davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-09

Thomas L. Mason in Munsey's Magazine
Tober was silent for some time. At last
he said:
''The trouble is with us, Why not ad-
NIT It franlSly7"
with us! What do you mean?"
"Well we are not up to the game They
have counted us out on our appearances
and style. It's plain case"
"What?" almost shouted Mrs. Tober
Aren't we as good as any of EN-? Didn't
[ graduate from the high school with
honors? I guess my education and my
family"
Eyes, and you worked In a department
store afterward, didn't your Now don't
get mad OF course, we are just as good
as the rest of them-probably better; but
we are discussing facts now and not being
misled by our feelings. The facts are
that in this world and especially in the
social world, things are governed entirely
by appearances. You're smart woman.
my dear, and probably have more natural
ability than nine-tenths of them here. But
short time ago I was a clerk, and l
married you when you were employed.
You can't get away from that fact. Be-
sides, to get right down to brass tacks,
we haven't been used to things. Sup
pose, for example, we should give a din
ner party-one of the real swell kind, you
understand-aren't there a hundred little
things about it that would be second ma
ture to Mrs. Selfridge, and yet which you
wouldn't know about? Keep your tenn
per! We're talking facts. You know
what l say is true. And the worst of 1t
is that these things are things you can't
learn out of a book. You can look at the
pictures of how to dress a table in the
womans papers, and think you know
but you don't. You've got to live these
things out. Now these people have looked
us up. They don't have to know us. They
have their own society. Why should
they take In a doubtful couple who have
moved here? Now l am a business man"
Tober pronounced these words with a cer-
tain prde-"and I know what am talk
ing about. 1t isn't going to do any good
to move somewhere else. We must stick
it out here. In the course of time we
shall be recognized"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-09
The stirrfnS passage of the day.
COMEDY of Errors.
Dynamite in Baltimore Harbor

DynamlIt 1A"A"o&
Baltimore lies on the Patapsco river
over five miles from Chesapeake bay
The dreadful dynamite explosion o.
Friday occurred in the lower harbol
near Sparrow's Point, or about live
miles from the city of Baltimore
Sparrow's Point is small village.
It was indeed fortunate that the dis
aster did not occur in the upper mar
Dor of Baltimore, for the loss would
in that case have been much greater
and the damage to property lar
greater.
1t is difficult to say what caused the
explosion, but the impression prevails
that the British tramp steamer Alum
Chine was on fire. She had on board
about 500 tons of dynamite destined
for use on the canal at Panama. An
investigation will disclose the facts in
the case.
Dynamite is manufactured freely
near Birmingham, but no accumula-
ton of 800 tons probably occurs at
either of the plants here engaged in
producing this explosive. Dynamite is
used in coal mines and in nearly all
other forms of modern blasting. In
the mines it is preferable to black
powder, because it creates less flame
and far less smoke.
The explosion in the lower harbor
of Baltimore is warning to all to
handle dynamite carefully. 1t is toe
powerful to trifle with, and every
safeguard should be adopted to render
its handling and transportation as safe
as such an explosive can ever be. The
lesson of Baltimore is in other words
= lesson to all other communities.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-09

only last year, will not be disap-
pointed. There are large and spacious
days ahead"
The proof of the pudding is in the
eating, and if the methods of the Pres
ident bring better opportunities and
better results the Globe-Democrat's
opinion that those methods will meet
the approval of public opinion" will
come true.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-09
ONLY ONE

From Answers.
In the Millands there is a certain town
highly famed for its buns. and the other
Gay train drew up at the station there.
Please do not for moment imagine
this is an uncommon occurrence. The
roint of the story lies in the fact that a
hungry traveller popped his head out of
the train and called for a boy who looked
as though he might belong to the re-
freshment department..
Hi. boy" he said, "heres twopensel
Get me one of the famous buns. and buy
one for yourself with the other penny
A few minutes later Just as the train
was about to proceed on its journey, the
boy returned, duly munching a bun.
Calmly he handed the traveller a penny,
and. with his mouth fun, lnurmured:
Sorry. Mister! There was only one
Asftl''
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-09
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
A Distinguished clcrgyman

| The Rev. William A. Barr of the Pro-
testant Episcopal cathedral in New Or
leans spent yesterday in Birmingham 1t
was his first visit to this city. and he said
he found it not only a very busy COM
nunity, but a place of beautiful homes.
Mr. Barr is known in church circles as
one of the greatest preachers in the Epis-
copal communion. In speaking of this
distinguished visitor member of Bir-
n'ingham's Virginia colony said:
L have heard many eminent preachers,
Catholic and Protestant, but | recall few
who equaled Mr.. Barr. | first heard him
In Suffolk Va l was not an Episcopal
Ian at that time; was not much OF any
thing was the guest of friend who
happened to be vestryman When he
asked me If I would like to attend serv-
ices | answered in the negative. 1t was
very hot day in midsummer and 1
thought would stay in my room ard try
to keep cool. My host was college bred
man and when he told me that it would
be worth while for me to hear Mr.. Barr
I said, All right: if you say SO will go
to church
Mr. Barr read the services with dra-
matte beauty. There was no affectation
about him; no sort of mannerisms that
anyone could criticize He had a splendid
voice a handsome presence and his
whole bearing was manly. The Scripture
lessons that day We're full of dramatic
color and when the minister had finished
the gospel the large congregation present
gasped for breath, for everybody. it
seems, had been spellbound. l was think
ing that 1t would be we'll perhaps If the
rector cut out his sermon, because I did
not believe his dramatic style could be
sustained throughout its delivery. But
he preached a great tsermon-great In
though and great in diction 1t was a
nasterful discourse. / was so much at
tracted by Mr.. Barr that I went again
to hear him at night.
Shortly after that he became rector OF
Monumental church in Richmond, where
I heard him frequently. From Richmond
he went to st. Luke's, Norfolk. That
was about 13 or IA years ago I believe.
While at Norfolk Mr.. Barr declined,
understood, a most flattering call from
big church in Philadelphia.
I'm addition to being a great preacher,
Mr.. Barr is musically educated. He has
a fine baritone voice and might have made
quite a. success in opera had he chosen
that profession. His home has been In
New Orleans several years"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-09
Officeseeking on a New Basis

When the senators from Florida
called on the President to urge the
appointment of district judge and a
district attorney, they were courteous
ly told to make their recommendation
to the Attorney General. This was a
Jolt no doubt to senatorial dignity and
prestige, but senatorial dignity and
prestige are certainly outranked by
administrative efficiency. The heads
of the several departments are ex-
pected to sift the list of applicants and
to make a recommendation in connec-
ton with it. The President is then in
q position to make any inquiry that
may suggest itself to his mind.
The st. Louis Globe-Democrat, a
standpat paper, is inclined to the be-
lief that this innovation twill meet the
approval of public opinion This is a
good deal for an opposition paper to
cay. The Globe-Democrat goes on to
say: "This action shows the new Pres
ident to be a man absolutely without
policy, as politicians understand the
word. Plainly, he has marked out his
line of action, and he will hew to it
straight, let the chips fall where they
may. We are on the edge Of new and
startling things at Washington, and
the public mind, always eager for a
change, and which voted for change
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-09

exchange correspondents, some 20 or more
states, including one paper in every big
city of America.
Then the Associated Press was not as
gay as it is now In covering news with
the bloom on it and putting the color of
the flower upon its petals even though
that must only be ip words of cold black
type. The correspondent then digged and
developed and told stories of the days
doings with the bloom of youth upon
them. But there were dull times then
especially when Cleveland closed up the
White House and would do no talking.
y - *
It was a Sunday night in the Mill -
The mail has just come in. Everyone was
going over his stuff from the home Of
flee.
Ibid you ever hear of such a managing
editor as this idiotl' said one, throwing
a letter on his desk. wants an interview
with the President in favor of a special
extra appropriation for a new system Of
levees on the Mississippi and wants it
wired tonight for Mondays paper. Wants
1t limited to 1900 words If could get a
1900 word interview with Cleveland to-
night would hire that fool editor as my
amanuensis and furnish him with uni
form"
"why bother about them?' said another
'All managing editors are chumps. They
get on a desk, call for copy, whacI the
sounding board from 1t and send it to the
printer so cut that there's nothing to it
in print except big headline that looks
like cracked church bell sounds on a
rainy Sunday morning"
Don't jump the managing editor,o said
Howard Thompson. ''you are liable to get
ia cu. <Aitiou5h tNciybOuy WHO KNOWS
anything knows Cleveland won't talk to
any newspaper man for publication, let's
write story about Mrs. Cleveland-some-
thing that women will read. I suggest
that we all send out a story tonight an
nouncing that Mrs. Cleveland has dis
csrded the hustle. OF course, she hasn't
but she should do so and this will set a
new style in women's dressing through
out the country, which think would he
a good thing. What do you think about
it?''
Everybody agreed. SO Howard Thomp-
son wrote the story. We all wired 1t TO
our newspapers that night and we dis
tributed copies of 1t up and down news
papee. row. It was printed throughout
the land next morning and a new style
of woman's dress was set within the
week. Mrs. Cleveland was perhaps the
last woman in America to discard the
hustle, but she did SO within less than
two weeks.
In those days in Washington, before
the rules of the House were arbitrary,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-09
selma,s Activities

"On the occasion of recent visit to
Selma I was impressed by some facts
which 1 casually learned as to the COM
mercial and industrial activities of the
central city," said a local newspaper
man: Selma handles 125,Oo0 bales of cot
ton annually; has eight wholesale houses
which are among the largest in the state;
four large cotton seed oil mills which
crush in the aggregate $1,000 to 65,00O tons
of seed in the season, and an lee man
ufacturing plant with a daily capacity of
125 tons, sufficient supply for a city
of double its size.
'Selmas beautiful oaks are good to look
at, and on some of the fine roads leading
from the city old fashioned Cherokee and
rose hedges still bloom In the summer.
The man who said there Is nothing in
Selma but morning. noon and night
must have been blind"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-09
ADRIFT WITH THE TIMES

AWAKENED.
I've often thought I'd like to dwell
Upon an island in the sea,
And all day watch the pillows swell,
Without care to trouble me-
Recumbent on the cleaning sand,
My soul would feed on blissful dreams;
While beauty smiled across the strand,
In bloom-clad hills and lifting streams
Soft evening breezes from the deep
Would cool the fever of my brow,
So rare a peace my heart would keep,
I'd never mourn, as l do now.
Like rose leaves drifting to the sod.
The years would pass serenely by;
The wild birds sing, the flowers nod,
Beneath blue unclouded sky.
But every time on Fancy's wings
/ reach that realm, the wide seas 'er,
The telephone insistent rings.
Or someone pounds upon my door.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-09
MEETING At NIGHT

BY Robert Browning.
The gray sea and the long black land;
And the yellow half moon large and low;
And the startled little waves that leap
In fiery ringlets from their Sleep
As I gain the cove with pushing Prov
And quench its speed I the slusny sano.
Then a mile of Warm sea scented beach;
Three fields to cross till farm appears;
A tap at the pane, the quick sharp scratch
And blue squirt Of a lighted match, :
And voice less loud, thro its JOYS anu
fears
Than the two hearts beating each to eaen'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-09
SURE

From the Ladies' Home Journal. M
A woman was discussing the English
IL snguage with Rudyard Kipling.
Don't you think 1t strange, Mr. Kip
ling" said the woman, with superior wis
dom, "that sugar is the only word in the
English language where an g and a III
come together and are pronounced 'sh' 2,
Mr.. Idplins's. eyes twinkled a. he ans
swered: SURE
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-09
EskIMo GIRLs AND poYs

From the Wide World Magazine.
The Eskimo child is the idol of the
home, and is allowed to do absolutely
as he pleases. He is never punished
and his whims and wishes are consulted
with all the concern given an adult. In
spite of this indulgence, the children
are remarkably .obedient. Perhaps the
patriarchal manner of living-father and
mother aunts and uncles, and grand
mother and grandfather all in one house
tends to mako them so. The word
of the old folks is law, and is never
questioned. They have lived long
time, the EslSimos reason, and therefore
speak with the authority of experience.
All this is very nice in the ordinary
walks of life, but rather embarrassing
sometimes in school work. When tot
of four or five plays truant from school
and the visiting teacher, complaining
to the parents. is gravely told to ask the
small despot if it is his royal pleasure
to come to school or not, the situation
becomes ludlcrous.
The only resource Is to become 4
hated truant officer, or, better, to make
your work so interesting that the chill
dren cannot stay away. / remember l
used to lie awake at nights thinking up
new ways of presenting old subjects,
usually in the form of action plays and
Instructive games. A native child cam
not hold his interest on any one subject
for any length Of time; his wild, free
nature Graves a variety of interest.
Nevertheless they are very bright for
the moment and wonderfully quick In
perception. although lacking the white
chllds ability to reason out problem
and to give concentrated attention,
which after all is the gift of civiliza-
ton
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-09

tax on bachelor maids, as well as
bachelors, was advocated before the COM
hnttee on taxation of the Massachusetts
legislature by Mrs, Frank w. Page. who
described herself as an .old school
ma'am." Women as well as men. she
said, enjoy freedom of life, and it is
worth s. a year to some of them to re-
main teaching school or working in the
stores. Mrs. Page told the committed
that 62 per cent OF the men in this state
that can afford marriage neglect to do so,
most of them willfully.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-09

legislative matters were fought out upon
the floor and the special newspaper cor
respondents had opportunity to write good
stuff-not only in predicting what would
occur, but in graphically describing the
debates and the contests between would
be leaders.
Thompson was an adept at this lie
knew everyone and he possessed the fac
ulty of discriminating between those who
meant business and those who talked
merely for footlight effect It was by
virtue of this faculty that the Asso-
ciated Press selected him to go to st.
Petersburg just previous to the Russian
Japanese war. 1t was Thompson who
suggested to President Roosevelt that
he bring about conference between tie
Russians and Japs which developed into
the peace negotiations at Portsmouth, n
IT. Thompson had tallxal with the Gar
and had been in communication with
President Roosevelt He was present aud
reported the conference at Portsmouth.
He returned to st. Petersburg, but was
soon thereafter transferred to Paris, where
he remained for some two years before res
turning to New York to become the right
hand man of President vanderlip of the
National City bank. in chargoNof foreign
accounts and affairs in which this greaA
banking Institution was Interested.
Howard Thompson probably leaves his
wife and children an estate which will
make them independent He started on
an Ohio newspaper at $40 week. His
success was. due to his own merit. He
always wrote good stuff yet he never
wrote an offensive article in his life. He
never made a real enemy. He always
looked upon others as he would have
them look upon him. Yet he never failed
to tell the news and to tell It In an at
tractive form. II he found good in a
man he told of 1t. He never delved into
the weaknesses of a man, however high
his position might be.
/ remember once he was leader in The
to expel a sensational New
York correspondent from the press gall
lery in washington for writing the story
of the escapades of an eminent statesman
who happened to drink too much wine on
a social occasion in Washington one
evening. OF two hundred correspondents
in the press gallery. all of whom knew
the details OF the escapade, only this one
printed It. He was expelled.
Howard Thompson's life was one
worthy OF the emulation of avg young
newspaper man.
"a
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-09

AS soon as President Wilson had been
inaugurated shad at once were reported
in the Delaware river. Good times are
coming rushingly.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-09
MEAN THINGS.
Her cheeks were like
The roses red;
"Ten cents a box"
4 Her rivals said.
QUITE DIFFERENT.

When new Presidents family sue
ceeds retiring Presidents family in the
White House. 1t is different from
one private family moving into =
residence lately vacated by another
private family. For one thing. the new
Presidents wife doesn't tell some Of her
friends over the telephone that the people
who Just moved out must have been little
short of barbarians and it will take weeks
and weeks to clean up the dirt they left
behind.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-09
HE WAS WILLING

The Leavenworth Labor Chronicle re-
lates that John B. Lennon of tho Tall
ors' union is an ardent teetotaler. and
hates the demon rum 50 enthusiastically
that he stumped New England during the
recent campaigns in the interest Of prohi-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-09

the rendering of the service is pleas
ure to the nurse
There is really, to my mind, no work
of more real, true philanthrophy, no
work more genuinely altruistic In Bir-
mingham today than this hope that
Mrs Cabaniss, who this year has charge
of the charity ball to raise funds to
keep this good work going, will meet
with the fullest measure OF success.
know she will for her personality is so
magnetic and her energy In good works
so boundless that where she wills to lead
others must needs follow. If the moneyed
men of the city could only realize the
great good done the work would doubt
less be endowed and placed on a solid
financial basis"
But then" concluded the clergyman
thoughtfully, ''the many who each year
are glad to add their mite to support the
District Nurses association and to en-
able Miss Forsman to do her noble work
would be deprived of the blessed oppor-
tunity of always giving and of realizing
the truth, that 1t is always more blessed
to give than to receive.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-09
A VICTIM.

A VICTIM.
He'd had his bath,
/ His hair was brushed,
When down the street
Street sweepers rushed.
A cloud of dust
Swirled in his face;
In vain he strove
To mend his pace.
He could not 'scape
The flying dirt,
Which filled his eyes
And soiled his shirt,
And c1ogged his throat,
His nose and ears
And almost drove
The wight to tears.
What could he do
But fume and swear,
And sadly these
Discomforts bear,
Which made of him,
So spiclS and span,
A sorely grimed.
Disgruntled man?
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-09
Birmineham,s Great Activity

81 notice great improvements IN BIZ
mingham," said the Rev. Mr.. Patton. the
we'll known mission secretary of the Epis-
copal church.
"Three or four years ago when I spent
some time here Industrial activity had
not fully recovered from the temporary
depression that followed the Wall street
panic, but understand now that the pay
rolls are larger than ever and that every
branch of business is extremely active.
A general glance over Birmingham shows
at once that prosperity is In full swing
here"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-09
PuNKTUAr1oN.

FUNhI OAI 1O-V'
Feathers shaped like are the newest
trimming for womens hats.
They will. 1t Is said cut quite for
some of time.
At present they cost several ~. but
when they become more m they will be
sold for practically 0.
1t is said that the faces of those who
see them on the streets greatly resemble
.,!--MilwaulSee Sentinel.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-09
The Great Orchestras

1.-THE older musicians and music lovers
remember when there was only one sym
phony orchestra in America; now there
are half dozen or more of the highest
rank" said member Of the musical set.
II first heard the Philharmonic orches-
ira of New York when Theodore Thomas
was conductor in the seventies. It was
before the Boston Symphony was organ
ized. In 1890 there were three or four
good orchestras--the Boston Symphony,
the New York Philharmonic, the New
York symphony, with the late DR.. Leo
pold Damrosch as conductor, and now led
by his son, Walter Damrosch, and the
Chicago orchestra, with Theodore Thom-
Tas as conductor Today we have in this
country at least eight high class concert
orchestras. The Boston symphony which
is conducted this season by DIR. Muck
ranks first. The other fine orchestras are
the New York Philharmonic, conducted
this season by Mr.. Stransky. and the New
York symphony, the Philadelphia orches-
ira, conducted by Mr. StolkowslSi; the
Thomas orchestra of Chicago, conducted
by Mr.. Stock; the Cincinnati orchestra
conducted by DR.. Gunwald, and the San
Francisco orchestra, conducted by Mr.
Hadley Besides these there are two or
three great opera orchestras, but the
ones named are distinctly symphonic
They are endowed and have daily re-
hearsals which, of Course, makes for
excellence.
''Within the past 1ve or six years the
Cincinnati orchestra has ranged among
the foremost and it is said to be better
this season than ever. This is the or
chestra that will be engaged for the Bir-
mingham festival in May"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-09

The crown was changed on this side of
the Rio Grande without a tremor any
where. It is different on the other side
of the river.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-09

Vermont is preparing to become a No
vember state. Maine may yet be the only
early political barometer in presidential
years.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-09

ALTHOUGH A WONDERFUL DEVICE
Just now, when the pie is about to
be passed around, 1t would be hard to
say who is the original Wilson man."
Eyes, indeed. l don't believe the die
tagraph, even, could tell that
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-09

Secretary of Interior Lane never met
the President until Wednesday last, when
his name had been sent to the Senate.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-09
SURPRISED,

SURPRISED.
He kissed her once,
And found 1t pleasure;
He kissed her twice.
Just for good measure"
For half a cent
You could have bought them.
They felt SO cheap
: When father caught them.
q PAUL COOK.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-09

Uncle Joe Cannon is going around the
world. but he will not find an autocrat
anywhere quite up to his own standard.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-09

Circus men buy snakes as some of the
new rich buy books-by the yard.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-09

Those tremulous prehensile whisxers
of Secretary Redheld become every day
more prominent.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-09

The Washington hoodlum would be a
disgrace In Dahomey or Timbuctoo.