davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-03
THE HILLS OF ALLEN

By the Rev. James B. Dollard. {. (The wfne-cup is circling in Alm- huin's high halL"-Thomas Moore.) l said will arise and wander forth High Almhuin's Hill to see, of Leinster
 wide The glory and the crown-for I had In many wild and strange old bardic
 tale How on that hill great Finn his palace
 built, And all the heroes of his order famed Had lived and feasted there-Ossian the
 bard And Caoilte and Conawn and Col, tbe And Diarmhuid. Son of Doon, and Oscar
 brave And so travelled for a lonely road Until l saw mountain rise in air Through trailing Druid mists. I clamb- cred up Through reeds and withered grasses
 that sang out A haunting chorus in the querulous
 wind. A low. red sun hung sadly in the west. And shadows filled the valleys when I
 paused On Aliens summit. Lone and bare it
 was. And only gorse and heather lowered
 there Where lowered once proud Erin's chiy-
 alry No mound arose to mark the place
 where stood The banquet hall where once the foam
 ing mead Went round, and wondrous tales of war
 and chase Were chanted by the Bards to silvern
 harps, While Finn presided. giving gracious
 praise, And Cassian sat and unused of Tir-na- GA fairyland that he once visited), And Oscar dreamed of hunting the wild
 boar, And Coll of bloody fields whereon he
 strode, Breaking the ridge of battle,
 Down below, And all about, stretched out an endless
 plain Of brown morass studded with silver With here and there a patch of vivid
 green, All waste it was and empty-sad as
 death No human habitation showed in sight. Jt The voice of desolation, pierced the air, Reechoing in my soul! An, nevermore Those ancient scenes that languish aft
 CT them Shall hear the heroes laughter, or the
 sound Of the Dord Elan (the hunting-horn of
 Finn) Or see again the beauty and the grace Of Diarmhuid and of Oscar! Long
 stood On Allen desolate, till darkness fell And in the moaning winds I seemed to hear The baying of Finn's hounds, Skolawn and Bran. And swift Lomair; and mighty shapes thronged round spear-armed for the chase! Then rose the moon, Large, broad and round, like Finn's em- blazoned shield, Wheeling its mournful course across the sky, And through the mists an hundred lit- tie lakes Flamed up like crucibles Of molten
 gold!
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-03
Hard to Capture Dunkirk

Topographers declare that should Che Germans march on Dunkirk they would suddenly find their course stayed by a lake over seven miles long and more than three miles wide. This inundation of the approaches to the city could be easily effected by stopping the steam pumps and wind mills which now remove the water from the depressions which surround it and by opening the Dunkirk dykes at high tide. Moreover the city itself could be flooded by stopping the out flow at low tide. As result it could only be attacked by series of mar row causeways, which would cause a great loss of men.
 The present war has already pre- scented some unique problems of at tack and defense~ Dunkirk would seem to be in z. position to give an exceptionally good account of itself if attacked by the Germans. Perhaps the fighting would be something like that which took place along the cause wSy leading to the City of Mexico when Cortez and his men assailed the Aztec capital. In spite of modern equipment and long range guns, hand to-hand fighting is quite common in the present conflict. If the Germans assault Dunkirk there will be strug- gle not without it's picturesque fea- tures.
 In only two months time this impor- tant seaport has been transformed. Before the war started hundreds of sailing vessels left the harbor in the morning and returned at night, while scores of freight steamers kept Dun kirk in touch with the markets of the world. Today commerce is paralyzed. Only transports enter the harbor. The fishing vessels are tied up at the quays and the steamers are idle. All the young men have gone away to war. Only old men and women re- 1nain-waiting for they know not what.
 Not only has Dunkirk suffered in its shipping, but it has been deprived of the profits from many tourists who visited the city in peaceful times. The tourist hotels that are not boarded up are being used as barracks for sol diers. But what is the plight of Dun- kirk, compared to that of Louvain and other towns in Begium, where the heavy hand of the Germans have fallen? There must be a great deal of comfort for remaining citizens of Dunkirk in the thought that it will be so easy to spread a lake between themselves and the foe.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-03
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
Bushes. fin Chicago Improving

T notice from the newspapers that New fork's financial leaders are now optimis- tic as compared with the feeling a few weeks ago." said William S. Creighton. But no matter how the situation in New York may be, there is very decided improvement of business conditions throughout the territory immediately trib ltary to Chicago. In every branch of trade there is considerable activity, and Chicago bankers, manufacturers, and mer- chants are really optimistic. It is be- lieved that an era of solid prosperity Is setting in and that prosperity will con tinue regardless of whether or not the European war ends in the next few months or lasts for several years.''
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-03
MEMPHIS MURDER RECORD

From the Tuscaloosa Times Gazette
 The Birmingham Age Herald writes very strong article on the murder sit- uation as it exists in Memphis, Bir- mingham and other cities. The Age Herald finds that the murder rate in Memphis is larger than it is in our o~ nefghbor up the road. The Age Herald does not gloat over this fact but goes on to show that the records of murder in cities with a larger negro population is greater, than in cities largely composed of whites. The mur- der record all over the south is too great. In fact, 1t would be well to stamp out murder altogether, but 1t looks like that is impossible. If grand and petit juries would do their duty it would go a long way toward wiping out the stain that rests upon many cits les. Tuscaloosa county Is not free froaD criticism. We have far too many mur. ders and If juries would do their whole duty and prescribe the rope and lona terms of Imprisonment it would lessen crime very materially here in our midst
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-03
WANTED IT TESTED
From the Cleveland Plain Dealer.


 A western professor said the other day that he could tell good soil by tasting it., and man in the East End who saw the statement promptly packed g. box and sent 1t to him by parcel post. He also enclosed this note:
 Dear Professor: I saw what you said apout tasting soil and am sending a .am- pie selected haphazard from my back yard. wish you'd give it the palate test and tell me frankly what you think. don't seem to have any luck with 1t my sef My cabbages came up without heads, my potatoes have been mistaken Tor chestnuts. my onions are scentless and my corn looks like birdshot. Bite off a chunk and let hear from you Never mlnd about returning the balance. Keep 1t for dessert. Write soon."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-03
COAL IN SOUTH AMERICA

From the Pittsburg Dispatch
 Director John Barrett of the Pan- American union, successor to the Bureau of American Republics at Washington, is sweeping South America for statistics to show how the United States might take advantage of the European war to grasp field for commerce and trade which they should have had long ago. In the matter of coal according to the bulletin just issued. it is stated that eight South American states from which figures are available, which imported coal to the value of s62, 295,0 GOO in one year, bought from the United States to the value of only $4223.11s, while there came from Great Britain and Australia coal to the amount of s5,226,502.
 Brazil, Argentina and Chilli are by long odds the largest consumers, and MT. Bar rett states that the 2an-American union has had many inquiries from dealers in these countries in regard to coal dealers in the United States. and also from the latter a mass of mall daily asking for information touching the dealers in South America.
 It hardly speaks well for the enterprise Of merchants of the United States that they should await a European war and a practical depletion of most of the foreign commerce before waking to their op- portunities
 In the year 1912 the coal imports of Argentina had value of s25,e55, ,ss2, and or this s245oo,ooo came from the United Kingdom and only sS11.S07 from the United States.
 MT. Barrett sees great opportunities in these countries if transportation can be provided. and also in Chili, Peru, Ecua- dor and Bolivia with the use of the Panama canal and the avoidance of the long and dangerous voyage around the horn.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-03
JEANNE D'ARC AND THE BEGGAR E. Ashmead Bartlett in Golfers Weekly.

JEANNE D'ARC AND THE BEGGAR
 E. Ashmead Bartlett in Golfers Weekly. Round the cathedral hardly a house had escaped damage, and even before we
 reached the open square in which it stands 1t became evident that the Germans had concentrated their fire on the one historic building which Rheims possesses. The pavement of the square had been torn up by the bursting of these 6-inch shells,
 and was covered with fragments of steel.
 cracked masonry, glass and loose stones. In front of the facade of the cathedral stands celebrated statue of Jeanne d d'Arc. Some one had placed a tricolor in her outstretched arm. The great shells had burst all round her, leaving the Maid of Orleans and her flag unscathed, but her horses belly and legs were clipped
 and scared with fragments of flying steel. We found no one in the square; in fact, this part of the town appeared to be de- serted, but as we approached the main entrance to try and obtain admittance,
 a curious sight met our eyes. We saw the recumbent figure of a man lying against the door. He had long since lost both his legs, which had been replaced by wooden stumps. He lay covered With
 dust, small stones and broken glass which had been thrown over him by bursting shells, but by some chance his surviving limbs had escaped all injury.
 This old veteran of the war of 1870, as he described himself, has accosted all
 and sundry at the gate of the cathedral for generations past, and even in the midst of the bombardment he had crawled once more to his accustomed post.
 As we knocked on the great wooden door. from this shapeless and filthy wreck of what had once been a man, there came the feebly cry: Monsieur, un petit sou: Monsieur, un petit sou!'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-03
PHILOSOPHY FOR THE DAY

Self Culture Through the Vocation" by
 Edward Howard Greggs.
 ''It is an optical illusion that makes the task at hand seem commonplace, the far off, significant. The mountains near by appear rocks and stubble fields; in the distance they are clothed with blue beauty, majestically outlined against the sky. Similarly, we see about us the pro- saic details of life, while in far off times great deeds and lives appear splendidly outlined against the gray horizon of the past. So we are apt to think that if we had but been born in some distant time and place. we, too. would have lived hero ically to the great causes then challeng- ing men. How gladly would we have died at Thermopylae, fought at Bunker Hill. shared the prison of Socrates or stood with Bruno at the stake Illusion-sheer illusion of time and place! Life has all ways been commonplace to commonplace people; it has been sublime only whec men have lived sublimely.'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-03
Her Hands Are Full

From the Mobile Register.
 Do not be disturbed as to Germany's attitude toward the Monroe doctrine Ger many has her hands full at present, and we doubt if anybody except the German ambassador is so foolish as to be think ing about anything so far away as the Monroe doctrine.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-03
THE PEssIMIsTIC FARMER

organization into principalities, they were subjected to the crushing and barbarous rule of absolute masters far inferior to which lasted from about 1237 to about 1880, was an abject tyranny which made tyrants of the native Russian princes
 One effect of this century of Mongol rule was to teach the Russians that the only way to break loose from the curse was to stand by some Russian leader who could concentrate all their authority. Thus the Slavs, whose race instinct was to live in villages and cities. each govern ing itself by the unanimous vote of those entitled to take part, were forced into the mold of Aslatic despotism. When in 1880 Russia was at last set free, the native princes followed the Tartar example of calling themselves czars, and exacted from their own blood brethren the instant and rnquestioning obedience which the Tartar rule had taught them. Absolute govern ment was an acquired habit, like the long boards and flowing robes which the boyars, or great nobles, still affected. Serfdom. which was neither a Tartar nor Slav practice, sprang up in Russia two centuries later, just as 1t was dying cut in England. = -d
 For 75 years after Michael became czar the Romanoffs slowly gathered power and settled the question that a czar was su- perior to the ecclesiastical chief. the pa- triarch. and was practically himself the head of the Russian church. They were hedged off by a circle of enemies from the great outside world-on the north. Films, Swedes, Lithuianians, and Poles shut them from the Baltic sea; on the west, the Poles interposed between them and Austria; on the south, the Tartars and the Turks cut them off from the Black sea. Only toward the east could they slowly expand across the Ural moun- tains into Asia.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-03
WAR ECHOES

Chicago News: If the world condemned Germany for the atrocities it's soldiers were accused of committing in Belgium, what will be the verdict of civilization on Frances action in using 20O.OOo African savages against white soldiers? Paul Scott Mowrer special correspondent of the Daily News in the zone of the allies operations, has raised the curtain hitherto so closely drawn over the conduct of Turco and Senegalese soldiers in the French army. In the official dispatches given out by the French war office a good deal of space has been devoted to the bravery of these brown and black soldiers fighting under the tricolor while from the German side there have been hints of savagery uncon- fined.
 MT. Mowrer describes what he saw and heard as he followed the allied forces and passed among the African regiments. It is not a pleasant picture. The head hunt ing Turcos may. be of much present help to Frances hard pushed army, but one may well doubt whether they will re- dound to the nations future glory when the history of the present war comes to be written. England has an army of 10000 Indian soldiers who apparently have not yet entered the fray. It will be interest ing to see whether British officers are bet ter able to restrain their Asiatic fighters than are the French officers to control the savage instincts of Turcos and Sene- galese.,
 The employment of barbarous or semi barbarous troops against white men is ava h,r T9..t+a t1aI ground that their national existence is threatened and that they must use every resource at hand. This contention may be granted, but the necessity in which these nations find themselves cannot be success fully pleaded in extenuation of barbarity on the part of their defenders. Civiliza- tion will demand that nations employing soldiers of any color at least must force them to obey the rules of what is known, by a polite euphemism, as civilized war fare.
 Rotterdam Dispatch in the New York American: The Germans now state they will mount 62-centimetre guns on Cape Gris-Nez and then lombard Dover and Folkestone.
 
 in the neighborhood of Liege on their way to the front. They appear to be the fresh surprise for England" about which the Germans have talked so much since the beginning of the war. New York Herald: The Kaiser is quoted as proclaiming in perfervid indignation against "the infamous onslaught of our enemies.''
 That may be good enough for consump- ton in Germany, where even the intellect uals have been duped concerning the re- sponsibility for war, but 1t Is not likely to make very much impression upon Americans who have no difficulty in re- calling that the Kaiser was the first to enter upon this ''onslaughting" business by hacking his way through a little and friendly country whose neutrality he had pledged himself ito the hilt" to respect.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-03
MONGOLS AND RUSSIAN SLAVS

Albert Bushnell Hart, in the Outlook THE place of the Romanoff house
 can be understood only against the
 background of the experience and traditions of the Russian nation. It is a composite people; more than 30 races can still be found in the population of the present European Russia, and thirty more In Asiatic Russia. Moreover, it is the only European country. except Turkey, in which there are still large clements of pure Asiatics, besides a considerable strain ot Asiatic blood in the European peoples.
 The main race element is that Slavic folk which when recorded history begins about 2500 years ago-was seated in what Is now the interior of Russia. Despite the present habit of calling them "Asiatic semi-barbarians. they are a European race, first cousins to the Teutons and Celts, second cousins to the Greeks and Romans, and no nearer relations to the Mongols and Turks of Asia than are the present Frenchmen. Yet their geographi- cal situation drew them under the success sive waves of Asiatic invasion.
 Thus an Oriental influence has nodded the Russian Slavs. During the Roman Empire the Slav tribes and Germanic tribes were interspersed. The Goths and Vandals who overthrow the Roman Elm pire started from the great plains of Rus- sia and the coast of the Black sea. After that time flourishing slav states sprang up in southern Russia, with cities, laws and commerce.
 
 The Slavs in what is now Russia were in the tenth century converted to Chris tianity by the Byzantine missionaries.
 Their civilization was almost annihi- lated by the terrible inroads of hordes of Mongols from northern and central Asia the most awful scourge ever experienced by Europe. Although the Russians were allowed to keep their faith and even their
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-03

With few more cruisers at large as ef- sniping British warships in hostile waters, Germany could afford to let her fleet stay bottled up indefinitely.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-03

One of our ex-presidents says he doesn't mind being crowded off the first page. It doesn't require an astute mind to guess that his initials are not or R."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-03

BEGINNING THE DAY-n I nm . prodigaI this day, if I have left my Fathers house, if I am filling -,vs-If with husks, o bring me to myself, remind me of the light the Joy and the plenty that are with Thee. Then may I arise and stay uot until I am face to face with God. Amen.-H. M. 10.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-03
ALABAMA SANCTUMS
Small Light,
From the Sh

From the Shelby County Review.
 It is unnecessary for some people to hide their lights under bushel A thimble is ample.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-03

The battle of ballots in this country is comparatively bloodless although verbal dumdums are sometimes used to van quish an adversary in the preliminary campaign.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-03

The drubbing adminis.e1ed to Harvard by Michigan rnieht have been expected after MT Irving Berlin had made the stete ot Michigan famous in a song.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-03
Better off Now

From the Gadsden Times-News.
 Hard times now? Bosh! Do you SUD- pose that no one remembers the free soup kitchens and bread lines of 1907?
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-03

At least the republican press has found no fault with President Wilson's Thanks giving proclamation.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-03

While Sir Ernest Shackleton is explor- ing frigid south polar regions his coun- trymen will experience the same amount of chill at the thought of a Zeppelin in' vasion.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-03

The war experts who predicted that the war would last about three months have gone into temporary retirement to for mulate new opinions.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-03

A Chicago paper calls Uncle Joe'' Can non an "ancient mariner" despite the fact that he is a Iandlubber in all that the term implies.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-03
~Cut and nrleds,

From the New Decatur Advertiser.
 The great national election is close at hand. but does not affect the south very much. All her candidates were chosen long ago.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-03

Charles G. D. RooeFts. the writer of animal stories, has decided to help Great Britain resist the imposition of German ''kultur."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-03

The man who asassinated the Arch duke Francis Ferdinand received sen- tence of only 20 years. Yet, he fired the powder train of Europe
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-03
Free To BesAired

From the Andalusia Star.
 Anyway, there is no war tax on opin- ions--tell 'em about it.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-03

If the war in Europe results in Mussul- man fighting Musselman there will be a pretty state of affairs, forsoothl
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-03
Not Worth Filming

From the Gadsden Journal.
 Moving picture men should rush to Haiti. Another revolutioni
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-03

So those German warships were not really and truly sold to Turkey. after all.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-03
ADRIFT WITH THE TIMES

NO CHOICE The man who has to take drink Before he starts to work Will daily see his chances shrink And always be clerk While he who quaffs a few at night. Before he goes to bed, Will make each morning far from bright And have an aching head. THIS HECTIC LIFE Well. I must say that is an appropriate combination" "To what do you refer?" T see a dish-faced girl dancing the kitchen sink "i STARING HIS FEELINGS. T can't bear to see woman stand in a trolley car.''
 What do you do in case like that?" T usually look out of the window. no matter where I'm sitting"
 
 TOO COLORFUL. There's something about this war in Europe that stirs the imagination i've noticed that. The imaginations of many correspondents seem to be working overtime"
 
 NEARLY ALL FIGHTING. I'm sick and tired of dreadful war. l would that it would cease; In Europe one must travel far To find land at peace.
 THE PESSIMISTIC FARMER. ''The farmer who raises all he wants to eat on his own land can afford to laugh at talk of hard times.' 'Oh, yes; he can afford to do it. but you will notice that he never does."
 PAUL COOK.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-03

Portugal seems to have entered the Eu- ropean war by the back door.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-03
OUT OF THE CAME.

OUT OF THE GAME. My boy was hurt in a football game Saturday and will be confined to the hos- pital for several weeks" That's too bad" 'But what a relief! He's safe for A while, anyway"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-03
MT. FsrreIps Lucky Number

President James A. Farrell of the United States Steel corporation is not a superstitious man." said J. T. Whatley, in discussing incidents of the meeting of the American Iron and Steel institute in Birmingham last ss eek.
 "On the excursion train to the indus trial sections every man on the train was given a numbered ribbon, thus dividing the crowd up into groups of dozen or SO, each group with guide. The number on my ribbon was 13. When we started out Friday morning I jocularly said to MT. Farrell that thought had better stay at home,' as the number IS and the day (F'riday) might hoodoo me and the ex- cursion.
 Don't think of it, said MT. Farrell; you keep that number 13 ribbon and when you're through with it give it to me as souvenir. Some of the most impor- tant events of my life are associated with the number IS. I became president of the Steel corporation on Friday, the 18th of the month";
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-03

The war fever is spreading. Will Italy join in the fray nextf