davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-21
A NEW BOOK BY HAsKIN

From the Popular Magazine.
Frederick ]. Haskin, one OF the most
popular members of the National Press
club in washington. was president of
that organization last year. In the fall
he returned from a trip and announced
that he would not. be candidate for
recollection because his work In con-
nection with the sale and publication
of a book he had written would take
up all his time.
After making the announcement ne
went to many of his friends and IN
ouired solicitously whether. II he had
run again they would have voted for
him. knowing his tender sensibilities
and wishing to annoy him. they all an
swered as follows:
Certainly notl Why should we vote
for you?"
All of which cast Mr.. Haskin into the
depths of gloom. The following day he
was seen in a corner Of the club writ
ing in little notebook. His face wore
a funerear expression.
What is Haskin doing over there!'
asked somebody.
Il think: replied Claude Watts ne
is beginning the first chapter OF new
book. 1t will be The World Is Against
Me-. by Frederick J. Haskin,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-21

A missionary just returned from %
years work in central Africa finds a
great change in the dress OF Londoners.
In the old days." he said. Il could
distinguish between the different sections
of society by the clothes they wore. l
could tell at once the mistress Of the
house, the maid. the cook and the scul-
lery maid. Today find these all hobblc
skirted, wearing the same design Of hats
and making the same show of jewelry.
Perhaps there is difference in the quar-
ity of the materials or Of the jewslry, ,sbut
otherwise they appear to me to be ex-
actly the same. This applies also to the
modern young man. the shop assistant,
the clerk, the office boy ana the young
peer. Twenty years ago a clerk could
be distinguished by his modest, sober at
tire and the office boy was distinct with
his abnormally high collar. don't know
if this is the result of tendency on the
part of tailors to standardize clothes or
of reduction in prices,'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-21
THE FAMOUS EPILEPTICs
IL Kansas CITY star.

From the Kansas City STAR
Were st. Paul, Caesar and Napoleon ep-
|ileptics? The current statement that they
were is challenged by DR.. H. d. Quigs'
superintendent of the Missouri colony Tor
feeble minded and epileptics in the lates'
report of that institution.
The evidence is far from definite. IN
the case of st. Paul the incident on the
Jerusalem road is cited, when the apostle
saw a light and fell to the earth. 10
diagnose the incident as epilepsy Is SIM
ply speculation, of course
Plutarch is the authority In caesar
case. Shakespeare in quoting Plutarch
in the dialog colloquy between casca'
Brutus and Cassius:
Cas.-But. soft, I pray you; what did
Caesar swound?
Casca.-He fell down in the market
plaoe and foamed at mouth and was
speechess.
Bru.-'Tis very likely he hath the fall
ing sickness.
From the symptoms the falling sick
ness" is taken to be. epilepsy. As TO Ma
poleon. Baron Lavrey, surgeon general
for one of his armies, is the authority.
DR.. Quigg dismisses the evidence as un-
worthy of belief. 1T is well known" he
saws. that epilepsy does not conduce to
cerebraticn; it has the opposite effect.
A general engaged in battle and having
fits would soon lost prestige and there is
no history of this happening to either
Caesar or Napoleon
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-21
Dollar Diplomacy Repudiated

The appointment of receiver gen.
.ral of customs in San Domingo by
President Roosevelt was the begin
ming of piece of business that is not
to be extended by the present admin
Iistration. Secretary Of State Knox en-
deavored to extend the San Domingo
plan to Nicaragua and Honduras, but
the proposed guaranty of their debts
by the United States had not been
completed when President Wilson
came into office. 1t goes without the
saying that there will be no guaranty
hereafter.
The refusal of the present admins
tration to support the six-power loan
of China is historic step. 1t means
that the American bankers who pro-
pose to take a share of the $125, ,OOO,-
900 loan desired by China will have to
act on their own responsibility, and
that Uncle Sam will not stand behind
them in any respect.
No step so important as this has
been taken by this administration. 1t
is step that seeks to avoid entan-
cling alliances while standing firmly
by the policy of the open door. This
country desires simply an open door in
China, and no special favors. The ac-
ton of the administration in this mat
ter will certainly be upheld by all who
desire to see the republic put on an
Independent footing in China and
wherever else the pernicious dollar
diplomacy had obtained foothold.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-21

don fugitive Russian banker and took
him to Spain on manslaughter charge.
The clipping then gives an adroit hint
that the banker has seereted in America
several million rubles Mention of the
, bankers only daughter is also made
The letter is signed by the banker,
Serge Solovieff, and states that the pris-
oner wishes assistance in getting his hid
den money in America, $4,000. If the re.
cipient of the letter will aid him in this
matter his commission will be 1913 per
cent, or $4,000. The banker cannot re-
ceive replies in prison, but a cablegran
can be sent to one of his friends, whose
name and address are given. The friend
Will give further particulars.
You can procure a modest fortune, saw
ing at the same time that of my darling
daughter" is the sentence which is cal
culated to appeal to the cupidty, or the
romantic nature, of the recipient.
The part of the story which says that
the hidden money is in America is va
riation introduced in the lastsyear or so.
The Spanish prisoner letters of two OF
three years ago used to intimate that the
time this is said to have been quite
a stimulus to European travel on the part
of Americans with more money than dis
cretion. Some of these Americans nave
had difficulty in getting home. after their
interviews with the imprisoned banker
agents.
While the letters have received all sorts
of publicity, the business has continued
to be profitable, according to the dis
patches telling of the arrests. "The
leader of the syndicate, the dispatcn
states, has three handsome houses In
Madrid, and was building a fourth when
arrested" The United States postal au-
thoritIes have been after the prisoner
for several years, but have until lately
been unable to get the cooperation or
Spanish officials.
One of the latest Spanish prisoner let
ters received in st. Louis came to Her.
man H. Belcher, of 1880 South Third
street. He did not respond to the urgent
appeal to answer by cable.
The newspaper clipping inclosed in eacn
letter is work of art. 1t is written IN
the style and printed in the type and on
the kind of paper used by London dailfes
of the old school. on the other side ap-
pear Notes and Reviews Forthcoming
Books" which learnedly discusses tRo
question of the permanency of Tennysons :
poetic fame Investigation has SHOWN
that the clipping is bogus, and that the
copies were probably run off by the tnou-
sand on job press.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-21
Good Friday as a Holiday

"Out of respect to the churches that
observe Good Friday the great exchanges
of the world close on that day." said a
travelled layman. IN Europe the ex-
changes are closed until Monday. In
London and in most of the capitals on
the continent practicallyrall business is
suspended on Good Friday. In several
states of our country Good Friday is a
legal holiday. In Alabama 1t was legal
holiday up to few years ago but it is
not so now and. therefore, the banks
will be open as usual.
"As someone remarked the other day,
the next legislature might with propriety
drop Mardi Gras from the list of legal
holidays and restore Good Friday to the
list. Mardi Gras is a general holiday
In Mobile and even If it were not a
legal holiday by legislative enactment the
banks in the Gulf City might, by COM
mon consent, close. But outside of Mo-
bile there is little observance of Mardl
Gras in this state, whereas Good Fri
day is observed by many people in all
the cities and towns
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-21
Castro and Mylius

Attorney General McReynolds has
decided to appeal the cases Of Clip
riano Castro, former president OF
Venezuela, and Edward P. Mylius, the
English newspaper man, to the United
States circuit court of appeals. The
district court held that both had a
right to enter the country, and the
Attorney General no doubt intends to
have the questions involved legally
and fully determined.
It will be remembered that former
Secretary ef ~ Interior Nagel at
semplaa 70 keep out Castro because he
sqaid net aswsr certain questions
xvo6eafnia7 se eSecution of General
ssradeS. ola zionist in Venezuela,
kan ne ndsa ed to shut Mr.. Mylius
mt, because he had been convicted in
Aondon Of libelling King George, by
asserting that he had a morganatic
wife in Malta.
The federal district court did not
sustain Secretary Nagel in any re-
spect, and Attorney General Mercy
nolds is desirous of having the immi-
grafton problems involved in the two
cases definitely determined.
Neither Castro nor Mylius will be
present in court to present their side
of the problems, but that does not mat
ter. The entire subject will be threshed
out and the law made plain even to a
wayfarer.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-21
Corn and Alfalfa

Reports from various sections of the
state indicate that the cotton acreage
this year will be about the same as
last. Planting in Alabama has al
ready begun and, weather permitting
n normal acreage will be in the ground
before the middle of April.
4 There is some increase in the corr
i planting and much more attention will
be paid to the corn crop in this state
this year than ever before. Interest
in corn production in the cotton belt
is increasing steadily and there will
be marked gain in the number OF
bushels raised this year as compared
with year before last, when record
crop was made. 1t used to be that
Alabama was large buyer of corn,
but before h,any years it is going to be
known as corn state as well as a
cotton state. 1t will be a large seller
Of corn.
Next in Importance to corn comes
alfalfa production. The alfalfa belt,
extending east from Mississippi
through central Alabama, is one Of the
most productive in the country. By
intelligent modern farming methods,
alfalfa can be grown in this state al
: fine profit. James b. Haggin, the
owner of the largest and most valu-
able stock farm in Kentucky. did not
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-21
Business Prosperity

Business in nearly every section OF
the country continues quite active said
William j. Slayton of Philadelphia
"A few weeks ago one heard predic-
tions of lull in trade. There were even
few calamity howlers in New York
who predicted that the democratic ad-
ministration would result In business de-
preston, but business conditions are just
as sound today as they were before the
Inauguration and now the consensus of
opinion among business men is that pros
perity will continue.
Most of the southern states are ex-
ceptionally prosperous at this time. Ow-
ing to poor crops in Georgia last year
businesssis not as active in some of the
cities of that state as usual, but I have
never known higher degree of pros
perity in Virginia, North Carolina, Ten
nessee Alabama and Texas, than there
is now I was in Texas last week and
every man l met there said that times
were good"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-21
Recognition of Chinese Republic

The formal recognition of the
Chinese republic is said to be receiv-
ing careful attention at the hands of
President Wilson himself. The United
States hurriedly recognized the French
and the Brazilian republics, and yet
the Chinese republic, against which
no armed man appears, is kept on a
defacto footing so far as this govern
ment is concerned. We keep a minister
in Peking and yet formal recognition
is with held.
This addition to republican ranks
deserves recognition by the foremost
republic in the world. 1t was great
gain to popular government when big
populous China adopted republican
form of government and dismissed
her entire autocratic outfit. Should
President Wilson decide to recognize
the republic of China she would be put
in favorable position to borrow the
money she needs for development pur-
poses, and the ties, between the two
countries would be greatly strength
ened, and trade relations would no
doubt be enlarged. There are many
reasons why we should recognize
China, and not one why we should
not. The prejudices of Philander Knox
no longer enter into the foreign policy
of this country.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-21
Good hook Buying Town

IT have been selling high class books
for number of years and have always
found Birmingham a good field for my
activities said r. Young, who repre-
sents we'll known book agencies. .There
were many book buyers in Birmingham
when I first began to canvass several
years ago and, of course, the number has
greatly increased since then.
"a very large percentage of the men
Of Birmingham are always ready to buy
choice publications and the number of
we'll stocked private libraries here is
rapidly increasing"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-21

The little red card, which has been used
at the state department to warn the sec
retaries of state to read carefully every
official paper to which 1t has been at
tacfed, is In vogue at the White House
for the benefit of President Wilson. The
mail of the President. which he has to
sign personally. is so heavy that he does
not have the opportunity of reading all
the letters prepared for his signature, and
the card is used to warn him that the par
ticular paper to which it is fastened must
not be signed until it has been carefully
read and considered. The card is equiv
alent to the behest, stop look, listen.'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-21
RETURNED TWO vERDICTs

From the kansas City star.
At social gathering last week q
bachelor with a somewhat satirical orin-
ion of feminine prejudice approached a
party of women who happened to be
speaking of plays and players they had
seen during the last season in New York.
"By the way" he ventured casually,
did any of you go to see Gaby Deslys
while you were there?"
I'VE saw her in London" replied Mrs
Blank
"what did you think of her?'
"Oh. she was positively nil. She couldn't
sing or dance and she was SO bold that
Mr.. Blank and l were both disgusted as
well as disappointed" came the ready
criticism.
The topic changed and the bachelor ex.
cused himself to join the men in another
room. His curiosity was aroused, and
finding Mr.. Blanks ears not directly en-
gagged, he singled him out for chat
you saw 0aby Deslys in London, die
you not?" he began.
'Gaby?" responded Mr.. Blank with 1
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-21

The United States steel corporation had
a good year in 1912 after all. Earnings
after the deduction of subsidiary COM
panies' interest totalled 117.926, 402. While
the revenues were about s5,5s32A in excess
of those for the previous year, they
showed a shrinkage of SO, ,ss1. .sos, COM
pared with 1910. Net income for the year
totaled sI7075,2l decrease Of 81, ,250, 222
This decrease resulted largely from an
increase of S4,505, ,306, the amount written
off for depreciation and extraordinary
replacement funds
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-21

Believing persons to be married should
be physically well equipped, the Rev.
Dempster Wilson, rector of st. Georges
Episcopal church in Passaic, N. j., has
announced that. by virtue of his canonical
prerogatiyes he will hereafter refuse to
marry all persons who shall not present
to him, prior to the ceremony, medical
certificates from reputable physicians at
testing their physical and mental fitness
for marriage. Mr. Wilson's belief is that
msft marriages and consequent miser-
able homes cause the worlds trouble. He
believes that the clergy have frequently
debased their function by willingness or
eagerness to marry anyone to anyone else
whether known to them or not. Mr.
wilson's action is along the lines of ad-
vanced thought of certain Episcopal
church leaders, and he believes that his
church will soon enact law requiring
medical certificates before persons are to
be married.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-21
ARITHMETIC OF PEcK's BAD Roy
From the Popular Magazine.

From the Popular Magazine.
George W. Peck, Jr., who is the origi-
nal of "Peck's Bad Boy tells this
story to show that, although his father
made lot of money by writing stories
about him which had never happened
the only time he himself ever achieved
human Judgment was when he was al
the tender age of 7 years:
The governor was then perpetratine
a series of crimes in the form Of lec-
lures, charging the innocent public sc
much per head for telling now he and
his blond mule samanthy put down ths
rebellion. For some reason which
have never been able to explain, ht
took me along and gave me my hrst
glimpse of gay hotel life when WI
reached Chippewa Falls.
After l had skipped daintily from side
dish to side dish-you know they used
Ito set a hotel table like a xy1ophone ir
those days, and you could hit side
dish with either hand from any direc.
tion-an angelic, cooling voice., being
the voice Of the waitress. asked me:
"Will you have pie?"
ignoring my eager affirmative, She
lcontinued:
I'VE have apple, custard and rasp.
berry. Now, what would you like, ms
little mani"
From that day to this, have never
seen an extremely blond woman with
Hight blue eyes that haven't thought
of apple, Jcustard and raspberry pie. A
home each dinner wound up with ons
lonesome, unsupported dessert, and here
was the cornucopia lady wishing OF
me three different kinds OF pie at ons
blow. Fortune had knocked at my door
and ! was ready
With psychological generalship ant
mathematical ambiguity. replied;
= "Both.''
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-21
.spANIsH PRISONER. Jailed

From the st. Louis Post-Dispatch
The st. Louis branch of the Society for
the Relief of the Spanish Prisoner Is
about to close it's membership roll The
reason is that the Spanish prisoner is at
last really in prison. and has not The
facilities he formexly had for sending his
OFFERS Of 10000 easy money to St.
Louisians and other Americans.
Gable dispatches from Madrid have
brought the information that the Spanish
authorities have concluded that the 'mys-
terious Russian banker in n Spanish pris
on" is an undesirable citizen and have ar.
rested Is men for conducting the pris-
.oner's voluminous correspondence.
Scores of st. Louisians have received
the Spanish prisoners letters. written on
paper closely ruled in both directions.
mailed from Madrid in square blue enve-
lopes and always inclosing a clipping
which has the appearance of being from
some London paper. The clipping tells
how spanish inspector arrested in Lon
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-21
IN HOTEL LOBBIEs
Blrmineham,s Rapid Growth

Birmingham will easily outstrip Al
lanta in population in the census OF
1920" said L. P. Routt of Chicago, VINO
is registered at the Hillman. when
first saw this city about eleven years ago
it had very much of the appearance OF
an industrial center, but Il had no ldea
that It would ever become metfopoi-
itan. Its growth has been prodiglous anu
the improvements here, both in the ousi-
ness district and in the residence sec
tions. have been handsome in every re-
speet.
1.Atlanta is fine city and will keep
on growing but the Birmingham district
is so rich in raw materials that l pre-
dict 1t will be only about 30 years wnen
Birmingham will be in the 100000 popu-
lation class It is unquestionably the
most talked of city now in the whole
south,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-21
President Wilson and Canal Tolls

The transcontinental railroads, sup
ported by the press of the defunct re-
publican party, are insinuating that
President Wilson will urge the repeal
of the free-toll clause of the Panama
bill. They have nothing to go on ex-
cept their own selfish interests and
desires.
The Baltimore platform expressly
and Significantly demands free tolls
for American coastwise shipping, and
President Wilson has frequently said
that party pledges should be made
good. There is no more definite clause
in that platform than this: "We favor
the exemption from tolls of American
ships engaged in coastwise trade pass
ing through the Panama canal. We
also favor legislation forbidding the
use of the Panama canal by ships
owned or controlled by railroad car
riers engaged in transportation COM
petitively with the canal4
President Wilson was elected on this
platform and very possibly Secretary
of State Bryan wrote the plank In
question. The entire plank was incor-
porated in the law passed by the last
Congress, and President Wilson as
suredly will not ask the democratic
party to swallow that law and its
own plank in the Baltimore platform
Platform pledges are not lightly con-
sidered by our new President.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-21

Edward Eckart Of Pennsylvania has
been paroled from the Wisconsin peni-
tentiary after serving 81 years behind the
bars. He was convicted of murder when
21 years old; he comes out of the prison
at the age of IS in splendid health and
with a trade--that of cook-which will
permit him to earn a good livelihood.
Eckart's victim was Charles Peterson.
The two were trampng In Wisconsin
during the excessively cold winter of 1875.
In a quarrel over campfire near Jeffer-
son, Peterson was killed and Eekert was
sentenced 10 life Imprisonment for muir
der Ee never admitted his guilt. Eckart
cannot leave Wisconsin, and his conduct
must be exemplary In every way, other
wise his parole may be summarily re-
voked and he be returned to the peniten-
tiary for the remainder of his days. The
Judge who sentenced him and the district
attorney who prosecuted the case are
dead, and only three of the jurymen are
living.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-21
THE FOOLS PRAYER

BY Edward r. Sill.
The royal feast was done the king
And to his jester cried: "Sir Fool,
Kneel now and make for us prayerr
The Jester doffed his cap ana bells
And stool the mocking court before;
They could not see tho bitter smile
Behind the painted grin he wore.
He bowed his head and bent his knee
Upon the monarch's silken stool;
f1is pleading voice arose: 20. Lord,
Be merciful to me. fool!
mo pity, Lord could change the heart
From red with wrong to white as wool;
The rod must heal the sin; but. Lord.
Be merciful to me, fool!
'.'Tis not by guilt the onward sweep
OF truth and right. o Lord, we stay:
'Tis by our follies that so long
We bold the earth from Heaven away
"These clumsy feet, still in the mire,
Go crushing blossoms without end;
These hard, we'll meaning hands VIC thrust
Among the heartstrings Of a friend.
1.-THE ill-timed truth we might have kept
Who knows how sharp it pierced and
stung?
The word we had not sense to say
Who knows how grandly 1t had rung:
"Our faults no tenderness should ask,
The Christening stripes must cleanse
them all:
But for our blunders-O, in shame
Before the eyes Of heaven we fall.
Earth bears no balsam for mistakes:
| Men crown the knave and scourge the
tool
That did his will; but thou, Lord,
| Be merciful to me, fool!'
| The, room was hushed. In silence rose
! The king. and sought his gardens cool.
! And walked apart and murmured low:
BE merciful to me. Z foolr'