davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-09
Regarding Bachelor Taxation.

There is some agitation just at this sea-
son of the year in favor of taxing all
male persons who are more than q years
of age and who have not yet acquired a
mate" said young bachelor. ut is pro-
posed to use the revenue derived from
such a tax in supplying babies with milk
and ice.
THE proposition of supplying the poor
with ice and milk is a very laudable one,
and ono that should be encouraged. But
1t seems to me that a better plan for
securing the money might be found. A
great majority of American bachelors are
not such from choice, in my opinion, but
granting for the sake of argument that
they are, is that any reason why they
should be taxed? If man Is not fortunate
enough to find a girl whom he can love,
why should ne have to pay for not having
done so?
Il am decidedly in favor of being taxed
So a year if the money is to be used to
reduce the mortality rate among babies.
but 1 think tho tax should be called a
babies tax or by some other term than
bachelors tax.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-09
Conditions Sound

The suspension of the First-Second
National bank of Pittsburg Monday
cleared the financial atmosphere OF
the iron and steel city and business
in that great industrial center is NOV
ing along again on normal lines. The
Pittsburg banking situation on the
whole is in an exceptionally strong
condition.
The failure of the bank was due
primarily, it is believed, to the large
irrigation ventures which the princi-
pal owners of the institution were
backing, AS Pittsburg was not seri-
ously affected, the financial world at
large, of course, was not. The Sec
retary of the Treasury, Mr.. McAdoo,
points out that sore spot in the
national banking business has been
removed. And that's about all there
was to it so far as the public in gen
eral was concerned.
While large capital has been hesi-
tating over investments of late busi-
ness conditions in this country were
never sounder than they are today.
In many sections there is practically
as much business activity as there was
this time last year and good deal
more than there was in the summer
Of 1911.
Crop prospects being bright there
is reasonable expectation among
business men that this country's fall
trade will be remarkably active.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-09

considering that the. contributors are
not receiving any immediate benefit.
These men do not understand that
this 10 cents a week entities them to
s1.75 a week in case of sickness or
enforced idlness due to industrial de-
pressions or other economic causes.
In speaking Of the act its author,
Lloyd George, predicts for it, when in
full operation, reception far more
cordial than at present. The present
opposition is bitter because just now
it's good effects are unknown, but
later on will be fully appreciated.
For the first time in the his
tory of England" said he, "the
wolf is driven from the door
of 15,0O0,000 people and most of the
terrors attending sickness and idle
ness among the industrial masses have
been swept away"
The treatment accorded to the act
and its author would be enough to dis
courage most men, but not SO the
plucky little Welshman, who grows
more determined in his mission avery
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-09
SOCKS For WOMEN

Poughkeepsie Correspondence New York
Herald
Miss Cora. Coutant, Is years old, one of
the prettiest and most popular girls in
Highland, just across the river, an
the question and PERSONAL test, that
women should wear socks. Miss Coutant
confesses that she wears EN-. and she is
trying to make the half hose doctrine pop
uIar in the village. None of the other
girls in the village will admit that they
have given a practical test to Miss Cou-
tant's suggestion.
Miss Coutant, who is employed as book
keeper In a highland clothing store, has
been wearing half hose ever since the hot
weather arrived. She says that for COM
fort there's nothing like half hose on a
hot day. The idea was first suggested to
her by q friend. Miss Coutant Immediate
iy purchased pair of mems light blue
silk socks and began the trial. So pleased
was she that she has stuck to the half
hose idea as being most comfortable and
practical.
"why shouldn't women wear half
hose?" asked Miss Coutant "They are
most pious and harmless compared to the
transparent clinging gowns that are so
popular. It's just comfort, that's all, and
nobody but the wearer need know about
the harmless little footgear.
Il wear the silk ones Of light shade be-
cause they are even cooler and more
dainty 1 prefer light green, lavender and
the tints. In time. l think, women will
dress much the same as the men, anyway.
So why not socks now?"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-09

there. told him that there was young
man serving in the band of the reg
iment who was a very good harpist
DR.. Muck had the young man, who
was Holy, come to him and play for
him, and was so impressed with his
remarkable talent that he engaged him
on the spot. When DR.. Muck went to
Berlin he took Holy with him. where
the latter stayed for several years un-
til Gustav Mailer went to Vienna.
Mailer made Holy an unprecedented
offer to go to the Vienna opera with
him, and there the distinguished
harpist has since been.
1T is rather interesting to know
that since the death of Mr. Schuecker
the management of the Boston SYM
phony orchestra has had over 200 ap-
plications for the place, applications
coming from as far west as San Fran
cisco. and as far east as Bucharest.
Applications were received from Rome
and st. Petersburg
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-09
Must Have the Auditorium

Birmingham needs new postoffice
building and it will have it some day.
Ground will probably be broken for
it within the next IL months. AS this
edifice will cost something like 81 ,000,-
900, and as the government always
builds with an eye to artistic beauty
as well as utilitarian service, it can
not be expected to be ready for occu-
pancy inside of four years. But so
long as it is known that Birmingham
is to have a new postoffice the public
will wait patiently, for the mail is now
being handled with reasonable salts
faction in the old cramped quarters so
far as the people know.
But Birmingham needs large au-
ditorium and needs it without delay.
There is certainly more immediate
need for it than there is for new
postoffice. An auditorium with
seating capacity of 5000 can be built
for $15O,00O and Birmingham must
have it.
The city of Birmingham, notwith-
standing its poor financial condition,
can well afford to issue per cent
bonds to the extent of $150,000 to pay
for the auditorium. OF the three
commissioners two of them are in
favor of submitting the bond PROPOSE
tion to the people. Commissioner
Lane is opposed to the proposition.
The people should certainly have the
right to vote on the proposition at the
city election to be held on the first
Monday in September. 1t is hoped, |,
by that time that Judge Lane will
change his mind and agree to submit
the proposition so that the matter will
be unanimous so far as the commits
sion is concerned. There can be no
doubt about the result at the polls. A
large majority will vote for the bond
issue
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-09
Praises Blrmingham Concern

The editor of The Furniture Worker of
Cincinnati, after southern trip, included
local factory in the south's ideal plants"
said representative Of well known ad-
vertising agency.
Under the head of "A New Way To Do
Social Settlement. Work. The Furniture
Worker says: Too much cannot be said
of the Perfection Mattress and Spring
company's established reputation. for in
tegrity and kindly consideration for em-
ployes. Every female employee is given an
entire day off In each week, and on Satur-
day the pay envelope contains just the
same amount as if the employe had been
on duty six days in the week Most OF
these employees draw salaries ranging from
$40 to s1s per week; particularly is this
true in the sewing room. and daylight
room it is, flooded with the sunlight and
well ventilated-there is no sweatshot
here.
This company does not do so much
talking about conditions and bettering the
home environments, but pays employees
such remunerative salaries as they can
use to advantage in improving their
homes, and as a result the Perfection COM
pany at all times receives the best service.
Theirs is surely the most practical. help
full way to do social settlement work. for
''an ounce of practice is worth tons of
preachment." This plant is located in the
live, progressive town of Birmingham. :"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-09
TO KEEP HOUSE CooL

From the Baltimore Sun.
Just how much can be done toward
keeping the summer temperature down in
doors even the Industrious housekeeper
doesn't realize until she tries 1t.
The first real secret of having a low
temperature in the house lies in capturing
all the cool air the house will hold at the
time the air is coolest and then keeping
out the warmer air when the temperature
rises. Complete and sensible ventilation
by which the air inside is kept moving
finishes the list of primary considerations.
A careful survey of the temperature fig
ures will show that there Is an early hour
each day, just before the sun begins to
heat things up, and when the dawn
breezes' bring breath of freshness and
mer night, that is one of the coolest OF
the "a.
Even at the cost of little inconvenience
and the loss of bit of sleep the house,
wife who really wants a cool house arises
at this dawn hour and makes sure that
every window In the house from cellar to
attic is wide open. Curtains are pulled
back the better to admit the cooler air.
Outside doors should be thrown wide.
too.
BY the time the regular getting up hour
arrives the house will be thoroughly aired
and filed with the coolest air of the day.
The next move. then, is to close windows
and doors and keep this cool atmosphere
in, and more especially keep the outer
over heated air out.
Not only windows but the shutters
should be closed, and the inner blinds
should likewise be drawn. Every bit of
hot light should be excluded. In those
rooms which must be used and cannot be
closely shut UP care should be taken that
only those windows on which the sun is
not shining are open.
The question of ventilation is one that
every housewife must solve for herself,
because no two houses are exactly alike.
The best general suggestion is that all
doors inside the house be kept open. Each
door tends to start circulation of air.
A window raised, say six inches, in the
third floor room not facing the suns rays
and an open cellar window will, In most
cases, establish enough of an air current
to keep the house from getting "stuffy"
and at the same time will not let in
enough heat to affect the temperature.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-09
POINTED PARAGRAPHS

From the Chicago News.
Not every ideal lover makes good hus-
band. +sfa
Luck may be merely a case of not be-.
ing found out. sst
But there is little marrow in the bone of
contention.
It takes clever child to keep from say
Ing smart things.
Two is company. but three il multi
tude when father butts in.
Perhaps whisky really. does improve
with age-when it gets the chance.
Would you try to fatter a married man
by telling him that he doesn't look 1t?
There would be more popular songs il
some people wouldn't try to sing them.
After dreaming they were soul mates an
Ohio couple got married May they never
wake up! ~
More women might be able to save
money il the dry goods stores would cease
having bargain sales.
II MARRIAGES are made in heaven We re-
fuse to haxard guess ~ 10 the place
where divorces are manufactured
An ordinary piano contains about mile
of wire. American genius will yet bsnsdt
humanity oy inventing = wireless plano
for amateurs.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-09
Progress of Truck Farming

While there is yet much room in
Alabama for truck farmers there has
been a steady increase in the number
settling in this part of the country
within the past 10 years.
1t used to be that very small per-
centage of poultry and vegetables
consumed in Birmingham at this time
of the year was produced in Alabama.
The bulk of supplies handled in this
market were shipped from outside oil
the state; but the fact that Alabama
poultry and Alabama vegetables IN
the summer season are in larger sup
plv than formerly is encouraging.
In view of Birmingham's rapid
growth, Jefferson county is partlc-
ularly inviting field for the truck
farmer. The soil here is unsurpassed.
It will grow all varieties of vegeta-
bles. The dairy industry prospers
here and there is no reason why poul-
try farming should not become COM
mercially profitable on large scale.
The Birmingham Chamber Of Com
merce haA farm committee and with
a reasonable expenditure of time and
money it can do effective work. Every
truck farm in this county adds to the
wealth of Birmingham. There are
probably 200 or 300 hereabouts now.
There should be thousand or more.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-09
The Summer White House

President Wilson has had little op-
portunity of vacation since he entered
upon the discharge of his high duties
March A. He has worked with his coat
off, so to speak, ever since he became
President. He has not had even the
pleasure of little weekend trips, such
as most business men take during the
summer time.
Z But President Wilson is now at his
summer White House in New Hamp-
shire-Cornish Flat. He is sleeping un-
der blankets of course, and sitting of
evenings by a wood fire. The little
town of Cornish is in the southwestern
county of Sullivan, which borders on
the Vermont line. 1t is an out of the
way place--far from the madding
crowd.
Every now and then some statesman
or thoughtful citizen rises to suggest
that the United States government ac-
quire mountain property near Wash
ington and there build summer home
for the President. That idea may not
seem unreasonable.
That Washington is one of the hot
test cities in the world is fact gen.
orally admitted. Everyone who has
been compelled to spend few days in
Washington during July or August, to
say nothing of a whole summer, will
readily recall the insufferable heat.
Politicians, including members of Con-
gress who have been held in Wash
ington from June until September
will recall the torrid, sickening at
mosphere. Washington is always hot
at this time of the year but since the
first of May the average Of heat has
been greater even than usual. Mem
bers of the Sixty-third Congress,
therefore, have had summer expert
Fence that they will never forget.
Representative Borland in a recent
interview suggested that the govern
ment purchase several hundred acres
in the foothills of the Blue Ridge in
Virginia and there erect commodious
capitol for Congress to use when that
body is in extra session in the summer
season. On the same property could be
erected suitable summer home for
| the President. Such ideas are at least
diverting in the dog days but the gov
ernment will never act on Congress-
man Borland's proposition, entirely
reasonable though it seems.
WIN it comes to the summer White
House is it not better after all to have
the President rent modest house in
an isolated quarter and slip off to his
temporary retreat whenever he can
get away from Washington?
The so-called summer White House
| is quite modern institution. Mr..
Cleveland was the first who had an Of
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-09

ficial establishment in the summer
away from Washington. He leased
Gray Gables at Buzzard's Bay, Mass,
and during his second administration
spent his summers there. President
Mckinley did not maintain a summer
White House but was content to spend
his vacation in travel or in his home
town of Canton, o. Mr.. Roosevelt
while President spent a portion of
each summer at his home at Oyster
Bay but he secured lonely retreat in
Albemarle county, Virginia-many
miles from a railroad, where he hid
himself away for two or three days at
time and indulged his bent for revel-
ing in nature and shooting wild game.
President Taft had summer home
at Beverly, Mass. Few people outside
of New England knew much about
Beverly until a President of the
United States put it on the map. 1t is
the same way, or even more SO, with
regard to Cornish. What high school
boy or girl even knew where Cornish
was? We all begin to know about it
now. The air in Sullivan county, New
Hampshire, is doubtless bracing and
the American people will follow Presi-
dent Wilson. to his summer retreat
from time to time with kindly senti-
ment and all good wishes.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-09
SPINNING

BY Helen Hunt Jackson.
Like q blind spinner In the sun,
/ tread my days;
I know that all the threads will run
Appointed ways;
I know each day wil1>bring its task,
And. being blind. no more I ask.
do not know the name or use
OF that spin: 'e
1 only know that some one came
And laid within
Ny hand the thread, and said, ''Since you
Are blind, but one thing you can do"
Sometimes the threads SO rough and fast
And tangled fly,
l know wild storms are sweeping past.
And fear that I
Shall fall but dare not try to find
A safer place. since l am blind.
know not why. but I am sure
That tint and place
In some gerat fabric to endure
Past time and race
My threads will have; SO from the first,
Though blind. 1 never felt accurst.
l think. perhaps. this trust has sprung
From one short word
Said over me when was young
So young. heard
It, knowing not that Gods name signed
My brow. and sealed me his, though blind
But whether this be seal or sign
Within, without
1t matters not. The bond divine
I never doubt.
I know he set me here, and still.
Am glad, and blind. l wait his will;
But listen. listen. day by day.
To hear their tread
Who bear the finished web away,
And cut the thread.
And bring Gods message In the sun,
Thou poor. blind spinner. work is done.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-09
English Workman's Insurance

The insurance act is the great
weapon being used against the liberals
in every by-election. in England, and
the strange thing about it is that it is
the very people for whose benefit the
act was passed who are most bitterly
opposed to it.
The need of scheme of national
insurance was long felt want in
England, and although many sugges-
tions and recommendations had been
offered the task appeared to be too
large to undertake, chiefly owing to
the difficulty of raising the money.
The situation presented variety of
conflicting interests, and every
scheme submitted was approved as a
whole but condemned in some particu-
lar. To overcome these objections it
was decided to make all parties bear
their share in the work and this was
done by making the employer, the en-
ploye and the government each con-
tribute one-third towards the fund
required to meet the outlay.
Wages in England are much small
er than in America, especially among
the unskilled laborers on farms and
IN factories, and to them the contri-
button of 10 cents week appears
hardship. This is the feature against
which the protest is being made at
present and with some show of justice
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-09
TRUTH ABOUT R. CRUSOE

his way miserabiS, slowly, back TO the
hut of bark that lie Lad made and lay ten
days. not caring sreatIy If he lived or
died. a M
There were FISH, too, and giant crawfish
of the size of Holsters, and in lieu ofasait
he had peppers and pimentos that grew
wild upon the island There was a ttlrnip
patch. too that Dampiers pirates had
planted five years before and that now
sprawled over several acres
At first he was much plagued by rats
that had come ashore from ships touching
there; these had bred in great numbers
and gnawed at his feet and clothes as ne
slept. SO that in self defense he was
obliged to make friends of the cats, also
brought there by ships, and In little
while, by feeding them with goat meat,
accustomed them to staying in his house.
about him. licking themselves lazlly and
blinking in the sun. There were some
young goats, too. that he had tanned. and
he sang and danced with them and with
his cats.
And SO, being young and stout of heart
he was not yet 80 when he came to Juan
Fernan6ez-he existed comfortably
enough, and found considerable peace Of
mind at last. Much time, he tells us, he
spent singing psalms and reading his BIZ
BILE, $50 that he said he was a better
Christian in this solitude than ever he was
before. or than, he was afraid, he should.
ever be again.
When his clothes wore out he made him
Iii
shoes we're gone his feet became SO har-
dered that he did not mind the loss; in
deed, he found It rksorne to. wear shoes.
again when he was finally rescued.
Sellxirk mad been four years and four
months upon the islend when an English
ship, under command OF a Capt. Woodes
Rogers, finally put in for water, The fire
Sellzirk built to attract the mariners at
tention,- almost frightened them away;
seeing ON Spanish ships, however, they
at last came ashore, and found a hairy,
skinclad man who rushed to meet them,
held them in his arms and spoke In curl
GUS. half sentences that they could hardly
understand at all. 1t had been SO long
since he had heard the sound of another
human voice than his own that he had
almost forgotten how to talk. And when
they offered this onetime pirate dram Of
grog, he would not touch 1.-THE had lost
ell taste for liquor M ~
Rogers took him back to Scotland, but
after short visit to his town of Largo.
Selkirk went X to the sea. where he
lied in 1723 aboard his majesty's ship
weymouth. bequeatning his small proper
ties to "sundry loving female friends"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-09
A DOUBLE ADVANTAGE

From the YOun8stoWn Te1egram.
In one of the films of the Lyman Howe
Travel Festival at the Grand Monday
evening he save the effect of swiftly
moving train, with the audience as pas
sengers.
AS the train whirled through picturesque
valleys and along steep mountain side, a
young woman in one of the front rows OBJ
served to her escort
''I'd rather travel like this, because there
is little danger of train sickness
Yes" replied the escort, land be-
sides, one does not have to tip the por-
ter"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-09

WALKS WITH BROKEN NECK
New Rochelle Correspondence New York
Sun.
Waldorf Miller who broke his neck div
ing from the rocks at Hudson park two
years ago today. put his crutches under
his arm this afternoon with the intention
of walking to the place of his accident
from his home on Clinton avenue, dis
tance of two miles. He hobbled along for
a quarter of mile and then had to give
up the attempt. But he got there, any
way. for friend, who was passing in a
machine. drove him the remaining disz
tance.
Fred Miller, Waldorfs brother, broke
his neck in the same manner at the same
spot five years ago and died. When Wal
dorf was fished out of the water two years
ago the doctors said that he could live
only few hours Since then he has i'm
proved steadily.
1t was a year before he could stand.
Fifty feet is the most he had walked be-
fore today.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-09

A German novelist has written book
in which he describes tunnel under the
sea, connecting this country with Europe.
the trip being made in "a hours. His fic-
tion may become fact in the future, but
the Imperator will not be abandoned tor
long time yet.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-09

The man who hurries away from his
office to see a baseball game and hurries
from the ball game to sprinkle the lawn
at home doesn't have much time to waste
in the afternoon.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-09

correspondent wishes to know how
woman woul1 conduct herself If she were
steering the ship of state. She would prob
ably keep one hand on the tiller and use
the other to fix her back hair.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-09

Miss Jane Adams says women should
not try to hold office for the present II
she isn't careful some of the more militant
sisters will accuse her of being a reac-
tionary.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-09

A Chicago firm offers s25 as bonus to
any of its employees who get married. Not
much of an irducement, but when fellow
has found the right girl he doesn't need
any inducement.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-09

The prospective Wilson son-in-law may
not be strilingly handsome, but that
won't worry the head of the family any.
He doesn't travel on his looks, either.