davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-25
BIames Bad Cooking

Maud Powell, the great violinist, who
will give a recital in Birmingham next
Sunday, and who like most artists, seems
to have the secret of perennial youth, is
an advocate not only of pure food, but
hygienic cooking.
Most of our ills and much of our in
temperance as a nation" said Miss Powell
recently, 'are due to our wretched cook
ing. Up in New England we still find
families who eat pie for breakfast; yes,
really and such pies-with a crust so
heavy that 1t seems water-logged. The
deadly frying pan is still doing it's ut
most to kill folks off prematurely, or
make drunkards of them. Coffee, So
called, is boiled until It resembles the
bootleg given to soldiers in the emer-
one woman in ten knows how to brew
properly. Nice, soggy doughnuts and
gummy bread or tea biscuits are further
deadly items on the universal menu.
''As for vegetables, which God intended
we should eat in abundance, not one
cook in 20 knows how to prepare them.
Canned vegetables are too much used
even in the summer time and In rural
communities. Many OF the canned variety
are ready for the table, after heating,
and shocking as 1t may sound, they are
often more palitable than those cut fresh
from the garden and then either over
cooked. under-seasoned, or served half
raw.
Tourists in the south and west. even
though living at fairly good hotels, are
often obliged to seek special diet. An
order of toast means slices of new bread
hurriedly burned or merely family
Drowned on either side of a soggy death
dealing center. The FRIED potato is
ubiquitous, while the wholesome potato
is rarely fit to eat. simple as it is to pre-
pare. The vinegar on the average res
taurant table is rank poison, while real
olive oil, that nourishes the system of
the Italian laborer, IS practically un-
known. And then the beef, beef. beef
everywhere-a stimulant, but as a nutri-
ment almost nil.''
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-25
Weather Again Bracing

Indian summer at this season of the
year is hailed with delight, but the
temperature was higher last week than
usual in November. 1t was almost like
real summer, and trade was in a
measure depressed by it. Retail mer-
chants reported dullness and the coal
business experienced lull.
But the cool wave that came yester-
day morning was bracing and put vim
in everybody. The coal trade was
stimulated, and clothiers and dry goods
merchants found their goods in more
demand.
The holiday trade promises to be
active from now on. Millions Of dol
lars have poured into Alabama to pay
for cotton, and the farmers and coun-
try merchants were never SO prosper
Gus as they are at the present time.
In the Birmingham district the pay
rolls have been large all the year.
Money is circulating freely, and there
is every reason to believe that the
merchants of this great shopping CEN
ter will reap a harvest between now
and Christmas.
Immediately after Thanksgiving,
"Shop early for Christmas" becomes
the slogan. This advice is not always
needed, but every year larger per
centage of those who make holiday
purchases bestir themselves early in
December. 3"
The weather bureau may not be
ready to forecast Christmas tempera
ture, but weather-wise men do not
hesitate to predict ses eral hard freezes
between now and the end of the year
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-25
THEATRICAL BUSINESS

In the American Magazine prominent
theatrical manager writes an interesting
astcle showing how actors, authors and
producers divide the peoples money. He
gives a detailed ammount of just how
much 1t costs to make theatrical produc-
ton and he also gives the facts about
many interesting theatrical successes and
failures. On the subject of exaggeration
in the theatrical business he says:
There may be so producing managers
of standing in America. If there are
III wager 40 of them are practically broke
and doing business on borrowed capital
A few have made money and kept it.
Some by being wise and getting out-lilSe
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-25
A CONvICTs INVENTION

rom the Wide World
wonderful invention known as the
power absorber" has been perfected by
a convict in the Arizona state prison at
Florence, Ariz and the story of how his
device won freedom for the prisoner has
clements of human interest as great as
eny tale of fiction. Roy ]. Meyers, the
convict inventor in question, is still a
young man, who, before his downfall, had
invented several machines and appliances
of an electrical nature. While serving
a sentence for forgery in Arizona he was
given employment about the power plant
of the prison, and during his spare time
made and operated small and some
what crue device for taking static cleo
tricity from the atmosphere and trans
forming it into a dynamic current, cap
able of producing light and power The
mo6el which he built was used for spark
ing gas engine in the pumping plant.
This device came to the attention of
Miss Kate Barnard, state commissioner
who was visiting the Arizona institution,
and her inspection convinced her that the
invention was one of tremendous possi-
bilties for good. Her interview with
Meyers, a quiet, unassuming young fell
low. led her to believe that his crime
was not the result of criminal tendencies,
and that, while he had offended against
the law. the man could be trusted to do
right If given another chance She
therefore pleaded his cause with Governor
Hunt, and later addressed the legislature
of Arizona to secure parole of 80 days
for the prisoner, in order that he might
travel without guard to Washington, d.
c., and apply for a patent on his power
absorber." This was necessary to pro-
tect his rights and to enable him to make
his invention a commercial success. Mey-
ers had eight months to serve when the
parole was granted, and, being without
means, his benefactress headed a sub
scription list among the legislators to
raise money to pay Meyers travelling ex-
penses. The governor sent him personal
letter and put the man on his honor to
return and complete his sentence. Meyers
did not disappoint his friends. The trip
was made with no guard or escort, and
scme time was spent in Washington pre-
pairing the necessary drawing and docu-
ments for the patent office officials.
The inventor built a model for actual
demonstration while in Washington, and
when this was submitted to the patent
office he was allowed to file his appli-
cat ton for a patent. His return to the
penitentiary was made few days before
the time limit had expired, and the faith
of the governor and Miss Bernard was
justified. Since then the convict who
proved that he could be trusted has been
given further parole, which will, doubt
less, be extended to the end of his SEN
tence. Not many details of the device
have been given out by Meyers, who,
naturally, does no wish to make public
any facts that would ieopardize his rights
until the patent Is finally granted
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-25
Truck Farming Near Birmingham

The Chamber of Commerce did an
important thing when it organized
the farm movement for bringing
truck farm settlers to this county. The
farm committee was created three
years ago and it was successful in in
ducing a considerable number of
homeseekers from the northwest to
buy small farms hereabounts. A large
work in this direction remains yet to
| be done.
The Alabama Land congress is
working for the whole state, of course,
but in carrying out its plans it will
do much doubtless to add to the num-
Der of truckers in the Birmingham
district 1t should be very easy now to
attract hoseseekers of truck farming
experience, for there are at least one
hundred and fifty truckers within a
radius of twenty miles of Birming-
ham, and all of them it is understood
have prospered.
Ten years ago there were only about
thirty truck farmers in Jefferson
county, not few of whom have
grown rich The number of small
farmers has reached now nearly the
two hundred mark. The total should be
doubled within the next two or three
years. Every new settler who has
thrived is the best advertisement aft
er all for the advantages of this sec
tion.
Every vegetable known in this
country can be produced here, and no
better section for poultry farming
can be found than this. Most of the
eggs consumed in Birmingham are
shipped here from Tennessee or states
farther away. If the poultry industry
pays in Tennessee, it certainly should
be made to pay here. The few intelli-
gent and business-like poultrymen who
have tried it have made it profitable.
Let the Chamber of Commerce farm
committee and the land congress man.
agement cooperate and great results
will follow. The population of the
county will not only be increased by a
desirable class of producers, but the
wealth of the district will be material
ly increased.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-25
HABIT OF GLOW WORMS

Henri Fabre in the Century Magazine.
Before he begins to feast, the glow
wcrm administers an anaesthetic. He
chloroforms his victim, rivaling in the
process the wonders of modern surgery,
which renders the patient insensible be-
fore the surgeon operates on him. The
usual game Is a small snail. hardly the
size of a cherry. which in hot weather
collects In clusters on the stiff stubble
and other long, dry stalks by the road
side, remaining there inotionless, In pro-
found mediation, throughout the scorch-
ing summer days. 1t Is in some such
resting place as this that l have often
been privileged to light upon the Lampy-
ris banqueting on the prey which he had
just paralyzed on its shaky support by
his surgical artifices.
But he is familiar with other preserves.
He frequents the edges of the irrigating
bitches, with their cool soil, their varied
vegetation. a favorite haunt of the mol
lusk. Here he treats the game on the
ground and, under these conditions, 1T
is easy for me to rear him at home and
to follow the operators performance
down to the smallest detail
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-25
: The assoc,,ted Charities

1.-THE directors of the Associated Chari-
ties were about to canvass for funds
needed for the next II months when the
free dispensary canvass began" said Will
liam McGnath, general secretary.
"As the scope and activities of the As
sociated Charities increase naturally more
money is needed. The directors, as is
generally known, are thoroughly repre-
sentative citizens. and they are heartily
In accord with the plans of the associa-
ton. Within the past few weeks it has
been most gratifying to receive through
the mail contributions, practically unso-
licited, totaling several thousand dollars.
We now have more than a third of the
money that will be needed for the fiscal
YEAR,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-25
POINTED PARAGRAPHS

From the Chicago News.
The married man who hestates is
bossed.
A rich young widow and her weeds are
soon parted
A word to the wife is sufficient-to
start something.
The present generation might ba
termed the automobile race.
The more friends a woman has tho
more she has to talk about.
Your umbrella will last longer il you
don't roll it or lend it.
The average man may have music in
his soul. but his voice spoils it.
Girls, it isn't always wise to follow your
mothers example when you fall in love.
1t is easier for the average woman to
muster up courage to face a mouse than
operly to defy fashion.
No, Alonzo, the world doesn't care how
you got your money; all that interests
1t is what you are going to do with It.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-25

Wagenhals & Kemper. who are credited
on Broadway with having made the
biggest cleanup and greatest getaway
In history because they quite LOCO 900 to
the good following the success of 'rhe
Kreutzer Sonata THE Resurrection
Paid in Full, and Seven Days Or Will
liam Connor, who made fortune out of
two Bernhardt tours of America and is
putting the money into loft buildings
rather than back into theatres. Joseph
Grisrner also had the good sense to he
content with the several hundred thou
sand dollars his interests in way Down
East and The Man of the Hour made
him. But these instances are so decidedly
exceptions to the rule as to be positively
famous.
ION the other hand those who have
neither won nor quit are literally too nu-
merous to mention. Mr.. Klaw and Mr..
Erlanger are rich men, but many of their
investments are outside the theatre Will
liam Harris has all he needs II not all he
wants. The Shubert brothers are well off,
George Cohan and Sam Harris, IL they
keep half of what they have made, VIII
not want for single reasonable thing
that money can buy them. A. H. Woods
has a fortune tied up in q half dozen diff
ferent enterprises. But you cannot go
much beyond these few and be sure Of
your ground when you enumerate the pro-
ducing managers who are rich men and
who stand fair chance Of remaining per-
sonally interesting to their heirs. There
is that certain element of insecurity that
speculation breeds, even with these,
though they are the craftiest and shrewd-
est In the business.
David Belasco, with all his sniccess, is
not rich man. His heavy productions
and the time he spends on them frequently
cost him more than they return. even
when they are successful"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-25
A SLIGHT ADVANTAGE

From the December Metropolitan.
Col. mod" Osborne of New Haven and
Yale, rarely falls to express himself Wig
orously and picturesquely, which is one
reason, perhaps. why he is in such de-
mand at banquets. Recently, at the Grad
yates club In New Haven, one of the
younger members met him with:
Mod. l am trying to find out what
Shay's rebellion was. and as a commen-
tary on the value of a college education,
I would inform you that | have asked
five distinguished graduates of Yale-one
of them a famous authority on English
what Shay's rebellion was, and not
one of them knows anything about it.
Now. what do you know about it?''
WELL" said Colonel Osborne, slowly,
Il have slight advantage of the other
five graduates that you have interrogated.
/ not only don't know anything about
shay's rebellion. but don't give DAMN"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-25
Salvation Army Chief Welcomed

When Gen. William Booth, the
founder and commander in chief of
the Salvation Army, died more than
a year ago, the question was asked
whether the organization would remain
strong and popular. William Booth
was a man of uncommon force. His
methods were simple and direct; and
his intelligence, piety, self-sacrifice,
religious zeal and practical ideas for
propagating good morals and religion
that would reach the slums combined
to make him one of the most revered
personages of the world.
General Booth, the original head of
the Salvation Army, trained his son,
Bramwell, and it was his desire that
he succeed him in the commandership.
General BramweH Booth, as head of
the Salvation Army, has been success
full in marked degree. In as large
an organization as that which he COM
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-25
THERE'S A REASON
, the New York Telegram.

From the New York Telegram.
or course, there's a reason for every
thing, although at times 1t may be hard
to dig it out
A work of art, the. original Greek
Slave in marble. by Hiram Powers. has
just been sold for $1250.
The most famous production of Amer
,ica's earliest genius with the mallet and
chisel, Vermont lad who started mod
elling in snow, the Greek Slave" became
International famous and was purchased
by A. r. Stewart for s11.00o-consider-
able money in those days.
Now in these degenerateaimes the art
world is shocked to see the masterpiece
sacrificed for $3.50, and asks why.
Don't know. Greek slaves in marble
are certainly not q drug on the market.
Maybe it's the fickleness of the popular
fancy. Perhaps a marble tango dancer
would be the rage today and 50 years
hence consigned to the garret. Maybe the
elaborate corset and union suit adver-
tisements have destroyed interest in the
Greek slave school of art.
Ii any one knows the real reason, please
let's have it.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-25
WANTED-A NEW RACE

From ''The Case of Equality" by George
Bernard Shaw, in the December Metro
politan.
n DO not know, gentlemen, what may
B be the outcome of your experience in
progressive political work, but l must
confess to you here that I, having de-
voted more than 80 years, the most active
part of my life, to political questions in
their most serious aspect-not TO the
ridiculous game, not half as interesting
as golf, which you call party politics
and with which you debauch your intel
lects and waste your time, but to the
genuine problems of the condition of the
country and the condition of the people;
in short, to the life of the country-I
must confess to you that all my expe-
rience and all my thought on the subject
have left me with very grave doubts as
to whether mankind, as it exists at pres
ent, is capable of solving the political and
economic problems which are presented to
the human race by its own multitudinous
numbers. If you take few persons like
ourselves and put them into a new col
ony, In climate which is not too rough,
to make little pioneer villages like the
pioneer villages in the days before capi-
talism overwhelmed America, in that VIII
lage you may get reasonable and decent
kind of life; rough life. but natural
life; not in any very high sense a civilized
life, and certainly not a cultured life
but a tolerably human kind of life But
the moment you attempt to go beyond
the village stage, the moment you at
tempt to create the complicated political,
social and industrial organization re-
quired by our great modern empires and
cities, the human constituents of these
communities are hopelessy beaten by the
problems created by that organization
and by their own numbers All the time
we are going more deeply into the mire,
and increasing the evils have been fight
ing all my life. Although people are
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-25

that door but will content myself by say
ing you are an i'll bred fellow. Get out
Now, I am not trying to win any
thanks from the telephone company or
the operators, but / am desirous of put
ting on their guard men like myself who
allow strangers to use their telephones.
Judging by his appearance the man who
used my phone seemed to justify the
favor. but l suppose the young lady at
the exchange thinks that number - is
a perfect ruffian, and II she reads this
hope she will accept it as an apology for
another's bad MANNERS"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-25
IN A MoNAsTERY GARDEN

BY Marjorie l.. c. Piclkthall.
Over the long salt ridges M
And the gold sea-popples between,
They builded them wid-brier hedges.
S A church and cloistered green
And when they were done with the
praises
And the tides on the Fore beat slo'
Under the. white cliff-daisies
They laid them down in row.
Porphyry, Paul and Peter,
Jasper and Joachim
Was the psaltery music sweet
Than the throat of the trush h4n
Tired of their drones and their d
Where the young cliff-rabbits
Wet with the salt of the surges
They laid them down for a
One may not call to the other
There on the rim of the deep.
Only the youngest brother
Lies and smiles in his sleep.
When the wild swans shadow pa ses
When the ripe fruit falls to the 1d
When the faint moth flies f.
grasses.
He dreams in the hands of Co
Here for hts hopes there follow
The vfolets one by one.
The dove is here and the swallow,
And the young leaf seeking the
And here, when the last sail darker
And the last lone path is trod.
Under the rose he hea-kens,
And. smiles in the eyes Of God.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-25
A Telephone Conversation

"a man came to my office a few days
ago said a lawyer. land asked my per-
mission to use the telephone. I allowed
him to do so and this is what happened,
as heard from my end of the line:
I want rumble, tumble, humble, ].
No, tumble, humble. rumble, j.. Say.
what's the matter with you? Can't you
hear? If you can't understand me you
ought to quit your job and let someone
else have it. l said, rumble, humble,
tumble. j..
oh, shucks, you make me tired and
he hung up the receiver. AS he turned
to leave my office | called to him and
said: That young lady in the telephone
office knows that it was from my office
your remarks We're made and will most
likely blame me for your rudeness. l
have good mind to kick you out through
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-25

What is believed to be the first wire
less equipped train in the world passed
through Scranton Friday when the
Lackawanna railroad sent its first ex-
press No. from New York to Buffalo
over the line with instruments at
tuned and operators making the tests,
says a New York World special Efforts
to send messages to Scranton were
made from the time the train left
Hoboken, 145 miles away, but they were
too faint to be picked up at the wire
less office in the local station. The
company plans to send and receive
messages by wireless while trains are
In motion, and Fridays experiments
We're announced at the local offices as
very satisfactory The Lackawanna is
now using the wireless in ordinary dis
patching service between here and
Binghamton, N Y.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-25
The Railroads and Prosperity

The interstate commerce commits
zion will probably grant the petition
of the carriers east of the Mississippi
for the privilege Of advancing freight
rates 5 per cent. The question is
being considered now and a decision
is expected shortly
The ground upon which the petition
is based is the, large increase in oper-
ating expenses due to the advance in
wages. The railroads have increased
wages from time to time without any
increase in traffic rates.
A per cent advance would seem
reasonable, for many important lines
have been unable to raise money for
extention and betterments simply be-
cause of their reduced net earnings.
If the 5 per cent advance is permitted,
the effect would be speedy and whole
some on the general business of the
country, for when the railroads are in
y position to buy new equipment the
iron and steel industry is at once
stimulated, and directly or indirectly
every business center is benefited.
The iron market has been dull for.
sometime past, but if per cent in
increase in rates becomes effective
there would be great demand for
iron, and this district would witness
the most vigorous buying movement
Of the year.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-25
WONDERS OF A SALMON RUN


From 1.-THE Salmon Fisheries of the Pa
cific" In the December Wide World
Magazine.
The worlds greatest salmon runs are
to be found along the shores of the north
Pacific Ocean. in the states of Wash
nigton, Oregon, and CaL mia, the
province of British Columbia and Alaska,
on the Amerisan side, and Siberia and
Japan on the Asiatic side, So far, how
ever, but few salmon have been canned
on the Asiatic side.
To one who has never witnessed these
annual runs it Is almost an impossibility
to convey an adequate impression of the
countless numbers of fish that swim in
from the sea in the late spring and sum-
mer, all imbued with the same desire--to
gain suitable grounds in the upper reaches
of the rivers some of which are from
15O0 to $500 miles in length, where they
may perpetuate the species. No obstacle
appears to be too gerat to be surmounted
In this feverish rush. Jumping falls,
shooting rapids, lodging nets bears, birds.
mink, otter, and other enemies. fighting
with other males. whom the near APP
proach Of the breeding season renders es-
pecially savage-all these are taken as
a matter of course. And yet one some
times wonders If the heroic struggle is
worthily repaid, for the moment of vic
tory is also the moment of death, as, sad
to relate, these valiant voyagers can breed
but once and then must die. their wasted
bodies, which have received no nourist-
ment since leaving salt Water. becoming
the prey of any prowling bear or carrion
bird who may chance upon them. Why
these fish should all die after spawning
still remains one of the great unsolved
mysteries Of the scientific world.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-25

"a good leg will fail; stait back
will sfoop, black beard Will turn
white; curIed pate will grow bald; n
hollow; hut n good heart, Kate, IL the
sun and moon; or, rather, the sun' anc
not the moon; for 1t shines bright, ana
aruIy, Henry v.