davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-10-05

handling them as rapidly as possible
What are you doing as to The rural
mails?"
I'VE have put on over 200 new routes,
involving an additional expenditure or
something like 100000 a year That
branch Of the service steadily grows. 1t
now has in the neighborhood of 5000 Of
ficers and clerks, and 1t cost something
like $20,00O,OG0 year. The number OF
miles travelled per annum runs high into
the millions, and more than 100000 people
are now receiving their mail at their
doors instead of at remote postoffices"
How many postofflces are there In the
United States?"
THE number is almost $4,000"
Give me in a nutshell some idea OF
Uncle Sans postoffiee business"
1T is big thing to put into nut
shell. In the first place, we have 5000
postoffices and about 100000 employees.
Our gross revenue per annum Is i'll the
neighborhood of $3.50 coo and our gross
expenditures are "A little less. The de-.
partment always runs at slight deficit
and this is largely because we do a great
deal of free business for Uncle Sam which
ought to be charged to continue the nu-
meration of the contents of the nutshell
We sell every year almost ten billion
postage stamps and enough stamped en-
Velopes and wrappers to give one to every
man, woman and child upon earth and
leave some to space. Last year we is
sued more than 900 100000 postal cards
and we sent out registered letters to the
number of almost 100000 We do an
enormous money order business both at
home and abroad. The domestic money
orders annually number $4,000, 600, and
our foreign money are more than 100000.
representing all told an aggregate value
of something like 500, coo. 0o0. In some
years we send away to other countries
through the postoffice almost $1OO, 10000.
What are you doing as to the postal
savings banks?'
I'VE have $4,000. 900 or $4,000. 900
now on deposit. The system was es-
tablished only little more than two
and one-half years ago, and It Is now
In operation in more than Il 900 post
offices and at about 700 branches and
stations. June 80 last, the depositors
numbered 100000 and their deposits
then were approximately $4,000 900
All this comes from class of people
who We're making no effort to econo-
mlze and save before the postal saw
ings banks were established. 1t comes
from many who were too timid to put
their money into the regular banks. or
VINO were so afraid of the banks that
they would not trust them with their
savings. They kept them hid under the
hearthstones or perhaps I'm a tin can
or stove, and the result was the loss
u NUMEROUS OF thousands of dollars
every year. We have plans to increase
the facilities of the postal savings
banks, and in short time we shall
nave $l0O,o00000 of such deposits. and
That without taking from the savings
banks OF the country as much a 1 per
cent OF their former returns. The postal
savings banks are patronized largely
by foreigners. They have confidence
In their home governments. and there
fore have confidence in ours. A con-
siderable part of the many million dol
lars which has been annually going
to Europe In money orders will now re-
main here in the postal savings banks
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-10-05

To siren ever attuned her voice to
M more fascinating key of al
1 y lurement than those bewitching
irresistible notes heard in the Call
of the East nor is there greater senti-
ment in the lifting of q mothers lullaby
than in this selfsame call. In truth,
as man came originally from the east.
! fancy | can detect in this appeal of
the orient u significant invitation for
humanity to return to the land of its
cradle
or the five continents of the globe
none possesses the spell and the In
fatuation which Asia exerts over NOR
tails and whether this spell is the REM
nant of maternal love Is a question
worthy of consideration.
Asia may be called the mother of
gods; for within the mystic confines
of that mysterious land was fashioned
the cradle of the six great religious
tenets which have swayed the world.
the berceau of the faiths that have
wooed and won the soul of man. Abra-
ham, Buddha. Zarathrusta, Confucius,
Mohammed and Christus We're all
founders of a great creed and all
Asiatfcs.
That loyalty and fealty which one
renders his country or sovereign is
designated homage while the devotion
which the soul pays to it's profcssed
creator is known as worship, ana
whether the object of that worship be
spirit whose abiding place is as
signed to sphere beyond the universe,
or a tangible thing of stone, wood or
clay, effects no distinction. for it Is an
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-10-05

THAT sum was paid by one of the
large mail order houses" continued the
Postmaster General THE mail order
houses were prepared for the parcel
post at the time it was inaugurated, and
they have adopted 1t in their business
in marvellous manner. The other day [
took down a statement from the agent
of one of these firms as to it's business
during the first seven months Of 1913.
In that timeiit sent out almost $4,000
parcel post packages. These houses are
doing so much, that we have tried to
facilitate their parcel post mail in every
possible way. We have put a corps of
clerks in certain establishments of that
kind, and the packages go almost d.
rect to the consumer being largely dis.
tributed before they are sent to the
trains. Our men show them how to
handle the packages, and how the
wrapping should be done. In this way
they have proved of great value to the
mail order establishments, and have
also saved the government thousands
of dollars by not clogging the mails
The Increase in the weight limit from
IL to 20 pounds will add to the mail
order business"
What can the parcel post do for the
farmer?"
q
order merchant. 1t has already done
that in other countries. He can send
his goods in small packages to the con-
sumer Twenty pounds is Just about
three pecks of cotton seed it Is one
third of a bushel of wheat and almost
half bushel of corn. 1t might enable
vegetables and other products to be
sent into the cities direct, and it will
be of great advantage to the farmer in
the exchanging of seeds and in buying
tools and supplies"
I'VE had a case the other dav of q
man who broke the point of his pillow
while at work on his farm. He had u
telephone and he called up the mer-
chant in town to send him a new point.
The merchant replied that he had not
one on hand, but that he had teleph oned
to the home office, 100 miles away, and
ordered 1T to be sent on by mail That
plow point came to the farmer the
next morning through the parcel post,
and before night he was blowing again,
without having left the farm. All that
was done at cost of 81 cents, whereas
it would have taken AT least half day
Tor him to have driven to town for the
package had it been sent there"
DO you think the people appreciate
the value of the parcel post and what
they might do through it?"
They are rapidly learning to do so.
Mr.. Daniel C. Roper, the first assistant
postmaster general, has just returned
from a trip throughout the west. He
says the people are everywhere begin
ming to send their goods in that way.
The postmaster of a small town In Mon
tana said he was handling so packages
DAY, and among the things sent We're
boxes or cigars from the local tobac Geo.
MIST while among those received were
packages of knit underwear from a small
town In Utah, which had factory of
that kind. In one town he found a man
VINO was advertising his laundry bust
ness through the parcel post, putting It
In this way: Our delivery wagon, run
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-10-05

him which of his great predecessors pre-
sented the most sublime truths he re-
piled that each was the best for his re-
spective time of advent. Abdul then
inquired concerning the progress of the
plan to erect Bahaist temples in New
York and Chicago and / must confess to
some confusion from the fact that my
ignorance of the subject prevented an
intelligent reply. | was more bent upon
gauging the mental calibre of the man
than ! was concerned relative to his
religious tenets or professions of inspra-
tion
l did ask him whether in the course
OF time he would pay the accustomed
debt to nature or pass to the beyond
after the manner claimed for some of
MS prototypes, but his reply was would
have to walt and see.
OF course had gone to see the prophet
through sheer curiosity, but that amen
ity which characterizes all intercourse
between gentlemen protested against my
advising him OF this fact and | was
sorely put to when my dragoman stated
that Abdul said he had accorded me a
Drotherly welcome and wished to know
II l was willing to receive the Master $
blessing before taking my departure. [
hastily reflected that though not Cath
Ole ! had willingly kissed the pontifi-
cal ring upon the hand OF the holy
father when In private audience, though
not Jew I had sat with my hat oG7
In a. synagogue, though not Moham-
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-10-05

dul BAHIA is the, son of God, though
many of his followers seem pleased Ia
deem him such, but he claims inspira
ton direct fro mthe Almighty and de-
clares that his mission was essential
TO meet the requirements of an ad-
Vahced age. In truth he maintains that
With the progress of ideas and adj
vancement of knowledge special reyela-
lions are requisite to preserve man in
touch with his Maker and he points
out that such inspired mediums have
marked the dispensation of God IN tho
past. Zarathrusta. Confucius, Buddha
christ and Mohammed, he maintains,
were his respective predecessors, each
charged with a divine revelation and
each especially commissioned to ac-
commodate himself to the progress and
thought accomplished up to the re-
spective periods OF his Appearance. II
Will be noted that this conception OF
DIVINITY is not so remotely removed
from that of the late Robert Brown
ing, who contended that God grows:
otherwise man would catch up with
his Maker
The Bahaists base their claim to the
divine personality of their ch/f upon
certain scriptural prophesies ana pas
sages and Acre has been by them iden-
titled with the locality specifically
designated in holy writ.
My dragoman who was to induct me
into the presence of Abdul was not a
Bahaist himself but he told ne many
respectable stories of the conversions
effected by the new prophet he re-
lated that scores of those who visited
Acre to scorn and criticise fell at tho
feet OF the man in homage and wor-
ship; indeed, he even intimated that he
opined | would be among the number
of proselytes.
Baha dwells in a large white build :
ing that was once monastery and Is
surrounded by high walls There are
ligious attendant. who may be regard
ed as sort of a priest, is always on
duty at the gate and door to Inspect
the applicants for admission. The
prophet daily arrays himself IN a dir :.
ferent colored robe with turban OF
corresponding hue Sometimes the col.
or is purple, sometimes white and again
deep red: He wore white gown when
was presented. His hair fell In long,
wavy locks about his shoulders, his
hands We're maryelously white and
most delicately fashioned, possessing q
wonderfully sympathetic toucn
His mien was decidedly impressive and
his personality remarkably winning. I
shall never forget his gentle manner and
benign smile: one could not help but
feel that it was good TO be IN such a
presence.
/ of course conversed through the Of
fices OF the dragoman and when I asked
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-10-05
= THE BLESSINGS OF A MODERN MESSIAH

idol just the same, and as the Land
of Idols may this great continent also
be known.
The prehistoric division and migra-
ton of the primitive Aryan race, the
one part moving south and east into
India, THE other north and west into
Europe. developed two trends of
philosophy recognized today as the
eastern and western schools of thought.
The late Professor Max Muller has mos,
pertinently queried ''As there is in
nature south and a north, may there
not also be two hemispheres in human
nature--the active, combatative and
political on one side. the passive, medi-
tative and philosophical on the other?"
and while this psychological division
may primarily exist. the growth OF
these two great schools was doubtlessly
accentuated by climatic influence and
in measure shaped in conformity with
circumstances and environment
The existence of the European for
centuries and the early phase of Ameri-
can life has been attended with strife
and combat, storm and stress. Their
history is but n repetitive recital of
struggle amid the hardships of sur
roundings; battle against the inhos-
pitable elements OF nature; continu-
Gus warfare between man and man.
The west has political history behind
it. political future before it; it's chief
tains and leaders were men of carnage
and conquest; it's heroes who have
shaped the destiny of nations were in
disputably men of war, so that today
the names of our generals occupy the
highest niche in the roster which civ
iliTation has fashioned to the memory
of Its great.
India, the very heart of Asia, upon
the other hand has never had a po-
litical history Nature is there most
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-10-05

profligate in the bestowal of her boun-
ties and worldly ambitions have never
perplexed the reveries of its people. 1t
Is par excellence country conducive
to the development OF the meditative
side of human nature and 1t is the
birth land of Characterization; the
home of the eastern school of thought
That which their western rethren
deem the goal of life. and for the at
tanning of which they strive, contend
and die, the children of India regard
as naught. Their Brahmins and Bud
dhists teach that "as a man Journey
ing to another village may enjoy a
nights rest in the open air, but after
leaving his resting place proceeds
again on his journey the next day. thus
father mother. wife and wealth are
all but like a nights rest to us wise
people do not cling to them forever.
So have they for thousands of years
surrounded the natant lotus. typical OF
their lives. dreamed away existence,
aye without a past living in their
memory. without present which they
might utilize In love and hate, without
a future for which men might work
and hope. dreamed morbid and proud
dreams of that which is beyond all
time"
Whether these two contending
schools will continue to oppose each
otuer throuSnoV the enduring ages,
or whether one will eventually van
quish its opponent constitutes a prob
lem the solving of which is asslgnablc
to the future alone. Arthur ochopen-
hauer, the great literary exponent of
modern western pessmism, declares
that 'in India our religion will now
and never strike root the primitive
wisdom of the human race will never
be pushed aside there by the events OF
Galilee. On the contrary Indian wis
dom will flow back upon Europe and
produce a thorough change in our
knowledge and thinking
Max Muller also suggested the prob
ability of the Oriental schools OF
thought eventually dominating the
western world both in philosophy and
religion.
This il all purely conjectural yet the
fact nevertheless remains that all the
Asiatic schools of philosophy had their
emenation from pristine phase of re-
ligion. and as the western world has
adopted one of these religions that II
VIII ultimately embrace the eastern
philosophy is not beyond the pale of
possibility.
Such was the train of thought in ybieI,
was indulging one evening as I sat
upon the veranda Of my hotel In the
Asiatic town of Acre and looked across
its beautiful bay bathed in the glamour
of a setting sun. Though Carmel was
eight miles away from me just across
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-10-05

medan / had removed my shoes upou
entering mosque, though not Dervish
had walked barefooted through burn
ing sand to a tomb wherein bowling
Dervishes were worshipplng and though
not believing in royalty had stood for
hours In ballroom while a princess OF
the royal blood remained unseated.
also recalled the story of the America
girl who refused to kneel and receiva
the blessing OF the late Leo XIII and
who was justly rebulxed by his hsiness
saying, MY child" the blessings oSan old
man Will do you no harm" so | kneIt
and Abdul BAHIA placed his hand gently
upon my head as he pronounced a bless
ing In most devout manner and in
the clear, distinct accents of his native
tongue. | did not understand what he
said and ! never asked my dragoman to
interpret his words.
While such a thing as a census is I'M
known In the Orient, the Bahaists claim
to number over 100000 souls and the
oneness OF their religion is their special
boast. Christians, they assert have a
score OF denominations and while their
cult has much In 1t that lis good. Chris
tanity liz fU from being complete
Bahaist teachers receive no pay; like
Peter they have neither silver nor gold.
but such as they have they give unto
you, yet converts to Christianity IL Is
>->~~-~-~~~~~~-~-~>~~~~
Continued ON Next Page.j
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-10-05

But how about the express COM
panies? Are you going to drive them
out of business?
The express companies Will have
plenty to do in the carrying of pack
ages of large size and weight. They
will have to give way to the govern
ment as to small packages. There is no
Individual concern that can compete
with the government. There is not the
slightest doubt about that We are GO
ing to do the small package business
of the United States"
l here asked as to the prospective in
crease of the parcel post service. The
Postmaster General replied:
THAT business is steadily increasing
and that is so of every department re-
lated to our mails. We are now hand
ling from $4,000, 100000 to $4,000 600, 900
packages of mail year, and we have
the largest transportation service in
the world. Our system of parcel rams
portation is larger than that of any
express company and II is just at its
beginning"
Give me some OF the details said l.
We'll, in the first six months we
handled more than 900, 000,0 oo parcel
post packages. With the increase In
the weight limit and the reduction Of
the rates the increase will be accel-
Grated, and l estimate that by the time
the year is closed we shall have hondled
75O,000,000 packages. We ara doing
much TO help the business along. One
thing is the change as to the stamps
so that any kind of postage stamps
can be used to send a parcel post pack
ageh Another is in the use of pre-
cancelled stamps 1t cost something to
put the stamps on 10000, 600 packages
ond to cancel them by hand is an ex-
tremely difficnlt process. We can can
eel the stamps on letter mail by ma
chinery. but we cannot do that on
packages, which are of all shapes and
sizes. VIC have figured that 1t would
cost us about $250,000 to cancel the
stamps on the parcel post packages
We believe this cost can be cur down
to $4,000 by the use of f,'aohinery and
by allowing the use of pre- cancelled
stamps. AS 1T is now, pre-canceIled
stamps are permitted where mailers
send out 1000 or more packages at one
mailing We want to fix 1t so that al
most any person can further mis- bust
ness and at the same time reduce tho
cost to the government in that way"
you speak of people sending 1000
packages at one mailing. Have we
many firms that do that?
YES The great mail order houses
send out many times that and there
are small institutions that have o
heavy parcel post daily mail. The lar
gest number of packages sent out so
far in any one day by a single firm
was 40.1S6, and the largest amount OF
postage used by any one company in d
day for the parcel post service was
s6148."
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-10-05
BY c.. F. MARKELL

the water it seemed much nearer in the
light of dying day and as guardian
angle of the placid cerulian haven below
the white outlines of the browning con-
vent high up on the blue mountain glis-
tened like a thing ethereal.
In ages gone Acre was "the key of
Palestine for it commanded the en-
trance to the broad plain Of Esdraelon.
conducting to the then rich valley of
the Jordan, its kings ranked in lmpor-
lance next to those of Tyre and Sdon
and here in later years Napoleon was
held in check by Sir Sidney Smith. Acre
was never taken by the Israelites, though
assigned to the tribe of Asher, but 1t
bent the knee to the proud Sennacherib;
Assurbanipal laid it in ruins and it was
alike a prey to Arab, Crusader and the
great Saladin. 1t was the last strong
hold in Palestine to hold out for the
Christians and now 1t Is celebrated as
the birth place of the new Messiah, Alb
dull BAHIA. In fact it was my prospec-
tive visit to this prophet upon the fol-
lowing morning that started my train
of thoughts as I sat upon the veranda
at the close of day.
His name was upon every lip and II
merit is to be measured by success I
contrasted painfully the fleet-footed
movement of Adults PROSECUTING cam
paign and the relatively sloth-paced ad-
vance of the Christian missionaries in
the east. While Acre is the center of
the new cult. II is not alone in the land
of the Arab and Mohammedan that mill
ions are hardening to Bahas new creed,
for Europe and America as well are
supplying converts by the hundreds who
annually make pilgrimages to the little
Syrian town. A few years ago Mar
seiles was so thronged with Bahaist pill
grims en- route to Acre that to relieve
the congestion, as well as political
measure. the expedition was inhibited by
the French authorities. Only during the
past summer>I met many Americans who
were tourneying to the latter-day Mecca
with a feverish eagerness born of intense
sincerity. And they were pilgrims Of
inte1lirence and culture: men and women
of divers professions including painters,
musicians and patrons of the liberal arts
The man whom | was to visit had
like all of his allered prototypes, been
proclaimed by forerumner: had been
subjected to persecution. privation and
imprisonment. as well as to self-im-
posed periods Of fasting and retreat and
per~opaI ahnegation.
His cult Is STYLED the religion OF love,
being based upon universal brother
hood and fraternal affection. Its ESSEN
tial features are the culling from past
religions and present creeds all that
is best and most salient in the con-
struction OF each
1t Is not positively asserted that All