davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-06-23
CHAIRMAN GRAVES, SPEECH

From the Mobile Register.
A new voice was heard IN Alabama last
week. and nothing can be said against It,
1t was the voice that spoke OF progress,
Of construction, OF the abandonment of a
dead and hampering past. and of the
adoption of what is not only modern but
necessary.
Begins with the courts" said Chairman
Bib Graves IN his address to the new
state executive committee. for there are
too many courts. too many Judges. too
many solicitors" Do not lessen the work
done but simplify 1t and make It less slow
and less costly. Get rid of the immigra-
ton commission and the cotton statis-
tician-what good do they do? Put public
utilities under the control of the state
railroad commission; but. said General
Graves, mot by adding to the number of
that body" In a word: Let there be eff
ficiencyi
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-06-23

be the greatest crop year in its his
tory. Not only will there be bumper
cotton crop, but corn is in splendid
condition and will probably yield
100000 bushels more than last
years crop. A few years ago Ala
bama produced only about 35,000,000
bushels of corn. This year it is esti-
mated that the crop will yield between
7O,O0O,OO and SO,000,oOO bushels.
The hay crop in Alabama is i'm
mense, and there is a fine oat crop.
Many farmers have produced from so
to 100 bushels of oats to the acre.
The money value of Alabama's
crops in 1918 was $500, 900. This
year it will not be surprising if the
total money value is $3.50, 100000.
The unusually good crop conditions in
the country as a whole easily account
for the improvement in business.
Record breaking crops and depression
cannot go together. There is no such
thing as overproduction in cereals or
cotton. Every bushel of wheat, every
bushel of corn and every bale of cotton
will be needed to supply the demand.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-06-23
Will HISTORY REPEAT,

From the Mobile Item.
The prohibition wire-pullers and the
same influences which controlled the Co.
mer legislature of 1907 are not satisfied
with the voice of the people expressed
at the polls. 1t matters nothing to them
that in the primary election of a little
over one month ago their candidate was
beaten by 1850 votes. They want the
direct instruction of the people TO be dis
regarded by the legislature. Their plan
is to again precipitate upon the state
such contest as that which occupied
tho greater part of the regular and spe-
cial sessions Of the Conner legislature
Their thought is not for the immediate
necessities of the state. They are de.
| ternined to force their will upon the ma
| jority of the people at all hazards, by tn,
same methods that were employed II
1907.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-06-23
At EvENTIDE

BY George Foxhall.
l have a little boy. and every night.
AS bend over him, where. flushed
with sleep.
He lies like Numbering Love in evening
light
Resting in shadows that are never
deep
! pray. with wistful, pain-encircled low
That he may always be my little boy"
have a little girl. so winsome-sweet
She seems like some stray elf from fairy
land,
Except that fairy lips could never meet
To make such kisses, and no fairy hand
,dld hold such dimples. or could reach
so far
into worn hearts where hidden smile
beams are.
And az bend above her. where she lies
All coxied up to teddy bear or doll.
Or holding fast to some delayed sur.
prise,
Or some strange animal called ..prettv
Poll"
know that, be she dross or purest near,
Always my heart will call: my little
girl"
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-06-23
A THOUSAND YEARS OF FARMING

From the Philadelphia Public Ledger.
British peers boast of being the eighth
or twelfth of their line. But out In Lam
caster county, Pennsylvania. there are
men whose ancestors for 80 generations
have been farmers.
King Georges folks have only been in
the Ringing business about 200 years.
That trade of peering so popular abroad
is now compared with the lineage of hus-
bandry of which some of the Mennonites
might boast.
A thousand years of farming No WON
der Lancaster is the garden of hemis-
phero. go where there Is limestone
was the motto of the early German i'm
| migrants. and it was noted even a CEN
fury ago by an ancestor of the Coke fam
lily wherever there was limestone soil in
Pennsylvania could be heard the German
language.
1t was OF young men of that stock about
whom the celebrated Colonel Morgan of
Virginia said after the revolution
My Virginian riiemen were fine SOL
diers. but also liked the Pennsylvania
Dutch because they starved so we'll"
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-06-23
LUKE M'LUKE SAYS

From the Cincinnati Enquirer.
A fool man usually waits until the
other fellow gets through before he
starts to talk. But when two women
get to Cabling both talk at the same
time, and each tries to keep a few
sentences ahead of the other.
Things have Just about como to a
stage in this country whore II son Is
asked to do an errand or daughter ia
asked to wash the dishes they can
have their parents arrested for cruel
and inhuman treatment.
Why is 1t that girl can look SO
dainty when she Is dressed in white and
q man always looks like he was ped
ding something when he tried to wear
1t?
A good husband isn't always tho man
who IL afraid OF his wife. He isn't the
man who can afford to give his wife
all her heart desires that money will
buy. He isn't the man who makes q
big fuss over his wife In public. A good
husband Is a man who feels like dog
after he has quarreled with his wife
and who feels like a low-down snake
every time he lies to her and she be-
lteyes him.
A man will marry a girl for hei
sunny disposition and then get mad
because she makes 1t hot for him.
Iuo etyit5 ubcu 10 TURN llo WO1He1l
heads. But nowadays they turn the
mems heads,
The SUITS have cut the obey" out OF
the marriage contract. 1t won't be
long until the brides will enter the
bonds of Hywomen instead of Hymen
You can't get anything In this worlc
without suffering for 1t, To be popular
you have to laugh at the jokes Other
people tell.
| One reason why platonic love Is al
ways u bioomer Is because when a mar
and woman get together the woman
| says things she doesn't mean and ths
man means things he doesn't say.
| The only time girl ever gets tired
when she goes to q ball Is when no.
body asks her to dance and she has
to sit down.
| 1t Is hard to get the first kiss, but
the rest come without asking.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-06-23

only that five-foot shelf OF books
was enough. but what books should fill
that shelf. only a few days ago he
was telling the world what poems to
teach to the children, and none of them
gene Field. wherefore indianapolis and
Chicago will have no more of him.
The idea of this man talking to us
about books, His house doesn't con-
tain them and never did There are
no best sellers" In his meagre cata-
log. The few books he knows are
those that were published century or
two ago at the latest and some of
them are as old as the mummies. The
books descriptive of the capture of the
female by the male, or the pursuit of
the male by the female of the species
are entirely unknown to him. The
which was a long time ago, were not
of that sort The books men and
women are turning out at an incon-
ceivable rate, which are designed to
come just inside the ethical measure
ments of the postal service, he is dis
gracefully ignorant Of These socio-
logical novels. in which the daughter
of Old Moneybags and the professional
philanthropist she is gradually falling
In love with plan to rebuild the old
mans factory and place all his en-
ployees on a sort of henryford pay
roll. he is densely ignorant of because
they weren't written when he was
young, which was VIGOROUSLY a long
time ago.
And down in Massachusetts, they put
this sort of an illiterate at the head
of university and keep him there,
and burn incense to him as the chiefest
of the highbrows Well, the Yankees
can impose on us no longer We've
looked into his house. There are no
books there. and there never were any.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-06-23
THE DOLLAR MARK

From the New York Independent.
OF all the theories advanced in ex-
PLANTATION of the origin of the dollar
mark no one is entirely satisfactory
and convincing A Spanish source has
often been suggested, but the fact
that the sign is not used in Spain
Is at least a negative indication that
another origin should be sought.
The following theory is not pre-
scented as complete. but 1t has some as
poets of probability which make 81.
seem worthy of consideration. The
sign was used In Portugal as early
as 1914; how much earlier / cannot at
present say. 1t was called cifrao
(cifra means a cipher, and cifrao Is
merely an augmentative). The Portu-
gese, however. did not use it originally
or exclusively to represent monetary
unit, as appears from the definitions
of cifrao given in the Portuguese die
tionaries of Vieira. Mores Silva, and in
the Diccionario Contemporaneo all of
which say In substance that the cifrao
serves to separate the thousands from
the hundreds, as. for example, 300s506.
and that It serves also as an abbrevia-
ton for three ciphers. so that 745s is
the same as 745s000.
The Diccionari Contemporaries adds
that It Is also used to represent a
monetary unit. as the patacas in Ma
eau and Timor. the dollars in America,
etc. 1t may be added that Macau and
part of Timor are Portuguese posses
slons. and that the pataca is nearly
equivalent to our dollar In value. The
sign was also used to represent thou
sands of men as well as of coins: thus
the Portuguese historian Lemos writes
of 4s cavallos. COS infantes-4Ooo cavalry
and eO Onn ipfontrv
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-06-23

ELECTRICITY FORCES PLANTS

From the Boston Transcript.
OF tremendous Importance to mankind.
In view of the rapidly decreasing food
supply of the world. was the announce
ment of the result OF experiments made
during the past year in increasing veg
etable growth electrically.
7. c, Martin, In presenting the report OF
the committee on progress. announced
that vegetable growth has been increased
70 per cent over normal by the use of cleo
tricity at night. 1t is by such expert
ments that the men of electrical science
are striving to solve ahead of time what
Will eventually be the greatest problem
the race must face-the shortage of the
1000 supply. Plots have been sown with
radishes and lettuce seed. Portions of
the plots have been excited by high FREE
quenly currents. The vegetables In the
plots so affected showed 75 per cent IN
crease in Weld over the plots left to the
ordinary ministrations of the sun and
rain.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-06-23
BOYS RARE MEMORY


Skowhegan. Me. to the Philadelphia
Record.
Skowhegan boasts of 5-year-old
Ralphard Peters, native of Boston
who. after hearing Grey's Elegy in
Country Churchyard read to him once,
was able to repeat it. Little Ralphard
is the most remarkable example of in
fantile development ever brought to
the attention OF the many learned pro-
fessors and specialists who have ex-
amined him. He can read the most
difficult literature and pronounce any
word in the English language cor
rectly.
He could read when but two and a
half years old. and now he reads the
Bible to his grandparents ard explains
the paragraphs. He is only just learn
ing his figures. His pronunciation be-
| came easy and he advanced so rapidly
that his grandparents became alarmed
and consulted physician
If he hears a song once he will i'm
mediately repeat the words and sing
the tune as II he had been trained for
several days.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-06-23

The government issued a bulletin
yesterday stating that crop conditions
throughout the United States had
greatly improved, The official report
on June / showed that on that date
conditions were about 2.2 per cent
above the ten-year average,
On June ! Of last year all crops
showed an average Of 1.2 per cent
below the ten-year average, and pros
poets declined as the season advanced
Yet, Notwithstanding that fact, there
was a great harvest and the money
value of several of the crops reached
new high records. From present pros
poets, the total money value of the
1914 crops will be a distinct record
breaker,
In the south, crop conditions are
highly satisfactory in most of the
states, aad as for Alabama, this will
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-06-23
A Preacher Who Was Too Popular

The engaging young minister who is
great favorite with the feminine
part of his congregation is frequently
to be met with in the various pulpits
of the country and he deserves great
credit for being able, in a majority
of cases, to Withstand the blandish-
ments of silly women until he is either
safely married, OF reaches the age
when common sense aids him to steer
clear Of the "whirlpools and rapids" of
his career.
The Rev. w. T. Elsey, a "hand-
some young bachelor" and pastor Of
fashionable church in Grafton, W..
Va, is doubtless now bemoaning the
| fact that he was blessed or cursed
according to ones point of view
with the power to fascinate the female
of the species. AS result of the
young preachers extreme popularity
among Grafton's eligible young
women he had the humiliating ex-
perience of being pelted with eggs
considerably past the age of maturity,
the foul deed having been perpetrated
by several Of the city's SWANS who
felt aggrieved at being "cut out" by
the parson.
When Spiritual adviser" makes
love, the length Of his ears, the stoor
In his shoulders, the cast in his eye
and practically no other physical de-
feet seems to initiate against him
He Is almost a sure winner Most
young preachers who desire to marry
seem to realize this fact and are very
conservative In their attentions ia
manageable women, in order that
those members Of their congregations
who are disappointed may be "le,
down" as lightly as possible. The West
Virginia parson seems to have forgot
ten or ignored this precaution. The
discounted cavaliers Of Grafton de-
cided that the "hero worship" had
gone far enough, The kind Of eggs
they chose for drenching the preacher
showed how bad they felt.
Happy the man, whatever his call
, ing, who escapes being made 6
'lion," He is not going to lose what
, few friends he has and his head |,
! apt to retain its normal size.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-06-23

In an automobile trip to Springville
and other points of interest in this part
of the state Sunday I was delighted to
see the crops looking so fine" said
John H. Mcqueen.
Never In my life have 1 seen such a
great corn crop. 1t is not only we'll grown
and in strong condition, but It is entirely
freed from weeds. I am told that the
crops throughout the state are IN excel
lent condition. 1t certainly makes one en-
thuslastic TO ride through the country
and signs of prosperity on every
hano."
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-06-23

/ The trial consumed only the better part
of day and all of the prisoners were
found guilty. Gomez, with extenuatins
circumstances considered. was sentenced
to hard labor for life. The others were
| condemned to death.
The sentence of Rudio was subsequent
committed. Orsni and Pierri were exc.
cuted by the guillotine on March 10. thu
former meeting his fate with much dig
nifty and f1rmness, while the latter be.
trayed tokens of great righteousness
At the time of the attempt to assassi
, nate the Emperor. Napoleon III and the
Empress were on their way to the thea
ire. The intended victims were unhurt
but Orsini himself was wounded and was
at once arrested. Besides the letter the
assassin addressed to the Emperor re-
questing that he take up the cause of
Italian liberty. he wrote another one to
the youth of Italy. stigmatizing political
assassination.
The Importance of Orsini's attempt on
the life of Napoleon III lies in the fact
that 1t terrified him. and he came to be-
lieve that unless he took up the Italian
cause other attempts would follow and
| near the prison of La Roquette to be pres
mated. This fear contributed not little
to the Emperors subsequent Italian
policy.
AS an illustration of the great interest
In this case, thousands of people would
assemble every morning before daylight
near the prison of La Roquette ODE pres
ent at the execution of Orsin no definite
date having been fixed.
Just prior to his execution Orsin wrote
respectful letter to the procureur gen.
eral. acknowledging the equitable and
honora ble conduct of the court that tried
him, and of the jury that found him
guilty, as well as to the perfect liberty
accorded to his counsel.
1t Is said the heads of both Orsini and
Pierri were stepped in vitrol after death
that no prying Madame Taussad or insin-
uating Claudet might photograph the fea-
lures Gomez and Rudio were shipped
off to Senegal. from which they We're
carried TO the swamp of Cayenne, which,
although less speedy. are as remorseless
instruments of destruction as the guillo-
tine. which they congratulated themselves
on escaping.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-06-23

Some weird fashions have made their
appearance in London. The cigarette
habit among English women is held re-
sponsible for some bizarre smoking suits.
One style resembles a pierrot suit of black
charmeuse covered with a startling de-
sign of emerald green leaves, with flashes
of yellow and white The trousers are
loose and baggy. the collar is cut rather
low and is made of black satin with a
green ruffle. Another suit looks like a
Chinese vase, having a background of
blue covered with a hawthorn design.
Some futurist handkerchiefs have a wide
border of some striking color with
flower of unusual shade In the center. On
other handkerchiefs are embroidered
chickens, beetles, peacocks. storks, ele-
plants and similar designs in natural col
ors. Handkerchlefs decorated with car
rot. head of asparagus. a strawberry
or some other product of the garden are
finding favor with vegetarians who ere
thus enabled to faunt their idosyncrasy
in the face of every passer-by.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-06-23
GREAT TRIALS OF HISTORY
TRIAL OF ORSINI AND OTHERS

IN January IA. 1858, an attempt was
IL made in Paris upon the life of the
- Emperor Napoleon III by Felix
orsini, an italian. and other conspirators.
leading among whom were Pierri Rudio
and Gomez. Three shells were exploded
two persons were killed and many
wounded
| Pierri denied all knowledge of the con-
spiracy until the day before the attempt
was made and said that he repented and
| took no part in the act. Gomez. the
servant of Orsini. knew nothing of what
was to be done until the last moment
Rudio confessed everything and in
culpated the others. He confessed that
he had thrown one bomb himself
Orsini acknowledged his participation
and declared that he had intended to kill
the Emperor His fixed idea, from his
youth he said. had been the deliverance
of Italy and vengeance upon the Aus
trians. When the French landed at
Rome he was convinced that no assistance
was to be looked for from the Emperor
Napoleon and he resolved that he must
be killed.
At first Orsini had intended to make
the attempt Alone but seeing the impossi-
bility of approaching the Emperor, he had
| taken others into the scheme. When he
| was arrested he had resolved not to speak
of his confederates. but when he found
| that they had betrayed him he gave way
to a feeling Of vengeance
Alsop. the Englishman, who had aided
him In procuring the manufacture of the
| bombs and under whose name and with
whose passport he had entered France
did not know that the bombs were In
tended to be used to kill the Emperor, but
supposed that they were to be used In
| Italy.
| At the trial Orsini was defended by NJ.
Jules Favre. who In his speech read a let
| ter from the prisoner to the Emperor:
THE dispositions which I have made
against myself says Orsinia. are suffi-
cient to send me to the scaffold, and
shall submit to my fate without asking
pardon, both because I will not humliate
myself before him who has destroyed the
reviving liberty of my unhappy country,
and because in the situation In which
am now placed, death for me will be a re-
| lief"
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-06-23
VIII Secure Many Conventions

Birmingham will have quite number
of conventions OF good size this year
and greater number next year" said a
member of the Chamber of Commerce.
Most cities have to fight hard for con-
ventions, and Birmingham will have to
do some active work along this line, but
when a national organization that has
held several annual meetings in the south
is ready to come south again. 1t will, with
little persua sion. decide in favor Of Bir-
mingham, for the sake of novelty, II for
no other reason"
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-06-23
The Aerial Catastrophe

Within the last few weeks the world
has been shocked by news Of disas-
trous collisions which have occurred
between sea going vessels, but for
spectacular tragedy the Austrian
aerial catastrophe of Saturday in
which nine persons persisted was the
most startling witnessed in the annals
of aviation.
The stage had been set for mimic
warfare. Troops were being mar
shaled on the grounds over which the
huge dirigible sailed, and observa-
tions were being made as to then
movements. A biplane arose from the
aviation grounds nearby and flew
swiftly toward the rival vessel, which
had then reached an estimated altitude
of 1900 feet. Both crafts were manned
by Austrian military officers and
men, who had been instructed to con.
duct themselves as though engaged
in actual warfare.
AS the crowds which had as.
sembled on this fateful occasion
watched with bated breath, the
heroplane attempted to reach 6
position directly over Its enemy; ant
when the vessels came into Academia
contact the terrific mid-air explosio,
and horrible holocaust which FOLLOWED
Vere such as to at once impress thos,
present and the world at large will
s'the horrors that will likely atten,
aerial warfare" of the future,
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-06-23
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
The Hotel was Needed

THE Tutwiler is one of the handsomesi
hotels have ever seen. and 1t will prove
to be a fine advertisement for Birming-
ham, said Roy c. Megargel of New York.
president of the Gulf, Florida and Ala
bama railway. which is operating about
$50 miles from Pensacola northward. and
Is extending 90 miles further to tap the
Southern railway.
Il had not been in Birmingham for six
years, and, of course. l am struck with
the great progress that has been made in
that time. This city had been needing
for sometime a modern, fireproof hotel.
The Tutwiler certainly fills the BILL
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-06-23
Marked Business Improvement

There has been marked improvement
in general trade since June /. and it has
been particularly marked within the past
week or 10 days" said w. w. Driscoll of
Chicago.
There is more activity In the business
world now than at any other time this
year. and the feeling In commercial cir
Giles is that prosperity will be the rule in
most sections of the country during the
summer and fall I believe that If Con-
gress would adjourn we would have even
moro prosperity. but as IT is conditions
are very cheering"
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-06-23
From the Ashland Progress.

The reports Of fraud In the recent pri-
maries which are being boldly published
in the newspapers present serious stu
alton. If such reports are true thew
should not be winked at or passed light
ly by with the usual remark that some
body is sore There's no excuse for
such things now. and II fraud is toll
Grated even in small way IL is likely
to grow into huge proportions in future
elections