davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-06
Also Mail Early

Santa Claus has long made a prac-
tice of shopping early, and those of
the public generally who spend money
for Christmas gifts have been edu-
Gated to make their principal purch-
asses before the middle of December;
and now Postmaster General Burleson
has inaugurated an "early" campaign.
He has issued suggestions for Christ
mas mailing, and his first injunction
is Mail your parcels early"
1t is obvious that starting gifts by
mail now to far-away relatives and
friends will prevent congestion in the
postoffice service during Christmas
week. The postoffice department has
made liberal rules for Christmas
packages. 1t used to be against the
law to write anything inside of mail
matter not of the letter class. But
Postmaster General Burleson, enter
ing into the spirit of the season, al
lows written sentences, such as "Mer-
ry Christmas" Happy New Year" or
"Best Wishes" to go inside of the
parcel mailed.
In this years rule is also this re-
mark. "On fly pages of books you may
write simple dedicatory inscriptions
not of a personal nature" 1t is not
clear just what "dedicatory" means in
this connection, and it may require
ruling by the law division of the de-
partment. Sentiment" or motto"
would have been the word, perhaps, to
convey the idea intended. How
ever, no one will higgle over ex-
actness in definitions at this joyous
time. The main thing to keep in view
is, mail Early"
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-06

which is false. There has been teach.
ing that man is altogether good, which
is false also.
There has been teaching, again, that
man is altogether bad until God
touches him. The opposing school
here has taught that there is an ele-
ment of good always in man upon
which God works. Wars have been
fought for this distinction. For my
part, it seems unnecessary of decision.
Of course, whatever good is in us
God put there. Whether before or
after birth is immaterial.
The point of Importance to us is
That two men are in everybody
DR.. Jekyll and Mr.. Hyde-and that
1t is our responsibility which rules.
Two natures lie to our handsome the
knave, one the king; one the animal,
one the man. God is pledged by the
very law of our freedom to stand bv
while we fight it out. But the upward
way is ours if we will to have it. God
is on the side of the man and the king.
HENRY M EDMONDS.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-06
THE HELPFUL FAD

From the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Its really remarkable. don't you know
how strong the new knitting fad is, de-
clares Clarence "All the girls and all
their mothers are dropping stitches and
picking them up again and counting So
many-times-'round, and clicking away to
beat the typewriter. l went up to call on
a stunning girl the other night, and there
she was knitting in the midst of mother
and aunties and younger sister-regular
peach-all of them knitting. sat down
on somebody's knitting that was left in
the chair and the talk went something
like this: How do you do, Mr. Mush-
Observation-Disclosures busy: you see
click. click, click-five, six, seven. eight
Is that turned too soon. ma?-yes. in
deed. it's dreadful-click. click-I suppose
you are all knitting at your house. too?--
click. click-there. I've finished another
sock-dear me, .Eutty's got my ball of
yarn!-will you get 1t. please. Mr.. Mush-
leigh?-take care, she'll scratch youi-.did
she ?-dear. dear--but it's all for the good
cause-muut you Eo?-auntie, dol cast efl
hersf-click, click-goodby.'
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-06
LUKE M,LUKE SAYS

From the Cincinnati Enquirer
When mother complains about having
too much work to do around the house
daughter is always considerable enough to
ask mother why she doesn't hire some.
one to help her with the work.
When a woman babies a poodle and
claims that 1t Is as human as she is, may
be she is correct.
Father will cheerfully wipe on greasy
roller towel in public place and think
nothing of it. But IL one of the children
wants to share his towel when he IL
wiping his hands at home, father gets
highly indignant.
When daughter is little she believes all
that father says. But mother knows that
daughter will grow up and get some sense
| later on.
Once In while couple get along sc
| nicely together that any time she agrees
with him, he knows he is wrong
| The less hair woman has when she
| is working in the kitchen the more she
has piled In a dresser drawer upstairs
Any fat woman can tell you that the
! Handicapped had a grudge against hel
when he allotted her weight for age.
| When man spends lot of time look
ing dignified he forgets that he looks
and adts like a butler IN cheap play
When man is always announcing that
he is as good AZ anybody, you can bel
thatihe isn't
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-06
Important Convention This Week

The Electrical Supply Jobbers'' con-
sention which meets in Birmingham
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday,
will assemble several hundred visit
ors. The great demand for electrical
appliances has caused rapid develop
ment in a business which has at
tracted large capital and talent.
Next to the American Iron and Steel
institute, which held its annual meet
ing here in the last week of October,
the Electrical Supply jobbers will be
the most important body converting
here this year. The business sessions
will be Of exceptional interest to all
men engaged in electrical work and
in the electrical supply trade. Instruc-
tive papers will be read and helpful
discussions will take place. But the
social features will also be very prom
inent. There will be much sightseeing
every day, and the members of the
convention and the ladies accompany
ing them will be entertained at the
various clubs.
As Oscar c. Turner, president of
one Of the large electrical concerns
here, says, "This convention is going
to be worth considerable amount to
Birmingham, and l know that every
good citizen will extend the visitors
a royal welcome" The opening meet
ing of the convention will be held in
the ballroom at the Tutwiler Tuesday
at II o'clock, and business men of the
city generally are invited to be pres
ent
The iron and steel men expressed
great delight at being in Birmingham,
and after returning home had many
fine things to say in interviews and
letters in the trade journals about
Birmingham's hospitality and the rich
resources of the Birmingham district.
Let US endeavor to make as good an
impression on the electrical men as
we did on the members of the LION and
Steel institute.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-06
Dual Personality

with the mind l serve the law Of
God; but with the flesh the law of
SIM Romans 7, 25.
One of the most suggestive of
American books is Stevenson's "Dr.
Jekyll and Mr.. HYDE DR.. Jekyll, ac-
cording to the story, was a reputable
physician, kindly, handsome, sanguine.
Mr.. Hyde was the baser self-the op-
posite type entirely, cruel, lowering,
morbid. A powerful drug was the
instrument of transformation. When
the spell was on DIR. Jekyll would dis
appear and Mr.. Hyde would have
his dark way. When the spell wore
off the fine, florid face of the physi-
clan would reappear among his
friends. So the battle raged-the
higher against the lower. And the
lower slowly overcame The spells
grew more frequent, longer, fiercer.
DR.. Jekyll was seen less and less. Mr..
Hyde more and more Finally suicide.
That is not the history of every
suicide, and it's ending is far from the
issue of every struggle; but every life
shows it's battle between dual selves.
The old Zoroastrian antagonism be-
tween good and evil, as represented in
Ormazd and Ahriman; our own con.
ception of God and the Devil; Christ's
cleansing of indwelling demons;
numerous well attested instances OF
dual personality; Paul's teaching as
expressed in the passage above; some
of the tenets Of New Thought" and
our universal experience of warning
inclinations may all be grouped to-
gether round about this subject. Not
all truth, but all related to truth.
There has been teaching that mar
: is altogether and irretrievably bad,
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-06
The British Waiter

Whatever doubts there may be as to
Che positive success of the allies, the
British Walters union is militant and
triumphant. The sign, "No Alien Enc
mics Employed in This Establish
ment," confronts the patrons of ma
jority of the London restaurants of
the middle class and cheaper sort. A
few proprietors even go SO far as to
announce, "No Alien Enemies En-
ployed or Served" which is, to be
sure, the very last word in patriotic
catering.
Before the war the big hotels and
the better class restaurants had en-
ployed large numbers of Germans,
Italians and Swiss, who were found
more efficient than the English help.
Save in few old fashioned resorts
patronized by "solid business men,"
who cling to the traditions of Dick
ems and Thackeray's time, foreigners
monopolized the dignified and profita-
BILE walters calling. The British Wait
ers' union pleaded in vain for SUBJ
stantial recognition. They were
ignored in favor of their more adept
rivals, even in establishments owned
by Englishmen who could not risk los
ing dividends for the mere sake of be-
ing loyal to British servants.
But now. great change has come
about. The newspapers took up the
cause of the British walters and the
foreigners have been ousted. In the
big hotels there are no placards, OF
course, but flags and loyal notices
are conspicuous. German restaurants,
protesting to serve none but German
food, are hard pressed. One well
known place of this sort, with num-
Der Of branches, has signs in its win
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-06
GERMAN WAR SONGS

From the English Review.
This intellectual sentimentalism, which
the Kaiser found it so easy to play upon.
is revealed In the grandeur of their mar
tial songs and the reverence with which
they sing them. die wacht am Rhein, =
"zwei Grenadiere," Deutschland uber
Allies" Hell Dir i'm Siegeskranz"-these
are no ordinary songs of patriotism. They
are pregnant with old German thought
and tradition. Like the melody of the
Lorelei. they reflect the deep roots of
German romance, of German thwarted
loves and ambitions; they are the living
voice of the old Gothic cathedrals. Nc
country in the world has such cherished
traditions as the Germans. There Is a
quality In their music which seems tc
spring out of memories of the soil, OF
the castles, of the Father Rhine. The
students at the universities meet and
drink precisely as their ancestors die
in Luther's time. Lore, sentiment, ira
dition. antiquity-these are nationa
cult, visible in the national respect fol
learning and research. It is no exaggera.
ton to say that the Germans are still
stepped In medieval thought and habit
the proud and conscious ''barbarians" Of
Europe. So in the young Emperor the,
saw nothing untoward or artificial HI
seemed to Germans to stand at their head
as the very 'geist' Of their genius thu
incorporate figure of the true German
vaior. armed cap-a-pie like some heaven.
sent emissary of Wotan to bring deliver.
ance to his people.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-06

When you lie snug and warm under
pair of blankets and an eiderdown quilt
on cold night, you ought to feel for
the poor fellow who has no place to lie
and seeks shelter under a tree or some
housecorner, covered with rags and un.
able to move for the numbness," says the
editor of the Columbia Weekly News.
Indeed we do feel for him, brother, and
we hope that policeman will come along
soon and carry him to a snug modern
Jail, where he can enjoy all the comforts
of home.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-06

GUARDING AGAINST POT HUNTERS
From tho Youngstown Telegram.
Farmers down Salem way have organ
lied to protest themselves from the depre-
dations of city hunters who have a nom
| chalant way of tearing down fences and,
in their enthusiasm in the pursuit of rab-
bits, shooting under granaries in an en-
deavor to bring their quarry into the open.
OF course, they occasionally hit pig or
| a pedigreed COW for which they are willing
| to apologize profusely.
The trouble with the city huntsman il
that as soon as he Is away from police
surveillance he loses sight of the fact that
| there is any such thing as ownership
| He would not think of blazing away to-
ward store front, but he is absolutely
reckless when 1t comes to aiming toward
farmers barn. Things are owned quite
| as much in the country as they are in
the city although 1t looks like one grand
out-of-doors to some nimrods.
! There is time in the growth of a COM
munity that hunting passes out Of exist
| ence. There is nothing worthy OF the
name in Mahoning county where all Of
| the so-called game is more or less tame
| and great temptation TO pot hunters who
| like to rest their guns in forked sticks
and whistle to make the Dummies sit up
before firing.
! The hunter who hunts in Mahoning
! county, coming back with game which
met death because it had been led to be-
| lieve mankind was friendly. would be
hopelessly outclassed If he were to go to
some place where the game had chance
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-06
PROHIBITS OF GREAT CITIES

with the murder. Baff was shot down
the early evening on Tuesday of last
week by several men who escaped in an
automobile
Except for the use of a motor vehicle
as a modern criminal convenience, and
except in the fact that it was the culmi-
nation of a feud, probably growing out
of refusal to submit to blackmail. the
Baff case is far less spectacular and
ominous than the conspiracy between po-
lice officials and criminals which ended
in the gunmen's open shooting down of
Rosenthal. Yet as an illustration of the
dangers involved in such huge aggrega-
tons of humanity as are brought together
In municipal areas like New York, it is
calculated to make us all pause. even in
the midst of the crimes of war, to con-
slider the familiar crimes of peace, and
to wonder how these problems of the
great city are to be met and solved. One
thing which contains some element of
comfort for our national pride in connec-
ton with the subject, although it may be
somewhat discouraging to the social phi
losopher in search of a remedy, is the
fact that this problem is not merely an
American one. We cannot be twitted with
such crimes as the result entirely of poll
tics in our municipal administration and
of consequent police inefficiency. Paris,
London. Berlin and all large cities pre-
sent the same criminal symptoms from
time to time, many of these symptoms
Indicating far greater malignity in the
moral and social diseases which they
represent, and far more deeply seated
causes for those diseases, than the out
breaks in our own country. The best
governed cities reach a certain point
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-06
ALABAMA SANCTUMS

Fort Payne Journal: If prosperity is
just around the corner We wish, like
one of Dickens chairmen, that some
body would get behind it with brad
awl.
Jasper Mountain Eagle: Those Euro
pean countries are awfuly slow with
their wars. Why, Mexico has had three
wars since spring and has started another
one.
Shelby County SUM- Hon. Oscar w.
Underwood, United States senator-elect
says in an interview, this country is
just upon the verge of an immense pros
perity wave.'' Let her wave.
Centerville Press Seven hundred and
fffty-six unemployed men registered with
the employment bureau in birmingham
on Thanksgiving day, and the papers say
that the men were thankful that they
were living. We have a little Belgium
right here in Alabama, and the condi-
lions are going to grow worse unless
something is done to give employment to
these people.
Montgomery Times: The Birmingham
Age-Herald says that Booker Washing
ton fears that European immigrants may
crowd southern negroes out of their jobs
Pullman portering is in no danger from
that source" The Age-Herald is rather
facetious In suggesting, or rather. init.
mating that Pullman porters are about
the only ones who have their jobs safe
We don't know SO much about that, but
we do know that at the Tuskegee In.
dustrial institute they are teaching the
negro and qualifying him for almost an,
job. and when they send them out, the,
are imbued with the idea that it is hon.
orable to work, and that the white PEG.
pie of the south are their friends
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-06

From the Craftsman.
Once when 1 was singing in Mini
early in the morning" said Chaliapine,
Russia's greatest singer, II looked out
and saw Gorky standing at a window
In the same hotel, and gazing silently
over the city. The sun was shining on
the towers of the churches, over the sill
yer river and turning the roofs red. You
are up early / said. Yes he answered.
Come In my room for a moment When
reached his window l saw that he had
tears in his eyes, and did not under
stand. Look he said to me. how beau
tiful it is. Just the world and not a
human being anywhere The humanity
which has made its gods and its laws.
built its houses and its churches, all
| asleep and helpless as children, powerless
to change or adjust all this that it has
| made =
| He spoke very softly and very sweet
| ly, and for the moment he seemed to me
the most perfect human being In the
world. Truly one of Russia's flowers OF
| genius"
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-06
Returns to Birming bnm

II. f. Wilson, Jr., the well-known civil
engineer, has returned to Birmingham
after an absence Of more than two and
half years. He went from here to
Cuba in the spring of 1872 and remained
there until last summer, when he came
to Mobile. where he had remained until
now
In Cuba I was engaged on railroad con-
struction," said Mr.. Wilson. English cap
ital had come in large sums to Cuba. BY
the way, there is very little capital there
except English, or at any rate England
has the most. The railroad work was
progressing satisfactorily until the Eu-
ropean war started. In Cuba we had an
intimation of the war several weeks be-
fore Germany's declaration. The COM
pany building the railroad did not wait
for actual hostilities in Europe, but
stopped work suddenly as soon as it got
the tip. Cuba had been prospecting, but
now financial conditions there are bad
or rather that was the way conditions
were when left.
Mobile was prospecting and going right
ahead when the war came, but the ship
ping business in our Alabama port dropped
off suddenly. There is now a general
Improvement in this country, and be-
lieve that early in the new year there
will be plenty of work for engineers and
contractors both here and in Cuba
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-06
THE SONG OF DAVID

BY Robert Browning.
Oh, our manhood's prime vigor! NO spirit
. feels waste,
Not a muscle is stopped In it, playing
now sinew Embraced.
Oh, the wild joys of living The leapiug
from rock, up to rock,
The strong rending of boughs from the
fir tree, the cool silver shock
OF the plunge In q POOLS living water,
the, hunt of the bear.
And the sultriness showing . Hon IL
couched in his lair.
And the meal, the rich dates yellowe1
over with gold dust divine.
And the locust flesh stepped in the pitch
err, the full draught of wine.
And the sleep in the dried river channel
where bulrushes tell
That the water was wont to 60 warbling
SO softly and well.
How good Is mans life,s the mere llvingl
How fit to employ
All the heart and the soul and The uonses
<orever in 5oyl
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-06

dows stating that all its sausages are
made from British pork in an English
factory and announces its contribu-
tons to the Prince of Wales relief
fund. Another claims that the origi-
nal German owners were bought out
by Englishmen years ago and the Ger
man name has been retained for bust
ness reasons.
England has SO far surpassed all
the other European belligerents in
showing the humorous side of war.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-06
TOO MANY "NULLIEsv

From the Philadelphia Public Ledger.
Nine. Ernestine Schumann-Heinle
doesn't qualify as a reporter, As they
would say up in BerlSs county, she is too
free in the use of her 'nulles."
She writes from here that in New York
alone 100000 Irish are ready to embrace
the first opportunity to go to Germany and
help" Unless all the reporters in Gotham
have been soldering on their assignments,
this popular contralto has at least five
''nullies." Too many in that estimate, a
nully, as you know, being a cipher.
Fancy Broadway policeman or q Tam
many truckman taking orders from q
Prussian drillmaster. 1t wouldn't surprise
me more to see Milwaukee brewer en-
listed under the banner of the Coldstream
guards.
No. we all talk a whole lot about the
war; but are not quite willing to allow
those on the ground to fight 1t out. Any
how, why should foreigner who las q
home in America swap it for grave in
Europe
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-06

A Fine Concert

THE music lovers and all concert
goers of Birmin CHAM should show their
appreciation of the work the Arion club
is doing by attending the concert at the
Jefferson theatre next Tuesday night"
said man who has been long identified
with the musical world
In several southern cities one may
find choruses OF creditable achievement,
but the Arion chorus-about 60A male
voices-easily surpasses any similar or
ganization with which I am familiar
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-06
ADRIFT WITH THE TITLES
A PHILANTHROPIST

Upon his monuments so grand.
Are fulsome praises carved,
Who never lent a helping hand,
Though hapless thousands starved.
He knew not what il was to feel
A fellow mortal's rue
And ground beneath his brutal heel
Gods little children, too.
Through weary years he toied to gain
The wealth of which he dreamed:
Indifferent to others pain,
He fought and lied and schemed
Grown old at last, his Golfers full,
He gave that all might see,
Foul whispers of his past to lull,
And died in sanctity.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-06

of Shelby 1t was impossible to get the
road, so a campaign was started to raise
the money to lend the county, in order
that the county could get the benefit of
the state aid. This arrangement has
been made, and the advertisements are
ready and the contract will be let on De-
cember p at Columbiana. Anyone desir-
ing information concerning this road or
to bid on 1t can address w. S. Keller,
state highway engineer, Montgomery.
when this road is completed the dis
lance from Birmingham to. Vandiver will
be 20 miles, and to Vincent about 30
miles; it will be the most direct way
to Talladega and in reality to Atlanta.
1t will also give a direct road to Child
ersburg, Sylacauga, Goodwater, Alexan-
der City, Dadeville and Opelika. People
from Dadeville and Opeiilxa visiting Bir-
mingham now have to come around by
Talladega, Admission and Ashville. The
mountains at vandiver and Dunivant have
been the great obstacles. as they were inn
passable.
1.-THE survey was originally made by
A. c. Onley, who laid out the Atlanta,
Birmingham and Atlantic railroad, and
he claims that the road can be had across
the mountain on about per cent grade.
recent report of one of the state high
way engineers. R. H. Cobbs, confirms
fhia
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-06
a STRENUOUS UpLIFT

ANY civic improvements going on about
here?' asked the stranger in Hawkins
Gulch.
Yep. I think there is answered the
landlord of the Hawkins hotel as fusil-
lade of shots rang out.
Sounds more like riot
Nope. The sheriff an a couple of
deppyties started out a little while ago
to round up Colorado Hank and Mexican
Pete, an I guess they've found EN-"