davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-12
oUTWITrED UNCLE SAM

From the Kansas City Star.
Just because he happened to be shy
thee ard half pounds to become an APP
prentice musician in the United States
navy was no hindrance at all to German
Francis Sturdevant, 20 years old, of Alva,
Okla. He drank and ate the required
Weight and another half pound for good
mea sure, returned to the naval recruiting
office in the federal building an hour
later and was sworn in as sailor by
Lieutenant Abbott.
Here is Sturdevants menu: Ten glasses
of huttermilk, three plates of cream
cheese. four bananas
But careless mixing of the three in
gradients of such a meal will not produce
the best results. Sturdevont says. IT
should he done scientifically First a
banana should be eaten; a glass of but
termillx follows: then a plate of cheese;
buttermill again; then u banana, and in
such order until the bananas and cheese
are gone; then four glasses of buttermillS
as a chaser. If patient is feeling well
and more weight is desired. the cheese
and bananas may pc continued until the
buttermilk supply is gone.
Sturdevant enlisted in the navy at
Wichita, Kan, substation of Kansas
City, He was sent here to be examined
by the naval surgeon. Bad news and lots
of it. Sturdevant had been up all night
and was breakfastless; also three and a
half pounds under the necessary IL
pounds weight to become an apprentice
musician in the navy. So he was re-
fused final enlistment. But Sturdevani
choose to outwit the government de-
eison instead of returning to common
place civilian life
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-12
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
Prosperity Talk General

There has been remarkable change
in sentiment in regard to business con-
ditions within the past week or two,
said George B. Marling of Philsdel-
phia.
Just before the banking and cur
rency bill was passed there was a
great deal of hesitancy in banking cir
cles in the east and the outlook for
business was not as bright as we de-
sired to see II. The feeling is very
different now. The new currency law
Is accepted as an excellent piece of
legislation. Capital will be let loose
and ! think many leading business men
in New York and elsewhere feel con-
fident that this country is about to
start on a new era of solid prosper
ity. Certain 1t is that the calamity
howler has quit bowling. Before the
end of this month business promises
to be more active than at any time in
1913"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-12
United States Setting an Example

All Europe, and especially Great
Britain, scott at US as it may, is in
many respects prone to follow our ex-
ample, and to follow it at rapid pace.
The provision of our new tariff law
excluding from the United States the
plumage of wild birds intended for
commercial purposes is already exer-
cising widely extended and benefi-
cial influence. Within ten days after
the law became operative the London
feather market fell below record and
in Germany the aigrette fashion has
entirely disappeared.
The English have been inspired by
this American example and bill al
most similar to ours upon this sub.
4ect is slated to be introduced into Par.
lament at its next session while an.
alogous inhibition is being mooted ir
the Kaiser's empire.
AS the United States was the heav.
lest purchaser of aigrettes its move il
this direction was almost heroic il
character and the cessation of the de-
mand has greatly affected European
trade.
The move in this country was moi
only q matter of worthy sentiment, do.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-12

ing away as it does with a great
amount of unspeakable cruelty to
birds, but matter of human interest
and welfare as well.
The conservation of birds in other
countries as well as in ours commands
the consideration of the United States.
Insects that destroy crops are carried
from land to land and our own
scourge, the boil weevil, is an import
from Mexico. Birds are the great ex-
terminators of insects and our surest
safeguard against their depredations
so that self-protection spurs US to look
to the conservation of the insectivor-
Gus birds the world over.
This country has set an excellent
example and the advanced nations of
the globe are following in our foot
steps.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-12
Ex-MAYoR NOT A CITIZEN

Independence CKan.) Wire to the Kansas
City Star.
Ex- mayor A. c. Stitch of this city, who
has been a political leader in Kansas for
Al years, and has exercised all the rights
Of citizenship under the presumption that
he was one, received a shock this week
when he learned that no records establish
ing his citizenship could be found. The
documents on file at his old home in
Michigan had been searched diligently as
fan back as 1850 so yesterday Mr.. Stitch
went to the office of tho clerk of court
and filed application for admission to the
rights of a citizen of the United States.
With his wife and a party of friends
he is planning a trip to the Holy Land
in February. 1t was because Turkey de-
mands passports that he made his dis
quieting discovery. Mr.. Stitch has made
several trips to the old world. His citi-
zenshp never was brought into question,
so he never had occasion to look the mat
tel up.
His father was born in Germany and
came to the United States when Adolph
was II years old. The father was active
In politics.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-12
Half Dollars i'm DisfavOr

From the United States treasury
department comes the announcement
of the existence of phenomenal con-
dition among the people concerning
the half dollar piece. 1t has fallen into
disfavor and none has been coined for
over a year, the demand therefor be-
ing amply supplied by the amount of
coins on hand.
One reason assigned for the situa-
ton is that the struggle against the
high cost of living has evolved an un-
conscious mental condition which dis
plays preference for small coins,
small units of money having ten
dency toward economy.
This subconscious preference is fea-
tured when one travels abroad and be-
come familiar with the franc of France
and Switzerland or the lire of Italy,
all of which are practically equivalent
to 20 cents in American money. 1t is a
common experience with such travel
ers that while they would not long
consider a value of ten dollars, they
balk at 80 francs or so lire as almost
prohibitive. Our quarters at home
seem to fall in line with these for
eign units and a half dollar piece ap-
pears as useless as 2-cent coin.
Then again the utility of the smaller
coin is to be considered. The bother of
making change with tradesmen when
in hurry is matter of no little i'm
port. With the housewife the quarter
in the home is an absolute necessity
and the cry for small change is an un-
failing one in the country districts.
Small coins are needed everywhere
and hence the preference for the quar-
ter and the disfavor of the half dol
lar piece.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-12

agreed upon at the termination of the
second war with Bulgaria are artificial
and untenable so that the outbreak of
new hostilities seems more than a
mere possibility
The effect upon finance of the last
conflict in the Balkans is felt appre-
clably in this country and acutely in
Germany and Great Britain. The pro-
cess of mobilization is costly yet nee
essary, for the ability to strike quick
ly may mean everything to one or the
other of the European groups and
neither can afford to be unprepared.
This circumstance may offset the
threatening situation by forcing the
great powers into a combination to
prevent another Turkish embroglio.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-12
GREAT TRIALS OF HISTORY
THE TRIAL OF JOHN BROWN

Z ARNING for an opportunity to
carry out his long cherished de-
i sire to liberate the colored slaves
American slavery, Capt. John Brown-or
"Old Osawatomie Brown" as he was fa-
niiljarly called-had disclosed his plans
to few confiding sympathzers during a
conference held by them in Canada in
May 1858 They selected Harpers Ferry,
Va, as the most available strategic point
to strike the first blow.
At the time Brown was go years of
age. Shortly after this Canadian con-
ference, Brown, with two of his sons, ap-
reared in the vicinity Of Harpers Ferry,
and under the assumed name of Smith
rented a small farm m Maryland, a few
miles from the ferry, for the purpose of
oaking the necessary observations and
maturing plans for the final movement.
Here were gradually collected a small
quantity of arms and ammunition and a
be dy of % men, of whom II We're whites
and five colored.
At about 10 o'clock on the evening of
October IS, 1859, the first act of the in
vasion was to be performed. The watch
nan on the Potomac bridge was seized
ard made prisoner. Almost Simultaneous
ly the government armory buildings, con-
tanning a large quantity of arms, were
quietly taken possession of. Shortly after
midnight small party of the invaders
went to the house of Col. Lewis WASH
ington, farmer and owner of many
slaves, aroused him from his bed, arrest
ell him and told his slaves they were
free. \ similar visit was made to other
prominent residents of the ferry. A num-
bei of shots were fired and several per-
sons were mortally wounded
Intelligence of the affair was speedily
communicated by railroad and messenger
to all the neighboring towns and military
companies soon began to make their ap-
pearance At about noon some Charles
town troops arrived and during the rest
| of the day soldiers poured into Harper S
Ferry from as far away as Washington.
| The armory in which Brown and most of
his party had taken refuge was attacked
| ard soon they were all brought out and
placed under arrest.
| An Indictment of treason and murder
was Immediately found against Brown by
| the Virginia authorities. >and until the
time of his trial he was vigorously
/, guarded.
| As the prisoners demanded to be tried
separately. the authorities elected to try
Brown first. He asked fer delay on ac-
count of his severe wounds; but this was
refused. and the case began October 2s
| in Charlestown, Va. Brown
to sit and he lay upon ma
trial lasted three days. and
found guilty upon all the char 81
fenced to be executed on Dec,
| AS the jury came in with sft5
the dense crowd was moved sf4.s
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-12

ElEest Howard Crosby, in the New York
Sun. \
So he died for his faith. That is fine
More than most of us do
But stay, can you add to that line,
That he lived for it, too?
In his death he bore witness at last
AS a martyr to truth.
Did his life do the same in the past
From the days of his ,outh?
1t is easy to die. Men have died
For a wish or whim-
From bravado or passion or pride.
Was it harder for him?
3u. to live; every day TO live out ~
All the truth that he dreamt, ~
-Thile his friends met his conduct With
doubt
And the world with contempt
as it thus that he plodded ahead,
Never turning aside?
hen we will talk of the life that he led
Never mind how he died.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-12

From the Cincinnati ENQUIRER.
Three is always crowd when youi
wife catches you with another woman
Every man is a coward if you can
only locate his particular hoodoo.
A halo may be a fine thing in the
next world, but woman wants tiara
in this one.
The government has run the other
lotteries out of business. but the ole
matrimonial company is still selling
tickets.
You can hurt people more by laugh
ing at them than by punching them.
You can't make a man who has te
buy shoes for six kids understand why
Some people want to adopt children.
We all acquire foresight when VIZ
look forward to.
When a man starts in to mind his
own business all the time. his business
grows so fast that he hasn't time to
ouss the trusts and John d. Rockefeller
Any mother will tell you that it is
almost impossible to raise fern and
a f,ock OF children in the same house.
A princess will spend a whole after
noon pricing union suits. and ther
come home and tell the neighbors that
she was down town purchasing lin
gerie.
When a man breaks a big pair tc
draw to a flush and fills the flush he
does more Dragging than If he had built
the Panama canal single-handed.
The only difference between mosi
wives and hired girls is that the hired
girl get paid once week and car
quit any time they feel like it.
The kind of man who knows he
would be a philanthropist II he were
a millionaire is the same guy who CAM
spare blind man a nickel when he has
10 bucks in his pocket,
The highest altitude ever reached by
a balloon was 231A miles. But mar
goes up higher than that when he finds
he hasn't clean collar when he gets
un in the morning.
What has become of the old-fash.
ioned man who used to take his sor
out in the woodshed and give him 8
dose of STRAP Oil?"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-12

with intense expectancy. The only calm
and unruffled countenance there was the
doomed one. 1t was late and the gas
lights gave an almost deathly pallor to
his face On being asked why sentence
Should not be passed upon him. he said in
voice singularly mild and gentle:
In the first place. l deny everything
but what | have all along admitted--the
design on my part to free the slaves. l
intended, certainly, to have made a clean
thing of that matter. That was all in
tended l never did intend murder. or
treason, or the destruction of property. or
to excite or incite slaves to rebellion. or
| to make insurrection.
Il believe that to Interfere as I have
done, as | have always freely admitted I
have done, was not wrong, but right.
Now, If it is deemed necessary that
should forfeit my life for the furtherance
of the ends of justice, and mingle my
blood further with the blood of my chill
dren, and with the blood of millions in i,
that slave country VIII use rights are dis
regarded submit, let it be done.,
The day appointed sor the execution
Brown walked out of the Jail with a
radiant countenance and the step of a
ccnqueror With an unfaltering step he
| mounted the wagon which was to convey
lin to the scaffold. He seated himself
beside Captain Avis. the iailer, and Mr..
Sadler, the undertaken. ACCOMMODATING
tie wagon We're several military COM
panies, mostly cavalry
When he was asked il lie was ready
when he had ascended the scaffold, he re-
Piled:
Il am ready at any time. But do not
KEEP me needlessly waiting
Cook, Coppee, Copeland and Greene.
Browns companions. shared his fate De-
| oember 16, and Stevens and Hazlitt on
March 16. The other survivors had man
agec to escape.
! Icmorrow-Trial of Sir Walter Raleigh.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-12
PEACE AND BATTLESHIPS
By BILL VINES

edueated-not for war, but to a higher
| education that they might become intel
liSent dissiminators of peace.
Far be it from us to say that we
should not at all times be prepared to pro-
teet ourselves from a foreign foe. But it
seems an awful waste of money to US that
We put $21,O00000 in n single ship and
never get to shoot up single village
with it, The ultimate ccnsumer-if he
stops to reason with himself which is a
habit that the ultimate consumer only
occasionally practices-nlust inevitably ar
rive at the conclusion that the money
we spend for war, when there amt no
war, could be used to d far better ad-
vantage. Advocates of a big navy and
army assure u.s. however. that such
things are the surest roads to peace. n
we have a big navy, and an army ready
and prepared to batter a foreign nation.
| disposed to peeve us, over the head until
it will listen to reason, why the foreign
nation aforesaid will listea 20 reason first
and postpone the battering indefinitely.
On the same theory, citizen of the re-
public ought to be allowed to carry
around with him the latest edition of the
Colts Arms company, entirely in the in,
terest of peace. If fellow citizen be-
cones annoyed at him and expresses
desire to mash in his face, he displays
said edition, and peace is restored at once.
At least, if not the undertaken gets a
| job.
| The question is, where will this con-
test for supremacy in preparation for war
stop? How long can the ultimate con-
| sllmer-who is in this case, as in all
cases, the goat-bear i.p under the bur-
Gen? Does it comport with his time-hon-
! ored and everlasting political job, of the
| backbone of the nation" to sport a
| 50 overcoat during hard winter and come
out with a s21o0o,OOO battleship in the
| spring, tra-la? We wot not. Puzzle
what's the answer?
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-12
COURAGE
From the Boston Transcript.

From the Boston Transcript.
The most Indispensable and valuable
asset for the conduct of life is courage
courage to endure. courage to con-
struct and reconstruct, courage to go
on. without these how shall we do
more than drag out miserable exis-
tence moving from place to place, like
tramps and beggars. living on the doles
fate offers us as We slouch along un-
premeditated ways? Could there be a
better prayer for the opening year
than this? "Give us courage to be mas
ters of ourselves, courage to swim
against the stream. courage to drown.
when our due time is come. with serene
hearts and quiet faith in God" When
that prayer Is answered, living deserves
a song and dying becomes an episode
in the history of a man. If religion
did no more than make this forward
looking courage possible, it would de-
serve our reverence and pursuit.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-12
The Credit Man

b. f. Ezekiel. the retiring credit
manager of Loveman, Joseph & Loeb,
spent much of his time last week in
saying good-by to friends on the eve
of his departure for an extended trip
abroad. In discussing in an off-hand
way some of the essentials of business
life he was asked if he thought 1t true
that credit men were born. not made.
He emphatically said mo"
why" said Mr.. Ezekiel, "you seem
to put all credit men in one class.
There is as great difference between
the wholesale and the retail credit man
as there is between day and night
They are as far apart in their basic
principles as we are from China In
geography or civilization.
1.-THE idea underlying creddt extend
ed by the wholesaler is constructive
by the retailer, destructive. When
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-12

wv ASHiNGToN, JANUARY n.-(Spe-
M cial.)-For pattlesnips last year
W the nations of the world spent
almost $S0o.0oo,0oo OF this sum the United
States contributed aboul si41, 100000, and
was second in the list. Our dreaded hy-
pothetical enemy-accordiug to Captain
Hobson-took last place in the list and
spent 100000.
United States naval designers have
plans for a single battleship that will be
submitted to Congress that will cost s21,
100000. II is going to be the biggest bat
tleship afloat, and will test the capacity
of the Panama canal locks to the fullest
to accommodate her in passage In the
past 20 years there have been three or
four naval conflicts, not over three of
any consequence; the two battles be-
tween the fleets of Spain and the United
81 iates curing the Spanish American war,
and the battle between Japan and Rus
sia, during the conflict between those ma
lions.
Preparation for these three sea fights
cost the nations of the world in naval
construction alone over $4,000, 600 900. How
much could the high cost of living be
reduced if it were not FOR the high cost
of peace? We are assured by Andy Car
negie and William Jenny Bryan that the
dove of peace hovers over all the ma
Iions of the earth,t and there is nothing
but peace on earth and good will to
men" to be heard on every hand--if you'll
tifn q deaf ear toward Mexico. Yet 70
pee cent of the total income of the civil
;zo d nations of the world is spent direct
ly or indirectly on war and preparation
for war, or to the causes resulting from
war Twenty-one million dollars for one
bat;leship that. if built, will go out of
date in five years, and not a single copec
for the establishment Of great univer-
slty of the United States, for instance
where the youth of the land might be
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-12
Regional Reserve Banks

Atlanta people expect their city to
be selected as one of the reserve bank
cities, but if the Carolinas succeed in
getting into the region of which Wash
ington or Baltimore would be the CEN
ter then Birmingham. not Atlanta,
would be the logical southern reserve
bank center" said a business man who
has studied the situation.
Some men think that New Orleans
will he the one southern city selected
Even as able and experienced finan-
cier as Mr.. Clews of New York thinks
that way. But we shall see. Mr.
Clews in his testimony before Secre-
tary of the Treasury McAdoo and Sec
retary of Agriculture Houston last
Friday said in part: The new banking
and currency law has much to COM
mend it and Is as good a piece of Leg
islation as could be expected under
the circumstances. Although, it will
doubtless need some amendments later
on, l consider it an important step
forward in sound, constructive finan-
cial legislation and it will certainly do
much toward disarming public fear OF
the money power in the larger cities
I'm dividing the country into dis
tricts I would suggest the lowest num-
ber possible under the law, which is
eight. These l advise to be in New
York, Boston, Baltimore, New Orleans
Chicago, st. Louis, Omaha and Sar
Francisco. This number is fully as large
as should be permitted. The greater the
number of regional banks the weaker
| some of them must be and the greater
the opportunity for friction and Local
| jealousies. Concentration will strength
EN- the national banks for meeting
| emergencies and facilitate prompt ac-
| tion'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-12
TROUBADOUR AND JESTER
TIE LAST RESoRr.

Just when I'm ready 10 retire
And blankets round me roll.
Wife says, DO not forget the fire
And please bring In some COAL
When | am snugly tucked away.
1t gives me quite a shock
To hear her turn and gently say
You haven't wound the clock"
And when at last I disappear
Md sheets and such as that.
In accents low she whispers. Dear,
Now you've forgot the cat
If want to avoid this stew
And forego such a plight.
The only thing for me to do
Is to sit up all night.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-12
FOR THE LAWYERS.

Brown was young lawyer running for
the legislature in Arkansas He closed
a campaign address with these words:
Send me to the legislature my fellow
citizens, and in the language of Cicero
absque hoe de injuria sine tall causa, de
bonis non cum testamentum annexum.
His audience cheered itself hoarse.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-12

Mayor Mitchell of New York had no
difficulty in distributing his official
patronage, with one exception. He is
still without police commissioner
That office it is said is the hardest OF
all to- fill acceptably. But New York
without a police head. Maybe it will
continue to prosper indefinitely with
out police commissioner
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-12

Some of the college presidents who
init that they have never seen the
dance. When properly danced it is as
modest as any other form of terpsicho-
rean endeavor. All who have seen it
have been impressed with its grace and
beauty
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-12
PARTNERSHIP

Il traveller stopped at a blacksmith
shop to have his horse slod and OBJ
served the smiths wife keeping the flies
OF of the horses with brush made of
band at his trade,' he remarked
Yes replied the woman. "he shoes tue
herses and I shoe the flies
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-12

If former President Taft should be
appointed to succeed Chief Justice
White upon the latters retirement.
would Teddy bury the hatchet and tele-
graph fluctuations? Stranger things
have happened.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-12

A bridegroom 20 years old wants a
divorce from his bride of AZ on the
ground that he doesn't like cats. If his
charge is q figurative one he seems to
have an excellent chance of winning
his suit
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-12

year ago 1t was the slit skirt; now
cism. But both of them indulged in with
moderation are said to be perfectly
harmless
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-12

In past years Presidents have visited
the south in the winter time to shoot
ducks; but President Wilson is the first
to have had winter capital in the
south. Pass Christian has been a real
gentleman have a more restful vaca-
tion than Mr. Wilson.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-12

This touch of winter makes the coal
merchant glad and moneyless folks
with empty coal houses sad.