davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-21
IN HOTEL LOBBIES


There has been steady Improvement in
business conditions since November 1,
and while it has not been as general as
semo of us hoped 1t would be, nor as
marked, 1t has been substantial said
r. c. Hindeman of St Louis, who has in
vestments in several states.
Il have no doubt but that the decision
of the interstate commerce commission
authorizing the eastern railroads to adj
vance their freight rates, will be felt for
good in far-reaching way. 1t should
certainly put the railroads in a better
position for improving their properties
New equipment is badly needed, and as
soon as the railroads come into the
market for rails and rolling stotck the
non and steel industry will be benefited
OF a large scale.
All the business men with whom L
have talked express the opinion that PROS
perity will be very much in evidence by
February l.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-21
Another Great Wheat Crop

One wheat crop is hardly harvested
before the government begins report
ing on the next. This years winter
wheat crop was the largest ever pro-
duced and, weather conditions permit
ting, the crop now in the ground will
be even larger There is a consider
ably increased acreage and some of
this increase is due to the fact that
the south has sown more winter wheat
than usual.
Here in Alabama there has been so
little wheat raised in recent years
that the crop was almost negligible
in official estimates, but it will be
different from now on. Many cot
ton farmer sowed wheat last month
for next years harvest who had never
before attempted to raise this grain
as money crop. In long years gone
back Alabama produced large wheat
crops, but cotton was allowed to push
grain aside and almost supplant it
entirely.
Less cotton and more grain and
more live stock is now the slogan
throughout the south and the south
will be all the better for it.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-21
A Pretty HOwdy-DO

At time when there is a dearth of
hazing stories in the newspapers de-
scribing the more or less brutal esca-
pades of college boys, girl hazers at
Perdue university are reported to have
treated Perdue coed with such sever
ity that she has brought suit against
seven of the mischievous misses. The
victim declares that she is now a
nervous wreck and physical weak
ling. Even at this distance we seem
to hear the buzz of gossip regarding
this affair at the celebrated alma
mater of George AIDE.
According to the statement of the
girl who was hazed she couldn't have
been treated worse if she had been
the most bumptious of freshmen be-
ing stoned down" by party of upper
classmen. She says the seven defend
ants entered her room, stuck pins into
her, painted her face with ink, dis
robed her and threw her into bath
tub filled with cold water. All this
took place in the girls dormitory at
Perdue.
Evidently the impression that haz-
ing as done by girl students is as
mild as milk" is erroneous, if the
Perdue episode is a fair sample.
Every now and then hazing seems to
break out afresh at Annapolis and
West Point, despite the efforts of au-
thorities to keep it down, but even in
these institutions, while there is
doubtless still great deal of petty
tyranny among upper classmen who
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-21
New Postoffice puilding

Birmingham is to have a very large
and very handsome new postoffice, and
oelleVe that ground will be broken for
1t earlier than had been thought some
months ago. said member of the Cham
Der of Commerce.
Senator White seems confident that
the treasury department would expedite
plans If a great deal of pressure were
brought to bear. A committee has been
annointed nv tho Cha nohar Of Cor,,,,a,oa
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-21
Faith in Eafherland

Next to picking a redbug with a box
Ing glove, about the hardest thing to do
that ] ever ran across, is to find a Ger
man who does not firmly believe that Ger
many and her allies will finally overpower
her foes and emerge from the present con-
fiict practically the ruler of Europe is
an observation made by Angus A. AGREE
of the Elmwood nurseries and green
houses
vi course 1t is perfectly natural for
Germans to talk that way in the pres
ence of others, and especially Americans,
but their belief is real and is almost a re-
Egion. No amount of argument will cause
them to change their minds even in the
slightest degree or even to make the
slightest concession to the contrary.
AT our nurseries, nearly all the nur-
serymen and florists are Germans, and the
war is always the vital topic of the day.
EVERY man of them is Thoroughly informed
on the occurrences of the war. They do
not depend entirely on the daily press for
their information. for they are constant
ly receiving German papers both from
American cities and abroad, as well as
occasional letters from the fatherland.
TT is a peculiar thing, though, that
those at the nursery rarely ever have
anything detrimental to say of the enemy.
In fact, they hardly ever refer to them
III any way, except, of course, incident
ally. They are too engrossed in extolling
the merits and the prowess of Germany
and the German war forces
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-21
A Day for Oratory

Tomorrow the House of Representa-
tives will consider the measure for
submitting the constitutional amend
ment proposition to the state legis-
latures providing for nationwide pro-
hibition.
Chairman Henry of the rules COM
mittee, while opposed to national pro-
hibition, was right in agreeing to al
low the matter to be debated and
voted upon. Oscar w. Underwood was
in favor of allowing the House to vote
on prohibition, although he himself
would vote "no;" "but there are" he
said, "a large number of persons in the
United States who demand a vote on
this question of national prohibition,
and it is expressly the policy of the
democratic party never to withhold a
vote on any great question when there
is considerable demand for it."
Richmond Pearson Hobson of Ala
bama offered the nationwide resolu-
ton, and of course he will lead the
fight for the cause he espouses ardent
ly if not always wisely. Eight hours
will be allowed for discussion on the
floor of the House and no matter who
else may speak Congressman Hobson
will doubtless surpass the others in
declamatory eloquence. He is an
impassioned orator and is espe-
cially at home when warning this
country against the so-called yellow
peril or against the rum demon"
Hobsons prohibition speeches have
been so numerous during the last six
or seven years that he often repeats
himself. No orator, not even Henry
Ward Beecher or a William Jennings
Bryan, can speak frequently and be
always fresh. And the more voluble
the orator the greater his limitations.
But Congressman Hobson will be on
his mettle Tuesday and will probably
prepare new Grafton on the beauties
of prohibition.
1t will be red letter day for Hob
son. But the nationwide measure will
be defeated by very decisive vote.
Even if such measure could get the
necessary two-thirds vote in the House
it would never get through the Senate.
There are several prohibition states in
the union and vast areas of "dry" ter
ritory, but the country is not ready,
and probably never will be, for putting
prohibition in the constitution of the
United States. The best American
craftsmanship is emphatically against
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-21

Henry Clews, in his Saturday review,
says in part:
"One effect of the interstate commerce
commissions decision will be to create a
more hopeful feeling in the steel indus
try of which the railroads are the best
customers; and it may be hoped that their
action will avert the proposed reduc-
ton of wages in that industry. The effect
upon the stock market was naturally en-
couraging, although some caution was OBJ
served until the results could be more
definitely measured. The decision will
also have a stimulating effect upon bust
ness in general and will aid to counter
act the depressing influences of the war.
Beyond question the war is still the
dominating influence in this market. An
early end OF the colossal struggle would
cause a. sharp rise in security values;
and conversely prolongation of the war
beyond what is anticipated will be de-
pressing. But, since the worst has been
largely discounted, the effect of disaster
uron values would not be so pronounced
as the approach of peace, which some
think is nearer than generally supposed.
From Washington, which for the past
two years has been such depressing fac
tor in the stock market, the advices are
more encouraging. A very decided change
has taken place in the attitude toward big
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-21
As To Political stra,,s

In reading the Age-Herald | was sur
prlsed to find that the lawyers of the
country who answered the questions pro-
posed by New Orleans journal as their
choice for President in 1916-several thou
sand responded-Mr. Lane of California,
Secretary of the Interior, in the demo-
cratic column, got a larger vote than
President Wilson, and that in the re-
publican column Associate Justice Hughes
ran far ahead of Myron Herrick," said
Samuel j. Enright of Milwaukee, II voted
for Mr.. Wilson in 1912 and expect to
vote for him again in 1915. / think he has
made great President. Still / realize the
uncertainty of politics, and it may be
that some good democrat other than Will
son may head the ticket next time
Were I to make a guess at the re-
publican ticket l would say Herrick would
be the standard-bearer. He would be
my first CHOICE. and Justice Hughes my
second"
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-21

From the Cincinnati Enquirer.
The fellow who has time to brag that
this is pllllon dollar county is the
same lad who touches you for a ollar
ter.
The happy marriages are those in
which each of the contracting parties
realizes that the other is merely a hu-
man being and then settles down and
tries to make the best of things
You can always make an enemy out
of man by calling his bluff.
Judging from the way the divorces
are porting through the hoppers, some
men and some women would like to
get partners as they buy their socks
and UNDERGRADUATES to wear for
three months or you get new ones.
We have self-rocking cradles, self
sufficient children and self-amusins
husbands But there are no self-sup-
porting wives.
girl spends 10 years learning music
so she can forget it when she gets mar
ried.
A man who has no salaries to pay is
always in favor of raising them
The way things are running now, it
won't be long until parents will be sent
to bed without their suppers because
| they talked back to their children.
Most of are willing to say moth
ing If the other fellows will saw the
wood.
When bride has been married for
10 days she begins figuring on how she
will celebrate her silver wedding and
just who she will invite.
A dollar is a dollar. But, somehow or
other, the dollar that you earn by hard
work does you more good than the dol
lar you regard as easy money.
He may wear a greasy hat, and the
seat of his pants may be shiny, but If
q mans children have their noses flat
tened against the window pane halt
hour before he is due home to supper
you can trust him with anything you
have. He is all right
A woman believes that there is some
thing crooked about a woman who can
keep secret.
Mother always wants to go along
with father when father is going to
have his picture taken because mother
knows that If father went alone he
would have the picture taken in pose
that would make him look like he was
drunk and dressed up.
You can't make an old fashioned man
understand why you should not use the
same knife and fork all through a
three-course dinner when there is plen-
, ty of bread to wipe the knife on be-
tween courses.
A man can figure where he might have
| improved himself by marrying some
other woman. But he is certain that his
| wife couldn't have done any better, and
| was lucky to land him.
A grocery mans children can get to<
fresh. But it is different with his eggs
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-21
"THE DITCH

From the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Some of those vivacious French SOL
diers are publishing a magazine in the
trenches. 1t is called "The Ditch" and
has no fixed day of publication. The
terms are strictly cash in advance,
owing to the uncertainties of maintain
ing a subscription list.
What happens when a bit of shrapnel
pts the editorial page isn't explained.
Probably it's the usual thing with space
limitations.
Here are Few characteristic person.
alities which might be cu1led at ram
dom from its pages:
"One of the Shell brothers dropped
into the sanctum yesterday
We've had to hire a new foreman.
The old one got ratified and lost his
head.
"a gang of angry Bavarans made a
hurry call on us yesterday. They wanted
to lick the editor and everybody else.
1t was sometime before we could drive
EN- away.
This is getting to be a rough neigh
borhood Jean La Tour. one of our best
compositors. stepped outside the COM
posing room a day or two ago and an
unknown miscreant shot him through
the Petit Journal which he had care
lessly thust in the breast pocket of his
blouse. 1t is believed to have been the
work of some foreigners who have been
hiding in subway across the field.
After this the Ditch staff will go
armed.
shall foreigners be permitted to in
terfere with our day of publication?
Nous verrons."
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-21
X

AN ARLINGTON, December 20.-fSpe-
IA! cial.)-It's long, long way to
the first Monday in December,
1916, at which time the next House of
Representatives will be organized, accept
ing, of course, the theory that there is
to be no extra session, nevertheless am
bilious leaders and would-be leaders in
the democratic party in the House are
mobilizing for the conflict to capture the
coveted honor of stepping into the shoes
Of Oscar Underwood as chairman of the
ways and means and House leader
The Hon. Claud Kitchen of North Caro-
lima is the real heir apparent to the man
tie of the present House leader. Mr.
Kitchen Is in line through long service
on the ways and means committee to sue
coed Mr.. Underwood, but he is not going
to be permitted to walk off with the bacon
without a contest, or at least a Skin
ntish. There are others in the House WHO
freely admit that they possess all the
qualifications of real, honest-to-g goodness
leadership and there is not the slightest
disposition just at this time to conceal
their lights under bushel, though in
some instances 1t is limited that a pint
cup would answer all purposes for the
total eclipse of some of the aforemen-
toned lights Still such utterances as this
must be discounted Not single candi-
date for these honors could be entirely
concealed in pint cup-honest.
Besides Mr.. Kitchen there is the Hon.
Swager Shirley of Kentucky and the
Hon. FINS j. Garrett of Tennessee, to
say nothing, if one is permitted to say
nothing, of the Hon. Bob Henry of Texas,
who we might say in passing will say
plenty himself Theer are movements
by the friends of all these well-known
and able, representatives of the ..plain
peepul' to place to the best advantage
before the membership of the next House
and the country their special fitness for
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-21
SUCCEEDING MR.. UNDERWOOD


the place Of the big noise of the ma
jority.
Fortunately for the next leader. it is
pointed out most of the democratic legis-
lation of great reform has been put upon
the statute books. although there will be
other work of some magnitude to be car
red out. Also unfortunately for said lead
err, the majority of the party in the next
House will not be as great as in the pres
ent House, and he will not have at his
back the great compact steam roller which
Mr.. Underwood so slxillfully handled.
Newspaper writers from Washington, an
alyzing the men one of whom must IL
the nature of things become the leade-
are in many instances gloomy in their
forecasts. and comparisons between them
and Alabama's senator-elect, who will va
cate after March 4 next. However, while
Mr.. Underwood possesses to a marvellous
degree the qualities of leadership, being
equipped with patience. courage and sound
judgment, and besides a winning personal
ity, still it is unfair to the man who will
succeed him to condemn him in advance
and to make his burden greater by p.
dieting failure before he has been put to
the test.
Men frequently rise to the occasion, and
become equal to any emergency by SIM
ply being given the opportunity. On oe-
casons free from responsibility they may
flop around like a nightshirt on clothes
line harrassed by a Kansas cycle, but
with the weight of leadership pressing
upon them they may be considerably
sobered. We predict that the House will
put forward a man who will have some
surprises for the critics. He will have to
hustle not to rattle like a buckshot in
lard can in Mr.. Underwood's seat, and
in this situation he will be unfortunate.
but he will be impressed with the size of
his job and try to live up to it, and when
man big enough to have accomplished
what any of these gentlemen have accom-
plished tries to fill the bill he'll give a
pretty fair imitation of doing so.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-21
THE COMING SINGER

George Sterling. Beyond the Breakers,
and Other Poems"
The veil before the mystery of things
Shall stir for him with iris and with
light;
Chaos shall have no terror in his sight
Nor earth a bond to chafe his urgent
wings
With sandals beaten from the crowns OF
kings
Shall he tread down the affairs of their
night.
Boston said of modern American letters:
height
To hear what song the star of morning
sings.
With persisted beauty in his hands as'
clay,
Shall he restore futurity it's dream
Behold his feet shall take heavenly
way
OF choric silver and of chanting fire.
Till in his hands unshapen planets gleam
Mid murmurs from the Lion and the
Tyre.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-21
From the New York Sun.

From the New York Sun.
" HEODORE WATERS, secretary of
the Christian Herald, who went to
1 Belgium to superintend the distri-
button of the cargo of the steamship Jan
Block, returned yesterday by the Tran
sy lvania. At the offices of the commission
for relief in Belgium, II Broadway, he
gave out statement in which he said that
Belgium was in reality one long line of
starving men, women and children clam
oring for a daily single ration of soup and
bread.
During the time he was in Belgium Mr..
Waters was unable to find any proof of
German atrocities On the other hand, he
OF man to describe. He painted a con-
trast of brilliantly lighted hotels and res
taurants overlooking with gorgeousy uni
form German soldier jewellers and the
outside of these hotels virtually beleag-
VI ed by women who were waiting in the
cold and snow for the food that would
keep themselves and their children alive
another day.
He mentioned in particular the Weber
hotel at Brussels, patronzed by German
officers, and around the corner a theatre
hesieged by starving freezing women.
He did not tell of Germans taking food
from the Belgans. but he said most en-
practically that the Germans We're not
feeding the Belgians.
1T is a tale of human woe, a tragic
misery, the like the world has never
SEEM said Mr.. Waters. II cannot say
that the greatest need in all the world is
now in Belgium, but | do say that it can
nos be surpa ssed by any of the horrors
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-21

Although st. Johns, N. F., has a popu-
lation of only 10000, about 1850 men have
enlisted for service in the British army
and navy. One thousand of these men
will become soldiers and $50 sailors, al
though one would naturally suppose that
more of them would prefer the sea- This
is an average of one enlistment in every
% of the population. and has been ex-
ceeded, it is believed, only at Liverpool,
where one person in every Is has enlisted.
Although there is no militia in Newfound-
land, for the past 20 years UNCONVENTIONAL
schools and colleges have maintained
boys brigades, numbering ordinarily
about 1000. When the call for recruits was
issued four-fifths of those who offered
their services were either members of the
boys brigades or had been members in
the past. Every officer appointed for the
regiment had received his military train
ing at one of the UNCONVENTIONAL schools.
The first contingent sent to England by
Newfoundland numbered $40 men. The
second will leave early in the coming
year.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-21
IN STRICKEN BELGIUM

! in the swamps of East Prussia and Ca
licia.
I'm Antwerp saw over 1000 poorly clad
women, one in bedroom slippers, standing
shivering in the snow. waiting for food to
be doled out, and this under the shadow
OF big hotel where we'll fed. well clad
soldiers drank and made merry.
I'm Malines under the shadow of the
cathedral its walls caved in, its old
stained glass windows now but ragged
reInrsnts of beauty that can never be
replaced l saw men, women and children
gazing disconsolately at the ruins of the
houses that once were theirs-poor people
who begged something to eat of us as we
passed
In BRUSSELS we saw women holding
babies Struggled to their necks, standing
on the cod street corners begging a CEN
time for food. We visited the distributing
stations and saw the food sent over by
Kind-hearted Americans being handed out
in all too r3eagre rations. They came in
drcvcs. these people, from all directions,
and the clatter of their sabots on the
pavement was sad accompaniment to
their sadder thoughts, for none spoke, ex-
cept to murmur a thankful Merci Mon.
sier!' as each portion was handed out.
in Holland l found thousands of refu-
gees frcna Belgium hudded in retaining
camps and on barges, some refined, some
coarse and brutalized, all sleeping to-
gather without partitions to insure the
least privacy.
Now it must be understood that there
is no blame coming to Holland for this
state of affairs, for by reason of bad
business conditions she is having trouble
enough looking after her own population.
and in addition she has had nearly half
million refugees thrust suddenly upon
hei.'
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-21
Hears Nothing of Hard Times

LAS l frequently hear people talking
about hard times, a converse ton | had
with a married lady whose. husband is
employed by the Woodward Iron company
was most cheering" said a well-known
professional man. Are you all' still maxi
ing your home in Ensley? 1 asked. Yes
was the reply. And do you hear much
about depression in that community
NO answered the lady. You see my
husband is employed at Woodward and
all three of the furnaces there are not only
running now, but they have been in oper-
alton throughout the year. There is no
hard times talk at Woodward and that is
all / know about it, ="
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-21

like to lord it over the freshmen, it is
not often as severe as the hazing said
to have been done by these Perdue
goods.
Mother may well hesitate before
sending her daughter away to col
lege, if she is to be given no more
consideration than boy. Many col
lege graduate who looks back on the
days when he was a "rat" or
"greenie" thinks the old fashioned
padding he received much more pref
cradle to being punctured by pins and
thrown into tub full of cold water at
time of the year when the mere
thought of cold water makes a per-
son SILVER.
The female college rowdy is a new
type. Is she another product of wom-
ans efforts to enlarge her sphere? ?"
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-21

financiers have not been as hopeful
in many a day as they are now, and
iron and steel makers will in a short
while be materially benefited by the
buying movements that the railroads
will set a-going.