davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-15
AN UNKNOWN PRESIDENT
the Philadelphia Times.

From the Philadelphia Times.
 There is one highly civilized country in which not one person in four cou,d give their rulers name.
 That country is Switzerland. Switzer- land has just had a new President, but his appointment has passed practically unnoticed, even in Switzerland itself
 One reason why the President is al most unknown either by name or by sight is that he is not public figure at all. He has no privileges as President and no official uniform--not even of the army.
 Switzerland has fresh President every year. He has no personal author ity as President, and is practically only the speaker of Switzerland's unassum- ing little Parliament
 It is recorded that at a meeting of Swiss business men no one could re- call the name of the President. The waiter was asked He happened to know, because the President was his uncle His name is Arthur Hoffman.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-15
Success and Obligation

With success comes obligation. The more successful a man is the more he owes to his fellows and the more sue cessful a city is the more it owes to its citizens.
 Birmingham has builded furnaces and skyscrapers and factories, school houses and churches and now faces another and newer obligation. It must furnish the people who builded these things that have made for her sue cess an adequate library. The others came first, as they should; but because the library has been neglected, comparatively speak ing, this long does not mean it can be neglected much longer. Arguments as to why Birmingham needs a much larger and better library system than it now has are superfluous. Every worthy citizen knows the truth if he will risk being honest with himself. Under the new library director there has been much improvement of the system. Now the time for general and generous aid is approaching. The peo- pie should give the library director their financial support. He can do many things, no doubt, but he cant enlarge and perfect library entirely out of enthusiasm.
 He who said comparisons are odious said alright, but he didn't say quite enough. He should have added they are odious to people who are wont to dodge responsibility. At least here are some of that class; to the man who wants to dodge they will be odious, tP the man who wants to help they will be invigorating.
 Number of books in public libraries per 100 population: Memphis, 606.
 Nashville, 49.6.
 Atlanta, $40.
 Birmingham, 16.6.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-15
THE SHREWD ADVERTISER
From Leslie's Weekly.

From LeSlle s weekly.
 Advertising. The thoughtful man thinks ahead The prudent man profits by his ability to forecast the future as well as to scrutinize the present One of the most prominent advertisers in the country says he makes it a rule to in crease his advertising appropriation whenever business slackens, and he dou- bles and trebles it in times of severe business depression. This is his logical conclusion: The new customers that I get when times are hard l always keep when times become good. They come to me largely from those who lose them because they fail to continue their pub licity campaigns. A business depression in this country never lasts long, and it is always seed time for me. The har- vest follows when prosperity returns" It is a wise man who knows his own business better than the other man does.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-15
\ Live Town

"A visitor with no previous knowledge of Birmingham would have set it down as live town when he saw the vast crowd at the opening game of the baseball sea- son." said John w. Terrell of Pittsburg.
 While I had heard a great deal of this 'Pittsburg of the Soutb,' and knew some thing of it's phenomenal growth, I am here for the first time. The city makes a handsome appearance, and when I saw the immense turnout at the baseball park I knew that the citizenship was keen for the national game. Wherever fandom is wide awake, as it is here, then we may expect to see a city that does things 1 am not a full fledged fan exactly but appreciate the value of baseball en- thusiasm. The baseball spirit undoubt- edly helps citys reputation"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-15
CARRIES EIGHT WATCHES

From the Chicago Examiner.
 pr. Andrew Deyo, a guest at the Hotel Alexandria in Los Angeles, Cal, has an unusual hobby. It is watches.
 pr. Deyo is not in the watch business, but he carries with him wherever he goes eight of the oldest watches ever seen in one collection.
 He has:
 A buttonhole watch, one-fourth Of an inch in diameter.
 A triangular watch, the hands of which jump back for afresh start every hour.
 A watch that is never wound, but is kept going by the motion of the body.
 A watch that opens like camera shut ter to tell the time.
 day watch four inches in diameter. A night watch seven and a half inches in diameter that weighs TWO pounds.
 A hammer watch and others for vari- ous occasions.
 pr. Deyo treats them like he might family of children.
 If I had one more I'd have to carry a mechanician around with me- he says.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-15
WORLDS FLYING SHIPS

London.-Interesting statistics are con tained fin a white paper, which gives return of the fieest of Great Britain, France. Russia, Germany. the United States, Italy, Austria Hungary and Japan as on January 1, 1914. Quitting battle ships, battle cruisers and cruisers over 20 years old from the date of launch, the particulars reveal remarkable progress by foreign fleets.
 The following tables are taken from the nominal tables prefacing each class of vessels:
 Battleships Built-Great Britain. 5S; France. 2l. Russia. S. Germany, S6; Italy, g; Austria Hungary IA: United States, So; Japan. r. Building-Great Britain, H.; France, 10; Russia. :; Germany. s: Italy, 5; Austria Hungary, 2; United States, 6; Japan. ?.
 Coast Defense Vessels, Built-United States. 10.
 Battle Cruisers Built-Great Britain, &; for naval service of Dominion govern ments (Australia), 1; Germany, A. Japan, 1. Building-Great Britain, l. Russia, 4; Germany. 3; Japan, B.
 Cruisers Built-Great Britain, 46; for naval defense of Dominion governments (Canada1, l. France, 24; Russia, 12 Ger many g. Italy, 3; Austria Hungary, 7; United States r; Japan, 15. Building Nil. The term cruiser is used to desig- nate all vessels previously classified In the return as armored cruisers and pro- tected cruisers first classs).
 Light Cruisers, Built-Great Britain, oo; for naval service of Dominion govern- ments (Australia). 4; Canada. l. France, s; Russia. 2; Germany, 43; Italy, 14; Aus tria-Hungary, 9; United States, IS; Japan, 1s. Buildlng-Great Britain, 19; for naval service of Dominion governments tAus- tralia), 1; Russia, 8; Germany, 6; Italy, 4; Austria Hungary, g.
 Particulars are also given of the relative strength in destroyers and submarines. Submarines are: Britain, 60 built, ~ Britain has 19s destroyers built and Ger many 133.
 In addition to these ships Great Britain possesses 36 new type torpedo boats com pleted between 1906 and 1909
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-15
LUKE M,LUKE SAYS

From the Cincinnati Enquirer
 The difference between men and eggs is that eggs never get too fresh
 Morals are like corsets. If they are too loose you might as we'll not wear them. If they are too tight they hinder development.
 Most people cast , cents worth of stale bread on the waters and expect a six-course dinner to be returned to them
 If you can't get into the house at a. m. without your wife hearing you you won't get in without hearing her.
 princess believes that every man she sees on the street would be glad to marry her if he had a chance.
 Success in life and at poker may de- pend great deal on the way a man is raised
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-15
WHEN THE HORSE IS GONE

Dr. P. G. Heinemann, in the Popular
 Science Monthly.
 The probable benefits that will result from the increased use of automobiles and auto trucks may be summed up as fol- lows: Q) With the universal construction of smooth and non-absorbent roads ana the use of oil instead of water for sprink- ling, the quantity of dust in the air will be reduced. AS a consequence number of diseases which are frequently trans mitted by dust will be decreased and storm waters will be more easily cared for @ The horse will gradually disappear from our streets With it the number of house flies and stable flies will be diminished, human lives will be saved and much add ed to health and comfort. Contact infec- tions of those engaged in the care of horses will also become rare. At the same time out-of-door life and enjoyment will be encouraged and thus further con tribution to the betterment of human con- ditions brought about
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-15
Queen Eleanor's Visit

Queen Eleanor of Bulgaria will visit Che United States in May next and her personal representative is already in this country making preparations for the royal itinerary.
 Her majesty is the second wife of Ferdinand, whose correct title IS Car, and before her marriage was prin- cess of Reuss-K Kostritz. Ferdinand IS the grandson of Louis Philippe, King of the French, and cannot accompany his wife upon her visit to America from the fact that the constitution ot Bulgaria requires that it's ruler must always remain in the country. The Queen comes to the United States to study our hospital system and the methods of the Red Cross society.
 While the late Edward VII of Eng land visited this country when he was Prince of Wales, Eleanor will be the first Czarina or Queen-the first soV- ereign-to become guest of the United States. Her sex, her royal posi- tion and the object of her mission will unquestionably surround her visit with unprecedented eclat and society will exert itself to render her tribute mingled with genuine American hos pitality. It is accepted that she will be a guest of the chief executive in Washington and the White House will thus add another brilliant feature to its cluster of historic associations.
 Eleanor has ever been royal name conspicuous in history. Eleanor of France, Eleanor of Provence and Eleanor of Touraine are shining lights in the annals of the past, while the memory of the "dear queen" whose funeral entourage was marked by the Charing crosses, several of which are still standing, is associated with love and tenderness.
 Thus it is that the quest of royal woman in foreign lands for the means of alleviatine the suffering and the sick endears her to the heart of American womanhood and commands the favors of American chivalry to an extent that will render her visit to the United States a tour of triumph, an outpouring of hospitality, red letter day in a royal memory and an episode in the history of this republic.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-15

hatpin that is too long can easily have it shortened by a jeweler in minute or two, yet what woman ever thinks of taking such a precaution? There are also guards made that can be placed on the point of hatpin with out in any way detracting from it's usefulness or it's swagger appearance. These precautions have been mildly suggested to women quite number of times, but, alas, they merely toss their heads and disfigure another vic tim. The only solution is for men to wear goggles and face armor.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-15
GoLDwrN SMITHS STYLE

James Bryce in the North American
 Review.
 He was one of four men who may be deemed to have been in his time the chief masters of English prose- Two of them everybody will place in the front rank. I mean John Henry New man and John Ruslxin. A third is less known, because he wrote on subjects that do not attract the general public, but those who have studied the col lected essays of F. W. H. Myers. a poet who wrote so little that he is almost forgotten except by those who read him when he and they were under 30, will probably agree with the view that no richer and more melodious prose has been produced in our time. The su- preme merit of Goldwin Smiths writ ing Is the union of clearness. strength and brevity. Its weakness lies not in the dction, for that is hardly to be surpassed. but in the fact that In his articles or books the argument does not march. Each, be it book or ar ticle is not so much a connected whole as a series of splendid paragraphs.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-15
LEAR,s FIRST "LIMERICK S.
m the Pail Mall Gazette.

From the Pall Mall Gazette.
 Edward Lear, who died 26 years ago, first composed "limericks" for the amusement of the children of the thir- teenth Earl of Derby. This gave rise to kind of Baconian controversy, be- cause popular report attributed the au- thorship of the verses to Lord Derby. Lear has himself related how he dis comfited an old gentleman who in- sisted that the originator of ''limericks" was Lord Derby, the name Lear" being merely "Earl'' transposed. and that there was mo such person at all, as Edward Lear But the author of the Book of Nonsense found some diffi- cu1ty in proving his own personal ex- istence.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-15
The Hatpin Menace

So much has been written of the dangerous hatpin, some aspiring solons even going so far as to sug- gest that the length of a woman's hatpin should be regulated by law, that the average man in crowd is apt to be on the lookout for it's point. If he doesn't keep his wits about him he is quite likely to pay the penalty for his inattention by having his face scratched or an eye permanently in- jured.
 The average woman calmly ignores the protests that are made, chiefly in the newspapers, against her hatpin. The longer it is, in most cases, the better she seems to be satisfied, re- gardless of the helpless man whom she may impale. On trolley cars that are usually well filled in cities the hatpin becomes doubly dangerous. If q man is so fortunate as to get seat, the chances are that woman will be sitting by him with hatpin 12 inches or more in length stuck through her hat. Every time she turns her head he is in imminent peril of losing ar eye.
 To have a feather thrust into ones mouth and eyes just because he hap pens to be in crowd of women whose hats are thus adorned is quite bae enough and has been known to make ordinarily peaceful men wax com bative, but mere feather or plume is harmless. The deadly hatpin is an other matter.
 4 woman who happens to possess
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-15
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
Pro.nerou. Farmers

''fhe farmers of the south, as far as my observation goes. are more prosperous now than they have ever been," said w. s. Kitrell of St Paul.
 During the past 10 years I have made three trips through the south. and recent ly l have been struck with the marked progress in agriculture. Arkansas and Alabama seem to be particularly prosper ous. l have not been in Georgia for two or three years. but suppose that state is enjoying about the same degree of prosperity that is in evidence in this and other southern states. No part of the union has greater future than the south
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-15
"MOTHER OF SENATOR'S
From the Montgomery Advertiser.

From the Montgomery AuVertlSer.
 If Virginia may be known as the Moth- CT of Presidents thinks the Mobile Reg ister, then Mississippi should go down in history as the Mother of Senators, for with the advent of Senator White of Alabama there will be seven Mississip- plans sitting as senators. John Sharp N llliams and James K. Vardaman are the senatorial incumbents of Mississippi: Chamberlain of Oregon is Missssippian, as are Gore of Oklahoma, Newlands of Nevada and Bailey of Texas. Of course, Bailey is not now senator, but he left the Senate so recently that he may be counted Frank s. White of Alabama is a native of Mississippi; in fact, he remained in that state long enough to serve a term in the state legislature.
 However Mississippi is not the birth place of all of these gentlemen. Varda- man was born in Jackson county, Texas, and Williams was born in Memphis
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-15
sUFFRAGIsTs IN DEPARTMENTS

From the Washington Star.
 It is cheering to the woman employees of the executive departments in Wash ington who wish to take part in the suffrage demonstration in May that the civil service commission has authorized statement that the commission knows of no regulation or order which will prevent them from marching in the suffrage demonstration planned for May g." Secretaries Lane, Garrison and Wilson have expressed themselves as feeling no objection to the women of their departments joining suffrage clubs or marching in the woman suf- frage parade. Certainly no objection will be raised by the heads of any other departments in Washington to women in the government service talk ing part in the demonstration or spec tacle if their sentiments incline that way. The presence of these women will make the procession more attrac- tive, and impressive.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-15
Regarding Music Festivals

Last fall after the people voted over whelmingly in favor of an auditorium bond issue it was expected that work on the building would be started before the end of the year. and that the structure would be far enough advanced to make it available for a music festival in May or June of this year." said an old citizen who has always been ready to aid festivals financially. But plans for breaking ground are still in the future, although the outlook for an early start on the building is bright. It is believed in Chamber of Commerce circles that Bir- mingham will have an auditorium by May or June of next year. I think most people are agreed that 0O,0Oo-which was the amount voted-would not be sufficient to pay for a site and an adequate building. It was thought at the time the vote was taken that the city would offer a site in one of the parks, but since that is not to be done, a site will have to be provided in some other way A fireproof audi torium or convention hall with a seating capacity of TOGO or 5000 can be built for s200, 900, and I suppose that some arrange ment can be made for securing a site on long time lease which the city could well afford to sign
 "If we have the auditorium next year it should be opened by grand music fes- tival of several night performances and one or two matinees. As has been sug- gested before, such a festival could be made a great success both financially and musically, if all the cities of the state were invited to send their best choirs to participate in vast united chorus. We should have a chorus of 1000 or more. for two or three stirring numbers, to say nothing of several famous vocal stars,
 Tn the meantime all music lovers will be glad to see a festival this coming May with a chorus of 17O. which has been re- hearsing Dubois dramatic oratorio. Par adise Lost under the baton of Renzi Thomas. I understand that the manager of the St. Louis orchestra will arrive in Birmingham Thursday of this week for the purpose of arranging details for the appearance of his excellent organiza- ton in connection with the Paradise Lost
 chorus Should this festival receive cor
 dial public support. then one on a man.
 moth scale in the new auditorium year hence would be assured. There is no reason why Birmingham should not be- come a great musical center-the greatest 1 in the south. In order to put this city
 well in the front snusically. We should 1 have a big oratorio and symphony affair
 in the spring and grand opera festival | in the fall. But 1t has not been possible to do anything on a huge scale because as the lack of a large auditorium
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-15
TOMORROw-TRIAL OF LORD LOvAT

be an enterprise of serious and worthy people who are convinced that the ''slink- CT slouch' and similar manerisms are dragging the world into eternal degrada- ton. Therefore the people in it must be reformed.
 From birth to death-from eugenics to funeral sermon, person making his way through life is now the raw material of reform. Politics. business, religion, mor- als, manners, clothes and conversation must be operated on by censorious Com stocks. who pass a law prohibiting some thing or form a league for the promotion of something else. The Order of Minders of Other Peoples Business seems to be growing daily. It should be reformed by League to Encourage the Mindng of Ones Own Business
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-15
BOYS ADRIFT IN ROwBOAT

From the Mobile Item.
 George A. Purcell and Deas Sossaman. IS and IS years of age, respectively, were picked up by the tug Gertrude, Captain Steiner. in an open rowboat two miles below the N. O. NJ. & c. dock Sunday night about g o'clock in an exhausted condition.
 The two boys left Mobile Sunday morn- ing shortly after 8 o'clock and rowed to Montrose, in spite of the small craft warning that had been issued. They left Montrose in the afternoon to row back to the city, but strong north wind sprang up, against which they could make no progress. They had rowed until thor oughly exhausted, when they gave up all hope of getting back to land.
 The tug was towing a vessel up the channel when the shouts of the boys were heard. They were landed at Mobile about 10 o'clock.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-15
WOMAN SHOWED SIXTH SENSE

From the London Times.
 A medical correspondent has had brought to his notice the remarkable case of a woman possessing an extra ordinary sixth sense in regard to spiders. She could, the writer records, detect the presence of spider in any room she happened to be living in with out having seen the insect or without having any reason to suppose that 1t was there. The discovery was accom- panied by violent sickness, malaise, and even debility. but all this passed away on the spider being caught and re- moved from the room.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-15
GETTING DOWN TO REALITY

From the Chicago News.
 A laborer had recently taken to so- cialism. A friend met the man and the following conversation took place:
 Now, Mike if you had two brick houses. would you be willing to give me one of them?" asked his friend.
 'I would" said Mike.
 And if you had two automobiles, would you give me one?"
 An sure I would"
 And if you had two cows, would you give one to me?"
 "Begorra. I would that"
 "And if you had two goats, would you give me one of them?" asked Mikes friend But he had no sooner put the question than Mike came back at him with:
 T would not. You know have two goats"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-15
The BIackfriars Thursday

We are looking forward to a great treat lThursday night when the Black friars of the University of Alabama will present at the Jefferson theatre the popu- lar comedy, She Stoops to Conquer for the benefit of the United Daughters of the Confederacy," said Chappell Cory.
 ''The university alumni here are natural ly taking a lively interest in the forth coming performance, and there is every reason to think that the Blaekfriars will he greeted by large audience.'s