davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-11
WINTER HAPPINESS

Judd Mortimer Lewis in Houston Post. I want the curtains drawn and snug, l
 want the coals aglow, I want the baby on my knee, the mother
 singing low; Then let the cold December wind make
 music in the trees, And will never have thought for sum-
 mer blooms and bees. [ want the baby in my flap, the children
 on the floor, Or gathered round my chair to hear the
 tales of fairy lore; Then northern winds may, if they will,
 blow up winter storm, And we can laugh to hear them blow
 when all our hearts are warm. With the farm home roof over us and
 supper past and done, Then come the wide-eyed fairy folk and
 come the rcmps and fun, Then comes the bowling Of the wind out
 side across the night, And then the baby hears it howl and
 gurgles with delight. The summer times glory time, with
 birds and bees and blooms; With gentle winds out of the south and
 softly breathed perfumes, With butterflies and honey bees, and
 roses all aglow, But hearts draw closer each to each when
 blasts of winter blow. And so we love the winter time when the gray day has gone And when the grate is red With coals aud
 curtains all are drawn. x :. And when the children laugh and play
 till time for Slumpertown, Then knee beside their mothers lsnee for
 their T lay me down..
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-11
SOLICIT FOR BIG MEMORIAL

From the Atlanta Journal.
 The Stone Mountain Confederate me- n,orial, which provides for sculpture oii the mountain side on a scale surpassins anything else in history, beside WHICH the pyramids and other ancient monu- ments will appear small, is getting into definite status Actual developments are expected after January l.
 Surveys already have .,been made or the mountain. A subscription campaign will be started early next year. This II is expected, will be national in scope. Without any solicitation at all men in the east have promised to give S10o,0oO
 The original estimate of the cost or the work was $2,O00,000.
 Figures 40 or 50 feet high. representing the southern generals, and marching resi- ments showing the Confederate and union armies, will be carved out of the mountain granite. These will be visible for miles.
 In addition there will be 1S coioumns carved out of the mountain, these repre- senting the original states. Behind tnenl' inclosed in heavy plate glass, Will De rooms for each state, hollowed rom the granite.
 The plans also provide for an extensive park around the mountain. in which there will be additional statutes showing the military leaders of tine civil war.
 The work will be done stf'on aV z time. in three sections. it's tsis ati0p e ouiring eight years.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-11
From the New York Herald.

From the New York Herald
 LUST as Bethlehem is supreme in
 the productions of heavy ordnance, 0 so Bridgeport stands forth as the undisputed small arms center of the world. The rumbling roar the gritty grinding and the throbbing thunder of Bethlehems feroeious fires, slash ing saws and heaving hammers are reproduced in Bridgeport in sub dued tones. But in both whirlpools of industry spluttering steel, changing copper and beating brass go through the crucible fusing a complete chain of the weapons of war. They are the senior and junior partners in the greatest mu- milton making firm on earth
 Bridgeport has SITS, 100000 in war or ders today, most of which are being filled in the barrack like buildings of its cartridge and rifle factories. Add to this more than $100,000,o00 in orders for other manufa ctured products, many of which are for war accessories or have been accelerated by the shock of strife and the total falls only slightly below that Of Bethlehem.
 Nearly 4O,000 operatives are ein- ployed in Bridgeports factories, and of this number 25,o00 are engaged in mak- ing instruments of war. Here again Bridgeport virtually parallels Bethlehem. It exceeds Krupps in this respect.
 Before January l, when new factories and extensions in course of construction will be completed, 10000 more operatives will have employment in Bridgeport if they can be found. There will be work for 1S,0OO of these in the war plants.
 When the war began the number Of employees at work in Bridgeport factories was fewer than 5000, which was one-third the complement in normally good times. According to the last United States cen sus the population of Bridgeport was 1o2, ,0OO Today it is 140,o00. and it would be increased greatly could thousands of workers find homes for their families
 Incidentally, Bridgeport is running New Haven a neck and neck race for the po- sition of the largest city in Connecticut.
 New homes are springing up by the thousands to accommodate the increase in population.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-11
The Run-Off Election

There was a surprisingly small vote in last Mondays election when all qualified citizens had the privilege of repisterine their choice for two ad- ditional commissioners. No two ot the fourteen candidates in the race nav ing received majority of the votes boiled there will be a run-off electlon next Monday to determine which ot the four candidates who led the others shall be entitled to the honors sought.
 As the four men now in the contest are known to be capable and earnest in their desire to promote the pest interests of Birmingham, the two that will be chosen will, it is reasona- ble to believe, make excellent records in the administration of the city's at- fairs; but assured as the public may feel that no matter who wins the country will be safe," it is neverthe- less the duty of every qualified cleo tor to vote. Every citizen should manifest a civic spirit. The better his citizenship the stronger will be his civic pride; and no man entitled to the ballot measures up fully to his civic responsibilities when he fails to participate in an election held for the purpose of choosing city commission CTS or for any nonpartisan proposi- ton affecting the city's interests.
 There are something like 14,00O qualified voters in Birmingham. Of these less than 65O0 voted Monday. It is needless to say that indifference on the part of large number of citi- zens has bad effect on the communi- ty spirit.
 Let's have an increased vote next Monday, and large vote on the 27th inst. when the Birmingham tax amendment is to be submitted for rat ification.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-11
BRIDGEPORT IS HUMMING

Hotels. boarding houses and restau- rants are reaping a golden harvest. Land- lords are happy and smiling. Rent pay- ing operatives cheerfully meet the ad4 vance rates, because wages are higher than ever before.
 Every war plant in the city has work enough ahead to keep it driving at top speed for more than two years. All are turning down orders daily because of crowded capacities, and these orders are not contingent on the continuance of the war.
 The payroll of the Bridgeport war plants is not far from .s1,oOo,ooo a week. now, and it will be considerably more than that on January 1.
 More than 5000 Germans are employed in the Bridgeport war plants. In soma departments the Germans outnumber every other nationality. Every effort from cajolery to threat and event to attempted bribery has been made to in- duce them to desist in their work.
 There have been few defections, how< ever. Hundreds of detectives swarm in and out of the great Bridgeport plants. They form vigilance committee, ready to deal swiftly, surely and severely with the author of any overt act.
 Bridgeport became seat of the small arms industry about the time it sprang into fame as the home of P. T. Barnum and the circus. Not once in all these years has it's record as the country's greatest producer of cartridges been broken. For years it has been the only center of small gun manufacture out side of the government arsenals.
 But Bridgeport is more than a seat of small arms production. It is the homo of the Lake Torpedo Boat company, whose submarine building plant gives the owners of it's otherwise unprotected fac tories a sense of security they could derive from almost no other source.
 Should foe by water menace Bridge ports great industrial plants, a fleet of undersea terrors could be let loose at a. few hours notice that would keep at bay the portable guns under whose fire European cities have trembled into smoll- ing ruins.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-11
From the Brooklyn Eagle.

From the Brooklyn Eagle.
 -H HIS little White Leghorn aristo-
 crat from Greenboro, Md, who is
 \ to tour the country soon in private Pullman car, is named Lady Fglantine, and the man who put the .'Eg" in her name might have gone the limit and added another 'g" for Lady Eglantine has gone beyond all other hens in history in the important de- nartment of egg production. She IS there with the goods-314 eggs laid in 365 days.
 eve follow the Mendel laws or heredity," say her breeders, and those are the laws the eugenists want the members of the human family to follow. If honestly followed, they would put the Malthusian theory to severe test and in this town we should need higher tenement houses and have longer bread lines unless industry had the brains ana initiative to keep pace with uplift.
 What do you happen to know about "Mendelic purity?" You have seen the common barnyard hen of commerce picking the too-gay bug from the gar den vine and perhaps have given no thought to "Mendelic purity which has to do with the improvement or hen manners. The gist of the idea is that a hen can be converted into an aristo- crat by careful breeding
 Preparedness is directly connected with Lady Eglantine's. industry If all the hens in the country were Lady Egg lantines we would have nothing to fear'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-11
The Economy of Preparedness

The European war has taught many lessons but none more important than that of the high cost of unpre- paredness as demonstrated in the case of England.
 Had Great Britain been half as well prepared as Germany the conflict might have been ended in one years time or less. France and Russia had large armies ready for any emer- gency, but England had but few trained soldiers, and was without a proper supply of munitions. She had her matchless navy but that was all. Her regular troops were far scat tered and her mobile army was not much stronger than that of the United States.
 Only now, after 16 months of hos tilities with frightful toll of life and staggering expenditure of money, IS IOfQ hICCIcliCl JuotilACu III feeling that Great Britain is ap- preaching preparedness. That coun- try's lack of preparation had dis piriting effect on the other entente powers, although they could not af- ford to admit it. But Great Britain, being the dominant nation of the al lies, was naturally looked to for lead. ership and leadership in war involves every phase of preparedness.
 Shortly after the conflict began Lord Haldane, who had been secretary of state for war, and who was 1T closer touch with Berlin's official life than any other Englishman, talked freely about the prophecy he had made. In Germany he saw signs of the impending struggle year before the storm burst. Knowing that Eng land was unprepared, he suggested
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-11
HopeweIl Fire Accidental

Recalling the many incendiary fires in large industrial plants turning out munitions for the entente powers, the public naturally jumped to the con- clusion when the first reports of the Hopewell, Va, conflagration were bulletined throughout the country, that gang of conspirators had found it's way to the new town built to house the workmen of the big DuPont fac tory where guncotton on a large scale is being manufactured.
 But from reliah'o counts, there was no mystery about the origin of the fire. It was caused by the acci- dental overturning of an oil lamp in a restaurant. Upon the announcement of that fact the public tension was re- lieved.
 Due a SoVSlHiHeHG dSeHI Has Deen directed to proceed to the scene and make thorough investigation. The department of justice now maintains a bureau whose business it is to ascer- tain all the particulars in connection with disastrous fires at or near muni- tions plants, and the field force has been kept actively employed. But in the case of this fire in Virginia the investigation will consume little time.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-11
THE YOUNG MARSHALL FIELDS

From the Chicago Tribune.
 As Mir. and Mrs Marshall Field are in such deep mourning they are seen by nobody outside of the family, and for this reason very few Chicago people have met Mrs Field.
 They had hardly been in Lake Forest fortnight last summer when they were recalled to England by Mrs. Maldwin Drummond's fatal illness. During this fortnight many of the younger women in Lake Forest met Mrs. Field and were carried away with admiration for her. She is a typical New Yorker, with an English way of speaking, a great deal of boise, somewhat auburn hair, and very modern outdoor type of handsomeness.
 Marshall Field is a great favorite with the men.
 He has an apartment at 1200 Lake Shore drive on the sixth floor.
 The apartments, which are very large, with quarters for many servants, rent for $9o0o a year.
 The Fields have taken a house out side during their stay here for an over flow of domestics. It seems there are eleven servants more than can be lodged with the family in the apartment.
 Unfortunately, according to Mrs. Henry Dibblee, her nephew and niece-Mr. and Mrs. Field-will only be in Chicago six weeks of every year. They will live in England.
 Just at present Mrs. Drummond's fam fly is sadly separated. Maldwin Drum mond is at the front in Flanders, having been in the trenches for months. Some one relates that he was only able to obtain leave for a few hours to return to his wifes funeral
 Young Henry Field is dispatch rider, amb ulance driver and general utility man between the armies, and Gwendolyn Field is temporarily staying with her aunt, Lady Beatty, while her uncle, Ad- miral Sir David Beatty, is away with the battle squadron on the high seas.
 In this manner are divided the grand children of the late Marshall Field.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-11
QUEEN OF ALL THE HENS

for from the industry of our hens we would realize $4,O00,O00,o00 a year. which would feed and clothe us. Tho whole nation could put in all it's time making shells.
 Next year we shall assemble about 100000 motor cars, worth, say $S00,- O00, GOO all new business built up from $1O00, the first sale IT years ago. The hens can't keep pace with the motor car--not tile kind of 60-egg- g-a-year hens that we mostly raise.
 Were they all Lady Eglantines, the motor car would not catch the hens for four years on egg account. But poultry products are not all egg-there is the hen; she is also good to eat and her feathers nightly coddle the brain boxes of our thinkers--so the hen is one of the most soothing influences in our civil lization.
 A word about Lady Eglantine's sis ters She had four sisters and together they laid 1211 eggs. And remember before Lady Eglantine made her record. not in tho whole world had any other hen ever shown an egg laying record of even 800 eggs laid in one year. A few years ago the 220-egg Leghorn was thought to be top notcher and here is Lady Eglantine going nearly DO per cent better. Of course, without the ln' cubator, which attends to the drudgery of chick raising, these resalts would be impossible. Only by brseding out the broody inclinations of the hen can the hen culturists produce such egg builders.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-11
CHEER UP, YOU'RE LOOKING FINE

From the Santa Fe New Mexican.
 By George, old man, you are looking fine!'
 Did you ever notice how you perk up, no matter how poorly you were feeling before. when some friend greets you in that way?
 According to Dr. S. R. McKelvey, secre- tary of the Colorado board of health, the human system just naturally begins to tone up under the stimulus of such greet ings.
 He declares it is an aid to health and a help in preventing disease, and to that end he advocates a new movement-a tell your friends how well they look movement.
 Ut is not only bad taste to talk of your pains and ailments, says Dr. McKelvey, ''but a reflection on your intelligence and knowledge of sanitation and good health. We are not far from the time when the cause of illness will have to be accounted for personally.
 Tn other words, nature is no longer go- ing to be blamed for sickness when it is simply the result of ignorance, indiffer- ence or wrong ways of living"
 Do you not think it worth giving Dr. McKelvey's idea try
 We do, So here goes:
 By George. you are looking fine."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-11
HOTEL LOBBIES
Traffic Policemen Necessary

was much pleased to see by this mornings Age-Herald that Mr. Barber has decided to restore the traffic police men on the busy downtown streets, at least until after the holidays is over," said Dr. w. c. Gewin. Tt really was a shame for city as large as Birming- ham to be without officers to direct the traffic on the crowded streets.
 Without traffic policemen to keep the vehicles moving to cross a downtown street at any time in the afternoon was really an adventure for pedestrian. He had to dodge automobiles, horses, negro boys on bicycles and all manner of ve- hlcles which streamed across the inter- section in any way
 Second avenue and Nineteenth street was particularly dangerous in this re- spect and First avenue and Twentieth street was another bad place. I predict that the number of accidents on the streets, remarkably low already, consid- ering the circumstances will be mate- rially decreased by MT. Barber's action Tn restoring traffic policemen to duty"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-11
AN OFFICE COAT FOR WOMEN

From the Philadelphia Public Ledger.
 The office coat for women has finally arrived. though it's not a bit mannish. It's made in black silk or pongee. is a standard loose coat that's becoming to everybody You slip it over your frock or your blouse and skirt as soon as you enter the office. It envelops you from throat to knee and protects your clothes beautifully. And it has the recommenda- tion of being nifty looking-not the ugly garment that the little femiuine per son ermaces at when you speak of sen sible" clothes
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-11

BEGINNING THE DAY-Show me the wide world, o my God, and the deep heavens; and reveal to me how foolish arc my petty cares. Lei me look up and be ashamed. Release me from my little ward by the vision or far horizons. Make me big enousn and calm enough to live rightly ih tbts universe of Thine. In ChristS name. Amen.-H. M. E.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-11
Can't Blame the Germans.

q am glad that the cause of the fire at Hopewell, Va. the munitions town, is definitely established, said Herman Hausmann of Cullman, who was in Bir- miEgham yesterday. T see by the pa pers that 1t started in a restaurant kitchen when an oil lamp was overturned. This lets the German-Americans out and it cannot be charged that the fire was of incendiary origin and was started to hamper the manufacture of munitions.
 "Of course, I suppose that a certain amount of damage has been done at munitions plants by German agents, but many of the explosions at the munitions plants are not attributable to any out side agency, but to carelessness in the works themselves.
 "The Germans have been blamed for many things of which they were not guilty, and I am glad that it has been determined that there was nothing mys- terious about the fire at Hopewell.'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-11

The Ocean Steamship company has or dered a new vessel for service between New York and Savannah, but cannot get it delivered for 26 months. Pretty good argument for Uncle Sam to build some of his own ships.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-11

Fire that swept away the one-year-old town of Hopewell, Va, with population of 10000, in which no lives were lost, was calamity in a way but nothing like so bad as that which would have befallen the community from fever epidemic sooner or later because of the lack of sanitary sewers Before Hopewell is rebuilt a modern sewer system should be con- structed.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-11

Commissioner Barber threatens to close the Twentieth street hill to automobilists if they don't slow down. Eighteenth street and Twenty-first street were origin ally paved at great expense to divert part of the traffic from Twentieth.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-11
Paying Up Poll Taxes

There was quite a falling off in the payment of poll taxes last year." said George Whitfield of the probate court official family, which was attributed to the depression that existed in all lines of business.
 As an indication that times are much improved, not only those who fell behind last year are paying up but many of those who were behind for several years previous. As g. matter of fact, one man paid up all his back poll tax since 1900, the year voluntary payment went into effect.
 During the past few weeks or rather the past month or two, many persons have been looking up their records as to voting qualifications and many have paid up. This, I presume, is due to the recent municipal elections, for an election of any kind always means that num- Der of persons will straighten out their poll tax matters in order to qualify as voter"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-11

The fact that the Washington govern ment declines to give MT. Ford any sort ring Europe does not prevent him from sending wireless reports to President Will son outlining the progress of his mis- sion
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-11
THANKSGIVING AND CHRISTMAS

From Life.
 The difference between Christmas and Thanksgiving is that at Thanksgiving you give thanks for what you have re- ceived, while at Christmas you receive thanks for what you have given
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-11

Imperial Chancellor Won Bethmann- Hollweg seems to have inherited the blood and iron qualities of a former chancellor, Prince Bismarck
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-11

The colonel has come to be a chronic knocker, but this may not initiate against his chances of being nominated by the g. o. D. next year.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-11

The farmer who holds his cotton for l5 cents will probably not have to wait longer than spring.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-11

To be on the safe side, wait until Mon day night to pick the two winners in the commissioner race.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-11

MT. Bryan being devoid of sense of humor frowns and never smiles at the clever cartoons at his expense.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-11

Henry Watterson writes about peace talk in Germany by saying. The Hohen- zollern and Hapsburg-to hell with them" The rest can be imagined
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-11

The boom towns all used to be in the west, but Hopwell, Va, grew from notA- ing to 25o0O people in a year. Fire can- not down 8 spirit like that
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-11

Uncle Joe Cannon may be a reactionarv but among congressman he is as popular as ever, regardless of party or faction.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-11

Washington bureau, POT Hibbs build ing.
 European bureau, 6 Henrietta street. Covent Garden, London.
 Eastern business offica Rooms AZ to 50. inclusive, Tribune building, New York city; western business ofIice' Tribune building, Chicago. The 5. C. Beckwith Special Agency, agents tor- eign advertising.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-11

Alabama's real winter season is not due until January and even then near- zero weather will be the exception.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-11

Some Alabama prize bulls were recent ly let into the lobby of a Montgomery hotel and registered as honored guests. Lady Eglantine, the hen who holds the worlds record of 314 eggs in a year; travels in a private Pullman car Save some places in the hall of fame
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-11

L. D. Griffis and W. D. Brumbeloe are the only authorized travelling repre- sentatives of The Age-Herald in its cir culation department.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-11
MRS. HALE,s NEW CIoTuES

Live stock of choice breeding is now 8 formidable rival of King Cotton.