davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-25
Opening the Canal This Year

Colonel Goethals says the passage
of vessels through the Panama canal
this year is matter of slides in Guile
bra cut and of the completion of one
flight of locks at either end of the
canal.
The chief engineer is still hopeful
that water will flow in the cut in Oc-
tober, and that one flight of locks
will be completed by that time al
either end of the canal.
Greater slides may occur and boats
may not be able to pass through the
canal, but Colonel Goethals is conf
dent he will be able to pass shir
through the canal before the Nend Of
the year.
The actual completion of all the
locks and all the walls and the stop
page of all the slides may consume
another year, so that the officia
opening on January /, 1915, still
holds good. The actual opening will
take place when the "Fram" or some
other good ship is passed through thu
ranat
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-25
Chief Rodcker's Views

Police Chief George H. Bodeker has
been receiving numerous letters from all
parts Of the state congratulating him on
his sentiments on pistol 'toting, reform
of criminals and bond issues for more
jails, as voiced by him in his address be-
fore the peoples forum last Sunday
said the police reporter.
''The letters are from citizens in all
walks of life but most of them are from
educators and sociologists. who hasten to
concur with the chief of police of Bir-
mingham in Nhis sententious expression,
not one penny for more iails, but hair
million to reform criminals One let
ter was from a negro educator, who stat
ed that with chief of police who held
such liberal end advanced views his race
was assured of a square Geap and he
would ardently seek to cooperate with
Chief Bodeker in any way possible.
LAS Chief Bodeker has shown that he
has views on subjects pertinent to the
public, it would be well to have him
speak again on his pet hobby-that of
having a girls detention home and farms
for wayward boys. His ideas on the
rowdy, cowardly element who carry pis-
tolls are enlightening, and pave the way
for other men in office to utter sentiments
along the same line In an endeavor to
stamp the evil of pistol toting' out of
Jefferson county and Birmingham.
Let Mr.. Bodeker get plaudits and en-
comiums of praise for his progressive
stand. He deserves announcement, for
he speaks in public but seldom and only
when he has something of interest to
say"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-25
LOVE is BLIND.

At this upspringing season of the year
when the minated soul yearns to find it's
counterpart the most unromantic couples
are sometimes seen "entranced." You
will wonder how Cupid ever picked them
out as protagonists in his dramas and
you will suspect that he must be a joker.
The other day a stout. seedy looking man
with comical figure and an elderly,
angular female leaned in lover-like att-
tude over a hedge, as we passed. Their
conversation was so earnest and their
heads so close togther they seemed OBJ
liviors to all about them. Youth was
long since fed and beauty, if they ever
had it. Yet, two turtle doves could not
have been more ardent in their wooing.
PAUL COOK
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-25
A FIRE IN A SMALL TOWN

And then the water comes with
mighty rush, yanlSing the, nozzlemen
this way and that, and sweeping firemen
and common citizens aside as If they
We're mere straws.
'.As a rule, this is the climax, and the
end comes rapidly. By this time Brown,
who had put the fire out with a few
pals of water before the alarm sounded,
has persuaded the department to call off
its hose, the barn being full OF valuable
hay. So there isn't anything TO do. The
water is turned off Tow McKinzie ex-
plains to the eleventh knot of people how
he was going past the place when he
saw the tongue of flame. and everyone
disperses after a pleasant social time.
Everybody is tolerably well satisfied
except the ook-and-ladder gang, which,
as usual, is skunked again-never got a
ladder out. A couple of the axmen had
a little fun with a rear window, but
otherwise the affair Is a flat failure.
They go back sullenly, but are COM
forted when the roll is called, when each
member who was present draws dollar
from the city treasury. As usual Pete
Sundbloom is late, and tries to edge in
to roll-call, though he was mile away
from the peril. but he can't make it stick.
and gets the hoarse hoot when his little
game is discovered.
IT want to ask you--isn't that pleas
ant interruption on dead day? 1t
makes life worth living. and 1 really
wonder that there ism, more incendiar-
ism in small towns throughout the United
States.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-25

Ida Keck Virgins, in Leslie's.
The Ohio floor caught the Cohan &c
Harris company Officer $780, in Dayton.
The members of this company were i'm
prisoned for two days, in the Philips
house. expecting death momentarily.
Then, somehow, they got over to the
Arcade, across roofs, and a manicurist
took them in and kept the entire COM
pany there until the waters receded.
Finally the waters subsided and the
company was ready to get away. Huge
trucks had come over from Springfield,
where there was train soon TO leave.
For four miles the company followed on
foot, carrying part of their baggage.
Finally they reached the place where the
trains stopped, The cars were just about
to pull out when Manager DeMilt waved
to the engineer and tagged the train.
The company started to run, but one
man fell forward, dead from exhaustion
and excitement He was picked up and
carried to the train. His funeral was
held later in Springfield.
The next morning the members of the
company went down to the Fairbanks
theatre to open their trunks. Everything
was covered with mud. 1t didn't matter
how securely the trunks had been
closed, the mud had seeped in. Beautiful
gowns, street clothes, valuabes of all
sorts, were flung aside to right and
left.
The things that were not sent to the
laundry were dried on the stage of the
theatre the lines being stretched from
just beneath the prosecenium arch to
the as near the floor as possible.
The manager then set squad of fif-
teen men to work repairing the proper
ties. Saws, hammers, nails. paint, var
nish and paste were whisked out, and
eager hands began the work of restora-
ton. Five thousand dollars worth OF
oil paintings, which are used In the set
of the piece, had escaped the flood just
by an inch, as the water came up to
the top of the wooden paneling on the
stage. The wooden walls which were
paneled were shriveled like the skin OF
an old man; the fine brocaded furniture
was inches deep in mud; but the hose
was turned on tapestry, screen panels
and furniture and the warm sunshine
dried them out. Across the alley In
the yard of a church the furniture and
draperies of "Officer co. were spreal
out to dry! A few rare books, were
saved and set up on table in the alley
to dry. The company is said to have lost
$4,000 in personal property, but they put
on their show like heroes just the same
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-25
Fall of Scutari

The evacuation of Scutari by the
Turks completes the work of the al
lies. and it is embarrassing to no coun-
try except Austria Hungary. Austria
wants all of the east coast of the
Adriatic left in a condition to be
grabbed by her when the opportune
time arrives. Her work is carried on
with that in view, and she expects
the support of Germany and Italy
She hopes to become great naval
power and the rest of the triple al
lance looks with a favoring eye on
her naval ambition.
Austria -Hngary will no doubt be-
come threatening and aggressive in
view of the fall of Scutari and pro-
ceedings looking to a settlement will
probably be FASTENED rather than re-
tarded by the fall of Scutari. What
Austria will do to force the Monte
regrins to accept the situation as il
had been planned by the triple alli
ance remains to be seen. Events will
come along rapidly, and the reader
though busy, will very naturally seel
each morning the news from the sea-
of war, which may be located anew il
Montenegro.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-25
POINTED PARAGRAPHS

From the Chicago News.
Few people can be really good on the
linstallment plan.
Today's failure may mean tomorrow's
success.
An ounce of silence Is worth ton of
senseless talk
| In after years man strikes many a
| trail that looks familiar.
You cannot always f1atter a man by
telling him that his baby looks like
him.
| Every time the temperance question
comes up politicians rush for the fence.
| Some stenographers marry their en-
ployers because they are tired of be-
| ing dicated to.
With every dime they hand out some
charitable people throw in a dollar S
worth Of sympathy
A man may think he has extraordi-
nary business ability if he succeeds in
acquiring a rich son-in-law.
A tonsorial parlor in which only
dumb BARRIERS We're employed would
| probably do an immense business.
| The difference between an art, a pro-
fession and trade is that a man il
nearly always able TO make living
ct trade.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-25
Insnecting School Buildings

The tour of Commissioner Lane
among the insanitary school houses OF
this city on Tuesday opened his eyes
to the situation, and Commissioner
weatherlv will make similar trip.
He, too, will keep his eyes open.
There is hope so long as the city
government can be carried to the spot
to see things as they really are, and
rot as they are painted by some one
with theory up his sleeve.
When Commissioners Lane and
Weatherly report we may be sure the
city's children will be better cared Tor
hereafter. The city is not forehanded,
but it will never consent to let its
children be seated in insanitary build
ines. The school houses should be bet
tered, even if they cannot be rendered
ideal. Some day the state will have a
better constitution, and then the
schools of this city can be brought up
to standard.
Let the commission do the best it
can with the means or bonds az It's
disposal. No system was ever built up
in a minute, but surely insanitary
school buildings can be weeded out
and that, TOO, before the beginning OF
another school year.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-25

<<lT is an impressive sight-not the
fire ITSELF but the event. Two thou
sand two hundred and nine people
are there-that being the population of
Homeburg minus the sick and wander
ing.
'sThere is always more or less of a
feud between the hook-and-ladder boys
and the hosecart boys. because the
former get the second team and rarely
arrive at the fire in time TO hoist the
beautiful blue ladders before the hose
cart gang puts the CONFEDERATION out In
deed, the feeling has gotten so strong
at times that the hook -and-ladder gang
has threatened to double the prize
money by private subscription and get
their rig out first, but patriotism has
thus far prevented this.
I'm the midst of the seething mass
are the hosecart, and the ladder truck.
Around them dozens of red helmets are
bobbng, while the qpvering air Is cut
and slashed. and mangled with very
hurricane of orders: Bring up that
hose Whoa, keep that horse still
bring her round this way Bring
her round this way Hey, you chumps,
the fires this side Back up that
wagon Come ahead with the wagon
| Get out of here till we get ladder
up Axes here Turn on that water
| Turn on that water Turn on that
wateri!- Jones. go down and tell that
wooden Indian to turn on that water
Hold that water. you Hold that wa
ter!-'Turn her on. ! say Turn her
eWow-turn that nozzle the other awy-'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-25
Good Roads Enthusiasm

Birmingham has had number of
well attended good roads meetings
but the National Good Roads fedora
ton, in session here now, surpasses
all former gatherings, both in repre-
sentative character and enthusiasm.
This convention is, as its name ap-
plies, really national. Men are here
from all parts of the country.
Another gratifying feature is that
good roads leaders and men recog-
nized as authorities in road building
are here in large numbers. Ten
years ago, good roads meetings in
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-25

THE BOY THAT NEVER WAS.
He never wrote upon the walls.
He never did window break,
Through him the cat pe'er lifted squalls
So loud they might fhe dead awake.
His little sister never felt
A strand of hair pulled from her crown
Upon her cheels<no blows were dealt,
He ne'er was known to push her down
His mothers days were free from care,
His father never used the strap,
I'm sure you'll not find anywhere
So we'll behaved a little chap.
You ask me what his name could be
And where this youngster doth reside
can not answer that. You see,
have a secret to -confide:
Imagination fondly drew
The type of boy these lines describe,
Too free from faults to be quite true
To life and all the boyhood tribe.
And maybe it were better so.
That none exists so wondrous good,
For If he did. | almost Know
We'd scarcely love him as we should
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-25
THE LONGEST SIEGE
a The London Chronicle.

From the London Chronicle.
Crete deserves mention in our list OF
memorable sieges, for in Cretan his
tory we find the longest siege on rec
ord, beside which Troy's 10 years seem
but skirmish. In 164S the Turks at
tempting to conquer the island, laid
siege to the capital city of Gambia
which, however, did not surrender un-
til September, 1862 after 2l years
Again in 1921, when the Cretans re-
lyolted. the defeated Turks were able tc
hold the fortified cities against all at
tacks. and many Of them were still un-
captured when the powers lhterVeneo
lnine years later.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-25
Hack from Coden

H. B. New, proprietor of the Metropol-
itan hotel who was i'll with typhoid
fever some weeks ago, returned this
week from Coden, where he had been to
recuperate. He is now the picture OF
health.
+ "coden is a most delightful resort
said Mr.. New 1.-The fishing there Is good
and l found quite a large party of pleas
ure and health seekers. Cohen is stead
ily growing in popularity. 1t is warm
in winter and cool in summer. The
Rolston hotel, where I stopped, is wei
conducted and It is naturally doing
fine business"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-25

The President and Mrs. Wilson had the
pleasure of welcoming to the White
House Miss Helen Taft, daughter of the
former chief executive, who was the
guest of honor at luncheon for young
people. Miss Taft, who made her debut
in the White House just three years
ago, is now the guest of the family of
Mr.. and Mrs. James Marion Johnston.
This was not her first appearance at the
White House since her return to town.
as, according to the usual custom, she
called TO pay her respects to the family
of her fathers successors shortly after
arriving in Washington. The three
daughters of the President. their guest,
Miss Mary Scott of Princeton, Miss Bones
and a number of young officers, including
several who were on duty during the last
administration, made up the interesting
company.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-25
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
A Pleasant summer Predicted

We had mild winter here in this
district and I believe we are .going to
have a very pleasant summer said
man who makes some pretensions as a
weather prophet
My prediction is that we will nave
some hot days in May and June-just
such temperature as is needed for grow
ing crops July will be hot enough for
the season. but not too hot for comfort.
August will be warm and dry, but there
will be few oppressive days and no op-
pressiye nights ="
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-25


the south lacked the practical side.
Men interested in promoting good
roads met and talked and there were
some results, but after all it was like
scratching the surface. Now the
good roads men have assembled for
serious discussion and for the ex-
change of views grown out of expert
ence.
This weeks proceedings will mark
very important stage in the progress
of the good roads movement in Ala
bama and throughout the United
States.
Alabama is better off in good roads
than some of the other southern states
but it is behind Georgia and two
or three other states Of the south.
Now there will be very distinct
awakening and in three or four years
Alabama will be well up with the
most advanced good roads state.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-25
Beginning of Debate on Tariff Bill

Beginning of Debate on Tariff Bill
Leader Oscar Underwood has
opened the campaign in favor of direct
taxation as a source of revenue aided
by a revenue tariff. 1t is a revolution
in taxation, and this particular revo-
luton as a whole should not be per-
mitted to go backward, and it will not
be If the 81 democrats in the SEN
ate have any regard for the pledges
of their party made at Baltimore.
Mr.. Underwood has great task on
| his handsome that will make or
break the democratic party, and he
has the satisfaction of knowing that
'the interests" and the opposition will
have the administration and the DEM
ocratic party to deal with. No leader
ever had a more solid party behind
him than Mr.. Underwood has, and
this of itself will be source of
strength and a warm comfort to him
in this crisis of his congressional
career.
The progressives lined up with the
standpatters in the opening debate in
the House, and Congressman Kelly
of Pennsylvania, speaking for the
progressives, endeavored to outdo the
old guard in opposing all revenue tar
iff bills.
General debate on the Underwood
bill will GO on unchecked for con-
siderable period, and when it has run
its course the bill will be taken up
in detail, and the hope is expressed
that it will be sent to the Senate by
or about May 5.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-25
Selecting Policemen

Il read an article in The Age-Heral ID
recently, credited to Louisville news
paper in which the standard of admis-
sion to the police department of all
cities was discussed interestingly, said
a man who has lived in several large
cities.
1.-THE writer of the article referred to
said that in New York and in all other
cities the examination of applicants for
police positions should be of military
character; that police force should be
disciplined just as an army was dis
plined; in other words, every policeman
should be soldier or words to that
effect. 1 liked some of the Louisville
editors views but the military feature
for police organization should not be
overdone.
about the same time l read an edi-
torial in The New York Sun in which
extracts were given from letters written
by applicants for positions on the New
York force Each of the specimens re-
produced in The Suns editorial was illit-
crate to the last degree. The appli-
csnts may have been honest men and
capable of performing the duties of a
watchman but in my estimation no man
grossly illiterate measures up to the po-
lice standard. Yet, The Sun maintained
that these applicants, entirely ignorant
of the English language, might make
model policemen A mean between the
strict military idea and the poorly edu-
Gated fellow would satisfy the average
citizen.
"a policeman should be a man of high
intelligence, some education and ire
proachable character. l think the per-
sonnel of the Birmingham police force
today is excellent-far above the per-
sonnel Of some years ago. AS to mill
tary discipline, I think the martinez
system unwise as well as unnecessary.
Every policeman should be required to
be soldierly in appearance and to be
soldierly strict attention must be paid
TO dress. Efficiency, of course, is what
should be aimed at and a we'll groomed
policeman indicates the right sort of
pride, and In a measure good material
for the position in question"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-25
Hugo Munsterb6rg in The May Metro

Hugo Munsterberg in The May Metropoi-
itan.
WYE all know one kind of mind
MI reading which looks very as
w founding and yet which there
is no difficulty at all In explaining. 1t
is favorite performance on the stage
and not seldom tried as a parlor game.
1 refer to the Kind of mind readins
in which one person thinks of a hidden
coin, and the other holds his wrist and
is then able to find the secreted object.
There is no mystery in such apparent
transmission of the idea, because 1t is
the result of small unintentional move
ments of the arm. The one who thinks
hard of the corner of the room In which
the coin is placed, cannot help giving
small impulses in that erection. He him
self is not aware of these faint move
ments, but the man who has fine sense
of touch becomes conscious of these mo-
tions in tho wrist, which his ringers
grasp, and under the guidance of these
slight movements he is led to the parti-
cular place.
A very neat form of the same type Is
often seen on the stage, when the per-
former is to read series Of numbers IN
the mind of someone who thinks intense
| ly of the figures. Someone In the au-
dience thinks of the number fifty-seven.
The performer asks him to think of the
first figure, then he grasps his hand ana
counts slowly from zero to nine. After
that he asks him to think of tise Sec
! ond figure and counts once more I'M
mediately after he will announce rightly
the two digits. Again there was nc
mystery in it. He knows that the man
who thinks of the figure five Will make
slight voluntary movement when the
| five is reached in counting. and the
same movement will occur at the seven
| In the second counting. II he is very
we'll trained, he will not need the touch
| ing of the hand; he will perform the
same experiment with figures without
any actual contact whatever. 1t will be
sufficient to see the man. who is think
ing of a figure, while he himself Ii
counting. AS soon as the dangerous digit
| is reached, the man will give some un-
| intentional sign. Perhaps his breath
ing will become degree deeper, OF
stop for a moment, his eyelids ma5
make reflex movement, his fingers
may contract bit. This remains entire.
lily unnoticed by anyone in the audi
ance; but the professional mipd reader
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-25

A tiny red shoe on the foot of his first
doll caused the death of Robert, the g.
months old-child of Mr.. and Mrs. S. w.
Wieks of st. Paul, MINI. Pois-
oIous dyer, which faded from the
shoe, was swallowed by the infant
ard, without a moments warning to the
parents, he expired. Mr.. WicSs took the
doll home to the baby Saturday after
noon. The child gurgled with delight.
and. baby like, put its tongue to the bril-
liantly colored shoe. Mr.. and Mrs. Wicks
noticed that the dye came off, but the
child showed no i'll effects, and they did
not consider the matter serious. While
the mother was singing TO the tot, its
head suddenly dropped forward. mo-
ment later the baby was dead. A ply
stefan said the dye had affected the
heart.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-25
4 Musician and a Scholar

Philip Greedy Clapp, who has just
been installed as the conductor of the
Cincinnati Symphony orchestra for the
late spring and summer season in. the
rface OF DIR. Kunwald who has gone
to Europe is Harvard degree man
as well as musician.
It used to be that in many instances
successful opera and symphony direc-
tors were what is usually called self
made. Some of them We're good musi-
clans but were not scholarly-certain-
ly not educated outside of their pro-
fession. 1t is very different today.
There is scarcely a conductor OF any
standing who Is not man of general
culture as well as first class musician
shin. DR.. Muck. conductor of the Bos-
tor symphony; Mr. oberhoffer of the
Minneapolis symphony; Mr.. Stock CT
the Thomas orchestra of Chicago; Mr.,
stokowskt! Of the Philadelphia orches