davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-08-26
Alabama Centennial

Il happened to be spending a week III
Birmingham a few years ago, when a
movement was started for celebrating in
1913 the Tooth anniversary of Alabama S
statehood" said d. L. Darlington of Phil
adelphia. 1T was proposed to hold j
grand exposition in Birmingham in honor
of the event. l have heard nothing more
of the movement, and it is now too late
probably to arrange for anything of ali
exposition character on an international
scale.
There have been so many worlds fairs
in this country that people are growing
tired of them. But Birmingham should
have some day an exposition that would
display the wonderful mineral, timber and
agricultural resources of Alabama, and
such show. in connection with the states
centennial anniversary would be most fit
ting"
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-08-26
USE OF SECRET CIPHERS

sonaly typed it on thin sheets making
four copies. which then were bound. One
was sent by special messenger to the gov
ernor general of the Philippine Islands,
another to the governor of Porto Rico a
third was retained in the bureau. and the
fourth Is in the hands of a trusted gov
eminent officer who for confidential rea-
sons cannot be named. No other copies
exist, and the four made are guarded with
the utmost vigilance. 1t is the vehicle Of
secret communication between the goveru-
ment and our colonial possessions, and is
the only government code in whose GER
tain secrecy absolute confidence is placed.
Only the most vitality important messages
coded in it are further protected by enl
ciphering, and its use obviates the delay
inevitable in enciphering and deciphering
important messages coded in the moe
widely distributed departmental codes. 1t
is the one really secret code of the United
States.
To be sure. there is a polite fiction that
the departmental codes are secret The
utmost precautions have been taken I,
this end. Each was printed under guarc
by the public printer. Each copy and
page is numbered, and the holders receipt
for their copies take oath to preserve
them secretly and report regularly as ~
their continued possession Unlawful
possession of copy is penal offense
against the United States The navy code
book is weighted with lead and navy reg
ulations charge an officer with the duty
OF casting it overheard in case of capture,
The holders of the state and war depart
ment codes are bound to keep them i.
their personal possession, day and night,
and to burn them leaf by leaf or to buzz
them. IL circumstances so require. let
copies have disappeared.
Severa, copies of the war department
code, now soon to be abandoned as obso-
lete, have been stolen from time to time
at different posts. Several disappeared
in the San Francisco fire. and whether
they stiff exist Is, of course, uncertain
When Secretary of Embassy O'Shaugb-f
messy and his party left Mexico City for
Vera Cruz, in 1914, Capt William A. Burn
side, United States army. our military
attache, fearing theft of bis baggage. car
ried his copy of the war department code
in his hands His trunks were brokens
into and searched surreptitiously. and
while on the train the attache. in thd
presence of American witnesses. burned
his code. leaf by leaf igniting it FROM
cigarettes The witnesses swore to this.
and on filing their affidavits at the war
department the officer was relieved from
all responsibility
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-08-26
ALABAMA PRESS

Montgomery Daily Times: The repub-
leans are not saying much about the eff
feet of the democratic tariff these days
The men who manufacture articles that
are needed in the war across the pond
are so busy turning out the product and
selling it at big prices that they have
not the time to bother about the tariff.
Admission Evening Star: Maybe those
Alabama merchants at Birmingham will
devise a counter plan to Wannamaker s
proposition to buy Belgium.
Decaturs Daily: Having been weighed In
the balance and found wanting, civiliza-
ton should make great effort to re-
form herself after the war is over.
Talladega Daily Home: We want tt
assure the farmers of Talladega and adj
joining countries that they will always
find a ready sale for their cotton when
they bring it to Talladega.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-08-26
From the Philadelphia Ledger.

L rom the Fnlladelph1a Ledger.
~ CONSIDERATIONS of expense and
sound public policy both in peace
and war, compel all governments
to communicate with their diplomatic and
civil officers in cipher and by telegraphic
codes.
Cipher experts call communications ir
which each word is used in its ordinary
sense plain language" messages, intel
ligible at sight of course, to any reader
of the language employed.
code messages" are those in which
each word phrase or sentence of the plain
language meant to be understood between
the sender and receiver is represented ii
the message by an arbitrarily selected
word or group of letters taken from tel
egraph dictionary, a copy of which is in
possession of all concerned, and to which
reference is made to ascertain the real
meaning of the communication.
A cipher is any means of giving lam
guage a hidden or secret meaning, under
standable, at least in theory, only to the
initiated. and either plain language or a
code message may be enciphered, in which
CASE tiic iattei is sdiu u De IN "clpnei
code"
Telegraphc codes are employed pri
marily for economy. cable tolls being re-
duced by causing one word, which il
transmitted and paid for, to represent sew
eral plain language words, which on re-
ceipt of a message the receiver looks up
in his Geographic dictionary or code book
Such codes are common in the commercial
world All large industrial concerns have
them, and several publishers find their
sale profitable. They range in size and
, completeness from small booklets to huge
volumes of hundreds of pages, compris-
ing enough phrases for the coding of mes
| sages on any ordinary commercial subject.
Government codes differ from these
principally in containing thousands o.
words and phrases peculiar to the public
business, the technical language of poll
tics, diplomacy and war. They are far
more adaptable, too, to encipherng for
secrecy.
In. handling its communications. our
government, in its several branches ard
departments, uses all the leading COM
IHeTCidi coueS. HeS6 II supplements ny
private codes held confidential in the serv-
ice, and prepared by it's own officers and
experts. The state department employs
a code bearing its name, copies of which
are in the office of the secretary of state.
and in the hands of our diplomatic and
consular agents everywhere.
The war department telegraph code re-
vised and distributed from the office IF
the chief signal officer of the army is kept
under ocls and key in the department,
in the office of every pest commander, IN
the headquarters of every armed force III
the field, and is issued individually 10
every officer of the United States signal
corps. The navy likewise has a code of its
own, and each of the three departments
mentioned uses, when necessary, the codes
of the other two
One of the most used and jealousy
guarded government codes, that of the
bureau of insular affairs, never has been
printed. Its compiler. an expert codist in
the office of the chief of that bureau p4.r-
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-08-26
Next Years Campaign

"Of course President Wilson will be re-
nominated next year, and his chances for
reelection seem fairly good" said f. w.
Larner of Chicago. II voted for Mr.. vii
son in 1912 and shall probably vote for
him again in 1916, although I call myself
an Independent In politics
A few months ago l thought Colonel
Roosevelt might return to the old repub-
lican party and that all republican fac
tons would get together. If such We're
the case there would be some hope for
republican victory. But Colonel Roose
welt does not seem inclined to line up
with the g. o. D. He has indicated that
he would remain a progressive.
President Wilson may not be as strong
in the west as he was in 1912, but he
is exceedingly strong in the east and
in the middle vest
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-08-26
HOOP SNAKES AND OTHERS

From the New York Sun.
| A doctor In Pennsylvania is in a fail
way to lose a s10o bill He is DIR. A.. Sur.
| face, who is also the state zoologist, and
the bill that he is SO defiantly Haunting
in the face of the nation will go to the
person who proves beyond a doubt there
| Is a hoop snake.
I, Perhaps this doctor is not aware oil
reptilian lore or perhaps he is one OF
those scientists who do not get their ear
and eye down close to nature. He very
| likely would say there fs no sucn a thing
| as glass snake. which when hit by a
stick flies apart and then reunites and
runs away when no one is looking, or
perhaps he does not believe in horned
| snakes. An editor of South Carolina
where there are many kinds of reptiles
not mentioned in books and where folks
learn about snakes by actually seeing
them-this editor says that a man brought
into his office a part of one of these d.
visible snakes He had grabbed 1t just
as the reptile was assembled the other
sections to disappear in a hole.
A correspondent of another paper re-
ports the killing of a horned snake and
describes the horn as IAN inch and three
quarters long, the sharp point tipped with
deadly poison" From authority equally
reliable as these comes a positive state
ment regarding hoop snake. 1.-THE crea-
ture while rolling along the road over
hard to get up on the seat with the
driver" If this man had the foresight to
take the snake in he would not now be
worrying about the price of cotton.
But the place where hoop snakes were
once most common, and there Is no reason
to believe they have all been destroyed,
is Morgan and Muskingum counties in
the state of Ohio, and if Sam Bulger, as
faithful an adviser of youth as ever Jim
was of Tom Sawyer or Huck Finn is still
alive, he can lead the doubling doctor to
a cave among those reddish clay hills and
show him a whole nest of them. 'Dah
de- is said Sam; ode OF folks is away
an de chillun is too young for to roll, but
jes' yo' walt till de grows up an see EN-
roll" Sam could always point out rep
tile rolling faster AN lightnun" in the
act of disappearing among the bushes.
But Sam made his most wonderful discov-
cries when he was alone in the woods.
He could take you to a dead oak, with
cred by a big revolving reptile. He saw
it himself strike the blighting blow. Sam
also saw gyafiucas, which DR.. Surface
would most likely say never existed. L
The great trouble with DIR. Surface, our
own DIR. Ditmars and others who profess
to be snake experts is that they do not go
either to the right places or the right per-
sons for their information.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-08-26
GALVESTON TRIUMPHANT

From the Philadelphia Times.
In rejoicing over Galveston's preserva-
ton from destruction in the terrific West
Indian hurricane that swept its sea front
Monday and Tuesday, tore savagely at
its very heart and continued its destruc-
tive fight into many sections of south
Texas, let us not overlook the splendid
work of the United States weather serv-
ice, which, the Times is convinced, was
almost as important a factor in saving
human lives threatened by the storm as
the great granite sea wall that protects
the Island City.
The weather bureau adequately demon
strated its efficiency in this crisis. 1t fol-
lowed the course of the storm practically
from it's point of origin and the warnings
1t issued to the people of the Texas coast
enabled thousands to seek places of Sc
curity before the full force of the hurri-
cane broke.
Galveston was not prepared for the ter
rible visitation Of 1900. but it was fully
prepared to battle with the elements In
1915. The sea wall verified every predic-
ton made for it. 1t saved Galveston be-
yond a doubt. Breaches were made ir
the massive masonry and the ends slv
fered to a considerable extent But In
spite of these buffetings. it stood like TIC
rock of Gibraltar against the furious and
encroaching elements and Galveston was
spared the horror of ruin ana oesoiatfon
The city suffered much, but had it moi
been for the sea wall the terrible exper-
fence of 1900 would have been repeated
probably in more aggravated form
Almost equal in Importance was the
service afforded the people of the storm
ridden zone by the national weather bu-
reau and it's officials deserve the tina TX.
and applause of the whole country fol-
their contribution to the task of minimiz-
ing the storm loss.
The people of Galveston are furnishine
splendid example of American courag &c
in the manner in which they are meeting
the situation. In the midst of their dis
tress, they have taken the time to assure
the world that they Will restore what
property has been lost and, from the
work of rehabilitation, a grander and
greater city will rise.
This Is we'll Galveston has the syn,-
pathy of the whole American people and
everywhere there will be strong approval
of its exhibition of true American grit.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-08-26

carrying vermin is due to chemicals
used in the preparation of the fabric.
Also, the odor of silk is said to repel
insects in the same way as the essen
tial oil of camphor or tar. 1t re-
manned for science to put silk among
the really useful commodities of the
world, but heaven forbid that it should
ever have to be worn in this country
for any other reason than personal
comfort or harmless vanity.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-08-26
A FoRcEFuL WOMAN.

II understand Mrs. Gadson failed to
break her late husbands will. His extern.
sive donations to charity were upheld by
the court"
1T must have been bitter blow to her
and something of surprise. as we'll"
"Yes?"
when he was alive she never had any
trouble of that Sort
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-08-26
sPARING HER.

He dearly loves his WHEY
No one could gainsay that;
But, bark, the sound of weeping
Doth issue from their fat.
1t surely would surprise me,
If they have had a spat.
All, MOI His arms about her,
He wipes away her tears,
And showers kisses on her
And pulls her shell-like ears.
And something, too, he murmurs
To calm her lively fears.
ITS not that don't love you
How can you think so, Mayme,
And say our life in future
Will never be the same,
Because I will not take you
Out to the baseball game?
IT'S just to spare you. grille.
I'd hate for you to see
Your husband crazed completely,
AS I would seem to be,
For links, the Demon Rooter,'
Is what the fans call me-"
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-08-26

Beehive coke ovens do make a lot Of
smoke but the Sheffield company
being crowded with orders for pig
iron, wishes the city authorities to al
low the old oven plant on First avenue,
out of commission since January 1, 1914, to
be operated again, but only temporarily.
Commissioner Weatherly, in charge of
the city's smoke ordinance, should not
hesitate one minute Birmingham, like
all other industrial centers, has just been
through a period of depression. The sit
uation is Frightening every day. Pros
perity has come with a large sweep, and
before the end of the year everybody will
be feeling it. But If the Sloss-Sheffied
or any other smoke producer can be helped
along for the time being by rehabiitating
its idle plants the city government should
not stand in the way. The trouble in dull
times Is the lack of smoke. The Sloss
ovens would give employment to 100 men.
Let's get 'em on the pay roll as speedily
as possible.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-08-26

impressed upon many governmental
policy that affected the destiny of the
nation.
A few such men as Denison would
have a large influence in overcoming
the jingoes who seek to foment trou-
BILE between japan and this country.
The United States should not be in
appreciative of the dignified and OBJ
viously sincere tribute paid to an
humble American by both the people
and the royalty of Japan.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-08-26
Brisk Fall Trade

The Cincinnati shoe manufacturing
concern that 1 represent in this part of
the country is expecting brisk fall
trade said Hugh NJ. Brown.
L was in Cincinnati last week and
found that city looking remarkably pros
porous. Reports from the middle west and
from the south were very encouraging in
deed. My territory embraces Tennessee,
Alabama and Georgia, and the merchants
in these states will begin next month to
give large orders for spring stocks
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-08-26
ADRIFT WITH THE TIMES
OUT OF THE QUESTION.
From the Pittsburg Sun


I'm engaged to marry a girl and we
are both anxious to have the wedding II
romantic affair. What would you sug-
gest?"
why not have her climb down ladder
from her bedroom some dark night ana
then elope with her?'
Nothing doing. She lives on the tenth
floor of an apartment house."
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-08-26
HARD TO UNDERSTAND.

How does it happen that see you lin.
ing up with the dry element?"
TITS just little experiment of mine, "
replied the inebriate.
In what particular?'
I'm curious to find out how these pro-
hibitionists ever reach the point where
they will do without liquor themselves to
keep other people from having it."
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-08-26
A DISTURBING POSSIBILITY
From the Buffalo News.

A Philadelphia writer in the Sun sug-
gests that lin order to solve the ques-
ton of creating large British credit
in this country, if England would consent
to sell portion of Canada to our govern
ment. say the three western provinces, a
very large credit could soon be arranged. >
So it could. But could England deliver
the goods? Those three western PROV
inces'' might jump to the Feds.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-08-26

BEGINNING THE DAY-Today 1
would not be afraid. / would look
upon disease and pain as redemptive
agencies in the hands of good God.
/ would look upon possible failure
and loss ms gates through which L
enter into larger life. 1 would
look upon death as a sleeping and a
waking. Amen.-H. NJ. e.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-08-26
LUCKY DIR. ANNA

From the louisville Journal and Tribune.
DIR. Anna Shaw refused to pay taxes for
the reason she isn't allowed to vote, and
the authorities seized the automobile
given her by her friends, and sold it. Now
her friends have given her new and
better one
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-08-26

Mr.. Bryan warns American citizens to
keep out of the war zone. regardless of the
fact that the average American citizen
feels it his inalienable right to go any,
where he pleases.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-08-26
HOTEL LOBRIES
Rains benefit Late Crops

The recent rains will prove of great
benefit to the late crops-sweet potatoes
and late corn especially said w. M
Lindsay, one of Birmingham's best known
citizens who is farming this year in St
Clair county.
Taken all together, this has been a
fine summer for crops l am having ali
abundance of everything in the way OF
fruits, vegetables, corn and hay
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-08-26

When people find life in their own
country and under their own leaders so
intolerable that they take refuge in an
alien land, the situation could hardly be
worse. That is the situation today in
Mexico.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-08-26
Harding on the Cotton Situation

w. P. G. Harding, member of the
federal reserve board, in addressing
the Alabama Merchants association
at the Bijou theatre last night on the
cotton situation, was at once authori-
tative and heartening. He was ac-
corded magnificent ovation.
Born and reared in Alabama, his
tireless study of cotton in all it's eco
nomic phases has caused him to be
recognized as a constructive leader
in this field of activity, just as he has
long been recognized as a broad
minded financier.
If the cotton south was depressed
last fall as result of the European
war, the depression was only tenn
porary. Comparatively little cotton
was sold at panic prices and not a
few farmers were able and business
like enough to hold their bales until
they could dispose of them at profit.
Still it was a poor season for the
south.
Great is the contrast in conditions
now, on the eve of new cotton year,
with conditions year ago. The COM
parative smallness of the crop will
make for better prices and the fact
that the crop was produced with as
or so per cent less fertilizer than
usual and, therefore, at remarkably
low cost, combine in themselves to
give cheering aspect to the situa-
ton. Not only is there no danger of
the south being depressed again this
fall, but if the cotton grower will only
exercise ordinary judgment and the
banks will act on broad and liberal
lines in making loans on cotton, con-
ditions in this part of the country will
be altogether normal.
AS Mr.. Harding said in his speech,
the south's welfare depends upon the
marketing of cotton at fairly re-
munerative rates, and southern banks,
he commended, Should, whenever posi-
BILE, make liberal concessions in their
usual rates on commodity loans; for
high interest means forced sales.'
The federal reserve board, he said,
may be depended upon, under its
power of rediscounting, to cooperate
to the fullest extent with the banks
in taking care of the cotton crop.
The Importance of marketing the
crop gradually was stressed by
Mr.. Harding. The result of such
plan this season would be obviously
more satisfactory than if the crop
were forced upon the market within a
short period.
After Analysing the statistical posi-
ton of cotton and calling attention
to the enormous bank reserves, Mr..
Harding asked what better security
could a southern bank demand than
the obligation of a merchant or
farmer which has been carried on a
"crop not yet existent what better
Investment than to carry this obliga-
ton along for few months, if neces-
sary, if secured by the actual cotton
properly warehoused and insured and
certain of market?"
Mr.. Harding's message rings with
sound sense and it has, moreover, the
cordial approval of President Wood
row Wilson and Secretary of the
Treasury w. G.. McAdoo.
Those who listened to Mr.. Harding
were eager in their attention and as
an outline of the speech will appear
in the Geographic news of the princi-
pal papers of the south, it's beneficent
effect will be far-reaching. Certain
it is that the cotton situation looks
all the better in view of Mr.. Harding's
clear-cut discussion.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-08-26
PLEASANT MEMORIES
the Washington Star,

From the Washington Star.
No doubt is entertained of the sin
cerity of John L. Sullivans reformation.
But the fact remains that he derives an
immense amount of pleasure, from talking
about his old thirst.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-08-26

Newspaper comment on the Frank
lynching indicates that there still exists
in some parts of the country a preju-
dice against the south and its people which
the better class of citizenship both in the
north and in the south. deems con-
temptible.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-08-26
A DILEMMA.

'Dobble's wife is short and sharp with
him most of the time, but when ne feigns
illness she is kindness ITSELF
Then, why doesn't he feign illness more
often?'
cts unfortunate. If he did that it
would interfere with his golf, and he dotes
on golf"
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-08-26

The allies have evidently quit marking
time on Gallipoli. A Turkish army of 100-
900 cut off from communication with Con-
stantinople bears witness to the fact