913-10-22
Women Who Get Dizzy.

Every won an who is troubled with
fainting and dizzy spells, backsche,
weakness, debility, constipation or
kidney troubles should use Electric
Bitteis. They give relief when nothing
else will improve the health. adding
strength and vigor from the FIST dose.
Mrs. Laura Gaines. of Avoca, La,
says: -Four doctors had given me up
and NY children and all my friends
were looking for me to die, when my
son insisted that l use Electric Bitters.
| did 50, and they have done M a
world Of good" Just try them. soc
and 81 at all druggists or by nail. II.
f. Bucklen q Co., Philadelphia or st.
Louis. ADV.
The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1913-10-22
NEW SUN SPOT THEORY.
Professor Orta Says Spots Decrease ~
Comets Approach the Sum-.

San Jose. Cal.-Professor A. Orta OF
the observatory Of the University OF
Santa Clara announced that he had dis
covered hat the activity OF the sun In
phenomena known as sun spots was In
timately related to the distance OF
comets.
He said that during a period OF 1874
years to date there had been 238
apparently had Influenced the action OF
the sun. having their perihelia coinci-
dentally with the minima OF spot fire.
uuency.