davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-04
Lumber Trade Improxes

Charley Roberts of the Acme Lumber company says that the trade in this commodity is becoming more brisk each day. The lumber market has picked up considerable during the past few months" said MT. Roberts. "The price is more in accordance to the making of a reasonable profit than it has been
 in the past. The high water mark for
 lumber was reached in the later part of 1912 and the first of 1913. The present prices are not as high as they were then
 but they are gradually picking up and it will not be long before they will be normal once more.
 ''The improvement of a great many bridges and the replacing of old tim. bers for new by the railroads and other industries has caused the market to
 become more active in the south. Many people are taking advantage of the reasonable price of lumber at the pres ent time and are building houses One can build house today cheaper than he could 10 years ago, on account of all the materials being a great deal 1 cheaper. Like every other line, lumber ! is picking up and will soon come into it's own" r-"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-04

situation in a gripping speech deliv- cred in New York, and later in a speech before the Alabama Bankers association. While there was a dis tinct note of friendliness to the rail roads, Mir. Underwood saw govern ment ownership ahead unless the car riers could meet the expectations of the public in the era of prosperity which was sure to come. He drew a picture of congested conditions that would accompany a great business re- vival and the question was whether or not the railroads would be ready. He spoke hopefully, but with some doubt as to the outcome.
 The best step toward averting gov ernment ownership of railroads, to which there would be innumerable and far-reaching objections, would be congressional commission such as MT. Underwood suggests.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-04
Lord NOrthcliffe Warned

English statesmen chafe under the criticisms of Lord Northcliffe, owner and publisher of the London Times, who has highly offended the conserva- tive element of England by showing up" numerous mistakes made in con- ducting the war. Anyone who is at all conversant with foreign affairs knows that Great Britain has made some serious blunders in her management of the allies affairs, and Americans will be inclined to give their sympathy to Lord Northcliffe, who has visited here and has made many friends, until it is shown beyond all doubt that he is the traitor to his country some of his critics declare him to be.
 Sir John Simon, sec stary of state for home affairs, lently served notice on Lord Norshcliffe in the House of Commons, that if the "gen- tier way" with which the newspaper utterances of his lordship have here tofore been treated. fail to stop the continual fouling of his own nest, stronger measures can be adopted. T do not know Lord Northcliffe," said the home secretary, but he appears to be a gentleman with the curious
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-04
BEYOND DEATH
Alfred Moves, in Golfers Weekly
 In lonely. bays

Alfred Moves, in Golfers Weekly
 In lonely bays Where Love runs wild All among the towering grasses, Where light, light, light, as a sea bird
 wing,
 The chuckle of the child-god passes O to awake, to shake away the night And find you dreaming there, On the other side of death, with the SC
 wind blowing round you, And the scent of the thyme in your hail
 Tho beauty perish, Perish like flower, And song be an idle breath; Though heaven be dream and youth fo
 but an hour,
 And life much less than death, And the maker less than that he made, And hope less than despair. If Death have shores where Love run
 wild
 think you might be there. s Reborn, ah white From the splendid sea. There should you awake and sing, With every supple sweet from the hea
 to the feet
 Modelled like a wood doves wing o to awake to shake away the night And find you happy there. On the other side of death, with the sd wind blowing round you. And the tang of the thyme in your hal
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-04
HOTEL LOBBIES
Many Visitors from Enst

hooert Anderson of the Illinois Gen. traI railroad is keen observer of the times and keeps in close touch with everything that is of interest to the business world. q have noticed re- gently that there are more people from the north and east in Birmingham than ever before,' said MT. Anderson "The tourists as well as the business people or these sections are commencing to iook forward to the balmy winters of the south and act accordingly. The traffic over the Seminole Limited has been unusually heavy during the past few weeks. Yesterday there was not a single lower berth vacant on the en- tire train. This is a good sign that the tourists are coming south.
 Any number of them take advantage or the stopover privileges offered by the railroads, and the result is that Bir- mingham is getting some excellent ad- vertising. Birmingham is one of the best known cities in the United States to- day and 1t is my opinion that it will be equal to Pittsburg by the time the l920 census is taken"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-04
TO ONE WHO HAS GONE

memories. It was your wont on nights
 like these to come to me and, lifting
 your dark eyes to mine. dumbly ask what
 words could not tell you in reply. There
 was the tender touch and the soft caress,
 and then the fuller understanding that
 could come from silence alone. Some
 times we looked up into the starry win
 ter night and wondered, both of us, if
 heaven really had golden parapets, and now we know-because you are there waiting and looking down on me with tender eyes, in which the shades are those of dusk and dawn.
 Life has run bitter and sweet from the spigot fate has turned. If "blessed dam osels there have been enough and eyes plentitude. have rocked into the depths of blue ard gray and into those troubled with shadows of the night.
 have read hidden meanings and started at the recoil of strange fears. I have seen wistful lights and the mad dance of laughter and the soul of beggar sig naling for that which life withheld, the pain of love denied. the ashes of dead hopes But in none have I seen love like yours, in none the tender question, yet doubt dispe.!ed.
 Was ever love land or sea like ours? Could boy have loved dog aS loved you? Did ever dog so love boy? The wind moans to a gale the shutters rattle, the stars are hidden-you passI God, for the thrust of your soft muzzld between my two hands.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-04
The Martian Canals

The supposed canals on Mars have long been a fascinating subject to scientists as well as the common herd of humanity, who have not permitted profound ignorance to interfere with their speculations. Some of the most interesting and most authoritative data regarding Mars has been com piled at the Flagstaff observatory, where the planet has been studied for many years.
 In recent address Professor Lowell reiterated his belief that the canals on Mars are artificial and not phe- nomena of nature. In proof of his con- tention he stated that one of the best known parts of the planet had been minutely studied at every approach to the earth for fifteen years, yet no evidence of canals was discovered there until 1909. In 1894 and 1896 this region had presented itself to ob- servers at the same season of the Mar tian year in which the canals were discovered in 1909. This apparently does away with the supposition that they are an annual seasonable devel- opment.
 Professor Lowell says the canals are one thousand miles long and of a geometric character "beyond the pow. CT of unassisted nature to contrive. If further proof had been needed of de- sign in the markings of that other world, surely such an apparition, ei- their birth or an awakening, would seem to be it," assuming that the ca nals are either newly created or the employment of fallow ones which had previously escaped detection.
 Naturally, the chief interest in the Martian canals lies in the possibility of their being the handiwork of a race of beings superior, perhaps, to earth dwellers, but similar to us in many respects. The untrammeled imagina- tion of fiction writers has visualized life on Mars with wealth of detail but scientists are still pondering ovel those canals. If communication be- tween Mars and the earth is ever es- tablished-it has already been sug. gested that the Martians may be mak ing some attempts of that sort-those efficient beings may be able to hell us considerably in coping with certain problems by which our less highly de veloped intellects are still puzzled.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-04
ADRIFT WITH THE TIMES
PREPAREDNESS.

Apostles of preparedness may
 Be met on every hand; They do not need a big parade
 The music of 8 band, Nor swelling choruses to lift
 Their souls to dizzy heights, But they will argue with you, friend, For seven days and nights, Provided that it takes as long
 To win you to a cause That's truly patriotic and
 Should give the people pause. Now, Uncle Sam's a grand old man, A fact none will deny, And though the snug pacific folk
 Can see no reason why He needs a bigger navy and
 An army that can fight. You know yourself how wicked men Go proving round at night. And if you thought you'd meet with one You'd some precautions take, For when one deals with thieves anc
 thugs
 His life may be at stake. Just so among the nations of
 A most imperfect earth Of kindness and of honesty
 I'm sure there is no dearth, But evil passions still survive,
 By Europe's plight made clear; The lust for wealth and power. too, Will never disappear. And since these evils can't be cured By praying loud and long, And since no law protects the weak, 'Tis better to be strong
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-04
GAsTRoNoMIC LITERATURE

From Golfers Weekly.
 Eating Is in France a social act. That perhaps justifies the French statistician who figures that man of 50 has spent 15O0 of his days at table. Fifteen hundred days is a long time-especially as the same man has walked only 800 days and worked only 6500 days and spent only 6000 in sleep. If literature is, in Matthew Arnold's phrase, criticism of life, has eating re- ceived it's due share of attention? Sleep has not, in spite of all pr. Freud's screeds about dreams, and those of all his pupils in all countries. As for eating in litera- ture, it is seen at its best perhaps in Rabelais, in the English novels of the eighteenth century, in Walter Scott's novels, in anecdotes of Dumas pere and Balzac, and, above all in Charles Dick ems. There is more about eating and drinking in Dickens novels than in any other novelist-and isn't Dickens the most popular novelist? Perhaps this is no acci- dent; at the theatre we have observed that nothing holds the crowd so surely as table scene-in spite of the shocking insufficiency of stage meals. That spa ghetti supper alone would have made Da- vid Warfield a hit in "The Music Master" The questions we have ventured to raise here are appropriate at a season when one stands hungrily midway between the Thanksgiving turkey that was and the Christmas goose that-as yet-is. We rather hope that Philip Hale will eluci- date in the newspaper whose ornament he is: the Boston Herald. Mr. Hale knows more about miscellaneous food and literature, not to mention music. than any other Yankee journalist.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-04
THE NEW CHINESE MINISTER

From the New York Times
 l The appointment of pr. V. K. We'll ington Koo as Chinese minister to the
 United States may be regarded with
 commendable pride by Columbia univer-
 sity. The new minister, who has reached
 one of the highest diplomatic posts
 while still under 30 years of age, was educated at Columbia, being one of the l first students sent to this country as a | result of the cancellation by the United States of the Boxer indemnity The 1 Chinese government authorized the ex-
 penditure of the entire amount in edu- eating Chinese students in American
 universities for public careers at home. Dr. Koo was graduated from Columbia | in the class of 1909, taking his mas ter's degree the following year and a | little later the degree of Ph. D. after a course in administrative law and political economy under Profs. John Bassett Moore, Frank J. Goodnow and E. R A. Seligman. His recent appoint ment is the second ministerial honor conferred upon pr. Koo within a few ! months. Only recently he was minister to Mexico, Peru and Cuba, position created for him as the Chinese min ister to the United States has hitherto acted as the representative to those countries. and less than 8 month ago his Columbia classmates gave him a farewell luncheon. In speaking of his alma mater at that time, Dr. Koo said: T regard Columbia as the great uni versity of the future. It. is not only the most cosmopolitan educational center in this country, but has a warm place in the hearts of the intelligent Chinese at home"
 The friendly relations so happily ex- pressed by the young minister have been very closely cemented from the intimate association of Professor Good now as the legal and administrative ad wiser to President Yuan Shihkai of the republic of China until he was recently recalled to accept the presidency of Johns Hopkins university. As the rep resentative of a great new republic whose constitutional problems are still beset with many difficulties, the ap pointment of pr. Roo carries possibili- ties of great importance in the con tinued friendly relations of the two countries, and for both it may be for tunate that China will have for it's minister to the United States one who is so familiar with the political and commercial conditions of American life.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-04
DOING HIS BEST.

MT Twobb'e," said Mrs. Twobble, fretfully, T wish you would entertain these people. You have said scarcely a word to our guests all the evening and in- stead of showing them some attention you stand moping in corner"
 What must do, my dear?" asked Mr. Twobble.
 Good heavens Don't you know any thing to do?"
 'fWhy yes" answered Mr. Twobbe hopefully. "If you'll get them all together chicken house."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-04
SOUNDED RATHER DIFFICULT

From the Philadelphia Telegraph.
 Senator oscar w. Underwood of Ala bama smiled the other evening when ref erence was made to explorers. He said he was reminded of little incident that hap pened in the home of an acquaintance.
 Recently the acquaintance gave din- ner. Among the guests were an explorer who spoke lengthily, and a pretty young woman who was not greatly interested in what the explorer said.
 Say. Bertha inquired the pretty one of the hostess later in the evening, what was that tiresome old traveller talking about, anyway
 Progressive Patagonia. my dear.' was the smiling response of the hostess.
 Progressive Patagonia!' wonderingly exclaimed the other, How in the world do you play it?''
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-04
The Carriers and the Commission


 Senator Underwood has proposed, in recent interview, that Congress a study of the railroad situation and recommend such revision of the inter- state commerce laws as might be deemed advisable in order to bring about more satisfactory conditions on the part of the carriers. It is good idea. As Mr. Underwood points out, the monetary commission performed a valuable service in collecting data and making suggestions which greatly aided the banking and currency com- mittee of the House of Representa- tives in framing the measure provid- ing for the federal reserve system. A commission appointed to make a thorough survey of the interstate commerce commission should prove similarly helpful.
 Despite many transportation econo- mics which have become effective within the past twelve months the traffic congestion on lines entering l New York is now so serious as to baf- file terminal superintendents and cause the higher officials of the vari- ous companies concerned to unite for the purpose of finding, if possible, a way to cope with the situation. l Embargoes have been placed on certain classes of freight, but this method of relief has not been suffi- cient to check congestion to any ap- preciable extent.
 Had the railroads been able to con- tinue their general betterment work during the recent dull period, trans portation conditions would have been very different today; would have beer ample, no doubt, to meet the present extraordinary shipping requirements which prospects of prosperity had SC clearly foretold.
 Among politicians, railroad batting had been the rule for many years. Ir not a few states laws were adopted that hampered the roads and in near, ly all of them inimical legislation Was threatened. Along with state legisla. tion was often the more or less an Itagonistic attitude of the interstate commerce commission. The result o1 drastic reform policies, state and fed eral, is seen today.
 The railroads, like all public utili ties, should be regulated as matter of course, but the trouble often has been too much regulation. It was this over-regulation craze on the part of politicians and so-called reformers that caused sudden halt in railroae expansion.
 Railroad credit was impaired anc many important lines were forced into bankruptcy. Railroad bond issues iwere hard to float at any price anc only a few companies were able te borrow even for pressing needs. Ant now that business confidence in gen eral has been restored and wher banking centers have untold million. seeking investment, the railroad. |, have to pay in most cases per cen interest instead of 4 per cent which in view of easy financial conditions would be reasonable.
 II More than year ago Senator ; Underwood discussed the railroad
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-04
EVEN LAWYER FLUSHED

New York Correspondence Pittsburg Dis
 patch.
 Can you imagine that William Jennings Bryan would appear on the same stage with a girl in tights? Indeed not. And Mrs. Alice McGee even blushed at the mere mention of the suggestion when it was put to her in court today She is su- ing for separation from her husband. She had testified and admitted she was an actress and singer. Then it was the at- torney for her husband made the faux pas that came near bordering on lese majeste But did you never appear on the stage in tights?" demanded he stern ly. why, never," almost shrieked the witness. 'I sing over the chautauqua circuits. I appear on the same stage with William Jennings Bryan" The lawyer retired in confusion.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-04
PEACE TOURISTS SACRIFICE

From the NaShvlle Banner
 Our old friend, Col High" Henry, ed- itor of the Jackson (Miss) Clarion Ledger, has consented to accompany the Ford party to Europe as the representa- tive of Mississippi. In order to under stand the sacrifices this involves those who know Colonel Henry should remem- Der that the regular biennial congress sional primary may take place during his absence,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-04
TOMMY SAYS.

Grandpa is very popular
 With all the girls and boys. An when he goes to eat his soup He makes a lot of noise An scandalizes ma an pa,
 But then, he is a guest An has a right to bolt his food An spatter up his vest.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-04
sLAMMIxG MOVIE STARS

From the New York Telegram.
 Dramatic profession believes that good vii, come out of the moving picture craze because "the movies are ridding the le- gitimate stage of many of it's bad actors and leaving comparatively clear field for the advancement of genuine talent" We will now run down into the cyclone cellar and pull down the flap until the storm has blown over.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-04
ALABAMA PRESS

Mobile Register: The Henry Ford peaceship party is new 'children's cru sade,' and is likely to be equally as i'm practicable in results; but the crusaders this time will get back home. MT. Ford doesn't intend to take them to far country and lose them.
 Gadsden Journal: A man who was try ing to bring a new egg-beater to Mrs. Galt's attention, has been arrested. She's not interested in egg-beaters, but in a world-beater.
 Roanoke Leader: In Birmingham the Chamber of Commerce held a midday Thanksgiving service last Thursday ir one of the large theatres of that city This is a worthy innovation.
 Decaturs Daily: The Birmingham po- lice department has no doubt decided thai there is a difference between a shake up and shake-down
 Anniston Star A college professor says that spanking leaves no mark. ex. cept on the memory, which is the first time we knew the exact seat of memory
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-04
DIAGNOSING THE DRAMA AGAIN From the New York World.

From the New York World.
 The main trouble with the drama. in the opinion of Manager Brady, Is not the movies or commercialism or any one of a dozen other things, but the public '"The public will not patronize the best" and so fit does not pay to be decent"
 Perhaps if the managers gave more attention to dramatic decency in the best sense of the term they would find it profitable enough. Charles Frohman made the decent drama" pay hand somely with the Barrie plays and the opportunity is still there for the right manager with the right play and com potent company The great fault with the 'decency" argument is the con fusion of decency with dullness. It does not pay to be dull, and the blame lies there and not with the theatregoer. The public is as impatient of dramatic mediocrity in the name of art as it is dramatic crudity in the name of sex or problem themes.
 Records of "runs," like any other fig ures, can be made to point almost any moral. But when merely sentimental play like Peg O My Heart" has 604 performances as against 136 for "The Lure,' the most sensational of white slave plays; when we recall Grumpy the perennial "Chin Chin," the success of farce comedy like Potash and Perl mutter and Ut Pays to Advertise" and the uniformly hearty reception given to good comedies of manners. It IS ap- parent that decency pays well enough when it has any substantial interest and the most lurid indecency does not Hast long without that saving grace.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-04
ART CRITICISM.

"Mr. Nooritch," said the art dealer there's very fine copy of Gainsborough' S celebrated painting. The Blue Boy I'll sell it to you comparatively cheap"
 q don't want it."
 "why not? It would be just the thing for you new home''
 Tt seemms to be Little Boy Blue' all right, but where's his horn. and the cows, and the corn?'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-04
roo GREAT A SHOCK

From the Houston Post.
 A St. Louis magistrate fined man $25 for kissing a woman and told him to kiss his own wife when he had pucker that required relaxation That is sound doctrine so far as duty is concerned. but some married women would drop dead if kissed by their husbands. so unused to tendelness fiom the husbanderial source are they.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-04

Occasionally story comes from Berlin or London that no one could possibly doubt For instance, there's the report that the Germans don't believe Kitchener can put 100000 men in the field.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-04
THE CONCRETE IDEA.

"Do you believe there are sermons in stones?" asked the thoughtful man. That depends, replied the eminently practical person.
 "On what?"
 "on whether or not you get enough stones together to build a church."