davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-06

1 the brain that are often really jntoxicat- ing in their influence on the nerves of the entire body.
 For many reasons comparatively few have what may be called the perfect sense of smell or super-refined sense of taste, so closely allied to the olfactories: just as few have an approximately perfect vision or the keenest of hearing In all parts of the body where is mucous mem- brance there is a tendency to catarrhal attack. and there is no other membrane , more sensitive than the nasal nerves and l membranes, and probably no other so exposed to exterior influences of atmos- pheric conditions, impurities of many l kinds, what is called a ''cold' in the nasal passages being a result rather than a cause. Unhealthy physical surroundings. lack of cleanliness and exercise. unsani- tary life of many phases, make for con | gestion of the mucous membranes with resultant extreme sensitiveness of the nasal nerves and ducts, and so the ob- struction and unusual discharge called a cold.
 | One of the curious things associated with the sense of smell is that to fill the nostrils for a short time with some of the finer perfumed waters, or even with pure
 water, the olfactory sense will be sus- pended. Moreover, inhalation of one odor
 will often counteract the odor of an-
 other that neither will be clearly distinct.
 Often also, when we think we are tasting
 something strongly odorous in food or drink the taste is conveyed to the mind through the medium of the olfactory
 nerves, so Intimately associated are the
 senses of taste and smell.
 As with the senses of seeing and hear ing, so with the sense of smell it is much
 more keenly developed in many animals than in humans. It means much to them
 in their natural state. The curious and
 mysterious phases of the operation of all of the senses both in animal and
 man, is the instantaneous transmission of sensation of all kinds from the source of impression to the brain by those wondrous mazes of nerves, visual, aural, lingual, olfactory, tongue nerves and nose nerves telling the story from limburger to the liquors of the gods.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-06

the money is tied up in Wall street, the railroads are fleecing the people, the good old days have gone, taking with them all chances for industrial commercial, professional and social advancement
 To hear the ultra-optimist tell it, the darkest hour is always just before dawn, and while bushes has been bad, better times are coming very soon; in fact, i've are already crossing the di- vide which separates prosperity from depression, and we are headed full tilt for the prosperity side of the line" ]"
 Neither of the two extremes just enumerated is exactly the right kind of factor in stable and general pros perity, but of the two, if we must have one or the other, give us the ultra-optimist every time,
 Better than either, however, and thank goodness we still have some of them left, is the conservative optimist He is the man who figures that there is a silver lining to every cloud, and so believing, he proceeds to rip up the cloud so that he may find that silver lining. He isn't going to make a million next week nor next month, but he is going to make enough every day to pay all his expenses and a little bit more.
 Sometimes this conservative op timist will make a whole lot more than is required to keep his name on the right side of the ledger. Watch him and you will observe that after awhile he becomes one of the wealthy men of his community, and best of all, he is spreading sunshine and help ing others while he is acquiring his wealth
 Summed up ;n tabloid, the pessimist is community pest-the optimist is a community joy and a helpful ex- ample to his neighbors.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-06
Great Celebration Next Week

A week from today will be duly cele- brated the completion of Lock IT, thich gives the Birmingham mineral district deep water navigation.
 The opening of the upper Warrior for steamboats and barges marks new epoch in the industrial and com- mercial life of Alabama. Secretary of War Garrison and large party consisting of senators and representa- tives in Congress and army engineers will be present at the formal opening of the lock. Secretary Garrison's party will arrive in Birmingham Wednesday night and on Thursday morning will proceed to Cordova where the exercises incident to the celebration will take place. Hundreds of our representative citizens will join the escort to the Secretary of War and May 13 will be gala day long to be remembered.
 When John H. Bankhead was elected to the Fiftieth Congress in 1886 he had his eye on the rivers and harbors committee. He was from a state of rivers, some of them but poorly de- veloped. He felt that he could do something for Alabama of far-reach- ing benefit if he were a member of the committee having to deal with the great waterways of the country; but such an important committee as- signment as that which Bankhead sought was usually reserved for con- gressmen of several years standing But when he entered his third term he received the place to which he aspired And once on the rivers and harbors committee his dream was a Warrior navigable to the mineral district dream which has come true after 25 years of earnest and faithful en- deavor. When Congressman Bank head was promoted to the Senate he continued to work for the Warrior without Tagging, and he would be less than human were he not filled with spirit of elation at this time over the crowning achievement of his labors.
 | It has cost the government S11,- 000,O00 to carry out Senator Bank heads Warrior river policy. But no money has been better spent. The opening of the Warrior is to Ala bama what the opening of the Panama canal is to the south and to the whole country.
 The Birmingham district has made strides within the last twenty years; long strides within the past seven or eight years, but before the end of this decade they will seem short compared with the strides dating from the com pletion of Lock IF.
 Birmingham's future has looked bright ever since the steel industry became established here; but it never seemed so roseate as it does today.
 Next Thursday will be red letter day indeed.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-06

Bessarabia Is a Muscovite province for wLich the armies of Russia and Austria have been contending. It is described by the National Geographic society as an immense farm of 1s, 1s1 square miles. with deep, black, fertile soil and worked by some 2,0O0,O00 farmers 'The world has heard little of this attractive country be- cause the Russians have never advertised it's advantages The climate of Bessara bia is similar to that of the United States. but is extremely cold In winter and hot in summer. The intense heat of summer re- suits in quick crops and the province raises fruits that are equal to the finest products of Europe. Domestic animals, grain and grapes are also raised The population, composed of mixed nationali- ties, numbered 2,49o.0O0 in 1911. Only about 9coooo of these were classed as city dwell CTS. City people are rarely seen in the province except at its capital and largest town, which has about 1sO 900 inhabitants. The Cimmerians are said to have been the original inhabitants of the province. Dur ing the centuries all kinds of people have been added to the original population, in- cluding Moldavians Little Russians, Poles Roumanians Magyars, Ruthenians, Bulgarians, Jews, Greeks, Circassians, Ar menians TartarS and SlOval<s Ae a melting pot Bessaraba vies with the United States Most of the country is fiat. although 1t has some of the foothills of the Carpathians. There is timber in some parts of the province. The indus tries are negligible. There are only few small cloth mills, iron works soap fac tories and tanneries. Large quantities of agricultural products are exported
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-06
American Neutrality

It is remarkable how many people, not all of them Germans, who are ordinarily lucid thinkers, have allowed their judgment to be warped by the attitude of the United States govern ment in the present war. Any num- Der of brilliant men, some of them college professors, have made the charge that this government is pro- longing the war by selling arms and ammunition to the allies. Evidently, thev have closed their minds to the other side of the question and can only look at it from their own point of view.
 Doubtless the fact that the allies are able to purchase munitions of war in large quantities from this country is a great help to them, but the only reason they are able to do this, while Germany cannot, is because the allies control the seas. If Germany were in a position to buy war supplies from this country, does any unprejudiced observer think for a minute that she would be refused? The United States government is not responsible for the situation which permits England to carry on her commerce across the At lantic in comparative safety. If the shoe were on the other foot, so to speak, and Germany had control of the seas, how soon would our ears be deafened by the loud complaints of the British?
 Perhaps the United States might be able to stop the war by cutting off the supply of food and ammunition shipped to the allies. It might stop the war by allowing Germany to come off the victor, which is, of course, the end the Germans most desire, but our neutrality, however much it may be misunderstood now, would be knocked into cooked hat and if our good friends, the Germans, did not forth with count us as their best and most useful allies they would show ingrati- tude.
 It is regrettable, surely, that this country is an unwilling agent in pro- longing the horrors of the European war. No one in Germany regrets this more than thousands of American citizens, but the solution is not the simple matter that proc German sym pathizers would have us believe The situation is vastly complicated. The best this government can do is to sit tight in the boat and keep it as steady as may be, in spite of the efforts of misguided persons to capsize it.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-06
Change VIII Re Welcomed

''I noticed in The Age-Herald Tuesday morning that the summer policy of the Lyric theatre will be inaugurated next week, and I am one that will be glad of the change" said a regular patron of the theatre. "As understand the change. instead of having two performances every night and selling reserved seats for each. the mana cement will have one con tinuous performance from 7:90 to 10:S0 o'clock. and the patrons of the theatre can come when they like and remain as long as they please. They can see as much of the show as they like, and leave when they have seen the full five acts.
 Another change that women will find pleasing is the announcement that the matinee will commence at o'clock in- stead of 2:30 o'clock. This allows the fair sex an extra half-hour in the after noon during the hot weather which will be welcomed by them l am sure
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-06
ALABAMA PRESS

Opelika Daily News: The New York Roosevelt paint each other just as black as they choose to.
 Gadsden Evening Journal: Japan prob ably feels like giving the world an exam pie of "a bull in a China shop.
 Mobile Register: The Selma Times has taken a brief against the turkey buzzard which it says is a cattle disease carrier but the buzzard, like the sheep killing dog vii be with us for some time yet
 Anniston Evening Star: The coming as. sault of the chautauquas on the soutf will make the attack on Ypres look like a sideshOW.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-06
Germany's Strong Position

prominent Alabamian, who has more than a state reputation as an engineer and as a statistician. said the other day in discussing the war:
 ''In the last 50 years the nations which have come rapidly to the front have been those who have depended for their welfare chiefly upon manu- featuring. The productiveness of the soil reaches a maximum beyond which it can only be pushed with difficulty but the limit of manufacturing has never yet been reached upon a giver area of land. More dollars worth ot finished product can be turned out on square foot of manufacturing land than on one acre of agriculture land Manufacturing in turn depends entire. ly either directly or indirectly, upor coal. Water power can turn the wheels but cannot furnish the heat and man. ufacturing of necessity must have heat Now as the principal source of man ufacturing is coal, possession of tn, coal will in turn control the manu featuring.
 "During the time of Napoleon there were approximately 5O00O,00O French i 5,000,00O Germans and 15,00O, 900 Eng. fish. One hundred years later there ar. s5.o00,0O0 French, approximately tn. same number of English and doubl, that number of Germans. The German,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-06
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
Buoyancy in the Bushes. world

There is now more buoyancy in the european war started and while the bloody conflict is deplorable some of our business interests have profted by 1t in a legitimate way, said l.. T. Fessenden of New York.
 T am connected with textile manu- featuring concern, and have other busi- ness interests While there was an im- provement in business conditions gener- ally early in the year, it was slow until a few weeks ago. In most of the large cities of the east prosperity prevails, and l am glad to say that the south Is getting well on its feet after the bad cotton mar ket of last fall. On the whole, this year will average well'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-06
CATTLE IN CALHOUN

blight we can cross 5ooded animals with local stock to profit. This is being done now in tick-free Sumter county. where year-old calves are selling for $10O per head.
 Beef cattle can be raised in Alabama cheaper than in any other state in the union, according to reliable experiments. Far-sighted men in other states are realz- ing this. and the news of last week told of investments to be made in south Ala bama lands by P. A. Baker of Ohio. super intendent of the National Anti-Saloon league, who realized the possibilities for money making in the cattle industry when he visited the state few months ago.
 If Alabamans are wise, they will not sleep over their rights. They will realize on their own assets, instead of leaving them to wideawal<e foreigners, just as we did in regard to our waterway advantages, l which have been harnessed by English capitalists. This was big project, calling for large investments and great risk but cattle raising is an established industry,
 requiring small monetary cutlays for it's
 successful prosecution, and 1t can be made profitable to every citizen of this county.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-06

Sir Jagatjit Singh Bahadur, maharaj jah of korpurthala, India, who recently ar rived in New York, is evidently on a pleas ure trip, as he brought only the youngest of his four wives.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-06

|, tional government, was devised to meet the conditions of agricultural commupA' ties. Rapidly growing, populous industrial centers were unknown when state sov- ernment took its now accepted form. It may be raised as a serious question whether this old plan of government
 might not be improved to meet the mod ern problem raised by industrial com
 nunities whose requirements the average legislature seems unable to comprehend The question virtually concerns the ex-
 istence of such municipalities as Cleve- land and Cincinnati whose legitimate de-
 mands perpetually fall on deaf ears at the state house.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-06

A circus clown, who has been eapering for some years with one of the big shows, washed off his makeup and committed suicide because he thought his heart broken. Laugh and the world laughs with you"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-06

The department of agriculture says the cost of living is to drop. It has already dropped for the man who had the energy and foresight to plant a garden.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-06

Secretary Redfeld predicts that the not exceed $1,O0o, 900 GOO during the current fiscal year. Pessimists should paste this in their hats for future reference.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-06
MOTHER

By Theresa Helburn. have praised many loved ones in my song,
 And yet stand Before her shrine, to whom all things be- long,
 With empty hand. Perhaps the ripening future holds time
 For things unsaid; Not now; men do not celebrate in rhyme
 Their daily bread
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-06

It is now up to the alarmists to figure out how many American ships will have to be torpedoed by the Germans before Uncle Sam does something.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-06

During one week 100 saloons in Chicago closed on account of poor business and the fear that a dry wave is coming. Let the "drys'' make the most of 1t.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-06

Our ancient wort of courage, fair St.
 George. Juspires LIS with the spleen of fiery dragons. Urou tbem. --Richard III.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-06

Vienna is sending its stray dogs to war instead of to the pound and everyone will be given a chance to die canine hero
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-06
Improvement Work Under Way

At a meeting of the Young Mems Christian association executive committee
 Wednesday,. it was decided to organize a
 Good Fellowship club" said General Sec
 retary Stallings.
 "Mr. R. R. Darden, who is connected
 with the auditing department of the Ten nessee Coal, Iron and Railroad company has been elected president of this new club, which will have an enrolment of 50 members. Its mission will be to promote a feeling of good fellowship among asso- citation men, especially among the new | members, who will be made to feel at home. This club is expected to result in a decided improvement in the general social atmosphere of the institution.
 This, however, is only one of many betterments being planned and carried out by the cooperation of the member | ship and management of the Birmingham association. A chess club has been or l sanized, tenis club formed, the new | athletic director, MT. Hoffer, has planned | many Improvements in his department. Several new gymnasium classes will begin
 next week, and development work will be
 pushed steadily forward.
 work on the interior of the central as-
 sociation building is now under way and
 beginning next week a thorough renova-
 tion of the whole building will begn.''
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-06

Having recently fallen heir to $lO0.O00, Robert Edeson will doubtless assume even more of the insouciance for which moving picture stars are noted.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-06

BEGINNING THE DAf-0 ny God. may I measure by eternal stan dards today. May choose the things which are permanent. May build without the secret expecta-
 ton of tearing down later. May l he at work on my ultimate house. May | begin my eternal life now. For Cbrist,s sake. Amen.-H. M. F..
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-06

A writer of ballads has deserted his wife for six different women in the past few years, which shows what an artistic tenn perament will do.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-06

The Turk is showing proficiency with
 the bayonet which may yet cause him to be regarded as a first-class fighting man.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-06

Frank Harris, a lecturer, has applied the short and ugly word to President Wilson. This is no time to be starting a new Ananias club.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-06

There are doubtless still a few persons scattered about the country who think Jess Willard is not it's foremost citizen.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-06

One cannot but admire the detachment of astronomers who continue to study other worlds in spite of the confusion reigning in this one.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-06
The Plumbing LAWS

T was amazed at the wonderful intel ligence conveyed to myself as an ordi- nary citizen by a visit today to the plumbing exhibit of the Birmingham Real Estate Exchange in the Birming- ham Railway, Light and Power building on Twenty-first street." said a well known merchant.
 "The exhibit shows what kind of plumb ing is now made necessary by city ordi- nance and it's cost and the kind of plumb ing that actually is necessary and it's cost. The comparison is startling. The hard ship being worked on property owners by the present plumbing laws is very clearly shown. It is plain that much less expensive plumbing could be used and be just as good and much less expen- sive. It seems so strange that the plumbing laws require. as I am told they do, many articles made by a certain manufacturer, and in most cases by a manufacturer in the east or far north, when the same plumbing fixture in many
 cases is made right here in Birmingham at about half the cost
 "I am informed the city commissioners | intend to amend the plumbing laws and 1 correct this evil"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-06

The Chinese are not to be blamed alto- gether for wishing to retain at least a shadow of authority in their own country
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-06

Secretary Daniels says our new 14-inch guns are better than any others in the world. But the gun of today is out-of- date tomorrow.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-06

The Sayre baby cried loudly at it's chris tening. This, and the fact that President Wilson is it's godfather. should insure a bright career.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-06
ADRIFT WITH THE TIMES

Well, for one thing the title is mis- leading. You call 1t The Alarum.' but nearly fell asleep before I finished it.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-06
THOSE WAR HEADLINES

From the I0ulSV1IIe COurl9r-JOurnaI
 Defeat!
 Retreat!
 Replete With items such as these We find the press, And must confess They make a fellow wheexe.
 Attack!
 Thrown back. Alack, The headlines we peruse Are dread, indeed. Wed better read The current baseball uewu.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-06

The See America First campaign IS spreading. There never was time when this country was better worth looking at than right now.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-06
THE PLIGHT OF THE CITIES la;,


 From the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
 Never before in the history of an American legislature have there appeared cities, villages and school districts begging that their very lives be not taken away" declared an opponent of financial legisla- tion pending at Columbus when he ap- peared before a senate committee the
 other day.
 However. there is no novelty in the situation so far as it relates to failure of a legislature to understand the finan- cial problem of cities. The same condi- tion has been faced and fought in other states It may continue to crop up unti! some radical action is finally taken to relieve the larger municipalities from a
 bondage they are at present unable to rerd.
 New York city labors under somewhat the same legislative stricture, touching not only the problems of finance, but the general issue of home rule; whereat comes the suggestion periodically that Manhat tan be made an independent state. Cook county, Illinois, too, has had state aspira- tions under circumstances not compli' mentary to legislators gathered at Spring field.
 | The truth is that the present form ol
 state government. like that of the. na