davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-12
Birmingham Tax Amendment

Of the various Birmingham meas ures introduced in the legislature and urged for passage none is of such vital interest as that generally known as the tax amendment bill. It should be adopted without further delay.
 Birmingham needs more revenue. The city tax of $1 on the hundred is very low as compared with the tax rate in other cities of approximately Birmingham's size. It is so low, in fact, as to cause municipal statis- ticians throughout t'se country to wonder how Birmingham has been able to hold out and do things as long as it has on such meagre tax resources.
 This Birmingham tax amendment bill was opposed by Representative Weakley and Representative Cope land. Mr. Weakley made vigorous fight against it. His contention was that tax equalization would give Bir- mingham adequate revenue. After an animated debate before the house committee, in which representative citizens of Birmingham participated, compromise was agreed upon, and this compromise satisfied everybody. It was in substance that the question of a "tax raise" should not be sub mitted to the voters of Birmingham until October 1, 1916. This, it was thought by MT. Weakley and those who sided with him, would allow full opportunity for demonstration of tax equalization.
 All that the people of Birmingham desire touching this matter is that they shall have the right to say, with in reasonable period of time, whether or not they may increase the tax rate.
 This Birmingham tax amendment bill is on the house calendar. It should be called up and passed without any further hitch. It is too serious a matter to be allowed to lag because of personal animosities. The Bir- mingham public is naturally becoming exasperated over the situation. Let the Jefferson county delegation rise above petty considerations anc do that which a committee of 10C representative taxpayers recommend ed unanimously as the way out of this city's straitened condition When the time would come for the people to vote, majority might be against the proposed increase; il would hardly be so, however. But by all means let the voters have the right to express themselves on this question.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-12
BELGIAN ASSIMILATION
|, tho charlotta Observer

From the Charlotte Observer.
 In April and May. 12 Belgian families sat to work on the lands of the St. Helena colony. near Wilmington, and within 70 days after their arrival some of them were selling truck of their own cultivation. This Is an eloquent fact Mr. Roy c. Booker of the Manu- lecturers Record has made visit to this colony founded several years ago and added to from time to time by thrifty people of various nationalities, and he gives some detailed information that is very much to the point. Speak ing of the importation of the Belgians he says 1t took approximately $2000 family and six months time to bring them to North Carolina. It took rep resentative of Hugh MacRae & Go, working with the priests and burgo- masters at the various concentration camps in Belgium several months to select just the right kind of families desired. After they arrived here a farm of 10 acres to a family was placed at their disposal, with cottage com pletely equipped for housekeeping and the land prepared ready for planting the day they arrived. It is the plan of MT. MacRae, who is the head of the concern that Is developing two tracts of land totaling 10000 acres for coloni- | zation purposes, to give the Belgian Americans every possible chance to make good. If they do demonstrate their worth and thus establish con fdence among their fellow countrymen, in the agricultural and industrial pos abilities of the south, it is only natu- ral to suppose, according to MT. Mac
 Rae, that there will be a great influx of immigration of this character to this section when the war ends. Mir. Mac
 Rae, we are told, believes that they twill make good" We have no doubt
 of the fact. The success attending this
 colonization movement from the start indicates that MT. MacRae and his asso-
 ciates have hit upon the solution of the
 immigration problem for North Caro-
 lima. It only needs to be enlarged or
 in general by land owners and 1anc
 companies throughout the state.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-12
WHAT IS CARNEGIE WORTHY

From the Philadelphia Ledger.
 When rumors were flashed over the land again one day recently that An drew Carnegie was dead the query on cverybody's lips was: How much money did he leave?"
 MT. Carnegie himself made the i'm mortal remark that 1t is crime to die rich-being one crime which most of us will escape without violent effort.
 But how much is Carnegie worth?
 Since he sold his steelworks the in come from the bonds he received in payment has amounted to $210.000.0 900 Hence the Laird might have spent s, 000,000 a year to maintain his frugal household and have given away $l40.- 900 and still have all of his original fortune intact
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-12
NEW USE FOR BATHING SUITS

Atlantic City Correspond ence the New
 York World.
 Visitors have discovered a system to keep down roller chair, taxicab and jitney bus rates in times of stress
 Fully 5000 persons were caught last night on the piers and in amusement places when a terrific northeaster wal loped the coast without much warning. Owners of conveyances immediately boosted prices. to the indignation of persons without storm apparel.
 Suddenly a handsomely gowned wo- man darted from the crowd on a pier and sprinted across the Boardwalk into a bath house. Ten minutes later she came out in a bathing suit. She had checked her evening attire for the night and calmly walked down the Esplanade and let it rain.
 Others took the cue and in an houl the Boardwalk looked like bathing party, hundreds of fashionable person. checking their evening attire anc walking to their cottages or hotel. ill surf garb. Transportation rates came down suddenly.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-12
IF FLIES WERE LARGER
Garrett F. serviss. in the Spokane spokes-

Garrett P. Serviss. in the Spokane Spokes-
 Man-Review.
 H ILL fly. but study him. He is N wonderful creature, though men 4 A ace and a nuisance. His muscles are as strong as steel, his nerve action IS as quick as lightning. If you were pro- portionately as strong as fly you could seize beam over your head with your hands, and, with two tons of iron fas- tened to your feet, easily raise yourself, together with the attached weight. from the floor.
 This calculation is not mere guess, 1t is based upon experiments made by the Bel Nian naturalist, Felix Plateau. who har- messed insects and small animals of many kinds, in very ingenious ways, to ascer- tain their strength.
 Likewise. if fly were as big as man, and retained his relative strength, he could kill tigers with his hands and split asunder the jaws of lions with more ease than Samson did.
 If you were as quick as a fly you could let an oncoming express train trav- l elins a mile a minute. come within foot of your nose and then dodge it! Strike at fly that is lazily circing with play mate before your eyes and observe with what nonohalant ease he avoids your blow and instantly returns to his play. {, Tn fact, the swiftest notion that you can make is to the motive rapidity Of the fly as the gait of a strolling walker to the dash of an athlete in l00-yard sprint It is no more of effort for the fly to escape than it would be for you to step from in front of slow-moving steam roll CT. He would be highly amused if he thought you were trying to hit him!
 The ouickness of the fly Is in itself a proof of the excellence of It's muscles. If our muscles were subjected to similarly rapid applications of force they would snap like pack threads. And yet fly is . tender body, and tested by our vastly greater total strength. it's members give
 no indication of extraordinary tenacity.
 It is of course his slight weight which
 permits the fly to move so swiftly. If a fly were composed of material so dense
 that he equaled g man in weight, his mo-
 tive power would be unable to lift him, or
 ever to enable him to stand on his legs.
 The same method of comparison shows no less interesting results in the case oi
 other small or minute. animals. A bee 1t has been calculated, is relatively S'
 times as strong as a horse. When mar !nessed to a weight and compelled to draw lit, bee can exert a pull equal to IN times it's own weight.
 Ants and beetles exhibit astonisnine
 strength in their daily work. The little
 ant lion will put a pebble on it's head iweighting possibly as much as itself and l with a sudden jerk, project it out of its , conical den to a distance equal to a dozer or 20 times the tiny creatures owr 5 length. This Is as if man could seiz' a 15o-pound weight, balance it on hi head and with a flip of his neck muscles l hurl 1t 100 feet away.
 But perhaps the prize for strensth bs
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-12
PUTTING THRILLS IN THE. MOVIES

From Popular Mechanics.
 That motion pictures in the making
 often require the players to face real
 and serious danger, and even the pos
 sibilIty of sudden death, Is feature
 of the movies that few persons realize.
 The popular notion is that any act in-
 volving danger is ''faked"-that In a
 fall, for instance, the actual fall Is
 made by dummy and not by a living
 player This was true of motion pie
 ture making in the past, and to linn tied extent is true even at the pres ent time. Some of the feats shown on the screen could never be performed by living person without the cer- tainty of death. But competition be- tween the leading producers has be- come so keen and the taste of the pub lie so exacting, that a thrilling act must, as a rule, be the perfection of realism and this usually means that 1t must be the real thing. How the play CTS go to the limit of safety-and be- yond-in meeting this requirement is shown in number of pictures.
 One of the most daring of these feats Is a fall now being shown in one or the big plays. The actor is seen stand ing on a balcony 20 feet above the ground. Suddenly he clutches at his breast as if shot and pitches back ward off the balcony, turning over during the descent. This entire act IS
 performed by living actor who makes falling his business and who Is said to have fallen a total of more than five miles in the past three years. In an act like this, the actual tumble would formerly have been made by a dummy and the effect of continuity in the pictures would have been given by stopping and starting the camera at | just the right instants as the dummy was substituted for the actor and as | the actor took his position on the ground in place of the fallen dummy. Another act of a startling nature Is
 that of a fugitive dropping from signal bridge to the top of moving l locomotive This feat was performed
 without injury to the actor while the locomotive was running at speed of 1 II miles an hour. A fight on the pilot | of a locomotive was staged with the
 locomotive running at speed of 20 miles an hour and the pictures were
 made from the rear of train ahead.
 A single careless movement of either
 of the actors might easily have resulted lin the death of one or both.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-12
4 Beautiful Road

q never realized how many beautiful rides there were around Birmingham until the last month"; said Jerome B. Cohen. My work Is wholly inside and feeling the need of fresh air and ex- ercise I purchased a bicycle and since mingham. I say exploring, for that Is what I mean, because I found that de- spite the fact that I have been living here over 10 years I know very little about the topography of the city.
 There are some beautiful rides about the city that one can make without greatly fatiguing oneself. There are a number of routes to Bessemer that are particularly appealing because of the fact that they are comparatively free from hills. The prettiest Is that out Third avenue to Fairfield and through Fairfield to Bessemer. You go out of Fairfield by the plant of the Amer ican Steel and Wire company, and after that theresls no chance of missing the way.
 Tt is absolutely the prettiest ride I have ever taken. The road passes b. Woodward, and it is possible to go around by Hueytown along a beautiful country road or cut through Woodward. Either way is lovely. Around by Huey town Is 19 miles to Bessemer and through Woodward about IA"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-12
THE COLONEL AND THE TIGER

From the Brooklyn Standard Union.
 Nothing should be thought Of Colonel Roosevelt scratching a tigers head in the Chicago zoo. Here in 1910 he delfber- ateiy fed the Tammany tiger by his fight at Saratoga. and in 1912 gave it an- other full meal by his bull moose activi- ties. and in 1914 tried to stun the animal again by nominating third ticket
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-12
Typewriter Business Improves

There was a. remarkable increase in business in my line last month '' said A. L. Short, cashier for local typewriter concern.
 There was a gain of fully 40 per cent in sales for July, as compared with that of the same month of the year previous; and when it Is remem- bered that the war had not yet begun at that time, 1t will be seen that there has indeed been much improvement in conditions here recently. From present indications I judge that sales for August will be fully up to those of July, for the rush season Is now upon us."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-12
Upouiet meals make III digestiOns.
 Comedy of Errors.
BEGINNING THE DAY.

BEGINNING THE DAY-Paul speaks of laboring in prayers. It Is probable that the most effective labor done in this world is done In prayers. This is true not only be- cause prayer gives power and di- rection to all other labor, but be- cause prayer Is itself spiritual la- bor, the highest sort. It touches the infinite resources of God and stands face to face with the inner spirits of men.-H. M. E.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-12
HOTEL LOBRIES
Birminsham,s Business Activity

No city in the south seems quite so prosperous as Birmingham" said W. w. Saunders of Boston. ."I was ip Texas the latter part of July and places like Fort Worth. Dallas and Houston were holding their own, but one could readily see the effects of last falls depression.
 1T was in Nashville and Memphis last week and both of those cities were below normal from business point of view The same was the case with Atlanta, where spent three days week before last. But Birmingham is fuller of thrift than it was even in 1912, when I was last here. This district is on boom.'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-12

A Chicago man gave up his seat to a woman in a trolley car and was so charmed by the way she thanked him that he couldn't rest till he married her Fortunately, the young woman was un- attached at the time.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-12
BUT NOT UNTIL THEN
, Houston Post.

From the HoustOh POst. 2
 When Gabriel plays his last trump as the Kentucky minister would say, and all the my3eries of this world are fully re- vealed ito a lost and ruint world. per- haps i've shall understand why the As- socia3ed Press should carry column stated Aent from Vic Nurdock.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-12

Chang Hu, formerly vice minister of finance in China, is alleged to have grafted cool s1,Ooo'ooo in the salt monopoly. which indicates that Chang was not in politics for his health.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-12
ssssssssssssI
NOT ALWAYS.

The bard who sings of country lanes And meadows sweet with bloom, May view the world through grimy panes And in hall bedroom Compose a Hitting .roundelay
 As free as birds a-wing, For poets do not live alway
 The songs they sing
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-12

German has been dropped from the cur riculum of Russian schools and English substituted. That ought to be helpful for Yankee traders in the future.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-12

Italians in retreat shouted, Long live Italy!' and Down with Austrar' thus showing that while forced to retire. their spirit is still unconquered.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-12

The tango bandit robs women he dances with in the afternoon, end as they are afraid to tell their husbands. he has all the best of it.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-12

An outing of Germans and Italians on the Hudson river became a free-for-all fight when somebody started to talking about the war.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-12

Henry Ford says there Is prosperity everywhere in this country, but the color of ones views sometimes depends on the size of ones melon.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-12

After filing a libel suit against William R. Hearst, Herm Ridder retired to medi- tate over the unmerited hardships of hy- phenated American.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-12

A Pittsburg priest has refused a for tune of s15,ooo,O0o. He probably realizes that Pittsburg doesn't need any more mill lionaires.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-12
THE snru.<rps

sHUn<ERs By Arthur Wallce peach H,.a as. aS tle twQ pilgrims met 70 Gneir ways were set Said Said one; ; \ ssa sAs tower. tall ina' sne''er Flint nyptic hall. uns,i Tssrs shs shs,, :arss ]. Y ssssst. grave T leave the WILL. << l . I bid farewell tfSS.< 'SS7yer,s" Said one: T frV<z115s IN o. dov, To seek the valk T5kT4f hrown ,ctn nere ,,s snsl. | sarn from seed and sod "e ao'eN's aAway unto God. There shall il. ,.,,, h..-... d.ssr> Beside humble :. rt,s,Sa Are Then on they wen ,.,,.h- v,,.v,n~ tboueht. Each leaving whs ths ather sourhfi
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-12

The old-fashioned man who calls the Germans Huns is still to be met with in days journey.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-12

When an ocean liner begins to steer zigzag course it doesn't take much of a sea dog to suspect that a submarine Is near.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-12

, The Texans cannot be blamed for taking more than an academic interest in Mexi- can affairs.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-12

lean crab of which ! 2 support 492 times it's Ian could do as much 7 lift s61a tons. Even
 .s 6 prodigy of mus 'ding to experiments tde. it takes a force y 10 pounds to force
 large oyster. A man rtionaI strength would tn his hands, an iron
 of i've or six tons. insects and other small ure 10 equally surpris- E birds remain on the { of 1000 or even a0ol 1rds possess immenssl suy can race express ''g out of breath. This| confined to animals feighty than mans " putrun human atb< them in wind. ala
 teveral times morel
 rule. large animala
 less strong than small| less continuous exers| ago found her upper and showed that ,she| Tn she allowed the gis|
 'ormer geologic ages td| . They were too biq|
 of life on a planet lion of gravity is 3) per second.
 ne acceleration is only| probably higher. and Fl acceleration of about bet, higher still. Thosd| fat men who would b(| lr hand, we have not i limit of magnitude fot| } earth, though natur( |here it lies. The mi< 'ls smaller and smallet lat might hot our as. . could harness a mi> } hle relative strengthl 2 ondurance. we know already.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-12

A scientist says Noah was to blame for the fall of man. and not Adam and Eve. Still, there will always be differences of opinion as to who was responsible for the fal, of man, just as there are doubts con- corning the identity of the person who struck Billy Patterson.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-12

The rout of the Russians has convinced the Kaiser that God still favors the Ger mans.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-12
ALABAMA PRESS

Dothan Morning News: Carranza says that in an adverse case all Mexicans will know how to do their duty What has Mexico had for years but adverse casesf
 Huntsville Daily Times: Over on the glorious Sand mountain, around Pisgah and the other great health distributing points, a blessing holds there that is not appreciated The Sand mountain is a veritable summer resort. Gods own choice blessings are there in abundance and with the building and proper main tenance of good roads over there we are expecting to see many millionaires mak- ing their summer homes on that delight full elevation.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-12

The manufacture of modern printing ink requires careful choice of materials and skillful manipulation. The materials are divided into two groups. one being the pigment or color and the other being the medium or varnish in which 1t Is ground. Tho varnish is prepared from linseed oil and resin, although resin oil and even mineral oil are sometimes used in cheaper ink. Va.ieties of gum and wax give the varnish greater consistency and ink is made to dry more quickly by the addi- ton of metallic substances which oxidize the oil It does not dry by evaporation, but through a chemical process which leaves a different substance. The pigment is held together by the varnish. This is prepared by boiling the oil until it ar rives at the proper consistency and stir ring in resin The pigment is then added and the mass is ground to an impalpable fineness. Lamp black and carbon black are the pigments most commonly used III OrulndFy DldCk iflh. ooiuetiHitS d ht-
 tie indigo or Prussian blue is also em- ployed. Some chemically made colors are included in the ingredients of colored inks, such as vrrmilion, Prussian or bronze blue, chrome yellow and ultramarine blue.
 The "iake'' pigments, noted for their bril- liancy are made by precipitating a coal tar dyestuff on a metallic base.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-12

longs to a Mediterr' have read, that car own weight. If . n he would be able t the indolent oyster cular power. Accc that have been m. equivalent to neas, open the shell of { endowed with prop, be able to hold. N, door, against . pull
 ||
 The endurance of
 animals against fai ing. Some migratir wing during niBhtl miles. Nearly all ! wind power.y. M trains without getti kind of power Is n smaller and less Horses cannot onl letes, but they out though they have
 weight to carry.
 Still as a genera are proportionately ones and capable o ton. Nature long limit in this respec' had exceeded it wh gantic Qreat,ire of
 go htc e1tlnction. for the conditions 1 wh( 10 xhe aocsler, feet ard . frAction On Mars. wh6FS | 12 feet. the limit f on the moon. ilh| a five and one tllls1 !; are tho woulls fof spry! On the ok4 yet found the Vow
 living forms on t,e doubtless knows z croscope still rev |, microbes. And sh tonishmsut bs # ,' crobe and calcula < As to his power Y that only 10 weIl ,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-12

The Greek brand of neutrality leaves very little to be desired
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-12
STILL CYNICAL.

Do you believe two can live as cheaply as one?" asked the sentimental person. "I do,'' replied the cynic, promptly. But isn't that contrary to your usual views?"
 Not at all. I was speaking of mi crobes."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-12
GOOD ADVICE.

You state your case very we'll" said the eminent attorney to the young man who sought his daughters hand. Sup pose you take 1t to the court of last re-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-12
ADRIF'T WITH THE TMES
STRENGTH.

. u s A
 inr o'N "'''u when 'he Sin is shn- h7, A good old world when the sf. s.,,. And though we can't keep fro se,. ia It seldom lasts for long and =, 7' p,,,o s,,,ao. snrna.s,,,v winging x,rL,, 3 ,,sS,s - es those
 sti,, r,sa ehona .hei,. - eth,ge bringing, S 'oe .'ioi woes
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-12
UNUSUAL CAsl,

Hes very fond of the outdoor life ,. "Tn bet he's a bookkeepsr." No. Strange as 1t may st.,r ,, works outdoors"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-12
STRICTLY BUSINESS.

You say that couple lead cat and dog life?'
 Yes"
 "Too bad. Incompatibility of temper, suppose?"
 Nothing of the sort. They conduct a cat and dog hospital
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-12

Decaturs Daily: The statement from the federal reserve banks to the effect that first aid will be rendered cotton own CTS indicates that Nthere is to be no em- bargo from that quarter, anyway
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-12

Anniston Evening Star: Princetonians are going to search for the lost Atlantis. If it had been as loud as it's Georgia namesake, it would never have got lost
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-12

What do you mean by that, sir ?''