davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-09-13

don. He had an enormous establish ment and was so proud of its gorgeous. ness that he had me taken down intd thc vault under his house to show md his jewels. He kept a stud of fins horses and was an associate of tfh Prince Of Wales at the big races
 Today the most of the nitrate works are owned by stock companies. and nearly all of them are paving big dividends some have doubled and trebled in valua since tkey were organized Take thd Agua Santa. whose capital when l vis- ited it scme years ago was only $3.090.00o. When that stock was paid in, 1t was at the rate of 10 pesos per share. and sncD then it has sold fer 34 times that amount. Some Of the biggest officinas have paid for themselves in three years and not a few have given stock dividends of 1od and POO per cent.
 All of the nitrate fields originally be- longed 10 the government and they have been sold ont at auction to the highest bidders the government also taking it's share of the exports through the duty which il charges upon every bag shipped. The receipts have been so great that they have led to extravagant expenditures on the part of the officials, and there are wise men in Chile who claim that ii is pauperizing the country. They say they would be far better off if they had had fn pay taxes like other countries, instead of having these nitrate mines that suph ply from two-thirds to four-hfths of their public needs.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-09-13
DIFFICULT IS TASK
 OF THESE BUILDERS

Right down to the time of John Smeaton. who invented the stone tower. lighthouses were built of wood It was Smeatons success in placing a stone edifice on the Eddystone rocks, in the eighteenth century says writer in the Wide World magazine, which really gave an impetus to lighthouse buiid- ins. and since then the sea builder has achieved many notable conquests in all parts of the globe.
 The first erected was that built by Mr. R. Stevenson on the Bell rock on the famous Inch Cape reef. off the coast of Scotland The construction of this lighthouse was one long, terrible battle with the angry sea. The secur- ing of the foundations. naturally the most hazardous part of the whole un- dertaking. proved exceedingly difficult
 1t is recorded that the men worked with desperation. Only two could re- main on the rock at time. but they stuck there with the tenacity of leeche- the cold waters of the North sea bear. ing down every few minutes ans sweeping entirely over them. When tho, first stone was at last swung into pos sition the men, ragged, chilled and worn with the awful struggle chung to the iron rods which they had erected upon the reef and cheered madly. like soldiers just over the ramparts of an enemy's fort.
 Again and again they were absolutely driven from the rock. When the tower began to appear well above the sea, terrible storms arose and swamped the works On several occasions blocks weighing IS much as two tons were ruthlessly torn out of their places and swept into the sea. despite dove-tailed joints and Portland cement In the end the sea-builder proved victorious. as he always does: but it cost four years la bor and the expenditure of G0.0eo pounds sterling before the lighthouse stood cDmplete.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-09-13

at Berne. but I have sufficient conti- dence in my fellow countrymen to be- lieve that they acted in the same spirit and with substantially the same effec- tveness elsewhere. The London com mittee was presumably the most highly organized naturally, for it had to deal with the largest number of people It was upon London that almost everyone centered their devious and various routes from the afflicted continent
 The London committee had an excel lent card index system. It had special committees on finance, transportation. ho- tel accommodation and relief-relief for men, relief for women--lost baggage, ex- change of steamship tickets, etc: pub- lished daily bulletin, which gave each successive days registration as well as general information The Munich com mittee did the same. Its daily was en- titled American Notes.' I have no doubt organiza ton was carried to this point of efficiency elsewhere. l name no names because if l did the list would be toe long for the columns of the Survey | wish to pay my tribute of praise to my own countrymen. and I can do it no torial of our London bulletin to all the Americans who helped. wherever their place of activity:
 When the bomb Of war broke every mainstay of our civilization seemed for the moment to perish for those Americans abroad Intercommunicat ton ceased the family relation was often sundered, neces- stiles were denied, money lost it's value homes were unobtainable by even the i'll and aged and S0.0O0 Americans were helpless and appalled-the foundation of their normal life had been wrenched away. and help, direction and comfort from strong men and women was their greatest human desire. This was the necessity of the hour which the noble men and women of the committee and their assistants met with capacity and sympathy which has fully aided the af- ficted and has won the respect and .ad- mration of all who know the true meas ure of their achievement. No demand of service was refused, no want left un- satisfied. That these men and women had the capacity to do so was no acci- dent. They had sprung from race of pioneers whose forefathers had made ex- istence possible only by accomplishing the seemingly impossible.
 Their ability was the result of life's upbuilding in force self-control and kind hness They could act when all wal chaos because life with them had beer training school for high efficiency. Thus they met the situation in all it's diff. culties and realized the highest objective of mankind in service to their fellows in the broadest sense In this work they had the assistance of scores who had made a vocation of public work. High or the roll of honor will stand those whe gave their best with generosity and chiv' airy. full worthy of the ideals of oul generatton-"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-09-13

failed accepted challenge of war from Turkey in 1928 and invaded the cour} try.
 With French aid she brought the sul- tan to terms and a Bavaran prince be- came a Greek King Turkey also lost Wallachia and Moldavia, on the Dan- tube, save for nominal control
 Otto was the youngest King of mod ern times, being ,Nt ' when crowned. He found a state of affairs quite like that in Albania today. The people were turbulent. undsciplined, and un-' educated. Coming from realm where absolutism Was the rule, the young King, with the advice of his own coun- trymen, began a reactionary reign which lasted almost 30 years. His sub jeets blamed him for not securing more territory by the treaty of Berlin and he was deposed and in his place in 1868 came George, the son of the King. of Denmark. who lived to see the Turks again defeated. but who died by an assassin's hand in SaIoniki last year. The kingdom was increased by the cession Of the Ionian Islands by Eng land, and Turkey gave up a part oS Thessaly.
 tfo Be Continued.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-09-13

so years more at the present rate of con sumption, and there are others who say that the nitrate fields will last for more than century. There are three provinces whose deposits are estimated at more than ooU,0oO,o0o0OO pounds. Others of the esti- mates are lower, some claiming that there are now left only about 10000 GOO 0OO pounds These estimates do not take into account the new fields which are sure to be found nor the possibilities of working over the dumps about the of ficinas, which still contain a large per centage of nitrates
 Indeed. one of the great opportunities for the inventors of the future lies right acre in these arid deserts of Chile The caliche as it is brought from the mines seldom averages more than 9 per cent of nitrate of soda, and by the present meth- ods of reduction fully 6 per cent is left in the refuse. That means that 40 per of the nitrate contents are still in these great dumps surrounding the officinas, and that if this can be saved it will add to the world 40 per cent of all the nitrate so far taken out of the earth. Such a produce would be worth hundreds of millions of dollars. These fields have been mined since 1880, and in 1880, at the time of the Peruvian war, they were all ready taking out millions of pounds every year. In 1890 the output was more than 100000 tons, and in 1911 the exports were more than 2500,000 tons, and the value of tue output was something like $100 GOO, GOO. This work has been going on steadily at the present rate for more than genera ton, and in less degree for a genera ton and more before that All this time only 50 per cent of the product has been saved. The other 40 per cent still lies in the dumps, and in this rainless country there it will continue to lie until the "open sesame of some inventors brain unocks the robber cave of nitrate and thus enriches himself and the world
 And still the most careful study Is taken to get out the nitrate at the lowest pes sible cost, and to save every cent in prod net and labor. Said one of the great offi- eial managers to me:
 "Our profits are question of small savings. The difference of cent in the cost of the reduction of each 100 pounds would mean a profit of at least $i20O a month. We have to watch everything, and especially the matter of labor. Our workinen have to come from the outside, and their waves are very high for this part of the world. The present average is about S2 per day although boys re paid less than Sl There are altogether about 10000 hands employed in the reduc- tion of nitrate and some of the larger
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-09-13
First Aid to the Stranded

(Exclusive Service the Survey Press
 Bureau.)
 If there could be any bright spot in the dark cloud which has suddenly enveloped Europe it is the quick and effective way in which Americans have organized to help their fellow coun- trymen and particularly their fellow countrywomen, during the appalling month of August. There were prob ably about 100000 Americans in Eu- rope at the time when war followed immediately upon mobilization. They he'd no warning. The situation came upon them with the suddenness and unexpectedness of an earthquake.
 It Is quite evident from the English and German White Papers that dip- lomats were alarmed when Austria served her ultimatum upon Servia. The European financial world undoubt- edly had some sense of danger a day or two before the cloudburst but the average American, travelling for pleas ure, seldom reading and seldom able to read the local papers, had no warn ing. Unthinkable as was general European war. equally unthinkable and inconceivable was the situation which immediately developed.
 Replete as the press seems to have been with stories of stranded Amer jeans, it is not possible for those who dld not witness the situation to realize it. Letters of credit and other forms of credit became Immediately value less. Paper money was refused out side of the country of issue. English paper, French paper, German paper, with which most Americans who travel provide themselves, was valueless out side of the country of it's issue. Moth ing but gold and silver went, and gold and silver disappeared almost imme- diately from circulation. The travelling American without coin or paper Of the country in which he happened to be was without money.
 All communication ceased. The trains ran only for soldiers, the telegraph and telephone could be used only for government messages, communication with friends was impossible; automo- piles could not be had because the government impressed them all. Even cabs and horses disappeared from the streets of many European cities. To the able bodied American, with ample resources, experienced in European travel, speaking the important conti- mental languages with European friends, the situation was anxious enough To the inexperienced student or teacher with no amount of ready money at hand. and without the abil- ity to communicate with friends. the situation was terrifying.
 Here was an opportunity for Amer jeans to get together and to use their power of quick organization and in- yentiveness in dealing with situation entirely novel and callingI for imme- diate action. and if ever Rhere was a demonstration of these qualities that demonstration was complete, Wherever
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-09-13

tirely American. The controlling in fluenee and largest owners are W. I. Grace & Co.,, of New York and Lon don, firm that has it's nitrate de- posits and factories scattered through out the desert from here to Peru.
 But first let me tell you somethina about nitrate of soda. It Is one of the richest fertilizers on earth and it has doubled the crop of many an American farm. Il Is used largely in Germany where il is employed in raising sugar heets and in the United States, which Is now buying more than 00,000,0O0 pounds of 1t every year. ssVe take about one-f fifth of the product and now that the canal is completed shall prob ably take more. Among the other large consumers in Europe are Great Brit ain, France, Holland and Belgium. lt is largely used in the Hawaiian islands and also in little Japan, the country now importing about 5.000,000 pounds every month.
 Nitrate of soda when taken ont of the ground and purified looks just like white sale. It is made up of small crys- tals or grains, and it is in this shape that 1t is shipped to the markets. It is put up in bags of 200 pounds each and Is carried rom the ports out 10 the steamers in lighters.
 The nitrate beds begin at some dis tance below Antofagasta and they run northward to beyond the port of Iqui- que, a distance of 400 or 500 miles. It is claimed that there is some nitrate in Peru, but so far the percentage has been so low that the deposits are not worth the working.
 The nitrate beds are found right out in the desert. They lie at an altitude of several thousand feet above the sea on the western slope of a range of low hills that run along the coast. They are from 20 to 100 mile back from the coast. and the belt in which they lie is seldom more than 10 miles in width It is therefore not hard to get the stuff to the seaboard and the most of the haul Is down hill
 The bed of nitrate Is not regularly and evenly distributed throughout Much of 1t is in pockets. There is one salt field in the province of Tarapaca that covers an area of more than 100 square miles. but there are others where the beds of good nitrate are confip.ed to few hundred acres, and the purity of the ore varies greatly
 As a general thing the nitrate IS close to the surface. It crops out here and there, and it seldom extends for
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-09-13
Greece Gains Freedom

Greece had been under Turkish do- minion for many years. Not only had 1t lost it's independence, but even it's ancient tongue. In spite of this and unspeakable oppression, the Greeks still dreamed of independence and the revolutions in Spain and Italy re- echoed among the Hellenes. In 1921 tFSy. revolted and for eight years waged var in which they were almost extin- guished. The war of the revolution was marked by great barbarity on the part of the Turks. who had always persecuted the Greeks brutally and several times massacred whole villages and carried off women and children as slaves.
 One of the reasons for the Turks severity was the fact that the Greeks were Christians, and that. too, was a reason why Russia intervened in the name of the Greek church. But the intervention of the powers did not come until the Turks with a large army had embarked on war which threat ened to destroy the whole Greek na- ton. The butchery of Missolohghi oc- cured and the occupation of a large part of the country followed. While the whole civilized world shuddered at the atrocities of the Turks, Russia became jealous of Epgland's sympathy for the downtrodden patriots and. fear Ing an advantage to the British iron, this. after peaceful negotiations had
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-09-13

revolted against English occupation and a constitution was adopted and John re- turned to his throne. Following his death in 1926 Portugal was governed by his suc- cessor in Brazil. Dom Pedro for d short time. He preferred Brazil to Portugal, however, and abdicated in favor of a daughter Maria, whom he betrothed to his brother the latter to act as regent till she became of age. This brother, Miguel, however, was made King by those who feared Dom Pedro's liberal measures. The princess adherents re- belled and war went on for several years Miguel was defeated and Portugal had Queen until Maria's death in 1855 Her successor, Pedro V. lasted only eight years. Next came Louis I, who reigned 19 years, and Carlos l. who occupied the throne from 1889 until 1908, when he was assassinated with the crown prince An other son, Manuel II, ascended the throne, but the promise that he gave of carrying out the reactionary and illiberal policies of his father resulted in a revolution which drove him into exile and the estab- lishment of the present republic
 Belgium had d more fortunate set of monarchs. Under Leopold l of Coburg the country prospered. It was during his reign that the army system was organized which has borne such good fruits in the present war. His son, Leopold H. became King in 1865. The prosperity continued, and although there were riots by social fsts and others, the Kingdom advanced materially. The present King, Albert l., his nephew. was crowned in 1909. The constitution has been broadened and the suffrage greatly extended.
 In Belgiums little ..neighbor. Holland, three Williams governed It in succession. until on the death of William II it took a Queen in 1SSo who rcigns as Nilhelmina There has been a growth of parliamentary power and a liberalizng of the constitu- tion. It has been, lik Belgium and Den mark, happily free from political up- heavals.
 Long standing friction between sweden and Norway resulted in q peaceful separation. Norway taking as King a Danish prince who rules as King Haakon VII. The present Swed- ish royal family descends from Berna : dotte, Napoleons old marshal who was without an heir, Bernadotte as Charles XIV, was King until 1S44. The constitutional history of Sweden dates from 1866.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-09-13
A History of Modern Europe

A monarchy was decided upon and the choice fell on Leopold of IIohenzollern, a selection which resulted, as has been told, in the Franco-Prussian war. When Leo pold declined, the crown was offered to Amadeo, son of the Italian king. He ac- cepted and began a reign full of political disturbance because of the disfavor with which he was regarded. So threatening did this become that in 1873 he resigned. The republicans were again in the saddle They established a government, but it was not fated to live. Republics were not popular and in less than one year it fell for want of recognition
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-09-13
No Labor in Eden

T IpH tne AIldntlc.
 The inhabitants of Eden plainly lived without toll. They were born to that leisure for which we strive so fiercely in this work-a-day world. So far as the man was concerned, the sting of the ex- pulslon WAS the fact that Ee had to go forth and eat bread in the sweat of hit face. Jehovah did not enforce this sem tence at hard labor by putting guard over Adam. Eve was not placed in charge, nor yet the willy serpent. The offender was merely driven forth from the gar den that was full of trees. The trees had made it paradise.
 Every tree that was pleasant to tho sight and good for food was there. The inhabitants walked about in the comfort- able shade and ate When th.st arose, there were the juices of fruits and palm wine. The spontaneous products of the garden even supplied the first demand for clothes. On that bitter day of expulsion these erstwhile happy harvesters of tree crops were driven forth from this rich and fruitful shade, driven to the fields to eat the herb of the field and to win bread by the sweat of their faces.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-09-13
By ROBERT W. DEFoREsT

Americans were. be it in Germany, France, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, England, Scandinavia, or elsewhere, they got together. They pooled their resources, however scanty. They coun- scled together as to what to do and so far as my knowledge goes (and it is fairly extensive) they succeeded in obtaining transportation to the nearest important city and there they organized as only Americans could for mutual help.
 This organization usually grouped itself around the American ambassador or the American consul In some in stances thI ambassador or the consul took the initiative in calling an Amer ieon committee to its aid In others the committee formed after advising witt the American representative. In al Instances so far as I am aware. cooperation between such committees and the nearest American representa- tive was complete. Wherever Amer jeans happened to be at the time the ''earthquake" came, they were almost always able to get to some point where there were Americans and usually to some city of importance where Amer jeans were or soon became numerous.
 There were fortunately available among this assemblage of new-found friends (for all Americans involved in common misfortune became friends instantlysby virtue of their citizenship men of experience in business affairs bankers, lawyers. executives of great corporations. social workers. men and women. Out of such groups committees were formed or to speak more precise lv, formed themselves by some process of natural selection.
 Where American representatives had executive ability and were resourceful such committees placed themselves under the leadership of the American representatives When they were not, the committee was accorded the lead and the American representative CO., orcreted. or at least fell into line. In deed. they could have done nothing else. l know of no instance in which the help of such committees was not warmly welcomed. Except for their or ganization supplemented the official force by large body of men and women of the highest efficiency ana there was no lack of volunteers--ev eryone was not only ready and will ing but anxious to help. Mere sugges- tion that funds were needed produced them No one was ashamed to do any thing In London we toked about our clerical force. who drew salaries oi ss5o00 apiece. but the humor of the situation was that it was true. though our committee paid nothing.
 My generalization as to the formation of such committees and their effectiveness in all important cities may be too broad. My own personal Knowledge relates to London, Paris, Brussels and The Hague. believe myself to be thoroughly in- formed with regard to Berlin, Munich and Swiss cities which had their headquartera
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-09-13

constitution and parliament. Finally in 1S40 the Queen Regent Christina was driven out, owing to violent factional quarrels and Carlist agitation. Isabella II reigned from 1s4S to 1868. She proved completely unfitted for 8 modern throne Her term was marked by bad manage ment, insurrections, corruption, and gov ernmental fiascos. For three years from 1865 the country was on the verge of anarchy and the Queen fled to Paris. where she lived until her death, many years after.
 provisional government was estab- lished and a liberal movement prevailed.