davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-12-26
Birmingham's Public Schools

While the .rural schools of Alabama
are not as well supported as they
should be, or as they will be when the
school districts have the right to tax
themselves for school improvement, in
most of the cities an excellent system
is maintained. Here in Birmingham
more school buildings are needed, but
the school system is regarded as a
model in organization and construc-
tive work. Interesting school "litera-
ture" in the form of leaflets and cata-
logs has recently been issued. One of
the catalogs sets forth the educational
extension courses for the session of
1884. Extension courses are
planned and conducted under the aus
pices of the board Of education. This
extension work has been so successful
for the past two years, it is said,
as to justify considerable expan-
sion of the courses for this year. The
arrangements of the schedules and the
selection of the lecture centers and
dates are under the immediate super
vision of committees of principals and
teachers. 1.-THE Introductory note 20
the public says:
"These courses are designed to be
educational and cultural, and their
benefit to the community will depend
in no small degree upon the interest
manifested in their success by the
people of that community. The prin-
cipals and teachers of the schools, to-
gether with the several district school
Improvement associations, are urgent
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-12-26
THAT SWEET STORY OF OLD

BY Jemima T. Luke.
I think when i read that sweet story of
old.
When Jesus was here among men,
How He called little children as lambs to
his fold,
| should like to have been with him then
| wish that his hands had been placed on
my head
That his arms had been thrown around
me,
That / might have seen his kind look,
when he said.
Let the little ones come unto me-"
Yet still to his footstool in prayer I may
go
And ask for a share in his love;
And if thus earnestly seek him below.
/ shall see him and hear him above
In that beautiful place he has gone to
prepare
For all who are washed and forgiven.
And many dear children shall be with him
there,
For of such is the kingdom of heaven.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-12-26

widely diffused We all handle gold
We have 1t in our purses as money. round
our fingers. wrists or necks, as rings
bracelets or necklets. and We wear 1t in
our mouths as Filings for our teeth.
The amount of gold used by dentists is
very considerable, and even dentists have
no idea how much goes to waste in the
workshops where they make plates and
the like. Some little time ago a Chelten-
ham dentist was moving house. A friend,
standing in his dlsmantled Workshop,
which was in the basement of the house,
remarked that there must be a good deal
of gold in the floor.
The dentist thought it over and de-
cided to take the floor up. He made a
profit of 97O after paying expenses from
the tiny parcels of gold recovered from
that floor.
Which called to mind case that hap
pened in Melbourne. A contractor demoi-
ishing an old house at the rear of the
Bank of Australia came across a small
piece of pure gold. This bullion had not
strayed from the strong room of the
bank. Inquiries proved to the contractor
was the site of the old smelling house
of the bank in the great gold boom days.
He commenced prospecting operations
and washed up about G3U0 worth of fine
gold, mostly in the form of dust
If you watch ragpicker at work you
will notice that he puts aside a certain
amount of apparently valueless broken
china. Examine these and you find that
they are ornamented with gilt lines and
figures The film of gold is very thin, yet
it is worth recovering. Mary Jane is
putting money into somebody's pocket
when she smashes gold ornamented
plato.
1t need hardly be said that at every
mint there is a periodical spring clean
ing. A very thorough one, for the dust,
rubbish and SCOT contain enough gold
and silver to make the process a very
profitable one.
jewelers., too, keep all their old cruel
bles, which are eventually broken rp and
put through a process which reclaims the
very considerable amount of precious
metal which has worked into their sub
stance.
A great deal of silver is wasted in fac
tories where silver plate is made. The
hammering process turns the silver into
dust. 1t has actually been found worth
while to save the water in which the
workmen wash before leaving, and re-
cover from it the black sediment which
is largely pure silver.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-12-26
From the IIouetaa- Pc,

FROM tile Houston Pou.
HosTMAsTER GENERAL. Burr d
SONS advocacy of the COVE q.
ment ownership of telegraph g.
telephone lines brings forward the at
ton, how far must the federal COVE
rnent go in the direction of ownersaI,.
and control of such activities as we have
heretofore left to private enterprise before
We take the Anal leap into centralized,
socialistic democracy?
With the ownership of telegraph and
telephone lines there will naturally follow
government ownership of railroads, for
the telegraph and telephone are essential
factors In the operation of railroad lines
Tho government is already large user
of the railroads in the transportation of
mails and in the movement of soldiers
and military supplies, and it's control over
transportation rates is now so complete
that the sentiment for public ownership
Is no longer confined 20 dreamers and
socialists. The owners OF the roads them-
selves are beginning to view favorably
the prospect of transferring their uncer-
tain interests to the government IL it can
be done upon advantageous terms
And II government ownership of tele-
graph. telephone and railroads were to
become an actually, then surely the adj
vantage of government built and owned
merchant marine would be presented to
our stimulated socialistic natures
There are statesmen who believe that
the government should build and control
all rural mail routes, that being a smart
good roads idea. Then, since the govern
ment improves and controls the inland
waterways. surely the craft that ply upon
them ought to be owned and operated by
the government.
Then there are street railway lines used
by the government for mail transporta-
ton. Why not a general system of gov
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-12-26
. OUR FATHERS REPUBLIC

eminent Owned trolley lines and inter-
han lines To make the system COM
llfzs. aare taese cannot be left to pri-
Qat steraase.
lHaeaa iaoking thoroughly into the sit
uadoa. i sasihs that the logical trend is
81 = complete paternal government a
gov eminent owning everything. operating
everything and controlling everybody
the realization of the dream of radical
socialists and the arrival of Utopia itself.
1t can be seen that government owner
ship carried to its logical ultimate must
have a profound bearing upon our poit-
ical, social and economic life. Under.
the system, the government would become
sooner or later the employer of the coun-
try's energies, the owner of its capital.
the head of it's social order, the high
priest of its religion, the director of its
educational system, and the reservoir OF
its genius and enterprise. In the unfold
ing of this beautiful scheme Of benev-
olent tyranny, individualism would find
its grave to sleep in peace, perhaps. until
some upheavel, which would be iuevit-
able, should awaken our deuded senses
to the fact that humanity was never de-
signed for perfected civilization and thut
freedom and paternalism are in eternal
conflict.
We do not intimate for a moment that
50 sterling a democrat as the distin-
guished Postmaster General would so
nearly so far as we have indicated the
drift of his policy to be, but one thing
leads on to another. Once start, and the
demand for further experiment in the pa
ternalistic realm. already dangerous.
would increase and lead us ON. There
are times when we are almost tempted 20
believe that the country needs some
great statesman to come forward and
appeal to the country upon the simple
platform God save the republic OF our
fathersr
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-12-26
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
A Quiet Christmas


From street viewpoint, we have had
a quiet and an unusually deeorous Christ
mas" said an old citizen.
In former years boisterous young men
took possession OF the streets the night
before Christmas and made an unearthly
DIN with tin horns and COW bells There
was nothing of the sort on this Christ
mas eve. Large crowds attended the
christmas services at the Episcopal and
catholic churches, and there was social
iestlVity at the clubs and in the homes
rom All could learn, the joy Of the
children was never exceeded The little
ones had heard a great deal about the
goodness of Santa Claus but he more
than fulfilled their highest expectations
All In all Birmingham's Christmas was
ideal. There was a little rain and much
snow, and snowflal1es always heighten
the effect of Christmas day.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-12-26
vERsATILIrIs-rH NEW DIsEAs.


From the Engineering and Mining jour
nal.
The versatility of one western genius
seems TO leave small chance for anyone
else in the town to make a living. A.
verbatim copy of his business card fol-
lows: General contracting Road building
cellars and cesspools, underground work,
wells, tunnels and reservoirs. Team
work, blowing, building and wrecking.
Surveying, plating. Farm work and
planting. Harvesting. Ditch and canal
work, dredging and filling, town sites
plated and sold. General mine develop
ment. old mines retimbered and unwa-
tered. Mills, cyanide and general reduc-
top plants erected aud maintained. Oil
and coal lands developed. We buy, sell,
Mine and metallurgical reports, proper
ties examined mining corporations and
maritime law. We buy, sell and exchange
mines. We deal in oil and mining prop
erty.s We deal in gypsum, potash. nitro
and salt deposits Mines handled under
lease and bond Copper mines, gold, sill
yer, tin and lead mines. Large placer
mines Dry and hydraulic. Cement, placer
and rich gravel channels. Oil lands for
sale and lease. Have large lists of all
and oil property wanted. Submit any
proposition. We can hadle 1t If any one
can. Stocks. bonds and securities
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-12-26
PLANTS AND ELECTRICITY

From the Electrical World.
At Moraine farm in the fertile valley oil
the Miami river, about four miles south
of Dayton, o., experiments have beer
conducted during the last year to dis
cover the effect of electricity and ar
tificial illumination on the growth of veg
citation. Plots were marked off for ex-
posture to different kinds of 'electricifica.
ton, the idea being to carry out later
on larger scale those methods which
offered the greatest promise. Tn one plot
a network of wire was stretched about l,
inches above the ground
One of the plots In the farm was illu-
minated by large tungsten lamp with a
ruby bulb, while still another was FLU
minated by a mercury vapor lamp. A
fourth plot received no artificial stimula-
ton, While still other plots had the cleo
tricity applied in various ways. The plots
tested were planted with radish and let
tuce seed. Electric stimulation was be-
gun 13 days after the seeds were planted
and three weeks later 10 plants each OF
radish and lettuce were selected ano
weighed. The plot subjected to the high
frequency current showed a greater in
crease in yield than any of the others
Ruby light ranged second for radish
while violet light was second for let
tuce
1t was found that the edible portion OF
lettuce grown was 70 per cent greater in
the case of electric stimulation than that
grown under natural conditions. The cleo
, trification by means of high frequency
currents on larger scale showed that al
most all the vegetables grown under the
wires were better than those grown under
natural conditions. The plants stimulated
included radishes, lettuce, beets, cabbage
I-cucumbers, turnips, muskmelons, water
melons and parsnips and the gardener
picked the vegetable at least two weeks
earlier under the wires than those in the
unelectrified portions. Sufficient energy
was radiated from the lines to give the
birds attempting to alight on the wires, a
shock that felled them to the ground par
TALLY stunned.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-12-26
The sron Market

Rogers, Brown & Co.'S Cincinnati report
for the current week, says in part;
1.-THE holiday week has proved another
surprise on top of all that has gone be-
fore in the way of shattered traditions,
having been productive OF an unusually
good tonnage for that time of year and
the bringing out of excellent inquiry.
The tonnage has been largely for i'm
mediate or early shipment and is the
natural result of the present buying at
titude, frequent purchases and in small
individual lots to keep plants going
Although the inquiries are for good
sized tonnages and for first quarter and
first half delivery, 1t remdins to be seen
how much of this will be closed at prices
satisfactory to buyers and sellers. The
appearance of these inquiries is a hopeful
sign, the deduction being that buyers are
either forced to purchase from actual
need or that they confidently believe the
bottom has been reached"
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-12-26
READY TO CHANGE

From the Washington Star.
Some of your constituents are dis
agreeing with YOU" said the trusted lieu.
tenant.
Well, keep tab on Them" replied Sena.
tor Sorghum; when enough disagree
with me to constitute a readable major.
ity I'm going to turn around and agree
with Them
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-12-26

~ requested to cooperate with the
committee in securing for this move
ment the interest and patronage it de-
serves. With the exception of the
lyeeum and special study course lee
lures, these entertainments are free
to the public This is made possible
by the cooperative spirit which en-
ables the school as an organizing CEN
ter to utilize local rtalent-the profess
sional, industrial and commercial as
sets of our community, for the COM
mon benefit of ALL"
1t is seen from the summary pub
lished in the catalog that rs lectures
are given in the school extension
course. Among the themes are:
Municipal Recreation" "Home and
School Gardening" "Education4l
Moving Pictures" Musical Enter
tainments," Street Railway Trans
portation," Getty Building" Process
of Steel Making" and Community
Health and Sanitation"
One of the leaflets gives brief ac-
count of the work of the school i'm
provement associations with constitu-
ton and bylaws approved by the
board of education. The board of ed
ucation and the public school officials
are to be warmly commended for their
enterprise in publicity and for their
constructive work generally.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-12-26
Some there are

Some there are
Who on the tip of their persuasive
tongue
Carry nil arguments and questions
deep
And replication prompt, and reason
strong
To make the weeper smile, the laugh
er weep
They have the dialect and different
skill
Catching all passions In their craft OF
will
That In the general bosom they do reign
of young and old, and either sex en-
chain.
Poems by Shakespeare.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-12-26

Eggs are being used as money in
elsticity of the currency bill. this
seems to be stretching matters a little
too far
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-12-26

Maybe the President hied himself
away to Pass Chritian to spend the
holidays in order that even the bad
trusts" might enjoy a merry Christ
mas
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-12-26
MARVELLOUS!

From the Buffalo Express.
Mr.. Newrich (readng a newspaper
headline: Japanese Turn Agnostics. -
Mrs Newrich: isn't it wonderful what
those Japanese acrobats can de-
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-12-26

Even Mexico responded to the
Christmas spirit, but it is hardly to be
believed that Huerta exchanged cour-
tersies with Villa and Carranza.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-12-26
THAT OUGHT TO INCLUDE THEM

From the Washington Post
With infammable careoes barred, no
additional immigration laws will be re-
quired to prevent the return of Clip Cas-
tro and EN- Pankhurst
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-12-26

Extremes meet, but they don't always
speak as they pass by.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-12-26

Forty is the age at which the average
man either gets rid of his conceit or
doubles it.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-12-26

Take care of the pennies, and as for
the dollars-well, some kind friend will
take care of them for you
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-12-26

In these days of democratic popular
ity republican in office is worth a
dozen on the hastings
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-12-26

The fuss raised by Mrs. Ella Flagg
Young in Chicago recently has led many
to believe that Mrs. Pankhurts visit to
the United States was not without Its
result after all
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-12-26

A man tries to live up to his ideals
almost as hard as woman tries to live
up to her photographs.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-12-26

And we had a touch of winter for
Christmas after all. 1t showed and got
colder.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-12-26

From the New York Times
Don't give yourself away If you have
any idea that the world takes a man at
his own valuation.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-12-26

One good thing about the income tax
Is that 1t is no longer embarrassing To
find collector in your office
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-12-26

Any lawyer will tell you that some
people won't take advice even when
they pay for it,
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-12-26

You can always Judge how mar
spent the holidays by reading his New
Years resolutions
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-12-26

The Anheuser-Busch company gave
its employees $4,000 in Christmas pres
ents yesterday An even 1920, 900 beers
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-12-26

An Ohio jurist says the constitution
is not sacred. At least there are two
Atlanta papers who will agree with
him.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-12-26
SOMETHING ABOUT GOLD

From Pearson's Weekly.
If gold Is one of the rarest and most
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-12-26
DYsPEPTIC PHILOSOPHY

God doesn't always help those who
help themselves at the dinner table.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-12-26

Lead your New Years resolutions
with one to pay your Christmas bills.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-12-26

Vincent Labandowsbi, 80, of Palisades
Park, n. j., threw six bags of salt in
his well, and when demonstrated with
by his sister-in-law he admitted the
water was too salt, and then emptied
half barrel of sugar in the water to
change the taste. Now he is in the
to his sanity.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-12-26

There is also a large map
States, which would cos
no less than So, which is {
by educators. Such publ
only in small lots. which m
are some little trouble to Il
placing them In the right
If the specter of death
houses of Congress many I
son, 1t also makes its pres
way among the men in the
For every member that dj
eulogy printed to the am,
5000. Each member is allt
copies. with the exceptio,
leagues of the deceased me
ceive 90 or more. Some of
eulogies of deceased membe
been exhausted. which has
emulation of over 800 in tn,
WAREHOUSE.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-12-26

Mrs. Abby Miller, widow of Joaquin
Miller, poet of the Sierras," declared
recently that he had communicated with
her from beyond the grave, according to
a special from San Francisco to the New
York Sun. Mrs. Miller is corroborated by
her daughter, Juanita. Mrs. Miller also
declared that when her husband was
alive he used frequently to communicate
bis thoughts to her across the continent
while she was living in New York be-
cause of asthma. She said: ESPECIALLY
in one case was this memorable. I be-
came SO filled with fear that my hus-
band was about to undertake danger
Gus mission that 1 sent a telegram to
inquire about his plans. Back came the
answer that he was even then setting off
for Alaska. The trip was terrible strain
on man of his years, but he could not
be persuaded to give it up. If we receive
such messages in life there is no rea-
son why We cannot receive them after
death" Tales are current that the poets
ghost has been seen near the cairn he
built on the Heights" as his monument
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-12-26
WASHINGTON bureau. 2O7 HIbps build

Washington bureau. 2O7 Hubs build
ing.
European bureau, Henrietta street,
Covent Garden. London.
Eastern business office. Rooms 80 70
SO, inclusive, Tribune building New
York city; Western business OFFICE
Tribune building, Chicago. Inc .. ="
Beckwith Special Agency, agents ioI-
ign advertising.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-12-26
TELEPHONE

Bell (privnte exchange connecting al
aepartments), Main 49Oo.
Norwich bulletin., 1913-02-21
RUBE VANGUARD SHOWN UP
 BY .a YOUTH IN SPOKANE
Pitcher Pays $1oo to Youngster Who Catches Ball Thrown from Building The Rube Couldn't Do It

In the presence of 10000 persons at Spokane, Wash, the other day, Rube Marquard. winner of 19 games straight for the New York Giants last year, was humbled at his own game by George Crofoot a 19 years old clerk. The famous pitcher is in Spokane HIl- ing a vaudeville engagement.
 Marquard thought the time honored practice of catching a, baseball thrown from a. skyscraper's top would be good advertising for him, theatrically. All went well, even to the proper advance Eews notice on front pages.
 The crowd came, 10000 strong, to see the winner of two games in the last worlds series display his prowess It was great, many said, to have a real player perfoal1n away out there so far from where real ball players grow.
 On top of a 14 story building Rubes signal was received. The next mo ment the ball came down. A second Of suspense, the ball crashed into the glove of basket proportions. and rolled out
 Down came the second ball and the Giant stopped it. rather delayed its progress and again it dribbled through tantalizingiy. Some one suggested tc MarQuard that<he get a basket, but the pitcher only smiled and prepared for the third one.
 Whers this one went through his piqued. Marquard offered S160 to any one who would catch the ball.
 At this dramatic juncture entered our hero, George Crofoot, who has played ball In the brush near Liberty Lake. The first ball that came was gathered in easily by Crofoot and the crowd cheered- Marquard drowned and paid the s1eo. and when mo- ment later the Giant joined in the laugh he was "in solid'' once more.