davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-03
certain values Comuared

Joseph o. Thompson of Birmin CHAM,
who has the distinction of being the
largest farm operator in Alabama, re-
turned Friday from 10 days trip to
South Carolina, where he went With
view of investigating land conditions
and satisfying himself by personal in
spection as to the relative productivity
and prices of land in Carolina and Geor-
gia as compared with Alabama lands.
He visited the home of Col. James M.
Smith, near Athens, en- route home
Colonel Smith is the largest farm op
orator in Georgia, cultivating 10000
acres of land, and is reputed to be
worth $4,000, 900, made from farming
and land investment in his state. Col
onel Smith is also one of the most
prominent figures in commercial, politi-
cal and social life of the Cracker state,
having served number of years in the
legislature.
In speaking of his trip yesterday,
and comparing land values in Alabama
with those in the other southern states
visited, Mr.. Thopmson said: Il found
sand and clay lands in South Carolina
selling at from $50 to $3.50 per acre,
that are not as good as lands that can
be bought in Alabama for SIS per acre.
As a result of my investigation | am
more than ever enthusiastic over the
mission of the Alabama State Land
congress, which aims to bring these
Alabama lands, through systematic
and intelligent process of development
and demonstration, to something like
their real intrinsic value. We have
lands right here in this state, lands
with which 1 am personally familiar,
which If farmed properly under modern
methods of cultivation can be made to
pay interest on from $3.50 to $1,000 per
acre. And yet the market price for
such lands is woefully beneath the
lands of other southern states. The
motto of the Land congress is; "A bill
lion dollars added to the landed wealth
of Alabama. This idea may be consid-
cred by some as extravagant and spec
ulative, whereas nothing Is further
from the facts. BY getting our own peo-
Pile aroused as to just what their lands
will produce. it will soon be demon
strated to the world that Alabama is
the farmers paradise. and our lands
will come nearer selling for their real
value"
Mr.. Thompson has recently placed
several groups of farm views, taken on
some of his plantations in the black
belt, in his offices in the American
Trust building as well as the Chamber
of Commerce. These views comprise
gorgeous fields of Alfalfa, knee high;
great fields of corn over mans head
on horse back cotton fields covering
acre upon arce and in other views are
shown magnificent herds of cattle ana
blooded stock grazing in luscious fields
of bur clover and vetch.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-03
British Naval Policy

Great Britain's new naval policy, as
sketched forth by Winston Spencer
Churchill, first lord of the admiralty,
in the course of the debate on a mo-
tion to appropriate $2O,OO0,OOO for the
purchase of fuel oil marks departure
from the present lines of naval con-
struction and motive power which
other nations will watch with keen
interest.
The speech itself must be a great
disappointment to all those who
fancied they saw "a truce of God"
indicated by all the international and
peace-treaty conferences that have
recently engaged public attention. So
long as Great Britain is supreme, or
to use the words of Mr.. Churchill, so
long as she is mistress of the seas,
Great Britain will keep the peace, but
that supremacy is to be maintained
only so long as the British navy keeps
ahead of all rivals in the number of
dreadnaughts, thickness of armor,
calibre of guns and speed of ships. In
all of these particulars, except that
of speed, Great Britain has the re-
quired supremacy, and to secure that
of speed the use of oil as fuel is to
be established.
1t is to be presumed that naval
constructors will be particularly in
terested in the manner of using oil
as fuel so as to obtain the best re-
suits, but there's another feature pre-
sented by this question which our
government may have to consider.
Mr. Churchill states that a contract
was to be made with the Mexican
Eagle Oil company if Parliament
granted the appropriation, and as the
appropriation was granted, it is safe
to assume the contract will be. made
What effect such contract would
have on the relations between Great
Britain and the United States is a
matter for careful consideration.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-03
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
Estimated PonnlntIon

Il read recently an interview with a
prominent citizen in which It was
stated that hotel publication in Chi
cago gave Birmingham estimated pop
ulation at 10000 and Atlanta's at u.s.
O0o,' said member of the Chamber of
Commerce.
Tho figures set opposite the name
of this city may have been somewhat
large. One hundred and eighty thou
sand would be about right, probably.
think Birmingham has fully 10000
inhabitants; it may have slightly more
than iS0. 1000.
Tho last World Almanac under the
head of Statistics of cities, credited
Atlanta with an estimated population
of 225,000 and Birmingham with 150.-
600 our city authorities Should see
to 1t that Birmingham figures are re-
vised for the 1914 World Almanac. By
that time 100000 would not be an
excessive estimate. Birmingham is
growing very fast. Atlanta may be
growing fast but it has not passed
the 200, ,00e mark"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-03
LUKE M'LuKE SAYS

From the Cincinnati Enquirer:
Why do women wear stockings when
they go bathing2 Why not make the
men wear them and let the women go
without?
Women place their greatest faith in
babies and patent medicine. They ex-
pect wonderful results from both and
are always disappointed.
A man can be a fool for an hour and
get into enough trouble to make him
wise tho rest of his life.
No woman is as good as she looks.
And no man is as bad as he pretends.
There is one good thing about the
man who knows it all. 1t doesn't take
him long to tell it.
What has become of the old-fash-
ioned man who used to grease his
boots every night before he went to
bed?
A man will cheerfully pay s55 for
fishing tackle. But he'll holler like
sixty If his wife pays SIS for pew rent.
I'll bet that the kind of man who has
time to write long letters to the news
papers denouncing slit skirts hasn't
Time 70 tdhe uto MUS out ioi a W al IN
in the evening.
When you meet a guy who is proud OF
his small feet you can make note
that he also wears boys size in hats.
The only families That get 10 chill
dren are the ones that can't support
| five.
The weather doesn't make any diff
ference to woman. She is cool If she
has set of furs and she is warm II
she has a new necklace
Every now and then you see slim
princess who wears no corsets and who
uses shoe horn to get her rubber
gown on. And every now and then
you see plump girl in thin, tight
skirt with the corsets sticking out sc
far at the bottom that it looks like
shingled roof
| Every time I go down street on a
sunny day when the ladies are out In
force 1 realize that 1t must be awful
to be blind man.
| For a little while every wife believes
her husband wrote the ~n Command
ments. And after that little while she
believes that he is the biggest liar thai
! ever lived since Ananias got his.
Why does barber always slush your
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-03

to running high jump for the first
page head lines there are few SO ac-
tive and energetic as 'Sephus of the
Tar Heel state. Constant practice
keeps him trained to the second.
Mr. Daniels has dived into the
depths of Father Ocean in a sub
marine; he has mounted toward the
eerulean in an aeroplane; he has been
shot downward 1900 feet into the
bowels of the earth in a ramshackle
elevator; his fiery tongue and flam-
ing oratory have melted riots in a
hitherto orderly sity of the west; and
more dangerous, daring, thrilling than
this, than these, than all, he has sug-
gested that officers and privates in
the navy sit together at the same
board.
America loves the bold and the
brave. It dotes upon the man who
"does things 1t has no time for the
mollycoddle. It gives its tribute to
the red-blooded individual; it lauds
the man of activity. Does the Hon
orable Secretary of the Navy know all
this p? You bet he forwards and
backwards; from the middle to each
end and repeat. A mighty nation
rises each morn, rubs its eyes and
grabs its newspaper, bent for the in
slant solely upon the serial story of
Mr.. Daniels marvellous adventures.
May the nation long continue to find
that story still running, wonder, medi-
tate and applaud.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-03
Church coiuw Birmingham

Church attendance in Birmingham is
as large relatively as it is in any
large city in this country, 1 am told
and a glance at the congregations that
come out of some of the large edifices
on Sunday about noontime is evidence
of the practical interest people have in
religion" said a newcomer.
I'VE have had hot Sundays for weeks
past. Last Sunday was one of the hot
test, but as | passed in front of the
First Methodist church the throng that
came forth at the close of the serv-
ice was one of the largest l had ever
seen on a similar occasion.
every few years statistics of church
attendance are gathered. l have no idea
what the statistics here would show. II
may be that in a city of this size more
people stay away from church than at
tend but 1 believe it could be estab-
lished that church goers here out
number relatively those of Chicago,
when the population of the two cities
Is considered"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-03
The BUSY Mr.. Daniels

These are the strenuous days for
the Honorable Josephus Daniels. He
is the real active man of the demo-
cratic administration. 1t is true that
he has no Diggs-Caminett case to
worry him, as has Attorney General
McReynolds; he is not pestered by a
Mexican imbroglio, as is Secretary of
State Bryan; the parcel post is not to
him the thing of moment it is to
Postmaster General Burleson; he is
not called upon to throttle Wall street
with one hand and move the crops
with the other, as is Secretary of the
Treasury McAdoo; but when it comes
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-03
Optimism Contagious

In the business world there has been
marked improvement for several
weeks past. In the central west, the
west and the south prosperity has
been in evidence throughout the year
but in the east, especially in the finan-
cial district of New York, alarmist
cries were heard some months ago and
timid people in various sections felt
that democratic supremacy at Wash
ington was going to disorganize bust
ness and make 1918 a year of depres-
sion.
Secretary of the Treasury McAdoo,
as has been pointed out frequently of
late, has had much to do with chang
ing the sentiment in New York and
wherever pessimists were found
There is now little or no talk of seri-
ously tight money. The financial sit
uation is normal once more, the stock
market is moving upward and large
capital is beginning to "loosen up"
again.
Optimism is contagious. Those op-
timists who were looking at the bright
side of things were never shaken in
their faith in this country's splendid
resources and now that men formerly
croakers are talking cheerfully the
whole country is looking better and
feeling better.
The year 1912 was a banner year.
It was a year of bumper crops and a
year of great business activity. Indi-
cations now point to the fall of 1918
being a banner season. With the
enormous crops to be marketed pros.
perity will be felt in all directions
There will be new high records in ag.
ricultural production and likewise in
commercial and industrial achieve
ment.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-03
The cankers of a calm world.
Henry Fourth.
Mr.. McAdoo's Proposal

Secretary of the Treasury McAdoo
mas taken time by the forelock. His
announcement that he will at once
place from $25, ,OOO,0 900 to $50,O00,000
of government funds upon deposit in
banks of the west and south for use
in moving the crops will give stabili-
ty to an era of prosperity. The Sec
retary's plan is designed to relieve the
banks of the crop producing states
this year from the necessity of going
to the big financial centers of the
country for aid in the annual period
of emergency.
For the first time in history the
government will accept prime mer-
camille paper as security for deposits.
A skeleton of the scheme as carried in
the Associated Press reports indicates
that every safeguard has been provid-
ed, and the Secretary's plan comes
as a relief to the banks of the west
and especially of the south.
Senator Tillman had estimated that
unless Congress acted in 60 days the
cotton planters of the south would
suffer loss of $10O,O00,O00 because
of the inability of southern banks to
obtain money from New York. 'If
something is not done," he declared,
81 see no way of saving the people of
the south from great loss unless the
banks take the law into their own
hands, as they did in 1907, and form
clearing house associations and issue
certificates as they had to do then"
In his statement, Mr.. Tillman as
serted that Secretary McAdoo was
thoroughly alive to the situation, and
this has been demonstrated by his
prompt action. The money he proposes
to deposit will be available in plenty
of time for moving this years crops.
And Congress will be given opportuni-
ty to perfect a measure for permanent
currency reform.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-03

conditions that drew upon himself
whitening sarcasm from certain news
papers of his state, including the pop
ular and powerful New Orleans Item.
And it was Mr.. Ransdell who partici-
pated in that illuminating coloquy
with Mr.. Myers Of Mantana, this be-
ing the substance:
Mr.. Ransdel1--why. MIR. Chairman,
free sugar means the ruin of Louisiana.
Sugar. since the foundation of this
government, except for time when it
had something better. a bounty, has
been protected by tariff.
Mr. Myers-such being the case,
might | ask the gentleman from Louis
lana how long does he think it will be
before this infant industry will be able
to toddle along without assistance?
This is far from literal. 1t is the
gist of the verbal encounter, how
ever. The Louisiana senators have
sought in every way to obstruct tariff
revision and cause the party whose
livery they wear to stultify itself.
They have been willing to trade with
the citrus fruit growers of Florida,
with the beet sugar men of the west
with anybody who could deliver the
few votes necessary to defeat the I'm
derwood-Simmons measure. They
have failed, and in their failure are
deserving and are receiving no SYM
nathv
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-03
A Shot From the Rear

Senator Thornton has made his as
sault, and the citadel Of democracy is
still unshaken. 1t has been known all
the while that the Louisiana man
would not support the Underwood
Simmons tariff bill because of its
provisions for the ultimate entry of
sugar duty free. Mr.. Thorntons coll
league, Mr.. Ransdell also is expected to
illuminate to the effect that his state
will be ruined world withoutRend by
the placing of sugar on the free list.
With the exception of these two, the
pending tariff bill probably will COM
mand the votes of all the democrats
in the Senate, and its passage in prac-
tically its present form is assured.
AS for Mr.. Thornton, his successor
has already been elected. With Mr..
Foster, Mr.. Thornton went down in
defeat in a democratic primary before
Mr.. Ransdell and Mr.. Broussard, al
though it is but just to say that the
cause of the undoing of the first two
was their votes for Lorimer, rather
than any stand taken regarding the
tariff. But large part of the people
of Louisiana fail to agree with Mr.
Thornton that their magnificent state
is going to the bow-wows as result
of free sugar. No lands in the world
are more fertile than Louisiana's.
Experts have declared that many of
them should raise hundred bushels
of corn an acre year after year for a
long time to come.
Louisiana's sugar industry has al
ways been in the hands of few men.
Enormous plantations are given over
to the production of cane that would
be of far more benefit to the men who
actually do the work if they were used
for other crops. A division of these
huge estates into small farms would
be followed by a tremendous forward
stride by the state. This is known in
louisiana, and mass meetings have
passed resolutions protesting against
democracy's desertion in the present
crisis by the two senators.
AS to Mr.. Ransdell, he has been
severely criticised for his lack OF
knowledge regarding the cultivating
and refining of cane even by those
most interested in the maintenance of
the existing tariff. Mr.. Ransdell's
speeches before committee and caucus
injured rather than aided his cause.
He displayed lack of information of
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-03

From the New York American.
L. J. Nally, vice president of the Post
al Telegraph eombany, returned from
London recently ON the Baltic with a
Willoushby Bible imprint of 1924, he
bought at Sotheby's and a sample of
Cockney wit
Mr.. Nally enjoys riding on 'busses. He
said:
In front of me one day sat an Orien-
tai wearing a white turban. The bus
conductor touched me and pointing to
him, said:
. Beg pardon, guv'nor. but what kind
of a bloke do you call imp
" He looks to me like sun worship
per' l replied.
''The conductor peered at me through
the London fog and said with a wink,
. He insult be ere on is blooming va
cation /"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-03
BY HUGH w. ROBERTS

supreme court. is warm admirer of at
least three of the congressman from
Alabama. This fact became known las.
January when the quiet and unostenta-
tious West Virginian expressed himself.
A Visitor to Washington. mounting
a street car bound for the capitol. ran
face to face with Congressman Hefin.
With Mr.. Hefiin was tall and rather
distinguished looking individual, who
on first impression was too young In
appearance for the years which he car
ried. He was introduced as Congress
man Davis of West Virginia. On the
next corner, Mr. Hehin left the car,
and Mr.. Davis began to talk.
and having been answered in the ef-
irmative, continued:
"wen Alabama has done itself
proudly in sending representatives to
Washington Hefin, there. is one of
the finest fellows in the world. And in
Congress he is without a peer as a
speaker. There are few men in the
United states who can make better
impression and hold the attention Of
IL o,a;o,oo mara nerfactlv than he
When he gets on the floor, we expect
something In the gallery, the word
goes round that Helm is about to
speak. Everybody becomes attentive
The newspaper boys. chatting in the
ante-room. hasten back to their desks.
Clayton. the chairman of the judiciary
committee. the second in Importance in
the Congress. He is a great student of
law and when he for his committee.
renders verdict. it generally stands
without question. The judiciary COM
mittee, chiefly through the faithfulness
of its chairman, has turned out more
work since Clayton has been its head
than during any other period of equal
length in the comparatively recent his
tory of America.
but the strongest man in Congress
is Oscar Underwood
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-03
The Alligator and Alligator

THAT newspaper 'allegater' got it all
wrong about the big alligator of the
'Avondale zoo riding the tide of that
flood a few days ago and seeking 9TH
er seas via the sewers said Frank
Smith, grand keeper of the animals.
birds and reptiles of the city
"He didn't do it. The fact is his
'gatership' was found up inside of a
hollow tree and came down from his
hollow retreat all the more hollow from
lack of food.
Never mind; some of these days
we will show the people of Birming
ham a real we'll ordered zoo that will
be credit and source of JOY and
instruction to many, old and young.
In the meantime, the question is, Are
you helping us?"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-03
Wants n Mock Turtle

MIR. Frank Smith is desirous of OBJ
tanning mock turtle as a companion
for the fresh water turtle recently add
ed to the Avondale zoo," said d. b..
Grace, and any information as to
where one can be obtained will be
thankfully received.
"Those who have eaten mock turtle
soup may have formed an erroneous
idea as to the mock turtle--a better
idea can be obtained from the mock
turtle in Alice in Wonderland, which
shed tears constantly because it was
a mock turtle instead of a real tur7
tie and sang with such pathos Soup
of the Evening, Beautiful Soup"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-03
ADRTFT WITH THE TIMES

italian" is another word
Pronounced to make us sigh;
oh, now we'd like to punch the dub
Who accents ON the II
Allentown Democrat.
We tell the cigar man we'd like
An Arab. Then we snort
When he gently replies: You mean
An Arab, don't you, sport?"
Houston Post
Some fellows think they're wondrous
And also wondrous bright.
Who talk of leading families
And call them the "e-lite.'
A NEW EXCUSE.
80 you are off the water wagon again29
Yes
How did you happen to fall?Y
''I was riding along not looking at any
thing in particular. when a woman passed
by wearing silhouette skirt
"yes?"
81 leaned over to look and lost my bal
ance."
ALAS.
It's a good old world
But what of that?
It's a sad world, too,
When your purse is fiat.
WHAT STARTED THE FUSS.
"where are you going, Maud?'
I'm going to have my hair eurled,
Francine."
"Why not send it. DEAR,
ADVICE.
If you would win.
Before too late,
Bore in, bore in
And concentrated
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-03
La M,.erabres publication

''In the Atlanta federal prison there 10
published magazine styled Good Words
and some very remarkable contributions
from the inmates appear from time to
time, said a student of human affairs
'In recent. number, Julian Hawthorne,
son of Nathaniel Hawthorne, who was
convicted some months ago of using the
United States mailss for defrauding in min
ing schemes, has shown the genius of a
Hugo in dramatic pictures. The setting
Is in the dining hall of western prison.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-03

There was smoking and music-Beetho-
ven's Sonata, and orange trees and roses
interspersed the tables. The dialogue Is
among four men, and the subject is 'Jaiis
of the Future with the key prison re-
forms. The recent conner is being In
formed of the new order. Here are some
of the most interesting paragraphs;
No more lawyers. When we found we
were falling about million men year.
and that the faster the lawyers made
laws the greater was the number of law
breakers, some of the sane ones got to-
gether to talk it over. They fixed 1t so
there should be no more lawyers admitted
for 50 years, and those already practicing
should be charged 70 per cent of their
income In taxes. No lawyer was eligible
for election to any legislature or office OF
public trust A body of 800 experts was
set to work revising the statutes, and
they reduced the number of them ~ per
cent All artificial crimes-those created
by law-were cut out; only killing, steal
ing and lying were left
After weighing the crimes under the
scale of congenital abnormal condl-
IlO0S, InOse lOuflu Sulity WCiS " ~ Fs,S
under medical care. Then we read, III
otherwise the culprits were tried and SEN
fenced, but were given their choice OF
going to jail or carrying round their
necSs, by small steel chain, pewter
disk, on which was engraved the crimes
and the penalty At first, nearly everybody
took the disk, but after few years the
majority preferred the jail. The jails
meanwhile had been undergoing strange
transformations, both actual and theo-
retical. 1t began to be realized that the
handling of crime was the most import
ant function of the state and problem
of society. If even justice were done,
everybody would be in prison and So
called officers of justice were often the
worst of the lot
"And then Utopia begins to take form In
social affairs. Prisons become schools,
universities for training men who were
found to be below the average in intel
ligence, character or habits in the obliga-
tions and responsibilities of the best cit
izenship. Trades are taught. Hygiene,
exercise and diet under Spartan forms
were established. Wages were paid for
the support of dependent families. and
finally men who had failed in life sought
these asylums."