davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-16
THE GuNPoWDER SAINT
n the Nilwarlkee Sentinel.

From the Milwaukee Sentinel
st. Barbara, or Barbe, is known as
"the patron saint of gunpowder," al
though she lived more than a thousand
years before the invention of that explo-
sive When cannon were introduced the
"men behind the gum searched through
the calendar of saints for a patron, and
finally selected the gentle martyr, st.
Barbe.
Many reasons have been given to ex-
plain the choice, but the most probable
one is that Barbaras executioner, her
own father, was Immediately stricken by
bolt of lightning, which was accom-
panied by a tremendous clap of thunder.
The cannoneers likened the thunder
which accompanied the infiction of ven
geance upon Barbara's S slayer to the thun-
der peal of battle, and so Barbara was
chosen as their patrons.
st. Barbara lived in the third century.
Her father, Dioscorus, was a tyrannical
parent, and kept the girl Injured in O.
lonely tower after she had manifested
interest in Christianity. Condemned TO
solitude she spent her time in prayer AMI
study of the new faith, and by stealth
contrived to receive instruction from a
priest. The father, upon discovering this.
denounced his daughter before the judges.
Doscorus declared himself willing to act
as the executioner of his daughter, and,
after putting her to terrible tortures in
an effort to force recantation, he cut off
her head. According to tradition. the
sky was clear and cloudless, but a crash
of thunder that shook the earth followed
the martyrdom of Barbara. and her
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-16
Birmingham's Travelling Men

Among the factors in Birmingham S
commercial progress the travelling
salesmen-drummers as they used to
be called-have a deservedly high
place. 1t seems not so many years
ago that the jobbing interests here
were confined chiefly to groceries.
There were OILY a few Birmingham
men on the "road."
IN all parts of Alabama commercial
travellers from Nashville, Memphis
and Atlanta we're familiar visitors.
Montgomery was also well represented
among the travelling men, but Bir-
mingham salesman was seldom seen.
That was the way fifteen or twenty
years ago. Even ten years ago Bir-
mingham laid claim to few travelling
men. Now there are upwards of 800
travellers tout of" this city. Large
business centers in the east and the
middle west are still represented in
this section by commercial travellers;
but it is safe to say that the Bir-
mingham man more than holds his
own when compared with the most
alert of them from other parts of the
country.
The great increase in the number
of Birmingham travelling statesmen
shows plainly this city's expansion
along mercantile lines. The whole
sale business is no longer restricted
to certain branch. All commodities
are sold at wholesale here, and many
of Birmingham's jobbing houses have
doubled the volume of their trade, il
is said, within the past four or five
years.
The Chamber of Commerce will give
a dinner to Birmingham's travelling
men next Saturday night. At last
years dinner covers were laid fol-
32O, including few especially invited
guests. 1t is hoped that even a
larger number will be present this
year. No finer body of men assem-
bles here than will be seen at the
forthcoming dinner to the knights Of
grip.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-16
Christmas Giving

Santa Claus shopping is not always
as easy as it looks, even for those who
have ample means. The mother of
small children looks forward to Christ
mas with unbounded happiness, for she
knows what joy the little ones will
have when emptying their stockings
or grabbing for Santa's gifts on the
Christmas tree. Yet, to know what
TO buy in the way of toys for the chill
dren of toy age and articles of value
for the older boys and girls is often a
problem. When Christmas eve comes,
however, the loving mother has hid
den away from prying eyes stock that
cannot fail to fill the children with de-
light.
For Christmas giving among friends,
few things are so acceptable as books !;
and a particularly grateful gift for a
neighboring family is a basket of
fruits and flowers. In this age Of re-
form, there has been some preaching
against Christmas giving but may the
Christmas never come when tokens of
good will will be out of fashionl
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-16
A Virginia Visitor

Col. C. C. Taliaferro of Roanoke, Va,
in passing through Birmingham yester-
day, stopped over as a guest of his
brother, Maj. e. T. Taliaferro, one of the
best known and most highly esteemed
members of the Virginia colony here. Col
onel Taliaferro served through the war
in the Army of Northern Virginia, but like
his brother, who is a veteran of the four
year class, from 1861 to 1865, he is active
and young looking. He is connected with
the Norfolk and Western railroad and
enjoys the reputation of being one of the
most efficient and industrious officials
on that line
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-16
KAISER AND CzAR FRIENDS

Berlin Special to the st. Louis Republic.
Relations between Germany and Russia
have improved greatly since the recent
visit of the Russian Prime Minister
Kokowstoff, a most brilliant and charm
ing parsonage.
What makes real friendship between
this country and Russia difficult is, first
of all, the fact that Germany is bound,
to certain extent at least to support
her ally, Austria, whose interests are con-
tinually clashing with those of Russia.
AS all the world knows, a great dip
lomatic battle for supremacy in Bull
garia is now going on between these two
powers, and on the outcome of this will
depend the fate of King Ferdinand, but
there are many indications that Russia
will ultimately win and that Ferdinand
will have to resign in spite of all he has
done for his adopted country.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-16
LITTLE PRINCESS CEREMONY
Special Cable from The Hague to tn
New York Sun.

Special Cable from The Hague to the
New York Sun.
The Hague, December 10.-Princess
took the first step in the apprenticeship
to the functions to which she was born
by comforting the Order of the House
of Orange on a coachman who has been
in the service of the royal family for
25 years. She made a short rehearsed
speech with gracious dignity.
Princess Juliana, who was years
old on April 80 last, has won the hearts
of all Holland by her insistence on hav-
ing her own way in the characteristic
national fashion. She is a sturdy child
and when her nurse asks her to sur
render toy she sets her lips firmly
clasps the toy to her breast and slowly
shakes her head with an air that she
cannot be moved from her decision.
AS Christmas approaches the infant
heir to the throne is saying plainly:
"Why have 1 not little brother to
play with? If 1 ask Kris Kringle won't
he send me one?"
Princess Juliana received her first
salute as she was being wheeled in q
perambulator in the grounds of the ma
tional palace when she was about a
month old. A sergeant on duty there
noticed the perambul and suddenly
realized who was in it stood at atten-
ton and presented arms. The Princess
slept on, blissfully unconscious of the
honor
When Colonel Roosevelt visited The
Hague in 1910 on his way home from
Africa he desired to see the royal baby,
but she had just been vaccinated and
the colonel was disappointed.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-16
THE pEApLINEss OF CANCER

From "The Campaign Against Cancer .
by Roswell Park NJ D., in the American
Review OF Reviews for December.
A few years ago a German gynecologist
Duhrssen, made the statement that more
women die of cancer in Germany in one
year than there were men killed in the
Franco-Prussian war" This will per-
haps give an idea of its prevalence.
More recently Copman made the state
ment that "of the people living throughout
the civilized world-Europe and North
cut of 20 who are over So years of age
one woman in eight and one man In Il
will eventually die of cancer" In gem
eral way this means that two individuals
out of 20 woh are over 35 years of age
will die of cancer. Two out of 20 equal
one out of ten, and that means decima-
ton. That is to say, that cancer not only
will decimate those now of an age above
35,s but individuals who hereafter reach
that age.
There Is every reason for enlisting the
heartiest public support in the now popu-
lar warfare against the white plague
The campaign Is really life saving, and
well deserves the prominent place which
it has before the public 1t is furthest
from the writer's intent to minimize or
in any way detract from its tremendous
import and Importance. In fact all that
has gone before has the better prepared
the public for education and warning re-
garding the next most fatal of our mala-
dies, one as yet far more subtle and mys-
terious, namely. cancer. Like tuberculo-
sis cancer is also destroyer of mankind
which spares none, but attacks the rich
and the provident as we'll as the poor ano
improvident, the educated and refined rs
we'll as the careless; in fact, If anything,
it seems rather more prevalent among the
higher class. While much may be done
by the so-called upper classes to ward Oft
or prevent tuberculosis, no means are yo'
known by which Gamer can be foreseen ~
averted. Even with a family history
which may be a source of constant alarm,
one can do nothing to guard against dis
aster from this source.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-16
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
Thrifty Farmer

ID. S Davis. a farmer who lives about
five miles northeast of Vincent, was in
Birmingham yesterday for the purpose
his farm. He had a large lot of turkeys,
which he sold to one of the local whole
salers for a good price. Mr.. Davis raises
many other things besides turkeys, among
which sugar cane is no small item. While
speaking about his farm he said:
Il planted a half acre of land in syrup
cane this year and have made from it 17o
gallons of syrup, which I sold at 70 cents
a gallon. I have on hand now between
1900 and 5000 stalks of this cane left over
and shall use it for planting purposes next
season."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-16
HOBsON

From the New York Times.
Ilustrious Hobson spoke with his ac-
customed judgment and regard for par
liamentary procedure when he dragged
his candidacy for a senatorship from
Alabama into the deliberations of the
House of Representatives on Thursday.
Hobsons special audience packed the
galleries and was made up of persons who
in that chamber were entitled to no con-
sideration. They invaded the hall of Con-
gress to make mischief They violently
applauded the most unreasonable utter
ances of their favorite. AS an opponent
of Oscar Underwood, Hobson is ridicu-
lous, though perhaps not more so than in
all his public actions. He Is vain, fighty,
incompetent, lacking In Judgment, inca
pable of learning by experience When he
accuses a statesman of Mr.. Underwood S
public services of Representing" the
liquor interests he talks like a fool, for
he says that which nobody from Maine
to California will believe, and speaks
without proof.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-16
FOUNDER OF THE SUNDAY SCHOOL

From the IOndOn chronicle.
Robert Raikes, the man who founded
the modern Sunday school, was journal
ist with a passion for what he termed
'botanizing in human nature" and seems
to have had very little in his makeup of
the conventional religious reformer. His
great experiment is said to have been sug-
gested by the disturbance caused by
crowds of little ragamuffins playing be-
meath his window on Sunday afternoons
when he was correcting proofs. why
should they not be got together and
taught the elements of religion and good
behavior" he asked himself, and an
swered the question by establishing the
first Sunday school at Gloucester In 17S0.
1t was characteristic of the man that in
his school scheme he laid as great stress
upon the inculcation of manners as on
the teaching of the catechism.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-16
COON UpsETs TRADITIONS

Monessen (Pa) Dispatch to the New
York American.
Smoke, a pet coon belonging to
Franklin Sauter Of this place has cast
aside its hereditary instinct of enmity
young guinea hens that had been
Matched in the oven of Mr. Sauters
stove.
Naturalists and woodsmen in this
section declare it is the only instance
on record where a coon is known to
have overcome his natural instincts to
kill all feathered creatures.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-16
AFTER TWO YEARS

Olga Nethersole. in Harper's Weekly.
An English interviewer came to me
not long ago, and this was his question;
"Can you, in your widest fancy, imagine
a female Lord Kitchener?" That was sup
posed to be a sumner
What Is it that makes Lord Kitchener
what he is?" I asked in reply.
~'IIis BRAIN" replied the interviewer.
And science will tell you that there is
no such thing as mans brain and a
woman's brain. 1t is just brain! The
world knows that brain exists among
men and the world honors the man. The
world is coming to know that brain also
exists in the heads of women. What we
want to do is to give such women the
opportunity to share equally with men.
That's all we want. just the opportunity.
How fast the movement grows, L have
been away from America only two years,
and it already seems intellectually like
a different place. Once when L was
quoted in the public press as saying that
the time would come when young women
would require certificate of health from
their respective husbands, along with the
license to wed, until that day arrived
when no certificate of health would be
necessary, because people would be
ashamed to have it necessary, l was ac-
eused editorially in the newspapers of in
delicacy, vulgarity. Now l find that
women are frankly and truthfully dis
cussing those things that concern them
vitality. Light on dark corners will bring
Improvement. Women are thinking; they
are being allowed to use their brains and
the world will be the happier for it.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-16
Doing Good Work

"Opr director of public libraries, Carl
II. Milan, has got about to see many
of the prominent citizens of Birming-
ham in the short time he has been here
in his new position and has made him
self acquainted with the officials of
trial associations and organizations Of
the district" said j. W. Donnelly, pres
ident of the library board, but he has
many more to see. I have no fear but
what before Mr.. Milan is here much
longer the people of Birmingham are
DING to know it.
"A large part of Director Milan g
work will be to make friends with the
public and cultivate interest in the
rublic library system. OF course, much
of his work will be office work, but he
also plans to get about the city as
much as possible and meet and become
acquainted with the people who make
the city and for whom the library sys-
TEN exists. Through acquaintance with
the public he hopes gradually to keep
en- adding friends to the library By
the simple means of showing citizens
that the library is for them and what
is more, can be of service to them.
"The success of our library lies IN
its service to the citizens of Birming-
ham and its service to the public will
be measured by the interest that the
public takes in the library. The library
board believes that the best act we
have done since our appointed by City
Commissioner Weatherly was when we
secured Mr.. Milam and we believe the
people of Birmingham are very soon
going to agree with us"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-16
Recent Royal Marriages

The god of love is certainly having
a hard time among the royalties of
Europe these days. While Cupid has
never earned any gerat reputation for
success in that field the jolts which
he has received of late have been pecu-
liarly disconcerting.
With Prince William of Sweden
and his wife, a Russian pricess,
practically divorced, the seat of war
has been transferred to the newly
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-16
In 25 Years

''No one can appreciate better the
south's wonderful development during
the past 90 or 25 years than the old
commercial traveller" said j. ]. Ash
ton of Philadelphia.
up to Is years ago l was a travel
ing salesman and made two trips south
every year 1 did not always get as
far as Alabama but made Virginia,
the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida
regularly. There were very few real
cities in the south when | first start
ed, and many small towns had few
hotels that INDUCED in clean table linen
or first class appointments of any sort.
There are doubtless some poor hotels
left in the southern states, but the
southern towns have been no more
backward in the matter of hotels than
small western towns. | think it is safe
to say that there are today more good
hotels in cities of 1000 or 5000 than
there are noticably indifferent ones.
Some of the best conducted hotels in
this country may be found in south
ern towns of from 5000 to 10000. And
this all goes to show the wonderful
progress that has been made.
But there are other evidences of
progress still more impressive. One is
the growth of large cities such as Bir-
mingham, Atlanta and Jacksonville
another is the prosperity of the south
ern farmer. 1 had not been in the south
Cor four or five years, but everywhere
hear talk of the thrift manifested in
the agricultural districts. Georgia is
eniovino a fine hoom and a similar i
condition ex' SITS. no doubt, here in Ala
bama. Judging from the rapid growth
of southern cities in the last decade,
wonderful things may be expected from
| the next census"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-16
Increase In Liquor Traffic

zone is sometimes puzzled in looking
over United States Internal revenue sta
tistics given out officially in Washington
at the large increase in the liquor traffic !"
said Julian Cabot of New York city.
"I have never been connected with any
branch of the liquor business, and I have
never been much of drinking man, but
1 know from reading that there is more
dry territory in the United States than
there used to be, and 1 have noticed that
fewer of my acquaintances drink to any
extent than was the case 10 or IL years
ago.
1.-THE Rev. DR.. Craft, one of the best
known ministers in this country, in dis
cussng recently the liquor traffic sta
tistically, spoke regretfully Of the fact
that while European countries without
any laws against liquor, consumed per
capita less of everything containing alco-
hol than in former years, when the United
States was increasing the pen capita con-
sumption of liquor. DR.. Craft is a pro-
hibitionist, but he says that in addition
to working for prohibition, campaign of
education is needed, or words to that eff
feet.
'If the liquor of this country were de-
stroyed and none could be shipped from
abroad, it would make practically no diff
ference with me, but In most of the states
that have statutory prohibition blind
tigers flourish and always will. There
are not very many prohibition states after
all. Georgia and Tennessee are in the
statewide prohibition column, but pro-
hibition in those states is a farce. AS
for nationwide prohibition, nobody now
living will ever see it seriously attempted >
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-16

Sir, he hath never fed OF the da'"''es
that are bred in book; he hath moi
eat paper, as 1t werej he hath not drunk
ink. his intellect is not replenished; he
Is only nm animal; only sensible III 'he
IuIler parts. Loves LABOR hos.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-16

Vincenzo Perugia, the Italian who car
ried off, the Da Vinci masterpiece from
the Louvre. not only appreciated art but
he was quite sentimental. He said that
while one of his motives was patriotism.
the compelling motive was the fact that
he fell in love with Mona Lisa
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-16

There is an insistent rumor in Wall
street that the great American hen has
decided to oppose the egg trust. and it is
thought that the trembling cold storage
finahciers will break and run at the first
cackle.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-16

The approach of Christmas has no mol
lifying effect on the militant suffragettes
of England. They have started out on a
new era of destruction.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-16

There has been more or less complaint
about the high cost of everything, but no
one has heard the farmer complain of
the high price of cotton.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-16

People who had never been interested
enough in art to take look at Da Vinci's
famous Mona Lisa" will rush to the
Louvre to see it, when it reappears there.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-16

The iron market used to be a good busi-
ing effect when it is moving upward
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-16

The modified tango is permitted in some
of the college clubs, but the students say
1T is too tame to be interesting.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-16

Azeez Khayat, who has recently sup
piled both the Metropolitan Museum of
Art and the Brooklyn Museum of Fine
Arts with many new and valuable speci-
mems, is to exhibit in Silo's Fifth Ave-
nue. Galleries this week the largest as
semblage of iridescent and myrrhine glass
and of rare ancient pottery ever shown
here. The Sun says that in this remark
able aggregate are three bowls of the
mlllehor glass so beloved by ancient i'm
perial personages and aristoerats that
Nero zealously gathered up and guarded
the precious fragments of the bowl Pc
tronius destroyed rather than have it pass
from his possession. Several examples
of Sodonian iridescent and gem toned
glass and a wonderful collection of richly
ornamented sultanabad and rare old
Rakka and Rhages pottery bowls and
vases will also be included together with
old Egyptian necklace of millenori beads
and precious and semi-precious stones.
After waiting an hour in Broad street.
Newark, Saturday. Vincenzo Tallevia of
Railway, opened a wallet supposed to
contain $37Oo, which had been intrusted
to him by two newly-made friends and
found it stuffed with newspaper. He had
placed 800, his life's savings, in a wallet
himself, having drawn 1t from Railway
bank as a guarantee of good faith"
when the two men offered to intrust $4,000
to him if he could prove himself respon-
sible, and to pay him for leading them
to an exchange house where they could
get Italian money for theirs. When the
trio reached Broad street the strangers
asked Tallevia to excuse them "for a
minute" and did not return. Tallevia
never found out how the wallet was
changed
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-16

Unless the pictorial artists do them in
justice, the Mexican generals on both
sides are so ugly as to be appalling.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-16

1906 she stumped many western states
in advocacy of the election of w. J.
Bryan. Her latest public activity was as
an anti-prohibition orator in Missouri.
After helping the brewery interests with
all her power, they declined to oompen-
safe her as she claimed they had agreed
to do
The whirling of time brings many
changes. Phoebe Couzius dying in pow
erty at the age of 73 is a sad reminder
of the brilliant young woman who shone
as a social star half a century ago.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-16

The once threatening clouds of business
depression are to be quickly dispelled by
the rising sun of prosperity.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-16
The Auditorium

'T see from reading The Age-Herald
that Mr.. Harding, president of the Cham
ber of Commerce, will spend a few days
in New York this week." said a public
spirited citizen. HE launched the audi
torium movement in the Chamber Of
Commerce and l hope that while he is in
New York he will jog up the experts
who are to pass ON the legal side of the
auditorium bonds, and bring their o. X.
back with him. Assuming that no flaw
will be found, no time must be lost in
issuing the 100000 of bonds and breaking
ground.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-16

Mona Lisa" got enough free adverts-
ing to be some compensation at least for
her long absence from the Louvre.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-16

Washington bureau. 2o7 Hibbs build
Ing.
European bureau, Henrietta street,
Covent Garden, London.
Eastern business office. Rooms 40 10
SO, inclusive, Tribune building we"
York city; Western business oIncs'
Tribune building, Chicago. The .. Y
Beckwith Special Agency. agents iof
Ign advertising.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-16
OLD SCOUT WIGGINs

Early shopping will continue in order
until the middle of next week.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-16

TELEPHONE
Bell (privnte exchange connecting An
departments), Main 4oOe.