davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-25
Vera Cruz Vantage Ground

While the occupation of Vera Cruz by the United States troops but em- phasizes the fatal frequency with which the month of April has seen the inauguration of American wars, the episode has created another peculiar coincidence inasmuch as upon the very day that the Fletcher marines entered the city Cortez effected his landing at the same place in 1518.
 It must have been instinct which in- duced the Spaniard to disembark at this point, for Vera Cruz has ever been the most important port of Mex ico, commanding over one-fourth of the country's foreign trade.
 Although Mexico City is about 230 miles distant by rail Vera Cruz is its port and here many ocean travellers land to make that remarkable climb of 7550 feet through all gradations of climate from the almost intolerable heat of the tropical coast to the cool temperature of the country's capital made delightful by Dreezes that sweep down from the eternally snow-clad cones of the environing volcanos.
 FoE- generations Vera Cruz has been the plague spot of the world, summed by all save as point in transit and associated with horrors to which the yellow fever curse of Panama in olden times was as naught. Sewerage in- stallation and improved garbage hand ling methods have lately benefited the place, but it is far from being a de- sirable residence city.
 During the first war which we had with Mexico our naval forces took Vera Cruz and made it the base of supplies for their march upon Mexico City and at the outbreak of our war between the states the port was used as an entrance for the armies of Spain, Britain and France.
 It is great vantage point and as strategic position as the topography of the country will permit.
 If the present war is pushed Vera Cruz will be held and employed as a base of operations by the United States as long as hostilities continue.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-25
The Electric Chair

Nearly every time there is an ex- ecution in the electric chair of some notorious criminal or criminals there is a great deal of speculation as to whether or not it is any improvement over some other methods of inflicting capital punishment. The chief objec- tion made to the electric chair is that it is bunglesome and subjects the prisoner to great mental agony while he is being made ready to receive the death shock. There is no reason to be- lieve that there is any actual physical pain that can be felt by the victim, even when repeated applications of the current are required. The moment the initial shock is given he is put beyond all possibility of feeling.
 The New York Sun, in recent edi- torial, recommends the guillotine as a means of execution. The guillotine is swift and sure and is scarcely more pruesome than the electric chair, al. though the idea of having ones head cut off is considerably more repellant to the average person than it would be to be electrocuted. To the specta- tor the electric chair must be even more horrifying than the guillotine though not so much so as the hang mans moose, which is unquestionably one of the most abhorrent forms of execution ever devised. It is not un- common for the rope to break and the half-conscious wretch is hanged twice
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-25
THE RoMANY LASS

By Gertrude Knevels. Then pour the red wine, and fill up your
 glass. S Wen drink to the health of the Romany
 lass, There she goes dancing, bare feet a-glan-
 cling, Little brown feet on the grass. Quick the lads gather like flies to the
 honey, Who will deny they've the worth of their
 money? Colds none too good for the price of her
 glances, The sight of her pretty bare feet as she
 dances!
 Now it's; You shall cross water.
 And you shall have luck,
 You'll win what you're after
 If only you've pluck! Yours is tbe ship for a
 Troublesome sea
 The lady is false, sir,
 You'd better take mer' Up fly the windows, good danes lean to | scold her Little she needs. only chaffing the holder. Little sbe, cares for the hearts she has ~ broken, Smiles are for sale at the price of . token So she goes dancing, bare feet a-giancing. Little brown feet on the grass! Only gypsy-the graybeards. despise her. Toss her coin when there's no one inc
 wiser; only gypsy-yet fill up your glass, We'll drink to the health of the Romany
 lass, There she goes dancing, bare feet a gIan.
 .cing, Little brown feet on the grass!
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-25
THORUGH!

From the New York Sun Qnd.) April 2l.
 American people are going to see it through. They are going to stand be- hind the President and the flag. There may be, much less enthusiasm mani fested for the President than for the flag, but there won't be any copper headism. There is no use in looking backward just now or in discussing past blunders of policy. theory or action. There is no use at the present time in
 picturing the might-have -beens or in at tempting to fix the responsible author ship of the war. These questions must now be left to history The events of day before yesterday and yesterday at Vera Cruz and Tampico created new Mexican situation detached in every par 'ticular but one from the antecedent situ- ation. j.,
 The one unfortunate exception linking present military activities with the mis- takes of the period of watchful waiting
 is the persistence in the minds of Presi- dent Wilson and Secretary Bryan of the old delusion that they have discovered in the Carranza- Villa faction g safe founda- ton for future of constitutional liberty and civilized government in Mexico. The practical result of the nation that there can be a war on single individual is
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-25

Mohammedanism is six centuries younger than Christianity and it's rapid advance bids fair, if unchecked, to outstrip numerically the status and domination of the religion of the cross.
 All the faiths which the world has embraced were products of Asia. Con fucius, Zoroaster, Buddha, Mohammed and Christus were born in Asia. These creeds had their alternate sway and the youngest may some day assume possibly the numerical status of it's respective predecessors.
 The young giant stands as chal- lenge and warning to the occident which must awaken to the situation if it would not become engulfed. Re- newed activity and greater consecra- tion of the Christian forces are de- handed Christians must awake; must be up and doing, for the alarm has been sounded
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-25
PAVING AT TUSCALOOSA

From the Tuscaloosa News
 The Birmingham-Tusca Railway and Utilities company is finishing the work of laying pavement between it's tracks on Greensboro avenue only a few square yards remaining in the busi- ness section. which will probably be fin- ished tomorrow.
 Pavement will later be laid on east Sixth street and on the Twenty-sixth avenue block between Broad and Sixth streets, which will complete the work in the bus- ness section of the city
 There remains now only a. little over two months of the time limit set for the completion of the identification of the street railway. Within the past few months work has been pushed along at rate most satisfactory to the city. and there is every reason to believe that the railway will be electrified by that time.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-25
From the Cincinnati Enquirer.

From the Cincinnati Enquirer
 Nowadays when you see girl wear
 ing d silk waist cut ultra -decollete and a hlmy skirt cut extra hesitation and stockings cobwebbed ultra-maxixe, she is not always going to d dawnce.' She
 may only te going to the corner grocery for a pourd of lard.
 The only emergency that never happens is the one you have Dreparei for. Another reason why war is what Sher-
 man said it was is because some papers get out q "Wuxtra. Horribie.' every time a trolley car motorman bangs a gong
 When ycu are small and don't want
 them, they force kisses on you. When you are big and want therl you either
 have to steal or buy them. Before marriage love is so blind that it
 dossn't reed light in !he front par.or.
 Bl:t after marriage it can see a face pow
 der mark on your vest five blocks before yoH reach home.
 Anyway. if the women had the ballot
 they would be nofey enough to find out what they were ypting for, and that is u.o,c than the men do.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-25
.COP. SKATERS MIRROR

From the New York Tribune.
 Policeman Dinegan knows a burgler when he sees one Dinegan can tell him by his looks.
 Accordingly, when George Heald, the caretaker braced Dinegan early today with the task of entering the home of Mrs. William Orr Barclay and driving out a burglar, the patrolman was keen for the chase. He rapped and summoned Policeman Fulsco and together they went to the Barclay house.
 Dinegan heard a door upstairs slam and went up. He opened door cautious ly and saw man at the end of the room. Dinegan raised his revolver and the man covered Dinegan with his gun at the same instant Dinegan shot twice and jumped back, yelling to Fulco that he had got his man.
 There was a crash of falling glass.
 Dinegan had shot twice at his reflection in mirror
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-25
THE BOSTON PLAN FOR REFORM

Lincoln Steffens in the Metropolitan.
 in public servants their private morals and ask only for their loyalty to the plan and their ability to carry out their part. to be proved by results.
 In this way a city could rid itself .of all the personalities of politics; all the hating and fighting and all inn pudent, impertinent, irrelative moral in- 'quiries, and ask only the questions the public has a right to ask: Will you do the things we want you to do? And, later. have you done them? And the answer would be plain and unmistaka- ble
 The Boston plan proposes that all public servants who fail to do their parts, whether from dishonesty, in efficiency, honest ignorance, or bad thinking, shall be. not shown up,' inn prisoned, killed or even hated but simply not re- elected and it would be- gin by accepting as candidates all corners. whatever their past record.
 The Boston plan is for the great ma jority of both the capitalistic leaders and the capitalstie masses, who ap- parently can see only with their eyes. learn only by experience and achieve vision only in the form of concrete things brought right before their faces.
 And this point is not to be over looked; it is crucial.
 The Boston plan for the reform of Boston Cor any other city, state or na- tion) cannot be carried out without solving the social problem.
 It's impossible. No city can do for itself and it's people what every city should do without finding the money to pay the costs, and when a city does that; when it looks around for public resources, it cant help seeing that some of the richest of them are going into private pockets.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-25

A spectacle of that sort is enough to sicken the most hardened beholder.
 Perhaps some day, when mankind becomes more humane, the criminal doomed to death will be executed in some swift, infallible way that is ab- solutely painless and free from the scenes that make modern prison ex- ecution in this country ghastly ex- hibition, that is both primitive and barbarous.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-25
General FunstOn's Career

Brig. Gen Frederick Funston, com regulars which left Galveston yeA erday for Vera Cruz, is native of Ohio but he Is of old Virginia stock" said a mem- Der of Birminghams old Virginia colony. Funston has had quite a remarkably varied career. Although he had had no as an officer in the Cuban insurgent army in which he served IS months before the Spanish-American war
 Frederick Funston was years old when his family moved from Ohio to Kansas. He was a student for three years at the University of Kentucky lss5-s He was a reported in Kansas City in 1890 He was the botanist of the United States Death Valley expedition in 1891 He was sent as commissioner of the United States department of agriculture to Alaska to report on it's flora in 1899. Camping on the Klondike through a se- were winter and he 1oated down the Yu- Ron In a canoe. He was appointed colo nel of the Twentieth Kansas infantry May, 1898; was sent to the Philippines took part in several battles and for cross- ing river on a small bamboo raft in the face of heavy fire and establishing a rope ferry by means of which the United states troops were enabled to cross and Win battle, he was promoted to briga- dler general of voluneefs May ?, 1899, and awarded medal of honor February IA 1900. Another achievement that brought Funston into the spotlight was his cap ture of Aguinaldo, head of the Filipino instruction. He was appointed brga- dier general of the regular army April 1, 1901.
 General Funston is sure to make a highly creditable record .n Mexico"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-25
WOLVES IN NORTHEAST WALKER

WOLNES IN NOHIhEASI W NALNEH From the Mountain Eagle.
 The northeastern part of the county is now infested with wolves. according to a statement made by William Hill of Melville, who was in Jasper last week. They rove up and down Sipsey river and through the thickly wooded country be- tween Marylee. in Walker county, and Melville in Winston.
 On a recent visit to Jasper Mir. Hill which he had seen near Melville. The track measured a fraction over four inches in width. Martin ORear also took the measurement of large wolf track recently, which was somewhat larger than the one MT. Hill measured.
 During the recent snow a number of wolf tracks were seen between Marylec and Melville.
 These wolves are supposed to be a remnant of pack that infested the country along Blackwater creek about two years ago, which were put to flight in big wolf hunt, in which several wolves were killed.
 The people of the Marylee and Melville settlements are talking of organizing for big wolf hunt.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-25
DAIRY CAR TO VISIT JASPER From the Mountain Eagle


 At the conclusion of the present tour over the Mobile and Ohio railroad, the Southern Railway company announces that, in order to further encourage the development of dairying in Alabama it will send its special dairy instruction car" over it's lines in the state for a sec ond complete tour. Commencing at Cal vert, May 12. the car will visit 5S points in all sections of the state served by the Southern railway and Northern Alabama railway. An entire day will be devoted to each stop and illustrated lectures and demonstrations on improved methods of dairying will be conducted morning and afternoon by a corps of expert dairymen who will accompany the car.
 Stops will be made at the following places in Walker county on the dates named:
 Corona Tuesday, June so
 Oakman. Wednesday July 1.
 Jasper. Thursday, July ?. Nauvoo, Friday. July 3.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-25
The Iron Trade

'Little can be expected of the iron trade as long as the railroads keep out of the market" say Matthew Ad :. dy X Go, in their Cincinnati report. "They are not buying thing. Their
 purchases have stopped just as though they had been shipped off by a pair | of scissors. | "We are told that purchasing agents
 desks are overflowing with acquisitions but that there is no money to pay for
 them and so nothing is purchased. This hits the iron trade harder than | any other line, for the railroads in 1 one shape or another use about half | of the iron produced. Of course this thing can't last indefinitely The rail- roads can't wear down to two streaks | Of rust and the longer they let things | go the more they will need when the time comes
 At present. foundries are as rule
 running about half time; it is a ridic-
 ulous and almost inconceivable state of
 affairs. Everyone at all familiar with
 the statistics knows that the iron trade
 has not been overdone. As a matter of
 fact, the country for sometime has been
 on basis of under-consumption To- | day 1t is on starvation basis-not enough iron being used to replace the
 ordinary wear and tear. Not for years
 has there been such a condition It is
 so acute and has gone to such an ex-
 treme that it is impossible for it to
 last long.
 Birmingham No. 2 foundry is quoted
 at $11 and Ohio No. ? foundry at $13.5O.
 The volume of new business is small. Coke production is being sharply re-
 duced and a great effort is being made
 to accommodate the output to the de-
 mand. Iron production is at stand
 still but it will presently decline. No
 new furnaces are being blown in as
 there is no encoura cement for any such action."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-25
Some Mexican Distances

Vera Cruz and Tampico are practically the same distance from Mexico City" said a man who has travelled in. the southern republic. Each coast city is about 20t miles from the capital, though Vera Cruz Is the chief seaport, and the railroad between that city and the capital is prob ably the best in the republic
 Vera Cruz is TOO miles from Galveston, $50 miles from New Orleans and $50 miles from Mobile. Torreon, the most southern city occupied by the constitutionaHsts, is approximately 300 miles north of Mexico City, while the distance from Fl Paso to the capital is about 900 miles"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-25
GREAT TRIALS OF HISTORY
TRIAL OF FITZ-JOHN PORTER
\ NE of the most interesting trials
 connected directly with the civil

~ NE of the most interesting trials lV connected directly with the civil W war was that of Fitz-John Por- ter, who was brought up before a court martial in 1882 and for a time was de- prived of his command. Porter was a member of family eminent for their fighting qualities, and a descendant of David Porter, the naval commander of the revolution.
 Fitz-John Porter served during the Mex ican war and during the civil war he rose rapidly until he became major general of volunteers He was engaged prominently in the second battle of Bull Run, fought August 29 and 30, 1862. The Union army was defeated and charges were brought against Pdrter for his inac- ton on the first day. He was deprived of his command, but was restored to duty at the request of Gen George B. McClel- Ian, and took part in the Maryland cam paign.
 On November 2, 1862, General Porter was arraigned before a courtmartial in Washington charged with disobeying or ders at the second battle of Bull Run, and on January 21, 1863, he was cash tered and forever disqualified from hold ing any office under the government" :" The justice of this verdict has been the subject of much controversy.
 The reasons given by Porter for his failure to go into action when ordered were: First, that he considered himself under General McDowells orders, who told him that they were too far to the front for the battle; and, second, that the enemy was in such heavy force in his front that he would have been de- feated had he attacked
 General McDowell stated before the courtmartial that, SO far from saving that they were too far front for battle, he directed General Porter before leaving him, to put his corps into action where he was, and that he (McDowelD would move further to the right and go into battle there.
 The officers who sat in judgment over Porter were Maj. Gems. David Hunter and E. A. Hitchcock and Brig Gen. Rufus King, B. M. Prentss, James B. Ricketts Silas Casey, James A. Gar Col. Joseph Holt judge advocate general of the army, as judge advocate.
 The charges exhibited to the court were preferred by Brig. Gen. Benjamin s. Roberts, inspector general on General Pope's staff at the time of the occur
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-25

During the last calendar year & 900 GOO the United States, compared with O,OOO 900 pounds in 1912 The domestic produc- tion, all of which is consumed in this country, has more than doubled in de- cade increasing from b. .000,OO0 in 1900 to 3o,00o,0oo in 1910. For many years gIycer- inc was treated as a waste product in the manufacture of soap and candles, but now is being widely used in the arts and indus tries. The domestic production has never During the last 10 years $50 COG, 900 pounds of glycerine have been imported from foreign countries. According to figures compiled by the bureau of foreign and domestic commerce, department of com merce, 100000 pounds or glycerine were imported last year. from England, 100000 from France, 4,000,000 from Belgium and 1,500,000 pounds each from the Nether- lands, Russia, Spain and Italy, countries
  The remaining importations were made from Canada, Mexico and Cuba The cities that consume most of the glycerine imported are New York, Philadelphia, Wilmington, Del, Omaha, Cleveland and Chicago, where large industries that use glycerine for manufacturing purposes are situated. Glycerine is used in the prepa- ration of medicines for making formic acid and copying inks; as preservative for meats and other food products: in making glycerine soap; in the manufac- ture of explosives; as a lubricant for clocks, watches and delicate machinery; iS the tanning industry for treating un- tanned skins; by artists and sculptors, who find it indispensable in keeping clay and colors at the proper consistency. and by manufacturers as substitute for water in gas meters.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-25

renee. The first charge, laid under tho | ninth article of war alleged five in- stances of "disobedence of orders" the second charge, laid under the fifty-sec- ond article of war, contained four all legations covering two acts of misbe- havior in the presence of the enemy on the 18th and 3Oth
 The court found the accused guilty of having disobeyed three of General Pope 8 orders; guilty, also. having "shamefuly disobeyed'' the latter order, and of hay ing retreated without any attempt to en- gage the enemy; but not guilty of hay ing permitted Griffin's and Piatt's brig ades to leave the battlefield and go to Centreville. The charge of having feebly attacked the enemy on the SOth was with drawn.
 In substance the charges on which Porter was convicted were two-that he disobeyed General Pope's order to march at 1 a. m. on the 18th, and that, in dis obedience of orders. he failed to attack, but retreated. on the 29th
 The sentence of the courtmartial was delivered on January 10 1863. On Jan uary 2l this sentence was approved by President Lincoln During the next b years General Porter continually applied for rehearing of the case, in the light of evidence newly discovered or not avail able at the time of his trial.
 On April 12, 1878, President Hayes ap- pointed board of officers consisting of Maj. Gen. John Schofield, Brig. Gen. AL fred H. Terry and Col. George w Getty, to examine the new evidence in connec- ton with the old. The new evidence con- sisted largely of the testimony and the official report of the Confederate Of ficers which could not have been known at the courtmartial
 The advisory board, which held its sit- ting at West Point, in July, 1S79 recom- mended to President Hayes to set aside the findings and sentence of the court martial, and to restore Porter to his rank
 in the service from the date of his dis missal. In the absence of any legislation President Hayes considered himself as without power to act, and on July he submitted the proceedings and conelus-
 ions of the board for the action of Con- gress. On May 1, 1882, President Arthur, by letters patent remitted as much of fully executed, and thus relieved Gen ral Porter from the continuing disquali- fcations to hold office. On August '. 1886, he was placed on the retired list of the army. General Porter died in 1901
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-25

to put the United States into alliance with Villa on the one hand and with Zapata on the other, and to make our troops substantially the third of three CO., operating columns converging for the de- struction of the miserable Huerta. Any day may witness the demolition of the strange fallaey on which the Presidents political theory of operations is based, re- storing to the animus of our relations with Mexico the broad and honorable character with which Senator Root and Senator Lodge tried in vain to invest it.