davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-07
some Fishing Exnerience

John II. Beihea, charter member of
the Birmingham Fishermens associ-
atlon," returned last week from a visit
To- Coden. MIR. Bethea gave some Won
derfnl accounts of the hauls made dur
ing his stay On the gulf. He brought back
with him 21-pound black sea bass,
several sheephead and a quantity Of
the smaller fish.
"The sea bass. which is one of the
largest fish l ever caught said Mr.
Bethea in speaking of his experience,
"certainiy put up = game fight | was
using & 5n-pcund bass line with sub
stantial hook. 1t took me at least 10
minutes % land the fish We didn't
have any net or Gar in the boat and
| had to pun him over the side. For
a few minutes 1t was question in
my mind who was going over the side
and In which direction. I finally land
ed him after about 10 minutes strug
gle, and it was the biggest bass that
has ever been caught at Coden
"These fish were brought south by
the United States government about
20 years ago as minnows and have
thrived in the waters of the gulf. They
have attained large sizes and are fair
ly plentiful Although they are usu-
ally large fish they bite very gently
and the way they take the hook is no
Indication OF their size.
II have been fishing In the ocean
long enough not to be surprised at
anything I haul UP, but l had an eX
perience at st. Andrews Bay in May
that I viii not forget. We were out
in boat and when l threw my hook
iE fish grabbed 1t. When l hauled in
the line it was minus a hook. lost
several this way and finally determined
to get the robber.
Il picked OUT hook with piece of
wire attached and cast. Instantly the
cork went under. I hauled away and
pulled In a middle sized fish. When the
boatnan opened his mouth he found
all my hooks The fish had three rows
Of teeth in the top of his mouth and
threeSin the bottom. When the fish had
been out of the water for a few min
9tes lie began to swell and continued
10 grow larger until he was almost
three times his original size. Il learned
afterward that it was a balloon fish
that / had landed"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-07
PROHIBITION IN WASHINGTON
by BILL VINES

hlshpalls, or what not, and shall be taken
at the club, In bar or out of a bottle
or by express, there is of course A vida
divergence of opinion. The prohibitlon-
lists sticking faithfully to the expresa
companies and the antis to some form af
local application. The people having no
voice IN the matter must of course appeal
TO Congress The result of the agitation
being that Congress passed an excise law
and created an excise board.
The excise law is a compromise between
those who wanted their wet goods Skinned
in to be drunk out of a black bottle in. the
attic or the barn, and those who pre-
ferred ice and electric fans and comforts
able chairs. The excise law provides that
every citizen of the District OF Columbia
may if he elects. drink himself-<lto a
drunkards grave between the hours of
| a. m. and ! a. m. the next morning, but at
| that hour he must stop. If promptly at |
a. m. he has not succeeded in wrapping
lis system round enough booze to keep
him picked until o'clock. he will have
to remain unpiekled according to law IL
a citizen becomes wildly intoxicated on
booze consumed after 1 a. m. the whole
| proceeding is illegal, and he should not
be received in the best society. Conse-
quently the best people In Washington
no longer remain up after l a. m.
| The law also provides that no gentleman
| can take lady into one of the swell
hotels or cafes and order drink for her
The only way he can get her drink is 10
order a meal with it-this nifty little
provision was inserted by the hotel keep
ers' union. IL he orders a meal, then they
can feed the meal to the poodle IL they
choose and proceed to consume enough
firewater to float the Mauretania, and it
all comes under the wise provisions of the
law and is perfectly legitimate.
Late the other night l struck gentle
man on the streets. as / was hurrying
trying my best to get in before l o'clock.
He was q total stranger to me, but he
was very confiding. lie wanted to engage
me in conversation about the excise law
all night and was perfectly willing TO
| stand there on the corner and talk to me,
as long as I would hold him up. He told
me in the utmost confidence that this ex-
else law was a damfool proposition. lie
couldn't understand why they insisted ON
open saloons for IS hours a day and alb
solute prohibition for the remaining six
hours. He said it put him under the pain
ful necessity of having to keep jug and
he invited me TO go take a look at It, |
told him that / was perfectly temperate
and that l could not take a drink out of
jug, and was bitterly Opposed to strong
drink any WaV and in addition m that
had just had one and ne would have to ex-
cuse me.
But the point is-who is Congress trying
to please with this law-the pros or the
antis? You may search me.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-07
---------------s
RESTAURANT ORDER IN JAPAN


traveller las written an amusing ac-
count of his efforts to get something 70
eat when on visit to Japan. In conn
pany with an artist friend, he made his
way into a 'teahouse, where the two men
were ushered by girl into room simply
but tastefully furnished.
"The girl went out, and presently re-
turned with lacquered tray holding two
very small and shallow cups of colorless.
unsweetened Japan tea, which she knelr
and presented to us. We tried to explain
to her, in English, French. German, Rus
sian and the sign language that we were
famishing and wanted something to eat.
but our efforts to be intelligibIe ELECTED
nothing save a look OF embarrassm and
a shy Japanese gggle.
Try her with pictures suggested.
You'll never put your artistic talent TO
better use. Draw fish, an egg, a loaf
of bread and bottle of beer, and I'll go
through the motions of eating and fink
ing them. That ought to fetch her.Y
And it did
"A gleam of intelligence and pleased
comprehension came into her face as sha
recognized the familiar objects, and with
gigle of delight sine rose to her feet and
rushed away to the kitchen to show the
pictures to the other maids When shs
returned, at the expiration of half an
hour. we expected, of course. that she
would bring the dinner. She offered in
stead two fresh and neatly folded bath
gowns. a couple Of Turkish towels and a
cake of SOAP
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-07
Reason for Optimism

Americas great holiday of the sum-
mer--the 4th of July-being past, the
workaday world will be pushing on
ward once more.
In some quarters business condi-
tions, while sound at bottom, have
been somewhat inert, not to say dis
quieted, but The country at large has
reason to be optimistic. Bumper
crops are in sight and we all know
what q big crop year means. There
will be prosperity from one end of the
country to the other.
The south will assuredly boom. Ala
bama will make a new high record In
thrift and Birmingham will be in the
forefront of prosperity in this beauti-
full year Of 1913.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-07
WHEN SLANG IS NEEDED
n the Kansas City Star.

From the Kansas City Star.
A feminine progressive. 80, thin and
thoughtful, OF tho Rose Stahl type, says
that while she abhors the habitual use
of slang there are times when dip into
the vernacular IS much more effective
than the perfect purism of stylist can
ever hope to be. For instance:
One evening two very young young
men, confreres of her brother. came to
call at the house. She chatted gaily with
them in her usual fresh, magnetic style
and the two Youthful visitors became
very much impressed with her personality
and charm. week later she met one of
them on the street and he paused to
greet her effusively.
II beg your pardon, Miss Blank" he
said, with a shade of embarrassment.
but Bob and I Tad an argument about
you the other day and l want you to
settle it for me-
The thirty-t -thin-and-t thoughtful person
smiled agreeably
Well he went on, at was about your
age. Bob said he thought you were about
30 and I said thought you were about
36''
The young woman paled a little
Say, little boy. she said with a Rose
Stahl attitude and twang, "you would
better run along home and tell your
mamma to set a guardian for you era
not let you out on the street alone. You
take my advice and read up a little on
the secret Of popularity, and when you
meet a young woman whose age seems
intangible, don't make a guessing contest
of it. Bob is a sagacious young thing
to guess my age the first hop out of the
box, all right. Gawd, child, I knew 1
looked my age but ! don't thank any sap
ling to come along and take the starch
out of my sails by telling me l look So
Thirty-six! Good uightp'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-07
ENGLISH VIEW OF BRYAN

Sydney Brooks. in the July Issue of The
North American Review. .
Among all classes and all parties there
has grown up feeling toward Mr.. Bryan
which, in its kindliness and its desire to
be just, amounts, for those who remember
the passion and dementia of 1896, to
veritable resolution His bitterest oppo-
nents today would not deny that he be-
lieves all he says. though they might add
that the more wrong headed it is the more
ardently he believes it. There is a pretty
we'll universal acknowledgment that he Is
no self seeker, that his politics spring
from his convictions, and that he fights
for them with unimpeachable dignity and
fairness Mr. Bryan has proved
himself, and for that 1 honor him. an ef-
fective voice of protest against social and
economic inequalities and injustces. But
has he proved himself anything more n He
can at times diagnose general conditions
with a rough and ready accuracy that is
due to the keenness of his perceptions. He
has stirred up many questions, but he has
never yet found the right, or anything ap-
preaching the right, answer TO any of
them. He has sensitiveness, a generous
heart. a great fund of idealsm, and a
creed that looks kindly on the under dog.
But balance. knowledge, perspective, q
sense of the feasible, distrust of empiri-
cism--ln all these qualities which are the
very stuff of craftsmanship fattery itself
would have to admit his deficiency. He
belongs to the type of men whom nature
in her perversty has framed TO ruin
countries from the best of motives and
with the highest intentions. He is
stimulating and even now and then
captivating orator, and the sheer sincerity
of the man always holds his audience.
All the Englishmen whom he en-
countered during his visits abroad We're
at one In pronouncing him shallow and
vapid thinker, incapable of seeing deeply
into anything. What determined
their estimate of him was the discovery
that he lacked almost all the gifts and
qualities that go to form the political in
Stinct.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-07

discrimination and failed to appre-
ciate the development of taste on the
part of the public.
Here in Birmingham Memoli ar
ranges and executes programmes of
real music-some light compositions,
to be sure, but nothing mediocre. The
people show by their applause that
the bandmaster has not shot over the
heads of the multitude. Yes, there
has been an improvement all along
the line. y
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-07
only Question Of Time

AT the recent visit of the Chamber
OF Commerce to the Jefferson County
Savings bank building one of the
speakers made the statement that in a
few years the steel beams and girders
of which similar buildings are con-
structed would be made in Birming-
ham," said member of the chamber
recently from the north. "That this is
true. have not the slightest doubt for
1t seems like carrying Goals to New
castle to bring finished steel to this
district. While the outlay for a struc-
tural iron mill runs into the millions,
yet with the ever increasing demand
in the south for this class of mate
rial, the differenceNn freight rates and
the coal, iron and steel right at hand, ii
seems to me that such mill would be
the best proposition that could be
made.
II understand that the United States
Steel corporation has had the plans
drawn and the site selected for such
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-07
There are some shrewd contents In
yon' same paper.
Merchant of Venice.
The Dweller Downtown

In these hot summer days one looks
with sympathy on those who have
their dwelling in the little houses
which fill so many of the downtown
streets. Americans, Syrians, Italians
and Greeks-what numbers there are
of them, and what a varietyl Black
and white, how closely they are packed
togetherl In the bosom of each family,
how small is the space for the in
dividual! The sun beats fiercely upon
the shallow roof space; and within,
the air is as of an oven. Through the
open doors and windows shimmering
heat-waves ripple and flow and bring
from road and sidewalk the sense of
healthlessness.
Worse still is the lot of those whose
habitation is on the second or third
floor of two or three-storied build
ings, above shops and stores. No cleo
trio fan whirls the hot air to aid evap
grafton and so induce the sense of
GOODNESS. On flat roof and windows
and walls the heat beats and throbs
and burns. No air traverses the area
between roof and ceiling. These re-
sources of science are generally lack
ing. In days to come cities will supply
cooled air to all tenements and bust
ness places. But not yet
For children and sick folks it should
wi he well-to-do happy to know
ling provided through the work
Associated Charities, and that
lie tground movement is relieving
busy mothers of anxiety over
"a ia absent or of their fretfulness
imprisoned in the home with
..o one to interest them. Neighborhood
houses are springing up here and
there in which great hearted women
are dwelling side by side with the
congested, overheated homes, and pro-
viding interesting occupations, club
work, with social fellowship, games,
and even small Fairgrounds wherein
the most personal knowledge can be
obtained and the most personal in
fluence established over the neighbor-
hood children and young folks.
1t is the era of friendliness; and
though Birmingham is big and busy
and even bristling, she does not alto
gether forget these dwellers in the
heat. If some of the fortunate can 90
away to cool lake breezes or sea
voyages, they do not all ignore the
many who are left behind. There are
philanthropic workers still on duty,
and the money to pay the bills is at
least partly provided. But let all who
60, all who have the joy of an even
ing auto ride, all who have a cool
dwelling place or sleeping porch, lend
hand in these provisions for those
who have much heat and little re-
arita
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-07

can. She always accepts his opinion with
an air of finality-and then keeps the
other one. He now knows what Char
moose" is and muslin die swoy.p He
doesn't mind being lugged through depart
ment stores on the trail of high heeled
slippers with shining buckles or a special
sale of gauze stockings.
But II still embarrasses him when she
powders her Understanding the while in
the center of an aisle with large women
trying OF hurry pastor through Then
they will stand wrapped in thought before
the store clock wondering what time it
is, or before an open elevator door with
out having the sense to go in.
Sometimes he accompanies her to the
dressmaker and sits immovable through
four hours while they are in the back
room fixing skirt that ahikes'-and
through the sliding doors he catches
gimpses of her covered with pins.
Then at her doorway they start to say
good-by. The fact of its taking a petty
two hours and a half doesn't make them
start away the sooner. They stand ON
the top step-"Good-by, Bessie" Good
by, George-oh, don't-you mustn't "a
kiss) Gee, wouldn't l catch Il II ma
should see mel Amt it cold? Look, there
goes that Mr. Grimes. He always comes
home this late. And look at Sadie Fischer,
It's wonder she would stand around like
that. Ma never let's me do it," A half
hour passes; theHa a whole George has
gotten down two steps. There are still
three to go. An anxious. inquiring curl
papered head appears suddenly behind ths
lace curtain of the door. Ma! Beat 1t.
dear, and don't forget Monday night. And.
oh, George, for goodness sake, come
back. You've got my gloves and my
purse and my postcards and my handker-
chief
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-07
FATE
pf-s n-t~.

From the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
For two years Dinglewood had driven
his car without an accident. He had never
given the police trouble, he had gone and
come, a good citizen, without guilt and
without notoriety.
One evening he gave a seat in the car
to two young women who were stranded
by the highway, two young women who
wanted to get back to town and had lost
the carfare.
Ten minutes later something broke, the
machine dashed into telegraph pole, the
driver went under as the machine went
over.
The next morning the hospital nurse
brought him newspaper and there on
the front page he saw "Dinglewood's S Es-
capade.'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-07
POINTED PARAGRAPHS

From the Chicago News.
The average wife earns more than she
gets
Only girls without appetites can af-
ford 10 marry poets.
A poor idea of innocence is not to ad-
NIT that one knows.
Temperament during courtship develops
into temper after marriage.
He is wise man who declines to act
as judge at a baby show.
Keep cool if you would be in a position
to strike while the iron is hot
To man of 40 the best thing about a
picnic is the excuse he can invent for
not going.
There js great advantage in being In
love. While 1t lasts your other troubles
seem insignificant.
Girls don't be snippy and stuck up be-
cause you are young and handsome. 1t
may not take long to outgrow it.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-07
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
Birmingham business Activity

For some years Birmingham has
been a well advertised CITY," said Rich :
ard C. Varian of Chicago. but it is par
ticu1arly prominent now owing to it's
exceptional prosperity during a walt
ing period in the industrial world.
"a month ago l heard that Birming-
ham was forging right ahead and l
md it buster than 1t was even a year
ago. ! was here in July. 1912 Pros
periiy was in evidence then, but | re-
mark very decided Improvements with
in tho 1e months. | would say 1t was a
safe guess that this would be Bir-
ndngham's new high record year in
growth.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-07
NVTAsHINeToN. July s-(special.)-
a little bit different from any


" a little bit different from any
other spot in the United States Inside
the district is the city of Washington
the capital of the nation-with something
in the nelghborhood of 325.0OO people, con-
sisting of the President of the United
States, the members of his cabinet JUS
tices of the supreme court, senator's. con-
gressmen, suffragettes, suffrageNes.
lobbyists office seekers. office holders.
policemen, saloon keepers. newspaper men
and just plain people.
Anyone who decides to make Washing
ton his home permanently does so at the
expense of the greatest of American priv
ileges-the right to vote. Here in Wash
ington where we have more politics to the
square inch than in any other place in
the world, the bald headed row in the
orchestra circle is denied the privilege of
voice even in their own government.
Congress is washington's town council.
Washington, therefore. gets a Dukes
mixture of all the conglomerated laws
passed by every bone headed town coun-
Gil In the United States Any old law
that has been put through at some Rube
station out in Michigan or Wisconsin that
happens to tickle the fancy of the sem
ator from those states-and the fancy of
Senator LaFollette and Senator Kenyon,
for instance, is easily tickled-they pro-
ceed to try it on Washington.
In other words, Congress practices on
Washington-if it works good here then
they will recommend it to the rest of the
country. In the meantime Washington
is the goat.
Every now and then Congress has a
spasm of reform. They are effected in
exactly the same manner, and develop the
same symptoms of the average town coun-
ell. They view with alarm the tendency
Of the people to be giddy and frivolous so
they get their various and sundry heads
together and try to think up some scheme
to put a crimp in all this light hearted
enjoyment INDUCED in by the careless
public, they therefore pass law designed
to entirely reverse the order of things and
turn the thoughts of the people into other
channels-they make an attempt to legis-
late perfectly beautiful wings on the
backs and a golden harp into the hands
of the disfranchised of the District of Co.
lumbia. carefully seeing to it that they
are left out of said legislation.
Washington, like every other city, town
or precinct in the United States is greatly
divided in its public sentiment over the
liquor question. Just like any other place
where large numbers of the human family
congregate there is disagreement as to the
manner, form, time and place of indulge
ing in the Various and sundry brands of
intemperance. whether said intemperance
shall be gin rickeys, mint julips, Scotch
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-07
Music for the Multitude

There has been wonderful improve
ment in musical taste in the United
States within the past 25 years. Even
within a decade the improvement has
been very marked, as evidenced by a
few facts observable in cities north
and south.
To begin with, a casual glance at
the park concert programmes in New
York and Chicago this summer, as
compared with those of previous sum-
mers, will indicate the progress. 1t
used to be that the open air pro-
grammes consisted of one or two
standard overtures, a grand opera Sc
lection and the rest trivial stuff sup
posed to be catchy. Now artistic music
preponderates. And it is worthy of
note that in New York, where Volpe's
Symphony orchestra is an attraction
and where half dozen fine bands are
playing every Sunday afternoon and
every evening Of the week in as many
different parks the largest and most
eager audiences are those that throng
to hear the symphonic music. Volpe's
programmes are published in weekly
groups and only high compositions
appear-not a single ragtime piece.
While it i0true that many persons
care nothing for standard music, it
is also true that some managers and
directors have underated the recent
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-07
JUBILEE EDITION

Centreville Press: The Age Herald s
jubilee edition last week was a credit
to the enterprise of his popular daily. The
only thing we dislike about these editions
is that they try to put all of the good
things In one big issue, when we would
rather have them in homeopathic doses.
Inc jubilee edition was good, and con-
tanned so much good reading that it made
fellow want to lay off to read
Shelby County Review: Thee>Western
Newspaper Union of Birmingham is re-
producing the splendid Age-Herald jubi-
lee edition, and are putting it in a three
colored cover. The Review wishes to
congratulate The Age-Herald on this
splendid edition. 1t is a regular ency-
clopedia of the Birmingham business dis
trict.
Marion Times: The booster edition of
the Birmingham Age-Herald issued last
week in celebration of the twenty-ffth
birthday Of that paper, was. one of the
handsomest and most complete special
editions ever gotten out by a southern
newspaper. 1t will prove a good adver-
tisement of the resources and industries
of the state. A page was furnished by s. e.
Wtlbourne setting forth the natural and
other resources of the black belt. The
article was well written and will show this
section up In good light wherever the
paper will be distributed.
Jasper Mountain Eagle: The Age-Her-
AIDS silver jubilee edition of 1876 pages
easily surpassed all previous journalistic
feats of the south. 1t gave complete ep-
itome of the development and growth of
Birmingham and the mineral district of
Alabama Some of us remember when
the ghost walked" very irregularly
around The Age-Herald office. but since
Editor Z. w. Barrett became its owner
it has grown to be one of the great news
papers of the country.