davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-04-11

Quite naturally the audience laughed uproariousIy and enjoyed the scene inn mensely. They realized that the couple was hidden from all save the periscope dt isn't periscope at all, but that is as good a word as any other) and enjoyed being the only spectators of this tender scene.
 Leaving the place l was telling my friend how fortunate we had been in wit messing so delectable a vision. when was interrupted by voice just in my rear. It was saying, "Yes, they have a new couple putting on the kiss act this week. John and Tess are booked at Proctor S.. Fifth. avenue, howeyer, and understand they are drawing much larger salary ssJtoweyer, the camera obscura is no more. though the kiss act is still being put in the, secluded places in Central park What? Wlay, how does anyone know those things?
 . The Firth avenue Easter parade is no longer representative of New York city. Come to think of it, what is?. However. there was day when the best people, here attired themselves for the occa sion and appeared upon the avenue on Easter Sunday. Now the throng is larger than ever and the creations are just as nu- merous and just as elaborate, but they are worn by people from all walks of life.
 The avenue was thronged last Easter. in spite cf heavy snow on the day pre- ceding. The people were gorgeously att st3red in many instances but they were araiisients9I bower East Side residents and various othars, including actors head walters and bootblaeks. The best peo- 7plev arc now supposed 10 remain quietly at home after church services, to which they ride, avoiding the parade upon the grand old avenue.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-04-11

wheere the audiense could have the plees- ure of enhaling the spring onions while the local okerstra played the ovverture It was hard to tell which was the most enioyabull
 The mite was theere no regular troop was in town, but was told that rare treet was in store for me- The town boasted of yrng lady, Miss Adelaide Jimsun, who had Madam Calve dashed to the mast several ways, and who possessed a voise of remark abull range and fiber. In additsion to hur, theere was Persy Snubbs, who had tennor volse, which if sprung upon Karuso would
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-04-11
UP AND DOWN BROADWAY By Allen Griffin Johnson

TAY Ew YORK, April 1o-(special) )
 Ever see the camera obscura in Id5ZR Central park? Well, it's too late SY now, as the device has been re-
 moved, but it was well worth a visit and inspection
 The camera obscura, as those familiar with sanskrt-or is it Latin ?-lSnow, is a sort Of hidden camera. High up over the --.e tops is kind of periscope, or some thing of that nature while in a house on hill is the rest of the affair One enters not the periscope, but the house on the hill, and there .gazes upon a glass whereon Central park is reproduced in miniature. 1HH
 ~ne,. pass before tine vision. autono- plies, carriages riders, pedestrians and even squirrels, all greatly nialimized The little horses attached to the majestic looking vehicles, still affected by many Of the wealthy of New York city seems un- usually graceful and the whole picture is decidedly attractive.
 When 1 looked upon the camera obscura there were some g others doing the same thing. The usual sights elicited favor able comment here and there, but after I while a couple-fnal and sgirl--was seen 70 approach bench, not visible from the iriyeways or walkways They, sat down EDon it after the fashion, Of timid lov- CTS and in q very. few minutes the mans arm stole aronnd the place. Where the waist linc Of the girl IS supposed to have been. She did not resist; and lie drew Ter to him after the Bsoet< approledl stA le of 'spooning 7 She nestled and he dud4 sied such things must progress In atl- other moment he had turned her face tip 10 his and thelr.i lips met in a kiss that wolid have been a credit to q feature film.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-04-11

with them; they weer simply billyus that $ all. Still in momint of weakness they sulntimes give way to this ''hunch' and go on the stage, and the publick suffurs, and all they acquire is the hook, and an expert ense with dark blue trimmings
 I was ovver in Merryland at small country village resently with frend; this town had only about five hundred peepul, and populus surrounding community, but it posted of fore moving picture shows and an opery house. The opery house was up- stairs ovver Sannitery Grosery store
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-04-11
Tastes Change
 in Amusements

becawse they weer forrain. I sure did envy those missionaries toward the shank of the evening Theere air sum things wurse than tackllng a cannyball in his native lair, and Adelaid and Persy weer the answer. I tried to pass up this performance, but thcere was nuthing doing. So I coffed dollar and fased the firing squad It was galla nite. The Mayor maid short ad- dress, which we failed to appreciate, not being on to what followed. He sed this was the proudest momint of his ife-Plug- vile, he sed, was to cum into fame thro' ' the ta,lents-marvellus talents - of it's favurlte doughtur and son. It was the rare privilege of the audiense he sed to slosh around on polished furniture and heer the brides of Plugville burst forth in high browed stuff. He was appawded and then the okestra had an inning It played the Star-Spangled bannur and Merryland my Merry yland-at least that's what my frend sed-and then the reguler entertainmint started. Persy and Adeaid weer introduced and it was announsed that they would sing a dewett rum Riggoletty. They did so. I don t know what Riggoletty is going to do about t, but if was him I would entur suit for damages. They took his perfectly good dewett and assassinated it in cold bud, and the crowd seemed to enjoy it. I don know what Riggoletty had evver dun to them that they should gloat ovver him so. He must have absconded with the funds of the local bank
 For an onkore, Persy cum out and sang. "l heer you Calling me-. Persy leened against tabull and fixing his eye on knott hole in the selling, opened himself up at the top till you could reed his ennermost thoughts assuming that he had enny-- and could make notes on the geograffical occasion of his livvur, and pored his hole sole into singing that little ballerd Ev- veryboddy was very enthusiastck. Thew did not kill him--not at all; on the con- trary they let him live rite on ssDon t you think Persy is fortunate?' sed an exsited citizen, sitting next to me. s'Yes,v I seys. they shot Lincoln.''
 went away rum theere quite sad. In spite cf everything that can be dun, that community is going to infict Persy and Adelaid upon the country. Perhaps if they weer let alone they mite get married and run poultry farm; how much bettur that would be.
 Sumthing ought to be dun about it. We beleeve i'll progress but we air opposed to misdirected effurts. With moddern in- provennnts cums the attractsons of the white lites and the lure of enturtanmint. The restless spirit has taken possession of the peepul, and the cost of high livving has fastened itself upon tile Republick. Old style ways weer a little slow but they had theere attractsions. Twenty years ago. Persy and Adelaid would have got the hook and told in polite turns wheere they got] off-now they will attach themselves to al vaudeville sircuit, and contract the Book beer habit and develop torpid livvur. O tempo o Mores-O Prunes.
 Yours troolv,
 BILL VINES.
 Washington.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-04-11

cause fhe Italyan celebrated sousage to jump into the lake with envy. Persy's fathur had sent him abroad to have his voise cultivated. Persy got back to his home town, voise and all, in perfect safety, tho how he got by with it will always be mattur of grave mystery. Persy and Ade- laid weer both going in for Grand Opera and five or six thousend week, and on this nite tney-assisted with uther local talent -weer to give the home folks consert. It was for the bennefit of the forrain mis- sioneries, who ought to be tickled to deeth
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-04-11

foresee that we shall have quite an enjoy able little meeting"
 However, it is>easy to get on in New York city. All you need is ability, pull energy. courage, money and good break Tn the luck. With, these assets you are sure of reasonable degree of success provided you can get the ear of anybody long enough to win an opportunity.
 Kitty Cheatham, well-known southern vocalist, created some comment among her southern friends here by appearing at one time with a negro as her accom- panist and partner in a duet. It was explained that no white man could sing the negro song rendered with the same true-to- the-south effect. Miss Cheatham s annual recital, given here Monday even- ing of this week. was decided suc- cess. F
 Here's hard oneAa typical New York speaking voice.
 have been rhyming ''on' with dawn ever since I can remember, but here it has been criticized in view Of the fact that New York pronounces lon" as if 1t were "don.' with the struck off. Guess that's correct, but when they speak of the 'sodthern drawl' and then criticize us for ont. saying bee-fore-wcll, Ii looks like tough luck. at. least.
 The new play ,.The Natural. Law was closed out by tie Philadelphia au- thorities but 1t is running along very smoothly here However, Billy Sunday 1as been no carcr Broadway than Pat erson, N. J., as yet.
 New York displayed more interest in the vtllard-Johnson ring hattie than 1t
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-04-11
The Practice of Kicking

TTun tl1e I7 npopulaf7 REVIEW.
 Kicking, like charity should begin a1| home. It ought to be the duty of every-. body at home to object, persistently and effectively, to the specific ovescroyded| street gar, the badly paved road the end croaching doorstep, the neglected yarTl4| the maldorous cesspool. the irresponsf<, ble motor car and the reckless railroad
 especially if he have any personal ner
 in the maintenance of similar abuseH "a tho tendency of these evils weref rightf 3
 apprehended. if part only of tlrt effort0 that is, expep{sd. presumably, if.sbbject~l fngsffo Eenerdiized, foreign aud fptil<| subjects were bestowed on specific anal .1tel29ihlps. fA; tf svs wotiad torcgd tffeI emotional pleasure of the impersonay| "muckrake" to assail the evil at our very| fect-especia11y if each one Of us were| careful to avoid offense in matters of the same kind-pur country would UurelyI
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-04-11
Wasling gton.


 manhood. This appealed to Mrs. Hav- kins very strongly and she walked around the statue. eyeing 1t closely from every angle. Finally she brought up by her relatives side once more, heaved A sigh and said, Well that may be what raey say it is but all I can say is. I've seen Apollo and I've seen 'Awlxins. and you, can give me 'Awlsins every time"
 ew York street cleaning department IS sasds 10 have perfesfed wonderful system whereby the streets can be cleared or snow in short order. but during the recent pre- Easter snowfall new trouble developed . es The system was in good working orA oer' ready and all that sort of thine-but r-lt was realized that to start work wouid mean the expenditure of about $50 000-s so the system sat still and prayed fde rain
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-04-11

Is1 gur who has been habbitating this mundane speer for grate menny moons, remark with a note of regret in his voise, that things ant like they used to be when l was boy' I guess he's rite about it, too, for as breef as has been our own ex- periense we can see desided change in the situasion rum what 1t used to be.
 Sertainly the commun peepul theese days and times ant quite so dam commun as they onse was and they seem to get about ten times as much out of life. I don't know whethur they air having ten times as good a time, but they sure air ivving swift. Not moor than fifteen yeers ago, if the folks in the rural destricts saw circus evvery two yeers, they felt like they weer gong sum, and the average boy would walk all day behind the elifant and the Sil- vur Cornet Band and imagine that he was having swell time. If he got fifty sents spending mummy twice yeer, he'd swell up blggnr than Koon Loeb and Company Just aftur they had gobbled up bond is- sue He got holiday on the 4th of July, and a hole week Christmas with nuthing to
 
 feed the stock and go to parties If he was a good boy and could pick 300 pounds of cottun day, and disturb sumthing like an acre of ground with the aid of twistur and pair of dun cultured mules. and stuck to the job till he was twentv-one, perhaps the old man would give him a wind broken hoss and a new saddle, and he' start out on his own hook as cheerful as a newly ap- pointed postmastur with fore yeers to surve
 It is not thus now-that is it is not so thus as you would notise it. Now it is vast ly dlffurent-and the questsion is, air we bettur off or air we wurst g-I wot not.
 Now the peepul demand and must have enturtainmint mot by broken doses eethur it is an evvery day diet. The benzine wagon has taken the place of the one -hoss shay, and we air livving in a swift and rapld--both incoming the same-age The moving picture show has wurked its way lnsldiusly into our midst, and we have fallen for tit has pennetrated evvery nook and cornur and has slipped sumthing ovver on the Nasional Board of Sensorship. Vaudeville and the refined stock cumpany have fastened theere hooks upon the public mind, and now furst class farm talent has amblslons for the stage. This may be all rite, but as one who has been about sum we cannot escape the convicsion that it is sad mistake for a furst class plumber or tlllur of the soil or peano moover to forsake the profession in which he is profisient and embark upon life so unsertain and full of temptaslons and uther assets-witb the single exseptson of food and raiment-as the stage is Theere air grate mennv peepul on the stage now, and still moor struggling to get theere who reelv ought to be plnched. Histronnick talent is not developed-it is gift. It is easy to mis- take lt-menny peepul who have believed that they had this gift weer rong-verrv rong--that was not what was the mattur
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-04-11

1lSTUR EDDITUR: = Evverv now
 J and then we will heer sum old cod ' gur who has been habbitating this
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-04-11

New York displayed more intereat in tho VtlIard-Johnson ring battIe than 1t
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-04-11

IVY YORK, April 10.-(Special.) Ever see the camera obscura in
 Central park? Well, it's too late now, as the device has been re-
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-04-20
Provision Is Killed
and Bars Are Dropped.
CONTRACTS TO Be LET MAY 3
Publishers of High Glass Texts
Will Offer Their Bids.
Last Legislature Made 1t Pos
SibIe to Take Action.

Kansas will next month adopt real
standard books for use in her nigh
schools. With the maximum price
provision in the state law eliminated,
the state school text book commission
will enter the field for contracts for
some of the best texts on the market.
Competitive bids have already been
submitted by 26 publishers.
Under the old state law, a maximum
price to be paid for high school texts
was fixed by statute. Publishers re-
fused to come under the provisions OF
the law and the result was that Kan
sas became common dumping
ground for texts that could not be
were listed at prices in excess of the
maximum provided by state law.
When the legislature came to To-
peka last winter it eliminated the
maximum price provision in the law
and let down the bars for competition
as we'll as discretion on the part of the
commission. The only binding clause
in the present law is to the effect that
books must be sold in Kansas as
cheaply as in any other state or dis
trict. Under this provision the text
book commission has encountered no
difficulty in securing. bids on high
grade texts.
Contracts will be let at the meeting
to be held in Topeka May 8. 1t is
probable that the textbook commits
sion may be in session the greater part
of two weeks before making final de-
Contracts will be let for a term of five
wears
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-04-20
Life Insurers Lose % Per Cent
of Their Premiums.
LOCAL men MAKE SHOWING
Compete NObly With Foreign
Business Organizations.
Tornado and Hail Dividends
Are Profitable.

Fire, hail and tornado insurance
companies paid out 55 per cent of
their total premiums last year to meet
losses. while life insurance companies
in Kansas paid but 28 per cent of their
premiums in losses. The heaviest ex-
pense fell on fire insurance companies
which paid losses in Kansas amounting
to $2,334,632 on total premiums of 3d.
761,124 from total risks in excess OF
318 million dollars.
The official report on insurance
business in Kansas, for 1914 was is
sued today by Carey Wilson, state
superintendent of insurance. From
the records a fat profit was laid aside
by the hail and tornado companies,
which paid out about one-sixth of their
premiums in losses. A big earning is
shown in the report of the life insur-
ance companies, but in the report
from the fire insurance concerns,
there is a narrow margin.
In the report issued by Superinten-
TContinued on Page Two.l
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-04-20
CAR SETS MINES
Two Turkish Torpedo Boat
DestrOyers Blown Up
On Returning From Cruise in
the Black Sea.

London, April 20.-The Russian
fleet, which has been attacking the
Bosphorus, is reported to have caused
the destruction of two Turkish torpedo
boat destroyers. A dispatch from
Saloniki says the Russians mined the
entrance to the Bosphorus while the
Turkish fleet was cruising the Black
sea and that the Turkish vessels on re-
turning ran into the mine field.
Advices have been received in Ber-
lin that a British expeditionary force
which attempted to invade German
East Africa was defeated and driven
away with the loss of 700 men. The
British force is said to have landed
from cruisers and transports. The
German losses are given as SO. The
only intimatiOn of a British expedition
to East Africa was given at the time
of the sinking of the British steamer
Falaba by a German submarine. AT
that time it was said that among the
passengers who lost their lives, were a
number of British officers who were
on their way to Africa.
Italy'S decision for or against war
is believed in Rome to be imminent
The Rome correspondent of Paris
newspaper telegraphs that today
marks the expiration of time limit
fixed by Italy for presentation of pro-
posals by Austria. 1t is generally un-
derstood that Austria has declined to
make territorial concessions satisfac-
tory TO italy ana according TO tnlS re-
port, the German and Austrian am
baSSadorS at Rome are preparing to
leave the country.
Greece also is endeavoring to arrive
at a fixed policy in regard to the sit
uation brought about by the war. A
representative of King Constantine is
on his way to Vienna and Berlin prob
ably on a political mission. No inti-
nation has been given as to the pur-
pose of the mission, although it is
known that King Constantine, who is
a brother-in-law of Emperor William
is opposed to war and has set him
self against the party which favors
Intervention on the side of the allies.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-04-20
DOWN and OUT
Villas Cause in Mexico Has
Collapsed Completely.
Crushing Defeat Inflicted on
Him at Celaya.

Washington, April 2O.-Little doubt
existed in Washington today that
Francisco Villas cause" in Mexico
has collapsed.
Reports of crushing defeat at
Celaya; other reports of a spit between
Villa and Felipe Angeles and persist
ent rumors of Villas precipitate flight
toward the border, are not even meet
ing with denials from the Villa agency
here.
The administration officials feel no
eIation over Villas apparent elimin-
alton as a Mexican factor. His down
fall will mark Angeles's rise, they say,
and persistent rumors of Obregon'S s
intention of pulling away from Car
rama further complicates the situa-
ton.
Villas defeat appears to be general.
Both his campaigns made at IrapuatO
and Celaya have resulted disaStrouSly.
State department advices also indicate
that his three point campaign
against Tempico, Matamoros and
Nuevo Loredo had also failed COM
plete1y Another dispatch says Car
rama will control the west coast with
in three weeks.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-04-20
FOR WASHBURN.

The fact that Washhurn college
has many friends is being strongly
emphasized i'm the Washburn col
lege endowment campaign. Here
are the comments of a few of the
friends of the institution:
ID. o. COe: One of the things
that brought me to Kansas was
the hope of getting my children in
WaShburn college.
Herbert Dale: We have "a big
task before us. but if we get down
to business We'll reach the goal
j. NJ. Brunt: 1 believe as Il busi-
ness proposition Washburn college
ought to be supported because it
brings hundreds of students to
Topeka who spend each year be-
tween 5000 and $500 among the
merchants.
Dean Horace Whitehouse: In
meeting the people j find there is
a spirit of optimism: they believe
the campaign will succeed. i do
not believe the average person
realizes the wonderful possibilities
IN Washburn college.
Mrs J. ID. Mcfarland: 1 at
tended school at Washburn college
when il was Lincoln college. For
years there has been a Mcfarland
I'm school. Washburn college gives
Topeka young people a chance for
education at home.
Mrs. George w. Parkhurst:
From a musical viewpoint alone.
WaShburn is worth every bit of
the 100000 to Topeka. Topeka
naturally is the musical center of
the state. Improving the musical
standard of the community i'm
proves the whole state. / taught
at Washburn when the music de-
partment was in its infancy Since
then L have followed the growth of
the department and watched IL
become one of tile greatest assets
of Topeka. 1t is worth great
deal 20 the city to have men and
women of the ability of the WASH
burn musical faculty.
Mrs. w. S. Lindsay: Washburn
means everything to Topeka in the
way of educational opportunities
" Tor the young people 1t is worth
MANY tiTneS the sum that is being
asked ia the present campaign.
We have educated our children Mt
WaShburn and know what II bene-
fit it is to Topeka families.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-04-20
One UpheavaI for Every Seven
Bell Ringings.
Shawnee COUNTY is THIRD
Wyandotte and Sedgwick EX-
ceed in Family Splitups.
Seven Honor Counties With No
Divorces for Year.

One-seventh of the matrimonial
ventures in Kansas go astray. Or to
be technically exact there is an echo
of domestic upheavals in the divorce
courts every time the bells ring for
7.12 weddings in this state. That is
the statement today of J. w. Howe,
secretary of the state board of con-
troll. in an official report covering 1O3
of the 1O5 counties in Kansas.
The report for 1914 shows a slump
in the number of divorces. But the
matrimonial game was also slow.
There were no official reports on we'd
dings for 1913, but with reports from
the probate judges in an unofficial
manner, it was shown that there was
one divorce for every 6.97 weddings in
the state. In 1914 there were 1922
weddings in Kansas. During the same
period there were 2,322 divorces in
1O3 of the 105 counties. This record
is from all counties except Cove and
Hamilton, in the extreme western sec
ton of the state, and stands against a
showing of 2,4S0 divorces in 1913.
shawnee Ranks Third.
Shawnee county ranks third in the
number of divorces granted last year.