davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-23
Civil Engineer

"A large number of civil engineers
find employment in the Brmingha
district" said E. o. Smith of this city,
who is now engaged in engineering
work at Wylam.
THE large mining interests of the
district have constant need for skilled
engineers. both for underground and
surface work. Traction companies,
which are often extending their lines
and locating right -of-ways In this
populous section are also frequently iii
need of the men of this profession
"rhe outdoor life which is led by the
engineer is conducive to a robust and
healthy development. Thus this line of
work is popular among red blooded
vo:.ng men, who do not like confine-
ment, such as that necessary to clerical
pursuits The work requires good
hysique as well as an efficient mind.
College graduates are numerous in this
line of endeavor, and there is generally
a jolly bunch of fellows to be found
among a crew of surveyors.
college graduates usually have to
Begin at the bottom and work up; as
generally only the theoretical side of
the work has been mastered, and theory
must be put In practice before high
s,rade of efficiency Is reached, and this
can only come from actual experience.
Naturally things seem little hard at
first to the man just out of college, but
he gradually becomes accustomed to
what seems at first to be hardship and
grows to like the rough work. And
/ believe the college man generally ad-
yances more rapidly than does the man
who learns altogether from experience
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-23
Injection of False Issue

"A close study of the senatorial sit
uation will show that by no means
all of the prohibitionists of Alabama
are following the standard of Captain
Hobson,' said Mark A. Myatt yester-
day.
No one is more staunch adherent
of prohibition than myself but [ do
not think that this issue has rightly
been injected into the campaign nor
do : think it is the issue of paramount
Importance between the two men. l
am of the opinion that many prohi-
bitionists of the state while admirin 9.
Captain Hobson's position on this is
sue will cast their votes for Mr. I'm
derWood. In fact, many with whom
have talked take the position that
the efficiency of Mr.. Underwood and
his attitude toward temperance more
than counterbalances the ardent stand
of Captain Hobson for prohibition.
Both men are prohibitionists, in my
opinion, although they differ as to the
means of effecting such legislation. To
my certain knowledge : many ardent
supporters of prohibition hold this view
and are championing the cause of the
House leader"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-23

greatest industries If the nation, that
of steel and iron, ard when the roads
are ineapacitated for buying its prod
uct it spells disaster Every factory in
the country is involved in the grant
ing of remunerative rates, and like
the human system of arteries and
veins the revenues of the railroads
are Immediately translated into in
Vulnerable ramifieations and channels
of industry.
The railway capital represents bill
lions of dollars written in more than
two figures, and if such a sum re-
fleets an unremunerative investment
the progress of the nation is crippled
if not inhibited, while on the contrary
a legitimate increment from the in
vestment sets business activity a
spinning with a hum that browns the
voice of the pessimist and calamity
bowler.
Already was tie horizon Of the
business world ablush with the roseate
hope that the government, in its pa
ternal concern would grant the rail-
roads the relief asked for in the way
of increased rates, but the decision
of the interstate commerce commits
sion to postpone such increase until
September next, while it warrants the
reasonable expectancy of favorable
hardening to the imploration, has
darkened and beclouded the skies of
industry from rim to zenith.
1t is the uncertainty of action that
Injuries more than the knowledge of
absolute refusal, for if after thor
ough and exhaustive consideration of
the railroads claims the interstate
commerce commission arrives at the
conclusion that the petitioned in
crease would be injudicious and un-
warranted public confidence in the
wisdom and integrity of Inc commits
sion would serve as the escapement
in regulating the wheels Of INDUSTRY
and steady the business world. The
people want action; while they de-
precate the corn they do not wish to
lose the toe and they are clamoring
for an announcemt Mt as to the char
acter of the national clinic.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-23

From the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Too many men do a lot of praying on
Sunday and lot of preying on the other
six days.
The world is filled with people who
will gladly pay IS for book labeled
How to Succeed but who would laugh
at you If you asked them to read the
Ten Commandments.
A woman is a queer creature. The
worse a husband Is the more she will
give In to him, and the better he is the
more she will nag him.
OF course L may be a burned idiot, but
the fact that a man Is wearing a 49,
pound watch chain never makes me think
he is any better than anyone else.
When there are no clean towels in the
house a man Is helpless and has to dry
himself on his shirt or handkerchief
| But woman can always use a pillow
| slip.
| Life sometimes becomes monotonous
to married woman that she will brag
about a husband who chews tobacco In
bed and drinks bottle of beer for his
J breakfast.
| Ii some of the female angels can't play
the harp any better than they play the
piano, heaven isn't going to be such a
! me place after all.
Some men spend half their time getting
IN bad and the other half in a-squealins
about it.
| There are whole lot of standards fol
the word gentleman" But the man who
refuses to discuss women or religion IL
saloons comes as near the mark as any
body.
l1ard work won't hurt you. The on,
night you spend roaming around killing
Chmaman viii do you more harm thai
SIX months of real labor.
The newspapers of today are newsie
and better than those of other days. Blu
| they have their faults. dishwasher il
a hash house can always get her pictur
| on the front page by suing a garbag
wagon driver for $4,000 for breach o
| promise.
Do not holler because you are poor. 4
| charity patient never gets a diseas
that has a six-syllable name and require
four specialists and five assistants to 10
cate with carving knives.
| A high brow magazine runs an articl
| on THE Lost Art of Conversation" Th
l lad who wrote that was no married man
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-23
HOpefulness In Business

Henry Clews in his weekly financial
letter says
Moderate hopefulness is the preva-
lent tone in business. This sentiment
would be probably more pronounced
we're 1t not for the fact that we are
stnl passing through a period of read
jIstment to new political and industrial
conditions. In other words we are in
the throes of important advances in
ideals and methods which are not al
ways cheerfully accepted and which
frequently produce more or less fric-
tion and hesitation. So far as politi
cal changes are concerned, these prom
Use to be much less radical than was
feared few months ago. There has
been considerable modification of ex-
rene views held in Washington; and
the evident inclination of the admins
tration to give business a fair chance
is having its effect upon the federal
Legislature. In industrial circles the
prevailing sentiment is also more hope
fui; although there is considerable dis
satisfaction, particularly in the east.
over the changes necessary to meet new
legislative requirements. The dispo-
sition of Congress to meddle with busi-
ness often runs to alarming extremes,
ard thoroughly justifies the frequent
apprehension of serious consequences
unless there is a halt in disturbing
agitation. Some time must necessarily
elapse before the present tendencies
have exhausted themselves and the
new requirements have been made clear
and effective.
Not in this generation has there at
any time been such universal complaint
against excessive interference and it
is high time that the business COM
munity raised it's voice in vigorous pro
test. West of the Alleghanies there
is 3 decidedly more optimistic tone be-
cause that section of the country is
less susceptible to attacks upon cor
porations, or to industrial depression,
than the east The west is also i'm
generally sound condition, and Is still
feeling the benefits of last years good
harVests."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-23
BEES MUST BE TOLD OF DEATH

From the London Chronicle.
The ancient custom of telling the
bees still survives. Only the other day
l heard of a case. The wife of the land
lord of an inn, who was also bee
keeper, had died. Before the day of the
funeral an old countryman asked the
landlord earnestly. Have zee told the
bees?' He hadn't, but he promised that
he would.
The same question was asked on the
morning of the funeral. The old man was
greatly perturbed. and to satisfy him the
landlord told the bees"
The superstition is that if you dom t
tell the bees of a death in the family
they will be offended and leave the hives
when they make the discovery for them
selves.
The custom is related with curious in
| timacy to the time when bees played a
great part in domestic economy-when
mead was made from honey, and it was
largely employed for sweetening pur-
poses.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-23
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
Value of Press Club

The opening of the Birmingham
Press club Monday afternoon marks an
epoch in the social progress of busi-
ness men in bringing them closer to-
sether during their hours of work, %
said Roland Lide, a well known young
business man of Birmingham yesterday.
THE value of the club is fnestima BILE
from several points of view. 1t will
he virtual clearing house for news
and will in that way be of great serv-
ice TO the active newspaper men who
are members. Its social aspects are
equally as valuable. The club is one
OF the most handsomely furnished in
the south, and is in itself high trib-
ute to the men whose indefatigable la
bor made it a reality
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-23
The March of Prosperity

The Bank of England has long been
spoken of as the "Old Lady of Thread
needle street, and New York's Wall
street has often been similarly desig-
mated in reference to its close pattern
ing after its prototype. But there is
now another reason which renders
the appellation of the latter peculiarly
appropriate for old women are pro-
verbally given to grumbling and that
is exactly what Wall street has been
doing since the installation of Presi-
dent Wilson's policies.
The industrial environment of the
country, however, does not, unfortu-
nately for the calamity howler, justify
the position assumed by the financial
thoroughfare of the country's metrop-
oils.
Despite their protests most of the
erstwhile recalcitrant banks have en-
tered into the new currency system
for which the future augurs well.
The country has become accustomed
to the repeated direful predictions of
the monied interests, recognizes their
motives and pays no heed to their
prophesies of national disaster. The
interests have failed in their de-
signed efforts to create a panic.
While the industrial economies may
have marked time for brief period,
it was but momentary and their re-
newed march gives every evidence of
traversing the outskirts of verita-
BILE nationable boom. Reports from
the large manufacturing districts pre-
sage exceptional activity and an
nounce the assurance of operations to
the full extent of capacity for at least
four months to come and the smaller
workshops throughout the land are re-
verting to normal and full time con-
ditions.
While the railroads are asking
favors and putting up wry mouth
their position is at variance with their
statements as to the contemplated
millions Of dollars to be spent in ex-
tension and improvement and the rail
roads are the gauges which indicate
the condition of traffic, the very pulse
of prosperity and health of the ma
ton.
But most incontrovertible of all,
is the general advance in the market
of American securities, the index
which is the special consideration of
the Old Lady of Theadneedle street
and the weapon which she essays tc
use in effecting verification of hei
croakings.
The public is fully advised; con.
tentment and confidence have mani.
tested their influence and all the
croaking, the bowling. and the direfu
predictions that Wall street may dis.
seminate will not check the country's
march of progress, prosperity ane
plenitude.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-23
GREAT TRIALS OF HISTORY
TRIAL OF EARL FERRERS

siderable evidence. After he had been
condemned he stated that he had plead
ed insanity to oblige his family, and
that he had himself always been
| ashamed of such defense -
With respect to the death .r Mr.
Johnson his lordship said he was un-
der peculiar circumstances, and had
met with so many crosses and vexa-
tions that he scarcely knew what ne
did, and solemnly protested that he
had not the least malice against him.
During the time his lordship was in
the Tower he was, for the most part
calm. but would sometimes start. and
hastily unbrace his waistcoat, and in
dicate by other gestures that his mind
was disturbed.
/ few days before the time set for
his execution the earl sent for his
wardrobe, and chose out of it white
suit richly laced and embroidered with
silver, saying this is the suit in which
| was married. and in which 1 wisl, Q
die"
on May 8, 1850, the day fixed for hi.
execution at in the morning the
sheriffs of London, attended by 8
officers, appeared at the Tower ;, az
The earl desired to go to his death t.. !.
his own landau, which was waiting fer
him, and which he chose rather than
mourning coach.
This was granted Ferrers and the
procession then began and proceeded
| through a numerous crowd Of apecta-
| tors on the way to Tyburn. In their
passage his lordship asked the sheriff
| If he had ever seen so great con-
course of people, and upon his answo~-
ing in the negative, he rejoined Il sup
pose it is because they never saw
lord hanged before"
| The passage from the Tower To Ty-
| burn took up almost three hours. and
| the earl frequently expressed his de-
sire that the journey was ended. His
lordship walked up the stairs of the
scaffold with great composure and for
titude, with his hat in his hand
| 1t has been said that as a conces-
sion to his order the rope with which
spectators, struck with the novelty Of
seeing a peer of Great Britain in such
a situation, doomed to death for the
dreadful crime of murder, and suffering
like a common malefactor for taking
the life of one of their own rank, be-
held him with respectful silence
mixed with pity, and while they com
misserated his fate almost forgot his
crime.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-23

% ERRERS was the name of a gEeat
Norman Ems glish feudal house,
l which dated from the time of
| William, the Conqueror. The Earls Of
| Ferrers seem to have been a blood
thirsty lot, and were distinguished for
their ungovernable temper which
brought several of them to an untimely
end. One of the most dispicable of these
earls was Laurence Shirley, the fourth
carl, who was born in 1920.
| Because there was insanity in the
Ferrers family may have been respon-
| sible for the actions of Earl Ferrers,
for from an early age his behavior
seems to have been eccentric and his
temper violent. His wife was compelled
| to secure a separation from him for
cruelty in 1858.
From his youth there was employed
in the earl's family a man by the name
of Johnson. The man had always faith
fully performed his duty and was ap-
parently satisfactory to the earl on
Sunday, January 13, 1860, his lordship
called on Mr.. johnson at his house, and
requested him to come to his country
seat at Stanton the Friday follow
ing, between 8 and in the afternoon.
In the interval the earl took care
that the time Mr. Johnson was eX-
pected the house should be as empty
as possible. Mr. Johnson was pune
tual in his arrival and was let in by
one of the maids. After waiting for
some time his lordship called him into
his apartment, Immediately locked the
door, and after some business conveI-
sation shot him with pistol of which
wound he afterwards died.
As soon as his lordship had com
mitted this cruel deed, he called the
maid servants and ordered them to-
lead Mr.. johnson upstairs and put him
to bed He also sent servant for Il
surgeon and another for Mr.. johnson s
children. When the surgeon arrived the
earl desired him to take all possible
care of him. but would not consent TO
his being removed to his own house.
The surgeon found that the wound
was mortal, and Johnson died the fol-
lowing morning at 8 o'clock The earl
was seized after which he was con-
veyed TO Leicester Jail and from thence
to the Tower of London. where he was
tried by the peer, found guilty of mur-
der and ordered to be executed on
May >.
Ferrers conducted his own defense
with great ability. The plea was in
sanity and it was suppored by con-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-23


w eial)-As we write this We lift
our hat in silent homage to the
groundhog. That is, we do not actually
lift our hat because we cannot punch
the keys of typewriter and lit our hat
at the same time. neither is there a Mr..
or Mrs. Grounding present, but figura-
lively speaking, we pay our respects to
the wisdom of said grounding, and sub
something on all the combined weather
bureaus of the world.
| From year to year we forget whether
| the grounding is supposed to make his
| justly celebrated peep into nature on Feb
ruary or IA. Neither can we keep
straight whether if he sees his shadow
he beats a precipitate retreat back into
his den for six weeks, or whether he does
so after not being able to locate re-
| flection of himself cast by the sun. In
any event we are reliably informad that
this year when he stuck his nose out for
d look oyei things, that he either saw
his shadow or that he didn't but any
way, ne decided tnat there was SIX weeks
! more of bad weather in store for the
| country, and back into his refuge he
went.
Ever since then we have had more diff
| ferent varieties of weather in Wash
ington than one could dream Of We
have had sunshine, rain, snow, sleet, in
tensely cold, moderately cold, warm, and
, If there Is any other kind, we have had
| that also-weather. The beautiful snow
| fell in a great sheet and spread itself
| over Washington and the administration
| like great white blanket Right on
| top of that a blizzard swept down upon
us, and the snow grew hard and adamant
under foot Following shortly after that
| the citizens of Washington and office
| seekers from New Jersey began to spread
| themselves over the city also. With a
| slick and slippery sidewalk, with the
many Slight inclinations to grade that
there are in Washington walking has
| not been an intense pleasure.
| Only few days ago l attempted a
| dignified Journey from the Hibbs build
ing down to the National Press club. The
more I recall the incidents of that trip
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-23
Expedition in Rate Decision

The individual who shot off his toe
70 get rid Of his corn certainly ac-
compIished his purpose, but his ac-
ton cannot be commended for its
wisdom, and the government in it's
handling of the railroad problem
should not be guilty of similar piece
Of folly. So interviewer and superim-
posed are the interests and prosperi-
ties of nation and railroads that
drastic treatment of the one is i'm
mediately reflected in the condition
Of the other and, as the Siamese
twins. separation or severance means
death to both.
In treating the disease caution must
be exercised not to injure the patient.
Upon the railroads depends one OF the
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-23
THE PROCESSION OF HOTELS

THE PROCESSION OF HOTELS
From the New York Sun.
The Hon. Simeon Ford's Grand Union
hotel long a monument of Forty
second street and a handy refuge of coun-
try friends, will probably begin to fall
in April, yesterdays Sun told us; like
the more ancient Astor House a victim
of the subway. More glittering if not
more comfortable establishments have
arisen in the region; indeed. ii seems as
if some Aladdin palace of hotel and
restaurant arose by enchantment every
day and night in this capital of the pride
of life.
What village was New York when
the Windsor was the height of spiendor'
and yet the Brevoort, still With us, and
more especially the Brunswick, yielded
nothing to their purplest successors in
the matter of refined cooking and sound
wines. In those days people We're coarse,
hadn't learned to eat with ears and pre-
ferred foo dto music. But the minds eye
sees a procession of palmer old-fashioned
hotels filling If not "palatial." French's,
long a neighbor of the Sun; the Metro
politap, the St. Nicholas, the Sinclair,
the Morton house, Fifth Avenue, Putnam,
Ashland, Gilsey, Sturtevant and how
many more?
Honest old houses; landlords. often of
the type beloved of novels, rubicund, COL
ored with their own Burgundy, living
signs of their larder and cellar. You
used to know your hotel keeper. a Wis.,
ibe human and sociable soul Now his
| is business like any other: great SUBJ
divided, impersonal. He is at his club or
on the Riviera. who knows? No doubt
the thing is done better and the universe
ralSed with fine tooth comb for deli
cacies, and the bills equal to the in
| creased cost of living.
! Not in regret for the past but in won
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-23

A unique meeting was held recently
by a Boy Scout troop of Madison, Wis.
1t was called ''grouch night" and all the
boys wrote on cards the faults of each
other and the scoutmaster. These criti-
csms We're taken by the scoutmaster
and worked into a confidential statement
to each boy of the ways in which he
could improve his character. The boys
are not supposed to know what each
others criticisms are, but at the end
of the year the scoutmaster will read the
original statement aloud and ask for a
vote as to how far the particular boy has
shown Improvement.