davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-19

fahsans resemble the Eskimos. They use
disJointed harpoon, similar to that used
by the tribes of the north
The Yahgans are noted for the ability
to endure cold. The women. most OF
them, are expert swimmers and dive into
Ice water for shellfsh 1t appears thnt
ehese lholans nave no form of worship
and they have no chiefs"
Furlong said that the Indians xvho live
IN the deep forests and mountainous ra-
gions of TERRA del Fuego perhaps are
the most primitive people now in exist
ence. They are still living in the stone
age. Their weapons and implements are
made of flint. They travel on foor ana
have no canoes or horses or any means
of transportation.
The climate is very cold, but the onas
wear only single garment made from
the skin of the guanaco, an animal re-
sembling the wild llama. This animal fnr-
ashes them with food and clothing Just
as the bison did the North american -
dams
Thirty. years ago the Onas had all OF
their island of TERRA del Fuego for their
hunting ground. In recent years sheen
the Indians into the impenetrable forests
OF the southern part These Indians ago
splendid physical types with long,
straight, black hair and dark eyes.
Furlong said that the ona Indians. like
the Yahgans, were able to endure intense
cold, and that sometimes the men would
discard their guanaco-skin robes In the
chase and run naked through snow
storm. 1t is a custom with these indians
to rub their bodies with red ocre to enable
them to better endure cold.
1.-The Patagonians, who have frequently
been mentioned In history, are a very IN
teresting people, Furlong continued
While they do not have the immense
size attributed to them by Pigafetta, the
historian of Magellan's expedition, they
are unusually large, perhaps the largest
human being living today. 1 noticed that
most of the men were more than six feet
tall and weighed 225 to 24O pounds. The
women were proportionately large.
There are indications that the Indians
have decreased in stature with the passing
years, so that undoubtedly they were very
large when Magellan visited the land
The Patagonians are noted horsemen.
Their principal food is horse flesh and
this was dried during the months that
was in their land.
"All three of the tribes mentioned are
dwindling rapidly in numbers. In about
30 years. the -Yahgans have decreased
from 2000 to IT'S; the Onas from 5000 TO 800,
and the Patagonians from 5000 to 450.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-19
Great Grain Growing weather

Not only has the weather been favor
able for gathering matured crops, par
ticularly in the cotton states, but it has
grains'' said man who keeps we'll in
formed on the general conditions.
"The signs presage a plendid yield
from the winter sown wheat, which by
the way, is the hardest grain and the
best for milling. Oats and rye are do
ing fine. and with anything like favor
able spring, this country should not
only feed itself at reasonable prices,
but the greatest export business in it's
history may occur next year In fact
we may be competitors with Argentine
in wheat expectation.
Il see that a cargo of corn is due
at Gulfport, Miss, from Argentine,
bound for Alabama markets. A writer
describing it, speaks of it's low per cent
of moisture as compared with the ma
tive grain. Very true, perhaps, in its
native country, but its absorbent prop
critics will overcome that on the seas
and afterwards, when 1t is restored to
normal it will have lost a part of its
value food product for man, and
if not carefully treated may produce
horses and mules. Nature has made her
laws and she must be respected or the
penalty will be eXacted under the great
est of all of her laws, the law of COM
DensatiOn"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-19
"SHE DID, TOO!v

From the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
A Cleveland lawyer tells story about
a woman from the country who wanted
a divorce. When the case got into court
the judge, disregarding for the moment
the technical grounds, tried to find out the
real reason for the lady's desire to be
separated from the man she had lived
with for so many years. The man him
self was in court with a lawyer and it
looked as if he was going to fight the
case.
Mrs. DASH" said the judge, tell me
what fault you have to find with your
husband"
HE is liar, a brute. a thief and a
brainless fool!' answered the lady
promptly.
Tut, tut,'' exclaimed his honor with
Wilsonian emphasis. You could hardly
prove all that
prove it? Why, everybody knows
itr'
IF you knew it. why did you marry
him?'
Il didn't know it before / married
him.
Then the husband spoke for the first
time.
"She did, too'' he shouted.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-19
MOST ANNOYING

From the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Mrs. Crump looked at her friend, Mrs
Binks, and sighed as her husband Went
out of the room.
fAh, my dear, it's a sad thing to see
my old man losing his hair that way-as
none knows better what it is than your
self, Mrs. Binks"
"You speak truly, Mrs. Crump; sad it is
After my George had his illness in tins
spring. his hair fairly moulted off of him
and now his heads as smooth as smooti
can be-,
ut must be so uncomfortable, with wha
flies and things, not to speak of the cold
Mrs. Binks."
well do you know it's not the flies
that worry him so much, nor yet tn,
cold. It's having to wear his hat in th'
bedroom when he washes himself n
you'll find out with your good man. Yol
see, not having any hair to go by now
he can't tell when he's finished washing
his face unless he keeps his hat on
That's the bother of it,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-19
LIFE IN THE STONE AGE
From the Los Angeles Times.

From the Los Angeles Times
0aARLEs WELLINGTON FUR.
Y : LONG. South American explorer
who Is a visitor in Los Angeles,
believes that there is more unexplored ter
ritory in South America than In the Ozark
Continent"
Furlong was the first American to go
through the heart of TERRA del Fuego.
He explored the tropical forests with only
natives as guides. There were no other
white men in the expedition.
The travels of Furlong in South Amer
ica aggregate nearly 10000 miles and In
cluded visits to many strange regions. lie
crossed the continent three times, trav-
eled from north to south four times,
crossed the Andes Mountains five times.
sailed through the Straits of Magellan six
times and sojourned in the cold, stormy
regions of the Guianas and the burning
llanos of Venezuela
Inc explorer made a special study OF
the customs and habits of the three tribes
of primitive Indians: Yahgans, of the
fuesian archipelago; the onas. of TERRA
del Fuego. and the Patagonians.
1T is difficult for Americans to real
ize the great size of South America y
Furlong said. There are 13 political di-
visions in the continent and one of them.
Brazil, is larger in area than the United
States Argentina is one-half as large as
the United States.
Inc most interesting natives are the
Yahgans. or canoe Indians of the Fue-
gian archipelago in the region of Cane
Horn There, in one of the stormiest eli
mates of the globe, they live most of the
time i'm open canoes. They have the
strange custom of keeping fires burning fn
the bottom of their canoes Their only
method for starting a fire by rubbing
sticks together, and as this is a very
dlificult process. they are careful to keep
their fires burning. They place sod in the
bottom OF the canoes on which the fires
are built
1T is supposed that Magellan saw The
smoke from the fires In the canoes and
for that reason named the region 'rierra
del Fuego'-Land of Fire. The tribe is
nomadic. The Indians spend the time
during the day in their canoes and at
night go ashore, wherever they happen to
be, to sleep.
THE principal food OF the Yahgans is
shelliish and birds and small animals.
which they kill with spears or sling shots.
The region in which these Indians live
Is very barren and they are forced to
roam from one place to another in search
of food. In physical appearance the
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-19
Greatest Crop Year

The government estimates that the
value of five crops this year-corn,
wheat, oats, rye and bucNwheat-will
total two billion, seven hundred and
seventy-seven million dollars, which
exceeds the value of the same products
last year by two hundred and fifteen
million dollars.
The hay crop, according to the gov
ernment's final figures, is larger by
$4,000 tons than the November es-
innate made it appear, but it is about
100000 less than the record crop of
last year-72, ,691 90 tons.
The south's cotton crop amounting
to between 13,50O,00O and 100000
bales, is not as large as the 1911 crop,
which was the record breaker, but it's
money value-over billion dollars
exceeds by many millions that of the
crop of two years ago. The year 1913
is indeed year of plenty.
Business through part of the year
has been brisk, and had it not been
for a number of disquieting events on
both hemispheres there would have
been exceptional activity in all
branches of industrial and mercantile
enterprise. AS capital is proverbially
nervous, the suspense over pending
national legislation, to say nothing of
wars and rumors of wars, kept pros
pective investors marking time. But
the revised tariff law is now in effect,
and the banking and currency bill
soon will be.
Some of the prominent bankers have
been worrying a good deal over the
currency measure. Many of them have
been protesting against this or that
feature. But it is generally felt that
the bill when finally voted upon will
be good measure, and all agree that
the moment the bill is passed the
New York banks will "loosen up"
Although capital is timid in times of
depression, when it does get started
it seeks investment in mighty volume
In boom times capital is the very re-
verse of timid. Under favorable con-
ditions it is easy to interest men of
millions or those who control vast cor
porate wealth in any legitimate pro-
ject.
There has been much liquidation in
the business world this year, but it is
now confidently thought among con-
servative financiers and industrial
operators that 1914 will witness a
genuine boom from one end of the
country to the other. And the 1918
crop money will form the foundation
of it.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-19
Fixing the Blame

7 The New York board of claims has
decided that the state is responsible
for the death of 10 persons and the
INJURY of nine others resulting from
the accident to Lee Oldfield's auto
mobile at a fair in Syracuse in Sep
,tember, 1911. Heavy damage claims
ARE pending, and the state must make
settlement. The board finds that the
Istate was negligent in allowing such
n race on an elliptical track. The fair,
1t is to be understood, is a state in
Stitution.
The state is impersonal, and, in a
manner, abstract. Ali its business
must be conducted by agents. Some
persons in authority actually were re-
sponsible for the awful automobile ac-
cident. Are they to be held accounta-
BILE? Not at all. They are able to hide
behind the impalpable.
Guilt is personal-sometimes. 1t is
largely matter Of who is guilty. A
board of claims is enabled to hold the
State of New York responbile for big
indemnities. But grand jury is i'm
potent to fix blame for the loss of half
a score of lives through some ones
criminal negligence.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-19
You shall mark
A Slander Is Laid

I Let all rejoice with exceeding glad
mess that the base canard that three
Ihvell known gentlemen of this vieinage
mere carried from Birmingham to
EBessemer in a taxicab for 40 cents
has been effectually stamped upon.
EThe heel of stern truth has been
splaced resolutely and firmly upon the
meek of the vile slander. 1t is laid, to
hise no more.
1 Now that the smoke of calumny and
fnisrepresentation has cleared away,
the true facts are evolving in their
pristine purity. The three well known
gentlemen hereinbefore referred to
did not ride from Birmingham to Bes-
semer in taxicab for a collective toll
of 40 cents. In fact, they didn't go to
Bessemer at all in a taxicab or in any
other vehicle propelled by gasoline,
steam, electricity, hand power, horse
power or whatnotsoever. They are
right here in Birmingham today, this
hour, this minute, to refute emphati-
cally and dogmatically the blast from
rumors trump that gave them mo-
notary notoriety.
, And just think of the relief that
must have been experienced by the
poor chauffeur when foul SANDER was
chased to its lair and annihilated by
the recital of circumstances. How he
must have suffered the "a hours be-
tween the genesis of the villainous as
persion and its shriveling before rea-
sons bright glare. Ostracised by his
colleagues, looked upon as untrue to
the prime tenets of his profession,
throughout the dark hours of his dis
grace he could only hang his head and
moan "lchabod, the glory of my house
has departed" But again he walks
with head erect, the CLEAN of victory
in his eye, the feeling of outraged in
nocence triumphantly vindicated in his
bosom. Justice has been done, how
ever, tardily.
\ But, after all, he needn't have felt
30 bad. Those who read the original
story thought it wrong, and, as usual,
laid it on the printer. They believed
that the 40 cents was meant for $40.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-19
CARNEGIE GIFT DECLINED

Washington Special to the New York Sun
Andrew Carnegie, who has been spend
ing the day in Washington. calling at the
White House, presiding at the annual
meeting of the Carnegie peace foundation,
talking peace with Secretary Bryan and
later banqueting, told story of his re-
cent gift of a stained glass window to
Dunfermline cathedral, which the recip-
tents could not accept for the historic ed
ifiee.
Several years ago Mr.. Carnegie made up
his mind to give a window as memorial
to his father and mother and deceased
brother and sister to be installed in the
great cathedral He called in the artists
and artisans of the Tiffany studio to
perform the work, and when it was COM
pleted Mr.. Carnegie had the beautiful win
dow shipped across the water to Dun
fermline.
Now the municipal guardians of the an
cient cathedral have refused to accept
the gift.
'They came to me-" said Mr.. Carnegie
'and told me that the Tiffany window
would not do. It was too modern alto
gether for the rest of the building. which
is more than 500 years old. Dunfermline
cathedral was built in 100.
ALREADY they have a beautiful window
filling the whole end of the sanctuary
in which is typifed Queen Margaret, the
patron saint of Scotland, teaching little
children
The memorial window was to fill a
small semi-darkened aperture, but the
Tiffany design was anachronous. 1t die
not embody sacred or historical figures
1T represented the sun shining upon Q
pasture 1t was beautiful but it was toe
beautiful, and it wasn't In the opinion
of the town folks of Dunfermline quite
fitting for the cathedral.
80 | have determined to install the
memorial window in the public library OF
Dunfermline. 1T will be more intimate
and personal a thing to do this. for my
father instituted the first circulating Ii
brary in Dunfermline many years ago.
"He and others of his coworkers in the
weaving mills of my old birthplace got
them together and agreed each to con-
tribute as mary books as they could to
the mutual and cooperative benefit OF
their fellow townsmen. Then they estab-
lished the library in a vacant room of the
mills, and from that it grew and grew un-
til 1t was moved no less than seven times,
and every time to better quarters.
THE Dunfermine library was the first
that [ established My mother laid its
cornerstone, and now when it is about to
be remodeled and enlarged / think
NAV fittinglV transfer the beautiful TIFF
fany window to that place.
1T will have a better even, If a less
historic and sacred setting, but it is
something of a joke on the Tiffany people,
isn't it?"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-19
From the New York sun


VJE e count that day lost in which
NA/ no uplifter of English takes his
" pen In hand or emits a solemn
voice to proclaim and publish the sins of
the newspapers against that language OF
which he is the private watchman. 1t is
happiness as well as a habit to welcome
men:
ITO the Editor of The Sun: Sir-'Astor
Wedding to Take Place in April is cap
ton over a news story in today's Sun.
How, | should like to inquire. can an
event take place at a time? Take place
implies or refers to location does it, not ?
The wedding might take place at Rhine
beck or staatsburg, but it would have to
occur or be held in April.
Newspaper writer's have fallen into p.
habit of using the expression take place
as synonymous with occur and took
place with happened What would
Charles Dana or Horace Greeley have
language?
1.-The use of like for as is also much
abused: as You do like l do.
1T seems to be about time for the
managing editors to add these and some
other common expressions to the tabooed
list. II. w. PERRY.
East Orange, n. j. December II"
What occurs in time will occur in space
on this oblate spheroid and in this en-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-19
Mr.. BurlesOn's Renort

:, Postmaster General Burleson has
submitted an elaborate rport of the
financial operations of his department
for the fiscal year ending June 80
1918, and it shows that the postal
service is now on a self-supporting
basis, there being, in fact, surplus Of
nearly $4,000, ,O00sfor the period.
Mr.. Burleson's complete statement
is not yet at hand, so it is impossible
at this time to know definitely the
ways and means by which recurring
deficit has been turned into surplus
A change in bookkeeping methods has
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-19
TWO DAYS IN ONE

SIom London Tit-Bts.
When does youth become a man? or
rather, when is he invested with the
rights of manhood? If that question were
asked of 100 people, 80 would answer, ION
his 2ist birthday" Yet those SO would
be wrong.
In the eyes of the law person attains
his majority on the day preceding the
2lst anniversary of his birth. Thus
child born in the afternoon or evening OF
January 2, 1893, will become of age In
the early morning of New Years Day,
1914, Immediately after the first stroke
of the hour which rings down the curtain
on the present year.
Some of our divisions of time, when
looked at from lawyers standpoint, re-
veal one or two little peculiarities. For
example, we have been taught from
childhood that a leap year consists OF
36e days. The law, however, says this is
not so. year, no matter what kind,
always consists of 800 days, and no more
Then, it may be asked, how does the law
deal with February rs? The answer is that
on one day q. e., February 2S) In every
four years the sun rises and sets twice.
or, in other words, the 29th is merged into
the 2sth, and they together form one lons
day of As hours
A lunar month, as everybody knows,
consists of % years, and there are 10 of
such months in year, whilst in a calen-
dar month there may be 2S, 80 or 81 days,
and 12 of them taken consecutiyely of
course) comprise a year.
Prior to 1850 a month was always a
period of % days, unless 1t was clear that
a calendar month was intended. But now,
if the word occurs in hny act of Parlia-
ment passed since that year. 1t means a
calendar month, and the word has the
same meaning in all judgments and or
ders made by the courts, and also in
bills of exchange. -promisory notes and
contracts for the sale of goods. Yet III
other matters the old Interpretation still
holds good, and if lease is granted for
a period of u months it will expire in IS
weeks. IT, however, it be granted for "a
wtelvemonth," in the singular number, 1t
will be supposed that year was intend
ed, and the document will be interpreted
accordingly.
A day is a period of "a hours, from
midnight to midnight, and usually any act
which must be performed on a certain day
may be done at any time during these
"a hours Thus, If sum of money be
due from you, to be paid on December 81,
the obligation is discharged If you tender
the money on that date any time before
IL o'clock at night. OF course, if the
sum is due on a bill of exchange. the
three days of grace are added to the pc
riod mentioned before the money can be
demanded.
If, however. the money due is for rent
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-19
Getting Points from Birmingham

AS an evidence that Birmingham and
Birmingham institutions are being OBJ
served and copied, comes a letter from
j. H. McManus, secretary of the Jack
sonyille Retail Furniture Dealers asso-
citation, addressed to w. r. Rawson,
president of the Birmingham Retail
Furniture Dealers association. In his
letter Mr.. McManus asks that Mr., Raw
son send him copy of the constitu-
tion and bylaws of the local organlza-
ton, from which it is intended to frame
the laws of a similar institution to be
founded in Florida.
The letter is as follows:
"Dear Sir: At the suggestion of Mr..
L. A. Reinert, treasurer of the National
Home Furnishers association, 1 am
writing you to secure a copy of the
constitution and bylaws of the Bir-
mingham Furniture Dealers associa-
tion.
I'VE contemplate forming a state or
ganization of furniture dealers and will
appreciate any advice and suggestion
concerning successful methods of oper-
alton you may be able to furnish us.
"Our next monthly meeting is on the
18th of this month so an early reply
will assist us greatly"
The information desired by Mr. Nc
Manus was sent to him.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-19
An EARLY SHOPPING TRAGEDY


BY Robert Love- in the New York sun.
The chorus sang, Shop eariy?-9twas the
chorus of acclaim
That seeks to rescue Christmas from
shocking shopping shame.
From every side we heard it, and we read
ii in the press;
The bilboards ALSO haunted it-'twas
everywhere ! guess.
Miss Alice -amarantha Ann De Bluster-
burg began
December l TO get immersed in the early
shopping plan.
She came downtown at S o'clock within
her limousine
And in her purse she carried rolls of long
and lovely green.
From to she shopped and shopped. but
didn't buy-not yet,
Because she didn't know for sure exactly
what TO get
For Agnes, Arabella, Adriana and the
rest;
SO home she had her chauffeur drive. ex-
claiming, what pest.'
Miss Alice Amarantha Ann came down
again next day.
From shop to shop she shopped and
shopped in quite the selfsame way.
AS yet she couldn't quite decide, just what
to get for Tad,
For Tim, for Tom, and home She hied
at shopping shocking mad.
Thus every day Miss A. A. A. and so
forth shopped and shopped;
And every day the wornout girls behind
their counters dropped;
And every eve, till Christmas Eve, she
kept on shopping early
(But never buying anything). till she was
crazy, nearly.
On Christmas Eve she came at noon, she
had to have a rest;
She rushed about from shop to shop in
fierce and frantic quest;
But everything she wanted had been pur-
chased by the others
Who had to act as Santa Claus for pa
rents, sisters, brothers.
Miss Alice Amarantha Ann De Buster
burg was SO
Fatigued with early shopping that She
could no longer go
From shop to shop; she had to drop upon
rest room bed
And swoon-oh, shamei-but when she
came unto herself, she said:
For 20 days I've early shopped as hard
as l could do it,
To help these shopworn shopgirls out:
I've simply buckied to it:
And now that I've decided what | really
want to buy,
These horrid shops have nothing left! Oh,
my! Oh. me! oh my!"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-19
SOIL POISONS
SOIL IOlSON3
From the New York Times.

From the New York Times
Pofsons excreted by past crops and
left behind in the soil to depress the
growth of succeeding crops of the same
kind have been reported, and believed in
by agricultural experts. Their theory is
disproved by work conducted at the
great Rothomsted experimental station
in England, and presented in the trans
actions of the Royal Society of London by
Alfred ID. Hall, f. r. S., and his as
sistants Winfred e. Brenchley and Lii
lian Marion Underwood Their research
yielded mo evidence of the existence in
soils on which particular plant had been
growing fof 60 years and upward of a
soluble toxin having depressing effect
upon the growth of that plant"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-19

held. Even if an admission fee were
charged there would be nothing short
of a capacity house. By the way,
would it not be good idea to charge
a dollar and divide the proceeds be-
tween certain worthy philanthropie
institutions. At any rate, people
eager for excitement will await i'm
patiently for details.