davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-22
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
washiagton's Birthday

Today is celebrated as the anniversary
of George washington's birth AS it is
a legal holiday in Alabama all the banks
here will be closed and notes maturing
on the 22d will not have to be paid until
Monday.
The banks viii be closed tight on sat
urday," said cashier. 1T sometimes
happens that when a legal holiday falls
On Saturday the banks, in order to ac-
commodate merchants who have deposits
to make, close only technically. or half
way close, but as Washington's birthday
is observed all over the United States and
is a legal holiday in all the states that
have holidays by legislative enactment,
there will be absolute closing.
There is no such thing as a national
holiday. All legal holidays are such by
state law. But the few states that have
no statutory holidays, like Mississippi,
observe the Fourth of July. Thanksgiv-
ing, Christmas and Washington's birth
day by common consent.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-22

From the Woman's Home Companion.
mo well bred man or woman would
drop into a mans parlor before he starts
for business in the morning and engage
him in long winded discussion. Yet
have known women interested in chari-
ties or civic movements to call up a busi-
eess man at his home by telephone during
the breakfast hour. and start the CONVEX
sation by stating that they had chosen
the hour knowing that he would surely
be at leisure They have ignored the
erispness if not the bluntness of his re-
plies, and continued to talk while his
breakfast cooled or his affairs at the or
flee demanded his presence. And finally
they have wondered why their mission
failed,
Would any woman making any pre-
tense to good breeding enter your home at
dinner time and engage you in conversa-
tion knowing that your dinner and family
awaited you in the dining room? Yet how
often have you been greeted at the tele-
phone with this remarkt
oh, We're you at dinner? Then
won't keep you a minute@
But the minute runs into five or 10,
the talker holding you grimly to the topic
nearest her heart, while your dinner turns
cold
rs it any wonder that business men
protect themselves by sending clerks to
answer the telephone? Or that in many
households servants ask who is calling
ana what is wanted before summonlng
members of the family? How else can
one protect himself from telephone bores
end the abuse of telephone courtesy"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-22
Net Weight and Contents

Both the Senate and the House have
passed bill requiring the labelling of
food packages with the net weight or
measure of contents. This labelling is
to be conspicuously displayed on the
outside of each package. Some
changes dictated by manufacturers
were made in the Senate, and the bill
will have to go to conference before it
can be sent to the President. It's final
enactment into law before the session
is ended is, however, assured.
This together with the approaching
reconstruction of the department of
agriculture will certainly greatly pro-
mote the protection of the rank and
file from dishonest manufacturers. At
present the general public has small
protection indeed in the matter of
pure food products. The manufac-
turers who desire to use benzoic acid
do so at present with impunity. This
will be changed beyond doubt, for the
President-elec is firm friend of pure
food products. He has never hesitated
to denounce all efforts that have
pulled against pure food, especially
for the many.
The department Of agriculture con-
trolls food products in interstate trade
and a reorganization of that depart
ment after March A promises to be
one of the most beneficial results of
the great democratic victory of last
November.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-22
Convicts on the Public Roads

Scarcely state besides Alabama
now leases convicts to private parties,
and what the state does not do coun-
ties should not be permitted to do.
Many evils. follow in the train of
leased convicts and the plan will soon
be eliminated from all states and all
counties.
jefferson county will on April l ad-
vance the reform in this state by put
ting its convicts at work on the public
roads. All able bodied convicts will be
kept at work on the public roads,
while the remainder will be kept at
stockade in Pratt City formerly
used by the Tennessee company. This
will relieve at once the county Jail,
which certainly needs all the relief it
can get prior to demolition.
jefferson county has 1900 miles of
county roads, and to keep them in re-
pair is in itself a big task, to say
nothing about the construction of new
roads. The board of revenue faces a
difficult problem, but it proposes to
establish good system of road work
through the use of the county con-
victs, and it knows that its success
will hasten the day when all con-
victs, state and county, will be taken
out of the mines and mills.
The lease system is inhuman and
indefensible and the next legislature
should put an end to it. Alabama cam
not afford to be the sole remaining
state that leases to private parties
convicts. Georgia turns over her state
convicts to the counties that want
them to be used on the public roads
and the system is filling that state
with good roads.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-22
Demand for Pig Iron

According to most of the sales depart
ments of the iron, companies here there
is decidedly stronger tone in the market
this week. More active inquiries indi-
Gates it is pointed out, an early buying
movement on a large SCALE Matthew
Addy & Co.'S Cincinnati report just is
sued says:
There is no letup at all in the demand
for prompt shipment of pig iron on con-
tracts. Consumers are crowding the fur
naces and insisting on having iron
shipped the day 1t is due 1t is evident
that iron is being melted at a record rate.
Practically all consumers feel optimistic
regarding the future. There is every rea-
son for this as they are all busy and all
have plenty of profitable work ahead OF
them. We have yet to hear of melter of
iron who is not enjoying a profitable
season.
'As far as new business goes, 1t is
made up at the present time mainly OF
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-22
business In Cuhn

"I was in Cuba partly for business
and partly for pleasure said William
NJ Byrd of the Hammond Byrd COM
pany, who returned this week.
II was successful in booking orders
for pig iron. Business conditions in the
island are particularly good Just now.
The recent election. resulted in the
triumph of the conservative element
and the conservative party is excep-
tionally friendly to the United States
-and to the prosperity idea. The new
President is said to be a very able
man and a gentleman of the highest
character. Under his administration a
large measure of prosperity is ex-
pected
The Spaniards and Americans who
have became citizens of Cuba belong
to the conservative party. The liberal
party, which has been in power, in
cludes the revolutionary natives and
is rather antagonistic to this country.
Il found many tourists in Havana
and all spoke of that quaint old city
as one of the most attractive tourist
points in the western world"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-22
UNFINISHED NOVELS
) PhiladeIphla Ledger.

From the Philadelphia Ledger.
In the English language there are at
least six novels which have only begin
ming Like the grandfathers clock they
stop short never to go again. because
the authors died before they could finish
their works., e
The most famous of these is "The Mys-
ter of Edwin Drood," which some critics
think would have been Dickens master
piece had he lived to finish it, But it
still remains mystery in spite of count
less efforts to solve ii.
Robert Louis Stevenson also left an un-
finished novel upon which he was engaged
when death ended his labors. The novel
was entitled, "St. Ives,' but, happily,
there was more to go upon than in the
case of edwin Drood,' and it is gem
orally admitted that Sir Quiller- Couch
made one of the best attempts to finish
another mans novel.
W hile everybody knows that Dickens left
a novel unfinished, few know that his
great rival. Thackeray. did the same.
The novelist had just started the Corn
hill Magazine, of which the most promi-
nent feature was novel from the editor's
pen, entitled, Denis Duval," which he
was writing month by month as the in
stallments fell due Suddenly he died,
and the serial was but half finished For
.tunately, however, the careful Thackeray
had left full notes for the development of
the story, which was finished by Fred
erick Greenwood.
Who has not read Pride and Prejudice"
and Sense and Sensibility," the produce
tions of quiet little woman named Jane
Austen? she died when she was in the
midst of another masterpiece, entitled
"The Watsons," which was found in her
desk after her death.
What the world lost when Charlotte
Bronte died. who can say? For one ,hing
it missed nameless novel which the
gifted author of Jane Eyre" had started
But so little had she done on it that none
OF her successors In fiction has had the
temerity to attempt even to finish it, and
it is likely to remain an interesting frag-
pent.
In this respect it may be compared to
another unfinished work. Edgar Allan
Poe's weird story, "The Narrative of Ar
thur Gordon Pym." Who could finish that
story? 1t is doubtful whether Poe himself
could for he lived II years after it was
first published in its fragmentary condi-
ton.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-22
A Richmond Visitor

Andrew j. Gray, prominently asso-
ciated with the large publishing house
of johnson & Co. Richmond, is reg
istered at the Hillman. He visits all
the southern states from time to time
and in every southern city he has a
number of personal friends who well
come him cordially.
"The south is in more hourishng z
condition today than l have ever
known it, said Mr.. Gray. "To begin
with, Virginia is enjoying a high tide
of prosperity and has been thriving
greatly for several years past. Thrift
is in evidence in every single county
of the Old Dominion and as for Rich
mond it is growing and improving at
n wonderful rate. Persons who have
not seen the Virginia capital within
the past three or four years would
hardly know it now.
"I keep in close touch with Texas
and Oklahoma and those states are in
fine shape from a business point of
view. l think business conditions in
Texas are at the highest record mark
alabama is, as usual, prospering
In fact, this is one of the southern
states that can nowadays be counted
on to keep right close up to the front
in prosperity. 1t had been some time
since my last visit to Birmingham and
notice marked Improvement. The two
hotels and the big apartment houses
that are going up certainly make a
splendid impression on the visitor.
Georgia is less prosperous at this
=; LOT
southern states on account of bad crop
conditions last year In some parts of
that state there Is temporary depres-
sion but taken altogether. Georgia is
a great state, and Atlanta, it's metrop-
oils, is one of the most progressive
cities in the union"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-22
Democracy In Control


"On March the democrats will be Ia
full control of cur something
very rare" said Dewitt C. Arlington of
Philadelphia
Il voted for Roosevelt in the last cleo
ton, but 1t was drawing straws as to Will
son or Roosevelt. | thinl1s,Mr. Wilson
Will make us a good President. l used to
be republican, and have been voter
for a good many years, but the time has
come when a change will be the best for
the country. 1he question Is will Mr..
Wilson prove too academic in the execu-
tive office? He has made a good gov
ernor of New Jersey, and have an idea
that he is going to make one of the best
Presidents the country has ever had.
President Cleveland said a wise thing:
1T is condition and not a theory that
confronts u.s. The new President will do
well to keep that aphorsm in mind.
Those who think he is mostly a school
teacher will be surprised. I believe. Ask
the people of New Jersey. When Mr..
Wilson finds that certain conditions con-
front the nation he will prove to be prac-
teal enough"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-22
TO RESTORE BABYLON

From the Christian Herald.
What romance, what tragic events have
been staged in this remote nook OF me
worldl Scores of giants in history have
passed this way since the episode of Eve
and the serpent. Cyrus, Tamerlane'
Ghengiz, Khan, Alexander, Herodotus,
Marco Polo, all famous in the annals OF
the east, have invaded this Garden OF
Eden Just to the north ran the old wall
OF the Medes. Further up the Tigris basin
stands ancient Ninevah, where Layard
and others unearthed so many cuneitorm
tablets confirming the Bible story oil
crea ton, the fall of man, and the Hood
Northeast of Eden lies ruined Opis, once
the worlds center of wealth, and the
site of the great dam which irrigated
all Mesopotamia. And when the invading
hordes destroyed this dam all canals ran
dry, crops withered, the famishing peo-
pie perished or fed to the hills, and the
ruin of Babylonia began.
1t is to restore this lost fertlity,to give
back a rich, productive Garden of Eden
to modern man and land hungry world,
tina. one of the greatest irrigation schemes
ever planned is now being carried out in
Mesopotamia. Millions of acres of rich
land, idle for ages, highly adapted for
cotton growing, grain and fruit, are to be
reclaimed. Sir John Jackson and Sir Will
liam .Willcocks-it was the latter who
built the great Nile dam at Assouan and
won fame in Egypt-have been engaged
by the Turkish government to direct this
important work Nearly $l0o,000,000 is re-
qrired to complete this giant enterprise,
which is already well under way.
Willcocks says the ancients were scien-
tific irrigators, and that all he has 70
do is to clean out many of their old canals
ami bitches, which will answer perfectly
for use in his new system.
At the British engineers camp below
Mussayeb l saw 1000 Arab workmen bus
lily digging a new channel for the Eu-
pirates. A concrete mixing machine from
Chicago and tons of American interlocking
steel piles are being used to build a great
dam, in the bottom of this false channel.
Already the price of land in the Car
den of Eden, and as far away as Bagdad
and Amarah, has risen on account of the
progress of this reclamation work.
The Arab, under foreign guidance,
makes a good laborer.
l. was only when the British introduced
steam engineAthe first ever seen in
Eden-that a few of the Bedouins became
nervous.
Desert shieks came from miles around
to see the strange smoke horse with fire
in il,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-22
DARING vENUsEs BARRED
] the WASHINGTON Herald.

From the washington Herald.
A couple of stranded chorus girls recent
ly attempted to make use of the Young
Mems Christian association swimming
pool in which to give Diving Venus
act This was told in an address a few
days ago by Clifford l.. Johnson, aecre-
tary of social service of the Young Mems
PChristian association.
1.-THE girls said that their burlesque
show was stranded in a nearby CITY," said
Mr.. Johnson. "and they had barely money
ercugh to come to Washington. If they
could get to New York they expressed
the belief that they would be all right,
and 1t occurred to one of them that the
novelty of swimming act by women in
the Young Mems Christian association pool
would bring such a crowd that the gate
receipts would get them to their destina-
ton easily.
Why are you fancy swimmers. as
well as dancers?' l asked.
No. one of the girls replied, but we
got lovely shapes.
Mr. Johnson added that, although the
association found it necessary to decline
the request of the young women, at the
same time money was raised to get them
back to the White Way once more.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-22
nd nm us both did haggish age steal on
And wore us ont of act.
-Alrs We'll That Ends Well.
Mexico's New Government

Felix Diaz accepts the Huerta
Yegime and this brings peace to Mex
leo City, but not necessarily to the
rest of the country, for Zapata IN the
south and Orosco, Gomez and Salazar
in the north remain to be heard from.
The restoration of law and order and
peace are still problematical and
doubtful. and the United States will
doubtless act with caution in recog-
nizing the Huerta government.
The course of the United States
thus far in Mexican affairs has rem
dered this country popular in Mexico
CITY. The rule of "hands off" has
worked well, and the Mexicans may
soon reach settlement of their own
affairs in their own way. This would
be vastly more satisfactory to the
Mexicans than any settlement dictated
by this country could have been.
The Mexican people are about nine
parts of Indians to one part of Latin
ism from Spain. They have no more IN
common with this country than the
F'ilipinos except geographical location.
They are no more civilized than the
Filipinos. A country that has an army
which will not support regularly
elected president, is not a republic. A
country backward in almost every re-
spect is but half civilized at the best.
A country full of poems is necessarily
a country of discomfort.
President Taft has atoned for all
errors of administration by keeping
this country out of the Mexican mud
die. The escape was a narrow one and
very happy one from an American
point of view. This country will no
doubt continue to promote and even
to demand the formation of a stable
government equal to the task of pro-
tecting the lives and properties of for
eigners in Mexico, and that is as far
as we can go in all fairness and inter-
national law.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-22
RUsKIN TOOK PAINS

From the Rochester Democrat and
Chronicle.
For writer's or would-be writer's who
think that to exhibit any sort of merit
they should be able to dash OFF, .age
after page of matter in practically the
form in which 1t should remain, there is
instruction and encouragement in the orig
inal manuscripts of Ruskin now offered
for sale in New York city. 1t appears that
Ruslxin in the vigor of his mental powers
was by no means dashy. Undoubtedly he
Welded himself to the leading of genius,
but he seems to have made practice of
leading genius laboriously back over the
path that had been taken.
In comment on some of the pages of
the manuscript now ON exhibition, which
are said to be the last unbought by col
lectors or institutions, it is said that they
are written in a fine, flowing hand but
that they are crossed and recrossed with
corrections and alterations, an evidence
of Ruskin's care for expression at that
time, in 1866, and afterward.
The development of one thought that
was twice revised is shown, and Ruskin
is quoted as saying that some of his sem
tences were written four or five times
over in my own hand and tried in every
word for perhaps an hour-perhaps fore
printer" Even when the proofs came
back from the printer he made consider
able alterations in the text.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-22

burning mouth into which an attend
ant had playfully peppered some strong
Idisinfectant.
Fflled now with surprise, chagrin,
rage and nobody knows what other
emotions, Nero began to rage furiously.
like the heather. and NJ. Bourgeois had
la lively five minutes, during which he
had TO fire continually and jump from
one side of the cage to another. =.,.s
But at the end of il he assured Fred
erick A. Thompson, director of the Vita
Igraph studios. who was in general
charge of the proceedings. that the
three lions will be sufficiently sub
dued in 10 days for the introduction
into the cage of some of the actors in
the Peters play. He hopes that by that
time the beasts will have become ac-
Ieustomed to bright colors; all the az
Itendants are TO wear flaming costumes
for the next few days
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-22
Protect the Pheasants

II saw some beautiful English pheas-
ants in Shelby county near Calera the
other day." said Charles G. Davis.
About two years ago C. L. o'Neal im-
ported these pheasants from the west,
and, protected as they were by the game
laws, they multiplied rapidly.
"All imported birds were protected the
year round, but that provision of the act
ran out on December l and this winter
sportsmen have killed some of these birds;
not many, perhaps but they should be
fully protected at least five years longer.
Game Commissioner Wallace's attention
has been called to the matter and l have
no doubt he will succeed in having the
proper legislation adopted.
With several years of protection, Eng
lish pheasants will be very plentiful in
this state. Mr.. ONeal owns about 1000
acres of land, most of it in timber, and
his birds have therefore a fine range, but
some of them have strayed away as far
as Montevallo."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-22

small lots needed as filters. Big buyers
are feeling the market. Their attitude
is receptive. Il attractive prices are
quoted they vii buy If not they viii wait
until they see It is dangerous to procrasti-
nate. Consumers have to have the iron
and they are well enough covered by
old purchases TO feel easy for short
time, but not for long. When the next
buying movement comes 1t is evident tnat
it will be of very great proportions ana
It is bound to come within reasonably
short time for current orders viii not
carry consumers by any means throogn
the first half.
some little disturbance is being caused
by some old resale iron, but this is not
in large volume and the supply Will soon
be exhausted"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-22
Plans for the Suffrage Pageant

The demonstration of March 3 in
Washington will be as brilliant as it
is to be peaceful. 1t will be full of
color and beauty. While many will
actually march in it, yet there wilb be
in it plenty of banners and heralds
and bands and floats and automobiles.
1t will illustrate the worldwide effort
towards woman suffrage, and the
countries in which women have full
suffrage will be represented and so
will the countries in which they have
partial suffrage.
Should the day be sunny the bright
colors and costumes carefully ar
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-22
Money Easily Raised

The committees composed of promi-
nent citizens that started a canvass
Tuesday to raise $4,000 for the
Young Womens Christian association
have met with splendid success. On
yesterday the amount asked for had
been oversubscribed $4,000, and while
the active canvassing has come to a
close, it is believed that when the
general report is made a total of
something like $4,000 will be in sight.
Birmingham is full of well-to-do
people and it is easy to raise money
for worthy causes. When the sympa-
thies of its citizens are touched they
respond generously. The great work
the Young Women'S Christian asso-
citation has done and is doing was
known only to the few until this
weeks canvass was undertaken. The
public now knows and appreciates
what the association means in the So
cial life of this city.
The record of the associations ac-
tivities is most convincing and it is
safe to say that no appeal that the
good women who manage the associa-
tion's business may ever make will
go unheeded.