davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-03
Bic Events in the Old Year

Before the old year is forgotten III
the rush and hurry of daily life, let us
glance at its achievements in the
direction of democracy in particular
and of civilization in general. We may
in that way be led to conclude that 1t
was a pretty good year after all.
Almost at the beginning Of IT, old
year DR.. Sun Yet Sen became p u.s.
ional president of China. He yielded
the reins of government later in The
year to the tactful and powerful Yuan
Shi Kai, and under his firm hand
peace has been restored, elections for
parliament held, and the republic
greatly strengthened and consolidated.
The aggressions of the Russians in
Mongolia, of the British in Tibet, and
of the Japanese in Manchuria will be
attended to later on.
But on the other hand Russia has
seized northern Persia, and England
looks hopelessly on. Persia has well
nigh disappeared from the map.
During the year Turkey and Italy
came to terms, and the African do
main of the former was ceded to the
latter. And then came the war of the
Balkan allies against Turkey. The
success of the allied armies was re-
markable, and today the allies are
debating terms of peace in confer
ence sitting in London.
The Moroccan question was also set
tied in 1912. France and Spain came
to an agreement, France getting the
lions share. French troops occupied
Fee, and France is today free to
transform Morocco into another AL
geria.
These comprise the wars of the year
with the exception of the revolts in
Mexico, Cuba and Nicaragua. These
revolutionary movements were ended
in the old year except those that
arose in Mexico. That republic is in a
distressing condition, and no one can
foresee how the trouble of the un-
fortunate republic will be adjusted.
The world would indeed be peaceful at
the outset of 1913 were it not for the
efforts of revolutionists beyond the
Rio Grande.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-03
Turkeys Great Concessions

The Turks under the pressure OF the
powers and the firm insistence of the
allies have at length abandoned every
part of Turkey in Europe except Con-
stantinople and Adrianople. AS Ad-
rianople is only 100 miles from Con-
stantinople it will be seen that they
do not ask for big slice of Europe.
1t is true they ask for a retention OF
the Aegean islands. These, however,
go naturally with the Dardanelles
Greece will part reluctantly with the
Aegean islands, but if she secures
Crete and Epirus and slice of Mace
donia she will no doubt be content
The Bulgarians will not willingly give
over their claim to Adrianople and this
point will no doubt be a subject of
contention in the conference, which
stands adjourned till today.
In London these proposals of Tur-
hcN dIC ICSdloC q iOhS oSSP w
wards peace. Turkey wants no resump-
ton of hostilities. She lacks money,
ammunition, guns and her old stub
born fighting strength. She is in fact
nearly ready to get out of Europe,
and the hope has been that the busi-
ness would be consummated as re-
suit of the victorious campaign Of the
allies. But there will be indeed but
little left--so little that no country
will have to fight great war over
it. No country seems to want Con-
stantinople. Bulgaria has a capital
and she does not want it. Russia
would like to control the Dardanelles,
but she has no use for Constantinople.
Greece does not want it. No country
wants it, and the Moslem interests will
more and more be transferred to Asia
where they properly belong.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-03
~rHE SONS OF THE EAGLEsy
Stephen Bonsal, in the January number
os the North American RevieM

Stephen Bonsal, In the January number
os the North American Review.
With the characteristic pride of the
highlander, the "sons of the eagle" or
skypetars, as the Albanians call them
selves, despise their neighbors one and
all, and whether as grand vizier in Stam-
bcul or as a simple starving shepherd in
the Pindus mountain, your Albanian re-
mains an aristocrat, a free man. noble
The humble Bulgar of the Macedonian
valleys may plow for the Turk and pocket
his pay with many salaams, but the AL
banians remains king of the barren noun
tain heights, hunter and shepherd soldier
of fortune, and sometimes brigand: but
lowly. steady work he abhors. and when,
as sometimes happens, he is driven to 1t
by stern necessity, he goes to a distant
land, to Roumania, to Italy, and even to
America, and. changing his name, works
incognito.
In Albania the legend runs that when
the Turkish horde appears in this part of
the world and sought to subdue the rulers
of the hills, the great Pasha said: Il
will be your chief sword Qeader3." Then
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-03
An EMpERoR,s MEAL

From the London Chronicle.
Lady Mary Montague's Italian habit
of waking at to drink asses milk and
then going to sleep again was onlysa
feeble rivarly of the programme of the
Emperor Charles v. At o'clock he
breakfasted on,a fowl seethed in milk
and dressed with sugar and spices.
Then he slumbered again. His rex.
meal was at noon, when he dined, par
taking always of 20 dishes Two sup
pers came later, one after vespers
(what we might call high teal, and
the other at midnight or l o'clock, the
most substantial meal of the four. Aft
er meat he disposed of vast quantities
of pastry and sweetmeats, and tine
whole was washed down with copious
draughts of beer and wine. 1t took 40
years of such feeding to make. not his
appetite, but his taste, fail; he then
began to find all food insipid.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-03
RAILROADS GUARD WOMEN

Edith Townsend Kaufman in Leslies.
There is absolutely no reason why a
woman with a tongue in her head need
have the least fear or even apprehension
about travelling alone The big railroads
are both mother and father to the unpro-
teoted female They are guides and advis-
derstand that here are giant corporations
with big hearts thnt beat in behalf of
the friendless, the bewildered and the un-
sophisticated females of or 70.
Because the woman has to wait for the
belated arrival of friends does not meal
the cold chill of disappointment and anx-
iety that such predicament meant in the
days gone by. Even though her friends
fail to come, she can rest assured that
the railroads will watch over her. In
the stations are cozy couches on which
the weary traveller can rest and the
mother with a fretty baby win be de-
lighted at the sight of the little crib where
the tired out atom can rest after the
journey. 1t is possible almost to take a
bath, with the wonderful lavatory facili-
ties, so that the dust and CRIME of travel
can be quickly removed with the ample
supply of hot water on tap. Towels and
soap, Individual equipments of sanitary
value can be obtained for a nickel each.
The matrons who are employed at the
stations are women of refinement who
are on duty from morning until night,
watching over the women travellers with
kindly solicitude. Argus like. they eye
the loiterers or the young girls who re-
gard the waiting rooms as good places in
which to rouge and powder, until they
are gently but firmly chased out with the
specific information that these are no
beauty parlors.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-03
l.. T,p,ipr in january

"The saloon business always falls on
the first of the year, and that fact is
accounted for by the custom that many
regular drinkers have of stopping for
week or two" said prominent liquor
merchant.
New Years is a swearing off time,
and while the majority Of men be-
come teetotalers at this season they
mean to stay on the water wagon only
a short period. The liquor trade be-
gins to pick up about the middle of
January, but it does not become nor
NAL until along in February. 1t is this
way all over the country and it has
been so ever since I can remember.
There Is less barroom drinking in
proportion to population than there was
10 or 20 years ago. Many of my ac-
quaintances are total abstainers and 7
know scores of men who used to drink
in saloons that indulge now only at
home or at the club.
Government statistics show that the
value of liquor consumed in this county
is greater than it was 10 years ago,
but that is accounted for, | think, by the
large increase in population"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-03

Miss Maude r. Ingersoll daughter of
Col. Robert G.. Ingersoll, was married by
a II word service of the Ethical Culture
society to Wallace Mclean Probasco Of
Ohio. The bride had no bridesmaids nor
flower girls, and the bridegroom was un-
attended. They stood with clasped hands
in an alcove and listened to three min
ute address by DIR. Elliot on the duties
and responsibilities of the marriage rela-
ton Mr.. Probasco then took plain gold
band out of his pocket, and as he placed
1t on the finger of his bride they repeated
the societys marriage ritual as follows:
with this ring | thee wed in love and
truth for life--till death do us part" That
was all there was to it, but the marriage
is just as binding as the most long winded
church service by an ordained minister of
the gospel because of law enacted by
the New York legislature giving the So
cety the right to perform its marriage
service.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-03
Sign boards Needed

Jefferson county needs first of all
more good roads, put almost as i'm
portant as good roads is sign board
at intersections and forks" said man
who travels by automobile through the
district. The fact is that sign boards
should be erected at all forks of the
roads in every county of the state.
ton, which is ever alert in advancing
the cause of better highways, is making
an effort to get the Southern Bel! Tele-
phone and Telegraph company to put
up sign boards along the public roads
in the state where its poles are erected
L understand that the Southern Bell
through its vice president, j. Epps
Brown, has already expressed itself
favorably to the movement and is will
ing to cooperate.
1T is very difficult to travel over the
public roads of Alabama and know the
number of miles and the destination
from the fact that there are very few
sign boards to be seen. Secretary ]. A.
Rountree has written letter to county
boards and courts who have charge of
the highways urging them, at their
January sessions to issue orders TO have
sign boards erected and to arrange with
the telephone people to use their poles
where it is convenient. 1t is believed
that the county officials will promptly
take up the suggestion"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-03
Our Elder Statesmen

Led by Senator Hoke Smith a revo-
tuition is impending in the Senate as
it will stand on March A. The Senate
will then be full of new members and
of progressive democrats who have
recently arrived, and they do not pro-
pose to submit to the rule of the elder
statesmen any longer. The rule of
seniority is to be largely abolished
and the elder statesmen will be asked
to take their chances in the allotment
of committee places alongside the
newcomers. The latter decline to
consider mere length of service final
test.
The truth is, the reactionary demo-
crat should give place on important
committees TO progressive democrats,
for the administration of Woodrow
Wilson is to be essentially progress
sive. All signs point to that. Some
of the veterans are, however, progress
sives. The. Oklahoma senator's and
the senior senator from Missouri are
not new arrivals, and yet they will
be found in the front ranks of reform
alike in relation to the currency, in
trust legislation and in tariff revision.
The Senate, in other words, should
put progressives on guard without re-
gard to the length of service. The
reactionary is out of place as things
are going in this age.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-03
iALD, FRIDAY, JANUARY 8, 1913

known the truth. A chain of ultra respec-
table mems furnishing srores in New York
held a regular clearing sale last sum
mer. Silk hose were among featured
items. The customary price. for mems
pure silk hall hose is so cents pair. This
sale offered silk half hose at 20 cents,
and from the announcements one would
conclude they were great bargains at the
price. Investigation showed the goods
to be merely silk faced and to contain
about is cents worth of silk to the dozen
pairs. The same goods were being sold
regularly by small haberdashers at %
cents. Yet thousands of men walked
away from the counters with these %
cent bargains, convinced that they were
profting by somebody's loss. A system
of drug stores held a sensational sale of
scissors last summer at 80 cents. 1t is
crediby reported that they sold 1900 pairs
in one day. They were a grade that
wholesale for about s21 a gross, or IA cents
a pair, and could be bought in any hard
ware store for 25 cents at most. The pur-
chasers paid $500 more for the days sup
ply than if they had bought them in the
ordinary way.
Genuine bargains are sometimes sprink-
led in, however. but usually with an ul-
terror purpose. A frequent practice fol-
lowed by large concerns is to take stand
ard goods which are known by name and
trade mark to the public and offer them
at an actual loss. Sometimes the goods
are really delivered to all who call for
them and again only a few of the adver-
tised wares are actually sold. The
scheme is to select a few articles which
everybody knows to be reliable and to
be worth a certain arlount and announce
them at astounding reductions. In the
same advertisement will be included many
other so-called reductions on goods which
the people do not know and on which a
large profit is made.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-03
BROWNING'S EYES
William Lyon Phelps in the Centur,
Magazine

William Lyon Phelps in the Century
Magazine.
Browning's eyes were peculiar. one hav-
inss long focus, the other very short.
He had the unusual accomplishment (try
1t and prove) of closing either eye with
out any apparent effort though some-
times in strong sunlight on the street his
face would be bit distorted. He did all
his reading and writing with one eye,
closing the long one as he sat uown to
his desk. He never wore glasses, and was
proud of his microscopic" eye. He often
wrote minutely, to show off his powers.
When he left the house to go for walk
he shut the short eye and opened the
long one with which he could see an i'm
mense distance. He never suffered with
any pain in his eyes except once, as a
young man. when, in imitation of Shelley
he was trying to be vegetarian.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-03
ode wACHT AM RHEIN-

From the New YORK Tflbune
The imperial German library. which
possesses the original text of the national
anthem. "Die Waeht am Rhein.' signed
by the author, Max Schneckenburg. has
been nrther enriched by the gift of the
original music from person whose name
the librarian cannot divulge. The report
states that the music is written on a
quarto sheet of music paper and bears
the signature Composed on March 10,
1851. by Karl Wilhelm at Knegeld.' The
sheet appears to have been dedicated
to the composers friend, Wilhelm Greet.
A copy of the music, also signed by the
cohip.r,cs, slightly ci;.nceG, is preserved
at the German museum At Nurnberg.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-03
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
The Largest buck

DR.. Alf Eubant, who has just returned
from w. G. Lunsfords. at Sawyerville,
Hale county, brought home with him
some venison from what he says was the
largest buck ever killed in this country.
:. found the hunting good said DIT.
Enbank, and saw the biggest deer
ever killed. 1t was killed ON Mr.. Luns-
foro's plantation in the Warrior river
swamp near Sawyerville.
Mr.. Lunsford is building up the town
OF Sawyerville and he looks after his plan
tation as a side line, so to speak,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-03
Lumber Business rlourishing

II have never known anything like the
activity in the lumber trade" said Frank
Jones, the we'll known lumber man of Biz
mingham and Roanoke, Va
THE lumber trade is certainly booming.
TIE demand is active in every part of this
country and Canada and all the mills are
busy filing orders. There is enough lum-
Der sold to keep US all going at full ca
pacty until next summer. The indica-
tions are that we will have prosperous
year throughout
Virginia makes wonderful strides IN
material progress and the whole south,
as for that matter, Is going forward more
rapidly than ever before"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-03

Mary Shaw in the Century Magazine.
1--WE night in a very large city an
unforeseen but peculiarly trying
~ incident occurred The play was
"Rip Van Wrinkle" Jefferson had gone
through the scenes in the mountain with
rendricl Hudson and his crew With
telling power. The house was dead silent.
Rip had come to the place where, hiied
with awe and the prescience of the magic
eup-he was going to drink with the cap
tain of the shadowy crew, he llfted II 10
his lips and was just saying in that "oh7
derful. voice that none who ever heard
could forget charged with everything OF
mystery and pathos, Here's your good
health and your family's" when down
rolled the curtain. cutting off entirely the
beautiful finish to the act where, having
drunk the liquor he prepares Tor the
long sleep of 20 years on which the cur
tain should fall. There was hurrying ana
scurrying on the stage. The audience as
we could feel even through the heavy cur
tain. were sitting nonplused and be"li-
dered at being cut off in the midst CT
thing which they felt, even II they ald
not know, was not finished.
In the midst of our excitement Jeiler-
son sat perfectly calm, and presently
said:
'No, don't ring up again.
After the silence in front, which iasted
a brief period, they gave Jefferson the
customary applause. He was always
compelled to make a speech. The audi
ence expected this just as much as 'h'
8r;lay. After speaking to them, ne came
behind the curtain and in perfectly
sweet tone said to one of the stage hanas'
s.What happened?'
"T leaned up against the button, ana l
suppose that gave the warning III .ne
flies" the man replied.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-03
TRICKS OF THE TRADE
William II. Ingersoll in Leslie's.

A Springfield tMass.) department store
advertised last spring a sale of diamond
rings. worth $lo.'' at 50. One of the rings
was purchased and a quotation secured
from wholesale jewelry house. 1t was
found to be q single cut stone and any
dealer could buy the rings at s2l dozen,
or $1.75 each. The ordinary retail price
in any store selling such rings would be
about f.75. phasers were not only
deceived a&e&o worth OF what they
bought ~ they orerpaid for something
they wo1Iln'r hfve bought had they
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-03
LIFE ON MARS

Edmund Ferrier, in the January number
of The North American Review.
Mars is more distant than we are from
the sun-150 million miles on the average,
instead of 100 millions. 1t is, therefore,
little colder; the more so as its central
heat is less, because the diameter of the
planet is only $500 miles instead of $500.
Martian days have almost the same dura-
ton as ours; but the axis of the planet
being more inclined on the plane of the
orbit by about four degrees, the polar re-
gions where the sun remains more than
one day on or below the horizon are more
extended, as is also the torrid zone. The
inequality of days and nights at the same
latitude is greater on Mars than on the
earth; at the latitude of 45 degrees our
shortest day is hours 43 minutes, and
the longest 10 hours 80 minutes; these are
on Mars, respectively. hours Sc min
utes and II hours IS minutes long. The
duration of the year is almost double
66Sls days instead of 1854. The orbit of
the planet is an elongated ellipse instead
of being almost a circle like ours. There
is, therefore, more difference between the
seasons both in respect of duration and
of temperature; and the northern henlis-
phere, favored by a song summer, is
warmer than the southern hemisphere.
On the planet Mars, therefore, there are
extreme variations of climate and tenn
perature. Protected by the slowness of
the variations of temperature of water,
marine animals fish especially, differ,
doubtless, very little from ours; but it is
quite otherwise with aerial. animals.
Those with constant internal temperature
have been infinitely more favored on the
earth. They must have appeared sooner
and have more quickly crushed the great
reptiles, which have long been extinct.
On the contrary, the pluinage of birds and
the skin OF mammals, which protect these
animals against the extreme variations of
temperature, must have developed in
luxurious manner, both attaining splen-
did variety, changing and being modiiied
profoundly every year with the seasons.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-03
Regarding Inauguration ceremonie.

II see that Governor Sulzer of New
York was inducted into office with a
minimum of ceremony" said an old
democrat. "He was opposed to parades
and there was the utmest simplicity
in his Inauguration.
Governor Wilson has intimated that
he would like to be inaugurated phesi-
dent without ceremony, but his ideas
in that respect cannot be carried out.
We have been having grand parades
in Washington every four years so long
that it would be doing violence to Gus
tom to abolish the 4th of March cere-
monies.
II have attended several inaugura-
tions and the bigger the parade the bet
ter l like it and that's the way with
the great majority of peole who go to
Washington to get a glimpse of the new
President and to cheer him as he moves
along Pennsylvania avenue. The old
myth about Thomas Jefferson riding to
the capitol on horseback has been ex-
ploded. But even If Jefferson had car
ried out Jeffersonian Simplicity in the
matter of entering upon the duties of
President that would be no reason why
we should try to have paradeless in
auguration. The style that has been
in vogue for years will certainly be in
evidence on the 4th Of next March
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-03

plant may also be laid before the
voters in the coming primary.
Here are questions that will keep
to voters in the city interested well
up to the glad springtime at any rate.
An April primary would, however, de-
termine them, and then politics would
indeed be but an incident throughout
the remainder of the year.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-03
WHEN STARS ARE IN THE QUIET
SKIES

BY Edward, Lord Lytton.
When stars are in the quiet skies,
Then most I pine for thee;
Bend on me then thy tender eyes,
AS stars look or the seal
For thoughts, like waves that glide b.
night,
Are stillest when they shine;
Mine earthly love lies hush'd in light
Beneath the heaven of thine.
There is an hour whcn angels keep
Familiar watch DER men,
When coarser souls are wrapped II
sleep
Sweet spirit, meet me then.
There Is an hour when holy dreams
Through slumber fairest glide;
And in that mystic hour it seems
Thou shouNds't be by my side.
My thoughts of thee too sacred are
For daylights common beam:
can but know thee as my star,
My angel and my dream;
When stars are in the quiet skies,
Then most l pine for thee;
Bend on me then thy tender eyes,
As stars look on the seal
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-03
SAD STATE on AFFAIRs
From the opelika News.

From the Opelika News.
In Birmingham they have a patrolman
and an ex-patroln1an under arrest on the
charge of highway robbery, the police
man has confessed his guilt and impli-
Gates the ex-policeman. Up in Hunts
vile they have a policeman in limbo un-
der the charge of grand larceny. 1t be-
gins to look like our sister cities are go
ing to be forced TO employ policemen to
police the policemen.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-03
REFLECTIONS OF nACnELoR

From the New York Press
To give away money in charity hurts
most folk more than to lose it.
The reason it scares girl so much
to kiss man is 1t only seems to If he
does IL.
a woman has so much else to worry
over her husband wants her to do it all
abcut his health.
A man that thinks people want his
photograph isn't in a padded cell simply
because he isn't violent yet.
A widow soon gets to be so Innocent
she can wonder whether it is quite proper
for a woman to go out with y man even
4 he is her husband.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-03
WORTH TEN CENTS, MAYBE.

WOItiil l1N OE44Nio ., MAI ID T.
Who is the young man in spasmodic
clothes, who is slipping hot chocolate with
such airy grace?"
That's young Biddles. He's worth
over million dollars.
"What.'
Il mean that's the size of the fortune
heinherited."