davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-04
London and Its Cults

In all large cities widely dissimilar religious and philosophical cults have their devotees, and London has long been the home of all sorts of organiza- tions, religious, social and political.
 While orthodox Christianity is strong in London, many notable places of religious worship which are avowed- ly centers of free thinking flour ish for time and then pass out of ex- istence. Visitors to London 30 or 35 years ago may recall two chapels that were largely attended on Sundays, especially Sunday afternoons. One was the Free Theistic church in Swal- low street near Piccadilly, founded by the late Charles Voysey, and the other was the Free Ethical society in South Kensington founded by the late Mon cure D. Conway.
 The Rev. MT. Voysey was for many years an active clergyman of the Church of England, but being tried on a heresy charge, and convicted, he was expelled. He was a man of engaging personality and of persuasive elo- quence. In his Theistic church he preached to large audiences. Fine mu- sic was a feature of his services. But after the founders death the congre- gation dwindled away, and yesterday s Associated Press news contained the statement that the congregation had disbanded.
 The Rev. MT. Conway was even a more unique character in London than the Rev. Mir. Voysey. , A native of Vir- ginia, he received his college educa- tion in Pennsylvania and started out at the age of 20 as a Methodist preacher. At the age of 25 he was or dained Unitarian minister and filled tWO iiiPoA pooeOi oCOo HI tiiC oHiCCl States-Washington and Cincinnati But he wished to be relieved even iron the mild restraints of the Unitarian denomination, and after going to Lon don he became the head of an "ethical' or free lance society. He constructed a liturgy which included massage, from the Bible and from Plato ant
 readings from Shakespeare and othe
 modern poets. Conway drew crowd
 for a time, but the novelty wore of and when the pastor returned to tn
 United States in 1897 his congrega ' tion had dropped off to hand full
 so to speak. Other free lance or "lib } crab ministers will have their da, in London, but it will be long time
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-04
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
Hear. Good Reports

T have not taken a trip through my territory since last fall. and I have decided not to start out again until February said Hugh M. Brown, who represents large shoe factory interests.
 When I made my rounds some weeks ago l did not try 10 do much selling. The merchants in the cotton sections were not disposed to buy. and did not urge them. But conditions have now improved very much. get reports from every part of Alabama and I feel con- fident from my general observation that when l start out few weeks hence will find conditions good-exception- ally good. The cotton farmers have ad- justed themselves to the low market. Some are holding for higher prices, and those who have sold at a loss have pocketed it and forgot about it.
 By February, all the farmers will be looking forward enthusiastically to the spring. The cotton acreage will be greatly reduced, and crop diversifica- ton will be the slogan. With favorable W eather, this year should be one Of the best for the history of Alabama. Al any rate the outlook for business in February is very bright
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-04
Let husbands know their wives nave sense like them. "e'o'
Amenities of War

Later stories from the trenches ot F,,rone indicate that Christmas was not devoid of merrymaking, although the combatants were forced to celebrate m scale considerably restricted by the limitations of modern warfare. A d;snatch to the London Daily News from the north of France gives an amusing account of an exchange ot felicitations between German ana English soldiers which came very near resulting disastrously for the ter mans.
 The correspondent states that two British soldiers, after signaling truce and good fellowship from the danger ous crown of their trench, walked across the intervening "no mans land to the German trenches, bearing plates of mince pies and seasonable mes sages. They were received cordially given a good meal, materially lm- proved by draughts from a soothing bottle, and sent back with thelr pockets filled with Christmas cards for distribution among their com rades.
 Not to be outdone in yuletide cour- tesies, the Germans repaid the visit later in the day by sending two her aids, suitably caparisoned, across to the British trenches. As soon as they appeared, a soldier obsessed with too great a sense of duty, promptly ar rested them and forced them to crouch in the dampest corner of his trench. An officer came along presently and asked the valiant soldier what he was guarding. "Beggin' your pardon, sir" answered Tommy Atkins, "a couple of landstreamers,' by the looks of lem. Said they'd come to wish us many 'appy returns, so I nabbed 'em, sir"
 After delivering brief lecture to the soldier on the true spirit of Christ mas, the officer ordered the landstrunl visitors released and they returned to their own trenches with the compli- ments of the season.
 An officer of the Queens Westmin. ster Rifles also describes an extraor. dinary Christmas truce. "Many of oul chaps," he writes, "walked out ant met the Germans between the lines. went over in the afternoon and wa' photographed in a group of Englisi and Germans mixed. We exchanged souvenirs. got German ribbon ant photo of the Crown Prince of Ba varia" He is careful to add, however that these were Saxons and not Prus sians.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-04
LUKE M'LUKE SAYS

From the Cincinnati Enquirer
 It might be a good scheme for every couple to get married on the 18th of the month. Then they would have something to blame 1t on in later years.
 When a man goes shopping with his wife he is either henpecked or in love with her.
 Every clerk knows that if the boss made the office force undergo an eff ciency examination, the clerk would run first and the manager last
 If we had to unbutton our overcoats and get down into our pants pockets to ex tend sympathy, we would be as stingy with sympathy as we are with some other things.
 Lots of people who wouldn't work for you for g per day are perfectly willing to attend to your business for nothing.
 Fsther sometimes believes that the req son why the baby doesn't yell any longer than it does it is because father isn't home any oftener than he is. Most women know that gambling is wicked But it eases her conscience a whole lot if her husband happens to win.
 A man who has patience enough to sit down for a year and a half and color a meerschaum pipe hasn't patience enough l to devote a minute and a half to undress- l ing one of the children at night. Some men are too thin-blooded to work | in winter and too thick-blooded to work l in summer.
 You never hear winner holler that the cards were stacked. l The old-fashioned girl whose face was her fortune now has 8 daughter who trav' els on her shape. 1 Cheer up! The cost of everything else has gone up, but happiness and smiles and
 kinc words are as cheap as ever.
 Luke's greeting is May the New Yeal
 prove . corn-fed one to ell of you!
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-04

worlds strife and mans inconsistenciesff these persistent gentlemen would rise tols point of order and insist that he wou
 not have done it but for the reduetion|
 in the tariff on their industries.
 Ignoring the fact that under the Under wood bill the revenues, counting the in- come tax, was greater than under the Payne law for a given length of time be- fore the war broke out, we are informed by these logical reasoners that there would have been no necessity for war tax if it had not been for the reduction of the tariff. Marvellous, Under the same
 line of reasoning, if the Payne law Lad been in effect, we may have looked with confidence for the discovery of gold bull lion growing on trees inside the treasury building.
 It is certainly a great thing to be d sage-a sage must be given credit for wisdom and no questions asked. There
 is no come back when a sage hands down his verdict. Our Pennsylvania friends are the most robust sages at large. They sim ply state a fact, and no one must go
 behind it; to poke at their fact with stick of inquiry, to develop any curiosity as to the foundation supporting said fact
 is impertience, they are right and every body else is wrong-unless they asree with them. The war affect busir css? Bah -impossible-who ever heard of anything affecting business except the tariff? Still we remind them, it seems to us we can recall occasions when neither the Underwood tariff bill nor the European war were raging, as they seem to be now when the ordinary dollar of commerce took the appearance to the ultimate consumer of wheel on a circus wagon how about the fall of 1907, when the sacred
 Payne law was doing business, when for
 the first time in the history of the coun- try plain citizen who had money in the bank couldn't see it with Lick tele- scope-how about tight times then? No use; they smile at you in pity for your ignorance. and turn over on the other side and mutter: Raise the tariff, we want protection"
 All of which goes to prove that wars may come and wars may go, but the tariff issue goes on forever.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-04
DRESSING TAKES TOO LONG

From the London Chronicle.
 Soldiers at the front. as I have iinteo' learn to dress quickly because they do mt undress. But we at home may learn something from the actor when we are called upon to dress twice a day-and take a long time about it. Personally, my warfare with studs and shirts and boots and trousers-and-I will not pur- sue the intimacies further-has usually taken too big a slice from the solid day.
 But the actor is the practical man in the change of dress. He does it automat- ically between the acts in a sentry box of a dressing room. With amazement have watched the actor undressing and redressing three times, and talking all ways. But the final surprise has been his sudden change at the end, when he cleans his face, slips into evening dress, has no bother with studs or sleeve links or the tucl1ing in of his shirt-but does 1t all in a flash, ties his tie perfectly and is ready for supper.
 The actor, of course. has made an art of quick dressing My own record has not been beaten since the morning chapel bell sounded in nfy ears in the college bed. I had ten minutes in which to tum- ble into the bath. dry, dress, race down,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-04

N/ cial.)-The Schuylkill valley tar
 if experts have twice now called upon the administration to quits it's fool ing, insisting that there can be nothing but ruin in large gobs. gloom, thicker than the armor on a battleship and devas- tation such as follows the activities of 42-centemetre gun until the tariff on their manufactured products is raised three-tenths of per cent.
 The first groan from these philosophers
 who are nothing if not consistent, which jared the otherwise peaceful atmosphere of Washington was emitted early in July. At that time they calmly--well, perhaps not altogether calmly, perhaps little hysterically-traced all the ills the human race is heir to- or likely to be heir to, to the Underwood tariff bill. They were in mortal dread at that time of these awful importations from Europe, which must of necessity lay low our domestic trade and place it entirely at the mercy of for egn competition. Now comes along the European war and knocks importations from Europe into cooked hat. and leav- ing that argument high and dry, but does that make them waver? Not a wave. With heroic and commerdable tenacity they Stick to their one infallible remedy; their logic flows on sublimely with the most supreme disregard of all facts, they re- fuse to be hampered with mere facts, and they still stick to their slogan raise the tariff and we will flourish like a green bay tree" In other quarters it seems that business is picking up a little courage; there ap- pear to be signs of returning activities, and manufacturers and others are becom- ing a little optimistic. Not so with the Scbuylkll valley bunch, not so as you can tell it. far be it from; they are ad- mirable in their pertinacity of gloom; others may welcome signs of better times, but none of these things can move them to anything but expressions of wide woe and calamity. Let one of them catch the smallpox and it would never have happened if the tariff had not been tempered with: even should Gabriel toot his horn and call an abrupt halt upon the
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-04
SELF-LIGHTING CIGARS London Cor. Indianapolis News.

The German military authorities. and the German postal authorities have au- thorized the transmission by parcel post to soldiers in the field of cigars equipped with a special chemical preparation that enables the smoker to light them with out the aid of matches.
 The chemical preparation is applied to the end of cigars, and is ignited by rub ping it against hard substance, like the ordinary match, but it cannot be ignited automatically. The chemicals used. it Is said, do not affect the flavor of the cigar. Ten thousand such cigars were sent as an initial shipment to the soldiers through the Red Cross, and more have followed constantly since then.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-04

From the Scientific American.
 "HE idea of a submarine boat is hun
 dreds of years old, and its applica-
 \ tion to destroying an enemys ships was suggested something like 200 years ago; nevertheless it is only comparatively recently that this engine of warfare has been regarded as practical, or more than dream of some visionary adventurer. Even when the first practical boats were built it was hardly expected by anyone that they could be operated except Tn very restricted radius, so the present SUD marine and it's doings are as wonderful and as impossible to understand as the Nautilus" of Jules Verne. The Scientinc American. in a recent issue, contained an extremely valuable article by naval expert covering every feature of SUD- marine warfare. from which the follow ing is taken:
 So rapid has been the development or the past decade. that the largest of the German submarines has displacement of 500 tons, surface speed of about l' krots. a speed submerged of about lo and A theoretical radius of action on ths surface of 5000 to $500 miles. One of the United States submarines has re- mained submerged, with the crew aboard for 24 hours; and, in the opinion Of our submarine officers, it would be possible by the use of chemical purification of the air and by drawing on the air supply or the submerging and trimming tanks Tor one of our submarines to remain SUD- merged for several days.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-04

The latest estimate places the age of the earth at 10O,O0o0o0 years. However, the age of the earth isn't half as impor- tant to southern colonel as the age of the liquor he consumes
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-04

From the New York World.
 Los Angeles. Cal.-The Atchison. To- pelxa and Santa Fe railroad filed for record recently mortgages executed in New York 19 years ago.
 Someone went to sleep.'' the legal de- pertinent of the Santa Fe explained. Tt was thought they were filed long ago."
 The mortgages were made to secure . total indeb1 b1edness of $l22. 4s1.0o0.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-04

MT. Taft doesn't think the Philippines Will be ready for self-government for long time yet Recent events seem to prove beyond all cavil that they are not ready now
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-04

forging American passports to get Ger man officers and reservists back to the fatherland may be form of patriotism, but it isn't going to make any more friends for Germany among patriotic Americans
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-04
In the Bushes. World

Henry Clews, in his annual review, says
 that the effects of the shock of war have
 beeu safely passed, and that the worlds
 commerce has finsaly adjusted itself to a war basis with marvellous rapidity.
 .The outlook for 1915,' says MT. Clews.
 s"is unquestionably becoming more hope fu,. It seems impossible to believe that the war will last another 12 months. Those optimistically inclined think 1t may be ended in the spring or not later than midsummer. Let us hope their optimism will be justified
 'Germany went into this war with much less of a jolt than any other power, and will be better able to resist than was al 1 first supposed. As far as gains and losses are concerned England probably stands to win most. if the allies succeed l In that event her prestige and power l will be greatly enhanced. She will be | free to bend her energies to satisfying | the commercial instincts of the race. ou' which have been restrained by fear of de | structive rivalry and the necessity O. keeping a colossal navy. The British em | pirc Is already big enough. and its bes dey elopment will tax her energies fol years to come. Under a period of assure' peace British commerce would flourish al l never before. Next, if not first In tn'
 .anks of winners. would come the unite' Ststes. which has reached 2 period Of de
 velopment that will force us. whether VI
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-04

A New York man accused of having two wives says he will stand on his rights as lawyer. He must think he has more rights than doctors and preachers, for in- stance.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-04
Talking at the Opera


 Ever since I can remember there las been criticism now and then of concert and opera audiences in the large cities of this country, but as q through the performance" said an old music lover.
 "In every large audience some fus- sy person may be found who will com plain if persons in front of him whis- per together. These persons who are talking in a quiet way are really en- toying the music and are simply ex- changing criticisms. But the nervous, fretful fault finder is full of wrath because every one in the audience is not seeming to be rapt. In New York criticism of inattentive and talking persons in the audience frequently breaks out A few years ago an opera soer wrote to the New York Sun these Just remarks:
 Those newspapers which always endeavor to make "big story" out Of every trivial incident, especially in and around the opera house, have exagger- ated recent trifle into an event, and in doing so have been extremely un- just to the occupants of the boxes at the Metropolitan. There is much con- versation among these people, but 1t is not such as to disturb people in other parts of the house or to inter- tere with the performance.
 "What occurred at the second per- formance of "Euryanthe" was this. MT. Toscanini began the very soft meas ures prefacing the second scene of the opera. The entire audience was engaged in vivacious conversation, and it was clear that no one heard the be- ginning of the music. The conductor stopped the orchestra and rapped sharply on his desk to attract the at tention of the audience to the fact that he was about to begin. The converse ton ceased and the music went oh without further delay
 Such thing as the playing of q few measures through talk might hap pen at any performance of opera, and it often does happen even at symph- onic concerts. Usually conductors go straight on till the audience discovers that 1t is missing something and be- comes quiet The occupants of the boxes at the Metropolitan on Monday evening were not conversing any more than the rest of the audience.
 "Mr. Toscanini, be it added, is a very sensitive person and does not like to have his artistic efforts ignored
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-04
Next Presidential Year

Tn a year from now democrats and republicans will be intent upon presi- dential issues," said Jackson J. Mays of Indiana.
 q think that President Wilson will be renominated, and if he is the stand ard bearer hope he will be re-elected. I have always been a democrat and ex- pect to die a democrat, but it will not surprise me to see the republicans nominate strong ticket; and unless the country is enjoying phenominal prosperity, the republicans will be al most sure to win. When times are bad the public always planes the party in power. This blame is sometimes unjust, but the other side cannot be reasoned out of it. I believe business will inn prove. If we have a boom between now and the summer of 1916, nothing can prevent the reelection of Wilson. 9th erwise 1t will be goodby to the dem ocratic party for sometime to come"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-04

mechanical device has been invent ed by which members of congress can vote by merely pressing a button. An other form, apparently, of machine pol itics
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-04

People who expect civilization to take great leap forward in 1sl5," should not forget that European powers have af- fixed a ball and chain to civilizations S ankle.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-04

The rustic of new leaves being turned was heard January 1 from one end of the country to the other. A less audible fluttering heard every day is the sound of the new leaves falling back.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-04

perhaps, before two uch popular and forceful men as v9 Fsey and Conway gain large heariIk
 The vast majorfy of men and wom- en religiously i1elined feel more com fortable in soJ e long established re- ligious body kther than in one of the so-called fk thinking kind.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-04

Birmingham came very near having a poison mystery because a police captain ''kept off, the case when told to by an officious doctor.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-04

After Washington's birthday is cele- brated we can tune up for spring.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-04

The Czar of Russia Is a practical prohi- bitionist. Conditions in this country make MT. Hobson a theoretical one.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-04

The Formidable was another battle- ship to prove that there is nothing in q name.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-04

Living in trench paved with bricks has obvious advanta ges.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-04
Business Activity Increasing

There has been very marked inn provement in general trade since the first of December and improvement will continue right along" said N. w. Whit son of Chicago.
 One of the best barometers of busi- ness is the steel industry. It was at rock bottom few weeks ago, but to- ward the end of the year the situation was decidedly encouraging. There Is an upward tendency now and the order books of the steel companies will show large gains.
 "In Chicago conditions in most lines of business are vastly better than they were month ago and there Is nc doubt but that the coming spring will witness some high records in the ih- dustrial field"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-04

The war in western Europe seems ts consist for the most part of watchfu waiting.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-04

The Turks are beginning to figure in the batting average of the European war.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-04

A year natures rapidly. In a short while 1915 will have fuzzy growth or his chin.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-04

l It is now claimed that ventilating a
 room won't blow the germs out Is there no escape?
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-04
EUGENE FIELD LOVED CHILDREN

EUGENE FIELD LOVED CHILDREN From Eugene Field, Lover of Childhood"
 by Hildegrade Hawthorne, in the St.
 Nicholas Magazine.
 It was children whom Field loved best. and he would take all sorts of trouble to make q child happy. His room was crowded with toys, queer dolls, funny little mechanical toys that ran about. or boxed. or nodded strange heads, or performed tricks. His study door was never shut to a child, and he had many child friends his family knew nothing of. His brother tells how, a few hours after his death, a little crippled boy came to the door and asked if he might go up and see MT. Field. He was taken into the room where the gentle. much loved figure lay. and left there. In q little while he came limpirg downstairs, the tears streaming down his cheeks. and went silently away. known to nobody there.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-04
FILES OLD MORTGAGE

At any rate. few tourists will be los in the Alps this year.