davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-20
CAPITAL ROTAR|ANS
 WILL HAVE BIG TIME
Entertainment at Press Club Next Wednesday to
 Be Unique

The most unique reception ever given visiting delegation of citizens will be accorded the Rotary club of Mont day night The entertainment will be unique in every possible detail
 The hours will be unique. The menu will be the same The location of the banquet is unique. The orchestra of ladies employed regularly by the press club will be out of the ordinary for visiting entertainment. As for the vau- deville stunts" to be handled and the other interesting fun furnished there will be refreshing newness to it which will interest and attract.
 The plans for the entertainment are being arranged by Sidney Lazarus, whose originality in entertainment is well known here; by Edward B. Craw- for, who is some ''kidder" when 1t comes to joking visitors; by William A. Cameron, secretary of the press club, and John c. Henley, an old time news paper man and Gridironer.
 The Montgomery brothers who are fortunate to visit Birmingham for this ahaii Viii Hosoi rye io see lhdt udy when they shall have forgotten the en- tertainment arranged for them. The fun will start Immediately after the Lyric performance. where the crowd will be in a body. For the first time the press club has given over its dining room entirely to one single party, and this was done on account of the prom : thence of the visitors. their hosts and the unusual hours for the entertain ment.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-20
BIG ORCHESTRA FOR
 THE TUTWILER HOTEL
Twelve Musicians Engaged in New York by United Hotels
 Company

An orchestra of wide reputation Tn New York. composed of 12 men, will be brought to Birmingham by the Tut. wiler hotel for service in that hostellry. Announcement to this effect was made yesterday by George Traylor. manager of the hotel. who reached here yester- terday from New York. The Hotel Tut wiler lessees in New York have been organizing the orchestra for the pas. several weeks and 1t is said that a contract will be executed today be- tween the manager of the orchestra and the United Hotels company
 The orchestra will be here In time for the opening affair at the Tutwiler hotel. It is stated that all banquets and dinners given at the Tutwiler that ar engagements may be made with the man. agement for the services of the or- chestra.
 The United Hotels company has q policy of scrutinizing closely the vari- ous persons who are employed. and es- pecially exhaustive Is the investigation made as to orchestras and musicians. It is-stated by Mir. Traylor that the or- chestra secured in New York is one of the best in the state.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-20
HEAVY SENTENCE IS
 GIVEN WILLIAMS
Gets Twenty Years for Assault With Intent
 to Murder

Tom McWilliams, convicted March i of assault with intent to murder, was given the full penalty of the law 20 years in the penitetniary by Judge w, D. Fort of the criminal court yester- day morning, but sentence was suspend ed pending an appeal to the supreme court. Friends and relatives of the con Victed man made a plea for leniency when MoWilliams was brought before Judge Fort to be sentenced. Judge Fort stated, however, that he had duty to perform that was not pleasant to him, yet the nature of the case was such as to call for the highest penalty of the law. Women relatives wept when the sentence was pronounced and the pris- oner showed some emotion. Notice of appeal was givep immediately after the sentence was passed which was sus- pended by the court.
 McWilliams was charged with the killing of Robert Dewees, several years ago, near Bessie mines, In the western part of the county. He was indicted for murder in the first degree and was tried twice for his life, each time. how ever a mistria1 resulted When the case was called the third time the state was unable to prove the death of Dewees. owing to the removal from the state of witnesses and the state went to trial on the offense of assault with intent to murder. Judge Fort charged the jury that that was the highest degree for which he could be convicted under tho circumstances.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-20
FIRE LOSS DURING
 FEBRUARY HEAVY TOtaled S141,933, According to Monthly Report of
 Chief Bennett

The fire loss during February amounted to $lil l9SS 70. according to the monthly re- port of Fire Chief A. V. Bennett. sub mitted yesterday to the city commission CTS. This was considered unusually large by the head of the fire department. but when 1t is considered that property risk during the fires amounted to sS ise, 7O4 5.. it Is stated that the work vas most ef- hcient in keeping the fire loss to a noAinal figure.
 There were a total of 2S7 alarms during the month of February. The firemen ran 1875 blocks and spread 47,S00 feet of hose. As usual, the fires from sparks on shingle roofs ran far ahead of those from any other causes. There were 1l2 blazes caused by sparks on the roofs, and the greater part of the fire loss is attributable to this class of fires. Following is the re- port in detail:
 The department responded to 237 alarms and flres ran fS75 blocks; laid out i7,S0o feet of hose; used 1o97 gallons of chemicals. and raised 4l9s feet of ladders.
 The Bristol recording water pressure gauge indicates an average daily press ure of 93 i-27 pounds and an average daily variation of S-9 pounds per square inch. Alarms, How Received-A. n. IT., 1; box. IS; stil 9; telephone, 2o9, total. 2s7
 Kind of Buildings Brick. II; frame. iSl; steele, 2; stucco. 1; stone, 1; other than buildings 8; false and unnecessary, 2i. total, 2S7,
 How Extngushed--B Before arrival. 15; chemicals, 139; water. 59; false and un- necessary. 2i; total 2S7.
 Cause of Alarms--Ashes in wooden re ceptacle, 1; back firing in automobiles, ?; carelessness. 2. children playing with matches l; coals from grate l; cof.is fro .n heater, 1 communicated. 15; defective ash pit g. defective fiues. 6: defective gas pipe, l; defective grates, 9, defective stove pipe, l defective wiring, 2; false '; gaso- line. 1: grass burning 7: incendiary. z; overloaded furnace. l. overloaded range. 1; overloaded stove, .; rclSindled. 2; soot roofs ll2. tar boiling over. |; trash burn ing, ?; unknown S5 unnecessary, f; total, 23i
 Value of buildings at risk. $2.744.795 60: value of contents at risk, $3S7, ,9l1 .i3 total value of risk S3.132, 504.52.
 Insurance involved on buildings s1. .6i3- 100: insurance involved on contents, S235 502 10; total insuranee involved, sl,s7s- 602 10.
 Insurance loss on buildings Si5. .926 g.: insurance loss on contents. $S1. .761. .S6: total insurance loss, $133, ,6SS. .ss.
 Uninsured loss on buildings. siSSS5 un- insured loss on contents. s3SS6 2S total uninsured loss, sS24i.S7.
 Total loss insured and uninsured S1il,- 93s7o.
 Respectfully submitted
 A. V BENNETT.
 Chief Fire Department
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-20
NANESOF OFFICERS OF CLUBS WANTED Commissioners Want to Be in Touch With City
 Beautiful Work

The city commissioners ask that all city beautiful clubs which have been orgahized report at once to the com mission a list of their. officers. The secretaries of the clubs are looked to to perform this duty, and the commis- sioners state that all they want is merely a letter giving the name and location of the club with list of its officers and an approximate estimate of it's membership.
 It is stated that hundreds of the clubs have been formed in all parts of the city, but so far comparatively few have officially reported their organization to the commission. This is necessary be- cause the commissioners wish to mail mem bership books to every member of each club and in the future they in- lend circulating a book of valuable in- formation in regard to gardening and flower raising in general. It is stated that they may wish to get into com munication with various clubs at cer- tain times and for this reason they want a complete record at the city hall of the officers of each one.
 Information was received yesterday that six clubs have been organized among the negro residence sections and that they are making good progress. The commissioners will today mail out literature to these negro clubs and will assist them in every way possible.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-20
Christopher Rdnbo-FQrn1er
An Erswhle Capitalist Takes Up Agricultural Pursuits
 vances New Theory Why Burrows Are Crooked
By CHARLES II. MANDY

Chris has a rule that he has followed all his life. He believes in familiarizing himself with any new venture he may undertake so when the time came to break up the ground on his farm, he decided he would blow it up himself. He procured brand new blow and a large sized mule. whose one idea was to keep going no matter what happened, until the end of the furrow was reached. The con sequence was that when a rock or a root was encountered Chris either received a blow in the solar plexus from the blow handles, or took q Header over the inn plement blowing miniature furrow with his nose. After blowing the length of the field three times Chris was willing to wager a case of champagne to a drink of cold water that the three fur rows contained more rocks roots and stumps to the square foot than any par eel of land on the American continent. But he was game and stuck to his self
 imposed job until the entire field was plowed up.
 The result was astonishing. The fur rows were not in accordance with the path that leads ho the everlasting king dom; they were narrow all right, but certainly not straight They had as many curves as an elongated letter and as many kinds as the hind leg of a bulldog. 'The shades of night were falling fast' when the job was completed, so weary and worn. the embyro asriculturalist re- tired early to bed. It was late next morn when Chris went out to view the field of his previous days labor. The sun was sizzling hot and while he was gazing at the ziz-zag furrows neighbor came along.
 Tn the name of fortune, who plowed that field?' was his greeting.
 q did, replied Mir Rambo.
 What were you trying to do. work out a problem in geometry, or lay off the ground plans for puzzle garden2'
 Neither one nor the other, but I want to say one thing, l will take an oath that when I finished blowing last night the furrows were straight
 But how do you account for them be- ing so crooked now?"
 ''Doggoned if I know replied Chhs- topher as he nlopped his prespiring 52re- head. Then glancing at the sun which was beating down on the plowed field with mooDday fierceness, he added, T reckon the sun must have warped them. Ain't it."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-20
Two Miss Fashions Will
 Be On Streets TOmOrro7v
Will Attend Luncheon be Given Press Cub3500O People Estimated to Have Visited Here This Week and Spent Thousands of Dollars-How Fashion Week
 Idea Originated

some quarters that they Will at tnat tnne appoint a committee to prepare lne city Tor Fashion Week each year, making this committee one o1 the standing com mittees Of the ofsanlzatlon. III the event that the eXposluon Is held eacn year hereafter. Il IS understood that It win De done on mucn more elaborate scale than the present tashion Week naas been fne auair wui be conducted on larger Ines. more money wlIl be expended and more ume Will ee gwen over to the prepara uous.
 The preparations for Fashion Week this year were made within 10 days after 1t was dennitely decided to hold the cele- bration. The street decorators had 10 do their work rather nurriedly, although 1t is generally admitted they made a line job of 1t.
 The story is being told to how the idea of a Fashion Week with Miss Fash ion as one of the features first started. IL seems as the story goes, that q few friends were dining one night in a New York cafe and discussing among other things a series of mysterious burglares that had recently taken place, in which the burglar had escaped detection. One of the members of the party made the assertion that he could walk the streets of New York every day for a week, hav- ing his photograph printed in the papers,
  scription and never be discovered even by the police.
 The friends made up a purse and placed a wager on the proposition and the New York Herald offered reward of 5000 to any person who would discover the man. The only disguise he was permitted 10 wear was to change his clothes as often as he saw fit
 The man walked on every fashionable thoroughfare in New York city, accord ing to the story, every day. changing his dress twice each day. At the end of SIX days he remained undiscovered and had not even been accosted by anyone WHO suspected his identity.
 From this beginning the idea of Fash ion Week grew to the proportions it has now reached. Large eastern cities have tried 1t successfully and the indications point to Birmingham making it an an- nual affair
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-20

Mrs. j. B. Reid announces that there will he two Miss Fashions on the streets tomorrow. These young ladies will visit all the shops and will be prominent on the fashionable shopping streets. They will be present at the luncheon to the Miss Fashions to be given at 1 o'clock to- morrow at the Birmingham Newspaper club.
 The Miss Fashion of today is of a mixed type, with blue eyes and beautiful brown hair that is inclined to curl.
 Miss Alice Phillips was the queen of fashion yesterday. She was discovered at Loveman. Joseph X Loeb's about 2:3O in the afternoon by l.. L. Stevenson, Jr.. a local youth. MT. Stevenson received the s1o from the Business Mems league. The interest in Miss Fashion and her doings has become very great. The chn- dren are searching for her diligently, but as yet no tot has been lucky enough to find her. At the zoo yesterday several tiny tads'' addressed Miss Fancy cali ing her Miss Fashion. and they seemed quite put out that she did not respond to their Embellishments.
 The merchants in the Business Mems
 
 unstinted praise of the success of Fash ion Week. They say that it has added very material percentage to the volume of business and has brought already more than 5000 visitors to the city. It is expected that today and tomorrow will find at least 20,o00 more visitors from out of-town points, and it is believed that the volume of trade from the visitors will exceed $i50,000 for the week.
 Yesterday the rebate bureau of the Business Mems league rebated fares tc 55 persons. each of whom had expended an amount exceeding $l00, and there were many who did not take advantage of he fare~srebate feature of the work of the Business Mems league.
 That Fashion Week will be made an an- nual event under the auspices of the Business Mems league is not doubted. The board of directors will meet next Monday night and the opinion prevails in
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-20
SHRINKING LAWS
 FATE IS DOUBTFUL
Ordinance Is Being Held Up Pending Outlining
 of Zones

There appears to be some doubt in re- gard to the fate of the proposed sprink- ling ordinance. One member of the com mission stated yesterday that as prac- tically everybody objected to a compul- sory sprinkling tax, he did not believe there was much use in adopting an ordi- nance for voluntary sprinkling tax
 MT. Weatherly. who first brought up the subject of such an ordinance. stated that it was being held up at present pending the outlining of the proposed zones on which the operation of the ordinance would be based The commis- sioner who states that he sees little if any benefit in adopting an ordinance with a voluntary nprinkling tax as its basis of operation. said that he could not see that the ordinance would do any good It would place no duties or ob- ligations upon anyone, it would merely give the residents of certain defined neighborhood a right to agree between themselves to pay a contractor so much to sprinkle their streets and this, he said. they could do just as well inde- pendent. of the city and without any ordi- nance.
 The only need Of an ordinance, he said, would be for compulsory sprinkling tax, which it was very evident the peo- pie did not want, and the commission would show no inclination to fofce it upon them.
 Some suggestions have been made to the commissioners that the street car companies should be forced to sprinkle the streets over which they operate. This the commissioners state they would have authority to do. but they do not believe it is fair to make the street car com pany sprinkle the entire width of a street at it's own expense.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-20
POLICE STIRRED ID ACTION BY MANY
 AUTO ACCIDENTS Wood Injured When His Machine Turns Turtle. No Arrests Made in
 Marks Accident

A vigorous prosecution of all violators of traffic laws will at once be instituted by the police department following the series of automobile accidents reported within the past few days.
 The most serious accident yesterday was that in which J. w Wood, city sales man of the Kirkpatrick Sand and Cement company, was badly bruised when his au- tomobile turned turtle on Cliff road in Sfront of the residence of Smith Cullom. The accident occurred about 2:S0 o'clock
 It was thought at first that MT. Wood had been killed, as the heavy car, when it overturned, fell directly across his body. However, it was stated at St. Vim cents hospital last night, where Shaw's ambulance had carried MT. Wood, that he was resting easily, and was only badly bruised It was stated that there were no bones broken. MT. Wood resides at 1215 Magnolia avenue. The automobile was wrecked.
 No trace has yet been found by the po- lice or detective departments of Jess White, the chauffeur who is alleged to have driven off Wednesday night at Il :05 o'clock after his automobile had struck v. Marko Of BlOctOn at Fourth avenue and Twentysixth street, north
 At Chassis infirmary, 705 North Twenty sixth street, it was stated last night that Marko was resting easily, although he was internally injured, and was still in very serious condition. Marlho. who is an Italian from Blocton, had just ar rived in Birmingham to visit relatives and a block from the Terminal station was struck by an automobile. According to eye witnesses the car did not stop but in creased it's speed after striking MarlSo.
 Another automobile accident occurred Wednesday afternoon about 5:30 O clock in which the police were unable to locate in the subway of the Terminal station and Berry Garmon of East Lake was the vic tim. It is stated that Garmon was con- siderably bruised and narrowly escaped being killed by machine which rushed through the subway. After hitting MT. Garmon glancing blow the car did not stop. and no one was able to secure the license number.
 An accident in which no one was hurt although several hundred dollars worth of damage was done occurred when the electric runabout of A. H. Ford president of the Birmingham Railway, Light and Power company, got beyond the control of the negro chauffeur Wednesday night about il AS o'clock while descending a steep hill on Madison avenue, between Hanover Circle and Twenty-sixth street The runabout car crashed into the front steps of the residence of T. O. Killespy and played havoc with the woodwork on the porch. The electric coupe was wrecked.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-20

There is no calling or vocation more honorable than that of farming. That the farmer is the backbone of this or any nation is generally conceded, yet the farmer has been the butt of the jokesmith and cartoonist for many years, and to call man farmer who is not Q farmer is paramount to putting him in a class with the incompetent and childish.
 That this view is an erroneous one can readily be ascertained by study of the lives and history of the nations great leaders, nay more from the history of many local men who have won fame and fortune in the business and professional world who boast of their early life on a farm
 Among those who are serving on the federal jury this week appears the name of Chris T. Rambo. On one of the jury lists a local attorney had him chased as capitalist For several years past he has been dealing in the script issued by the county in return for the services rem dered by witnesses for the state. He owns considerable property in the city and has been successful in real estate
 
 cumulated a modest competency, hence the lawyer felt justified in writing "capi- talist' as his occupation.
 As is the custom in the federal court each juror is required to sand up, and lh answer to the roll call, give his oecupa- tion. On the jury of which MT. Rambo is a member are several farmers, ana when his name was called, much to the surprise of many friends, he loudly pro- claimed that he was following that ancient and honorable calling. 1t was the first time that any of his friends knew ne had taken to agricultural pursuits, yet as a matter of fact it was true. He owps farm on the top of Shades mountain or rather the farm owns him, for it IS one of the kind that you put more money in than you get out. Its dimensions are about those of resident lot in an Okla- Eoma boom town. but at that It cost Chris at least $1.60 to buy seed for the first years planting, from which he mar vested at least six bits worth of garden truck, a pair of blistered hands and lame back
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-20
ID TRY EXPERIMENT
 IN COUNTING VOTE
StradfOrd Proposes to Di- vide Poll List at Court
 house Box

An experiment which may result in relieving the congestion at polling places will be tried at the courthouse box at the election April 6, according to an announcement of NJ. T. Stadford, ap- pointed one of the managers for that box. He said that he proposed to inject a little business into politics and split the polling list at the box. Voters whose names begin with the first 13 letters of the alphabet will be asked to vote in one box and the remainder in the other In other words 1t is stated that instead of having one box and causing unusual congestion 1t is planned by MT. Strad- lord to so split the list as to cause the ing At the election April 6 there will be 1900 men at the Fourth ward box eligible to vote There arc 27 candi- dates to be voted for and the managers will be required to count g, 100 names by actual calculation. This will admit tedly become a most burdensome task. so much so that Mir. Stradford hopes to relieve the work by d new system.
 When bookkeeper at a bank has more than he can do they split the ledger said MT. Stradford. "I propose to inject q little business in this elee- tion by splitting the poll list and eaus- ing the voters to vote alphabetically. | am making this announcement so that any candidate who objects may say so before the election. but l sincenrely trust no objections will be raised for l beleive 1t to be a very efficient means of counting the ballots and saving a world of time
 MT. Stradford said If his plan was a success that he would request that the next legislature enact the system into a law, after 1t had been amplified and worked over in detail