davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-11

II remember / always liked the fancy
slate pencils" l observed "The kind clad
in sheath gowns of star-spangled paper
and warranted not to break easily, any
and all of which, as soon as l got them
into my possession. quietly rolled off the
desk and broke underneath the paper
where it was impossible to repair the
damages"
And one of the things that 1 dwell
on in my school days that gave me
more pleasure than anything was giving
my slate bath,' said the lady of the
old school. Every child in the room
brought to school an old tomato can
with soapy water and to the slate
rusty old sponge was tied securely, OF
sometimes loose and roaming around
aimlessly upon the desk Whenever the
teacher was particularly anxious for
silence the slate ablutions would begin
and such a scrubbing and energetic
cleaning UP you never heard. The chill
dren who had forgotten their apparatus
would whisper: Nellie, lend me your
tomato can when you get through !;
or, Please. Mamie. let me use your
sponge. and all sorts of questions,
which in those days, when pedagogy
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-11

and psychology were not as popular as
now. little heed was paid to these sib-
liant requests"
"Of course. not" 1 suggested. Moth
ing short of sticking a tack in the
teachers chair or a pin in your desk
mates back or spilling a bottle of ink
on a playmate's brand new pinafore,
would bring forth real punishment"
"The slate pencil was always the
excuse for leaving the room when
some other boy or girl you particu-
larly liked did so.' said my friends.
YOU'D begin to sharpen the pencil
and make screaky noise like a street
roller or benzine buggy and per-
mission was hastily granted, and out
the culprit went, much to her de-
light"
"And to think nowadays one rarely
sees a slate pencil" I said. "Instead
pads and lead pencils are seen in the
up to date schools and the tomato can
of soapy water and the good old sponge
are reduced to a state of innocuous
desuetude."
"One thing that I should miss ter
ribly nowadays said my companion,
would be the long, delighted recess
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-11

used to enjoy SO much. We had from
10 to 1890 in the morning which we
called little recess pronounced rec
cessD, and then dinner recess. which
lasted one hour and a half. School
was resumed at and there was anoth-
er little recess at $3.50. Instead of rush
ing through as they do now and let
ting out school, as we used to say. by
o'clock, we stayed until 1870 and then
hated to 60"
children are not punished nowadays as
they used to be at school, either" I sug-
gested.
II should say not" my friend replied.
Spare the rod and spoil the child, was
indeed a wise old saw then and the Ounce
stool in my time was one of the domi-
nant features of school punishment.
Mercy, how the boys did hate it. and as
fer the girls-they felt simply disgraoed
at having to occupy it,.
Now children are made to memorize
great pages of blank verse and are given
so many demerts for bad conduct"
replied, "and the old fashioned way of
making the girls sit in the boys row.
to their outward embarrassment, but
sometimes to their inward delight, en-
trely out of style"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-11

of course l agreed, "and those bound
with red flannel, like little monkeys
dressed up in their Sunday best, showed
great wealth; and the double slate, Mercy
guide us! Showed that ones family was
rich beyond the dreams of avarice."
THE slate pencil also indicated Won
derful things" said my companion. II
remember distinctly that my deskmate
always had the most fascinating ones.
sharpened to the slenderest and most en-
chanting points. while mine were usually
the left-overs from my big brothers par
aphernalia and my poor little hand was
all 'scrunched up, so that my chirog-
raphy was eyerlastingly affected by their
use"
And didn't you envy your deskmate
her nice long ones?' l inquired.
Indeed | did" she replied, "and how
many times I borrowed hers, in my clun-
sy, awkward way, dropped it, only to see
it break into consecutive pieces none of
which could be put together effectively,
and consequently my new nickel instead
of going for chewing gum and choco-
lates, went to buy her a new slate pen
ell, which / handed her with loathing
and hatred in my heart
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-11
In the Good Old Days Children Had More Fun Than No1O

Talking with a lady of the old school,
and by that is meant literally the old
school of "readin an writin' and 'rith-
metic," she said
Sometimes when / am in a retrospect
tive mood it seems to me that children
today do not have half the fun that
they used to have in my day and time"
I'm what respeet?' l inquired.
'Well, for instance, nowadays the slate
and slate pencil, the old-fashioned school
satchel the lunch basket-in fact, every
thing has undergone a change. The slate
pencil itself is almost as obsolete as the
most obsolete things you can think Of
the Aztecs, for instance
''I believe you are right about it,"
unused as I needed her suggestion. IN
fact, l recall an important part in my
own life the slate and slate pencil played"
''When I went to school," said the dear
old lady. reminscently, the slate was
very precious possession indeed. 1t was
more than that-it was an index to ones
prosperity. When the slate was Just plain
with wooden frame that signifed low
finances, or else the mother of the fam
lily just put off anything on her chill
dren."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-11
"REVOLUTIONARY READER"
"R EMI MINISCENCES AND INDIAN
IINIIrNDc


Compiled by Sophie Lee Foster, State
Regent Daughters of the American Rev.
olution of Georgia. The Byrd Printing
Co, Publishers, Atlanta Ga.
In compiling the Revolutionary Read
er." which consists of "Reminiscences and
Indian Legends Sophie Lee Foster. state
regent, Daughters of the American Rev
oIution Of Georgia, the gifted author has
not only contributed a splendid bit OF
educational work to the literary world,
but she has made a decided innovactioa
by the originality of her work and IT,
purpose.
Benevolent in its aim Uhe net proceeds
devoted to patriotic education in the state
of Georgia., Mrs Foster has shown a
spirit highly to be commended, and which
is sure to strike a popular chord in the
heart of every good citizen of the south
who, when he reads her Revolutionary
Reader" will be prouder than ever be-
fore to boast that he was born under
the STARS and Stripes" and that the
story which never grows old to the true
southerner's heart is retold in such a
happy manner,
Mrs Foster has culled from literature
the choicest examples of wit and humor
pathos and romance connected with the
Revolutionary period. and il has taken no
little taste. time and work TO gather
from such a galaxy the Very best.
Mrs. Foster has been very happy in
her selections and the Indian Legends
can be read over and over again with
great interest by young and old alike,
while such sketches as important Char
acters of the Revolutionary Period in
American History" from the pen of Su
sic Gentry. state vice regent of the
Daughters of the American Revolution
of the state of Tennessee; "Old Williams
burg by Emily Hendree Park; Fort
- I,,t..
H. p Nell; IAN Episode of the War of
the Revolution by Mrs. F. II. Orme
Atlanta schapter Daughters of the Amer
ican Revolution: Kitty" by Ethel Hiil~
yer Harris; The Old Virginia Gentle
man" by Edna Jones Collier; Tragedy
of the Revolution Overlooked by His
torians,' by r. H. Dreher. and 'GeorPia
Women of Early Days. by James Wad-
dy Austin. are among the most delightful
incidents of the Revolutionary Reader, ;
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-11

4 do not doubt i'll the least" said my
elderly friend as we terminated the con-
versation, that the modern school is far.
better equipped and more thorough than
those in my day and time, but for one
thing | am perfectly certain. and that is,
if | started all over again 1 should want
my slate, and salte pencil and the oppoy-
tunities they gave for housecleanng, and
the good old hour and a half they gave
for recess, and the bewildered look on
the face of the teacher who gave us up
as a hopeless job but which always
came out all right in the end, and the
many other sweet "reminiscences that L
conjure in my heart of bygone school
daVs"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-11

bonded Indebtedness for highways an in
complete index of the amount of money
being spent for road improvements. The
amount of money used for the purpose
annually is SO great that every means
OF securing accurate records of 1t is
employed by the association; the results
of this work to date are by no means so
good as those which longer experience
in obtaining the statistics will afford,
yet it is believed that they will prove
very valuable to a wide circle of readers.
No section of the book represents more
work than that in which the legislation
of the states is summarized. The inter-
est in the subject is widespread and re-
lates not only to the legislation of par
tcular states, but also to the legisla-
tioE on special topics in all states.
'THE CONFESSIONS OF A DEBU-
TANTE."
With Illustrations by r. NJ Crosby.
Houghton, Mifflin Co., Publishers.
Boston.
Although published anonymously, :
The author of THE Confessions of n
Debutantei might well be proud If
it's success; in fact proud enough to
affix his or her name to the delightful
little volume under this attractive title.
1t is crisp, clever and original and
will make an hours agreeable read
ing.
1t is the chronicle of an American
girls coming Nlt" anu of her love af-
fairs, told delightfully."- and frankly in
a series of sprightly letters. Peggy is
a member of one of New Yorks prom :
inentN families. and her life includes
the events of American society life OF
today. Her descriptions of social gay
cites are fresh and vivid. while her
perpleXities over the constant atten-
tion of Gerald" provide a thread of
narrative charm which tightens as her
little story draws to a happy ending.
"HOW ] KEPT MY BABY WELL
BY Anna G. Noyes. Illustrated. Waricll
& York. Inc, Publishers, Baltimore,
Md
To those who may be interested in the
rearing of children. Mrs. Noyes' How
Kept My Bady Well will prove an inter-
esting and helpful study. Few subjects
are receiving as large attention today
from serious-minded people as the conser-
vation of our national wealth The waste
of natural resources by extrayagant eX-
traction and but partial use If of second
ary Importance however, in the presence
of the needless waste of human life; and
nowhere does this waste of life hit the
race so hard as in the yearly sacrifice OF
infants. The people have at last come to
realize that an enormous and altogether
unnecessary toll is paid each year by the
death of infants who, With proper care,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-11
D r | N X
H A B | I
RELIABLE HOME TREATMENT

The ORRINE treatment for the Drink
Habit can be used with absolute conf
fence 1t destroys all desire for whiskey,
beer or other alcoholic stimuiants.
Thousands have successfully used it and
have been restored to lives of sobriety
and usefulness. Can be given secretly.
Costs only $1.00 per box. If you fail TO
get results from ORRINE after trial,
your money will be refunded. Ask for
free booklet telling all about ohRlNE.
Eugene Jacobs Drug Store. 1909
second Ave, Birmins CHAM; Fulton Bros.
Bessemer, Ala
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-11
Valuable Collegiate Training

from The Chicago Record Herald
DO you think your sons college edu-
cation is going TO be of any real benefit
10 him?r
Yes. | think it is. [ notice that lie
can get out and run around for hours
with nothing on but pair of scanty
trunks to shield him srom the blast.
1t will be a lucky thing for him 10
be able to do that in case he is un-
able to earn his clothes after l ge-
through paying for them"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-11
THE PROBLEM"

Hv Charles Percy, B. Sc. NJ. d.: the
Shakespeare Press publishers. New
York.
The Problem by Charles Percy, NJ
D., Is work of fiction, ny surgeon
OF peculiar interest 70 surgeons. physi..
clans, and all who have studied the prom
lem of life. 1t is written In the first
erson, and the narrator describes min
utcly an operation of most singular char
aoter. in which he removes the heart OF
a drowned patient. inserts an artificial
heart. and keeps the head alive for days
and days.
His Investigations began with snldying
the nature and cause of sleep. and some
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-11
THE OFFICIAL GOOD ROADS YEAH
BOOK"


j. e. Pennybacker, Jr.. Editor. Charles p
Light Business Manager, Colorado
Building. Washington, d. c.
THE Official Good Roads Year Book. of
which the present volume is the second
annual issue, is one of the undertakings
of the American Highway association, or
sanized in November, 1910, ito harmonic
and correlate all efforts for the improve
ment of the public roads, to the end that
adequate and efficient systems of road
construction, administration and main
tentance may be adopted in all of the
states" In organizing it's work it gath
cred together a large amount of informa-
tion concerning all features of road leg
lslaton, construction and maintenance,
and so many inquiries were sent to the
association for such information that i.
was decided to publish ar annual year
book giving a summary of the data relat-
ing to the subjects about which inquiries
were most frequent
The engineering features of road con-
struction and maintenance are the cub
1ects OF so many textbooks. as well as
special reports by the office of public
roads of the United States department
of agriculture and many state board and
officials, that it has seemed wise to de-
vote comparatively little space to these
subjects. Nevertheless enough is given
to enable the legislator. county commits
sioner or nontechnieal reader to under
stand any special reports which may come
before him and to grasp the main features
Of the work For more information on
the Sc technical SUBJECTS the reader should
consult some of the works listed in the
bbliographies printed in this volume.
The section of the Year Book devoted to
bond issues is not entirely complete, for
the cole ction of such statistics Is an
extremely difficult task TN account OF
the practice in many counties of issuing
bonds for several purposes combined, so
that the proportion spent for roads, cul-
verts and bridges is obtained only after
prolongeI correspondence and ven then
IS not always accurate. Furthermore
considerable amount of read construction
is Carl IN by funds raised by direct
d this fact makes the total
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-11

An event (Which must be kept secret-
else you wouldn't read the storv) hap
pens, which gives the new life, Molly. 4
fine opportunity to show her splendid
young womanhood, fine head and prac-
tical sense-and before the Christmas
night is ended, she is a heroine in the new
family, into which she has cast her lot
a queen to whom they all pay homage.
Under the Christmas Stars" is quito
original, and a wholesome, pretty story.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-11

striking anecdotes of somnambuistic per-
formanoes are told, also one of remark-.,
able Information. Then he attacks the
problem of life from an organic view
point makes an artificial heart and sup
plies it to a lizard n, turtle a cat and
a dog, all of which ultimately die As a
elimination of his experiments, the body
of newly drowned man, in which life
is simply suspended, falls into his hands,
Failing to resuscitate the patient, he
tries the artificial heart, brings life into
the head, and steals the body of the pa
tent that he may have his companion
ship and use him for further experi-
ments, causing the undertaken to busy
some bags of sand IN the casket sent
for the remains. 1t is all very weird
ana very real. The science involved is
accurate and up-to-date, and of absorb :
inS interest from surgical standpoint.
The writer evidently chooses this method
of exploiting some startling and unusual
theories of his own-theories which he
could not PROFOUND through the ordinary
medical journal. His conclusions are dar-
ing and plausible, and sure to evoke dis
cussion in the profession.
The popular view as to what life is
undoubtedly is broadening. Who shall
say where the line can be drawn between
the mechanical part of the body and the
soul?
Every student of life is certain to find
tho book of absorbing and striking in
terest.
FAMILIAR SPANISH TRAVELS"
By William Dean Howells Harper
Brothers, Publishers. New York.
Mr.. William Dean Howells, always "a
delight to read after-always WELD
ing a master pen-has made very
charming his volume entitled, Familiar
Spanish Travels"
His own argument" written In
verse, in regard to the book, is its best \
introduction:
"The author of this book has tried to
put
The joy of Spanish things which struck
it's root
Deep in the fond heart of his boyish
years,
And long endeared the land and still
endeafs
Which gave us to ourselves when 9TH
lands
Denied our destiny with grudging
hands.
Many a city of splendor and renown.
He Jared apart from. many a glorious
town.
When, striking southwark from San ,
Sebastian.
Biseay he left and through CASTLE he
ran;
Yet saw proud Burgos. rich Valladold.
Least Spanish yet most national Ma
drid
Toledo. whom no word has said or
SHALL
Sole in her beauty; grim Escorial;
Cordova whom in fee the banished
Holds his as long as her Mosque shall
endure:
Seville incorporate, too great to be
Thought charming only, yet of SUCH
witchery
As smiles her greatness out of thoughts
then. next.
Granada an old dream with new
doubt vexed.
Ronda famed almost to the dawn of
time,
Clutching herself to her vast rock
sublme
And last Tarifa, highest the .Afric
coasts.
An earliest victim victor of the hosts
That conquering poured on still re-
conquering Spain
All these he saw and all these he Were
fain
To have the reader see with him again."
OTHER BOOKS RECEIVED
REvIEwS LATER ~
THE GOLDEN BARRIER by Agnes
and Egerton Castle: Doubleday, Page 4
Co.. publishers. New York.
"A CHANGED MAN, CONCLUDING
WITH THE ROMANTIC ADvEN-
TURES OF A MILKMAID," by Thomas
Hardy; Harper Brothers, publishers.
New York.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-11
"THB MAXIMs OF NOAH"


by Gelett Burgess. With illustrations and
designs by Louis d. Fancher. Fred
crick A. Stokes & Co, Publishers,
New York.
Gelett Burgess has the most deli
ciously keen sense of humor and knows
how to arouse the risiblities of his
readers by every word that he writes.
His "Are You Bromide?" and "Tho
MaXims of Methuselah'' are world ID
nous and no more original idea has
ever been conceived than in his "The
MaXims of Noah" to hand down to pos
terity the advice of the staid and stern
old Noah derived from his experiences
with women. both before and after the
flood. as given in counsel to his SOIL,
Japhet"
Among the cleverest of the many
bright sayings in THE MaXims of
Noah" may be noted the following:
Crumbs in the bed may be en-
dIred and an eyelash may be removed
from the eye; but she who is always
tardy causes anguish continually
QV, So
But when thou goest among wom-
on, let nor thy left girl know what
thy right girl doeth." CVII, %
LAS one who seeketh to fold a news
paper in a high wind, so is he who
argueth with an angry woman"
VII. A.
"As one who pulleth a bureau drawer
that sticketh. so is he who argueth
with an angry damsel; thou canst not
bulge her" tXIT, 81
There be three things which cause
woman joy: yea. four at which she
saith unto herself. Thank Godr
'"To be told that she resembleth an
actress; to be chosen of a man where
of it hath been said, Lo, no woman
can suit him.
ITO hear her lover flatter her in
public; and to hear her rival called in
tellectuaL" (XI. 10, II. 12)
"Son give the woman her way; Tor
when her point is accomplished. then
shall she surrender all she hath fought
for" (XIII, -
"As a leaky hot water bottle in time
of need. so is fond woman who telleth
thy secrets: her folly exceedeth her
comfort" (XXX) IX, 10
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-11
"THE DESTROYER

BY Burton +. Stevenson. Illustrated bv
Thomas Fogarty. Dood, Mead & Co.
Publishers. New York.
on September % last THE Destroyer,
tale of international politics and in
trigue. by Burton e. Stevenson. was pre-
sented to the literary world. This pub
lication date was chosen in Difference to
Mr.. Sevensons wishes. for it was the
second anniversary of the event with
which the tale opens. the mysterious de-
struction of the French battleship la
Liberte.' in the harbor of Toulon Nr.
Stevenson has a superstition about the
date for by the merest chance, 1t was
on the first anniversary that the tale
was completed, and this seemed to him a
coincidence so singular that he determine
to follow ii up. In faqt there are a
number of singular things about the
story, which, aside from the tale 's~ r
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-11

are in themselves of considerable in
terest.
Il don't believe much in publicity" said
Mr.. Stevenson. for usually all anyone
wants to know about a book he can find
out by reading it, but there are one or
two things | should like to say about The
Destroyer In the first place, | never
intended to write it. | had just fin
ished The Gloved Hand and had ar
ranged to go away and rest, when | woke
up one night with the central idea of
The Destroyer in my head. q was dis
tinctly conscious of the process of cero-
bration-the breaking down of brain It's
sue-which accompanied the idea, whether
as cause or effect | am too little of psy
chologist to know. But remember lying
there and wondering at the peculiar sem
saton.) The next morning the idea stiN
had hold of me. but / went ahead with
my preparations for departure. for GER
tainly had no intention of beginning ore
story within a week of having finished
another one. One mystery story year
is about my limit Gas a matter of fact.
/ have written only five in 10 years.. But
my intentions didn't seem to cut any fig
ure in the matter; the idea grew, devel-
oped, took on shape, without any con-
scious effort on my part-in fact, in spite
of my effort to stop it,
AT the end of week, to my own as
tonshment and the astonishment and live
ly disapproval of the whole family. |
was at work. / had never before worked
so hard or so continuously, but the work
didn't exhaust me as I had feared it
would. In fact. if any book ever wrote
itself. that one did, and ! don't feel that
] am wholly responsible for it, One night,
about six weeks later ] wrote The End
at the bottom of the manuscript, turned
out the light and went downstairs Well
| said. it's done. We can start for New
York whenever you're ready My wife
| looked at me- Then she looked at her
! desk calendar. Let me see, she said.
| this is the twenty-fifth of September
And then she looked at me again. why,
it's the anniversary of the destruction of
| La Liberte! she cried, and | confess
that I, too. felt little queer, for I had
lost all track of dates"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-11
OTHER BOOKS RECEIVED

THE GOLDEN BARRIER by Agnes
and Egerton Castle; Doubleday, Page 4
Co., publishers. New York.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-11

"A CHANGED MAN, CONCLUDING
WITH THE ROMANTIC 4ADvEN-
TURES OF A MILkMAID, by Thomas
Hardy; Harper Brothers publishers.
New York.
Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1914-11-19
A PRESENT DANGER.

Under the above head the Milwau-
kee Free Press depicts "a present dan
ger" in these words
Upon state like Wisconsin, with
just its herds, an epidemic among cat
tie falls like a calamity. The prime
industry Of common wealth is threat
ened. Cheese, milk and butter pro-
duction, in which much capital is in
vested has already experienced a Sc
we're setback in the quarantining and
the restrictions on shipment and sale
Of cattle, even if the pest be checked
in its incipiency and before choice
stock begins to perish
The PRACTICE, until now highly adj
vantageous, of shipping cattle into the
state to be finished for the Chicago
market, is to blame it is claimed for
the actual cases discovered within
state limits.