davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-05

for sometime in our navy. It was bound to come.
 The dreadnaught it must continue to be. for the main line of national de- fense; contingent upon the invention of a type able triumphantly to dispute it's mastery. Some believe the submarine will ultimately prevail over 1t. But spectacu- lar as the exploits of under water craft are, the surface ship still rules the sea Dreadnaughts are only a modern example of the general type which has ruled the sea throughout history. The backbone of the squadrons which have been engaged in the present war, they are the real symbols of sea power.
 The battles already fought on many oceans are preliminary rounds. But there might have been no preliminaries if Ger many had all the dreadnaughts, or d fleet of them superior to Great Britains S. Germany would simply have taken pos session of the .North sea. England would be open to an invasion by her armies at her convenience-nothing could stop her, except dreadnaugnts. And 1 though ships of less formidable type have been employed to sweep German com merce from the seas. and have been vis- ibly active in keeping most of the Ger man armament in it's fortified ports. the apparent elementary truth Is that the possession of superior fleet of dread neughts is what has enabled Great Brit ain to accomplish this-though no dread naught has fired a shot,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-05
Public Library Popular

Within the course of time Birming- ham will have large and handsome library building, but the city hall serves admirably for the present. The library quarters there are spacious and well lighted and the shelves are being well stocked with books. As a result of last years canvass for money to buy new books several thousand volumes have been added to the library.
 The library directors report pub lished in The Age-Herald yesterday was highly encouraging as it showed that the books borrowed from the cir culating department in the month just past totaled 29, 004-more than double the number borrowed in January. 1914. There are now nearly 24,0OO persons in possession of library cards, as compared with 16,442 in January of last year.
 The books now in the library total in number 40,964. A year ago there were not quite 3O,000.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-05
Statistics That Will Stimulate Effort


 A feature of the crop diversification campaign is statistical table compiled for each county showing the money value of agricultural products shipped out and the money value of food stuffs and other farm products brought into the county from territory outside.
 The figures setting forth from day to day exports and imports" by coun- ties will have the effect of stimulating the farmers to greater effort. In coun- ties that have been selling more than they buy the farmers will strive to do even better, and counties that i'm ported" more agricultural products in value than the value of what they sold will not be satisfied until the balance is on the other side.
 Jefferson county bought foodstuffs and other farm products aggregating $6,661 900, and according to the report compiled by k E. Waggoner one of the crop campaign experts, no farm products were shipped out. This county usually raises annually 1000 or 5000 bales of cotton. This year the crop was much larger considerably over 12,000 bales having been already ginned. The smaller cotton crop pro- duction heretofore has been presum- ably turned into the finished product in the local mills.
 Jefferson county's itemized report is exceptionally interesting. Of salt meats $1,560, ,00o were shipped into the county for consumption. The value of hams and bacon imported was $760,000 of dressed beef $69O,oOO, and of lard $450,000. It will be sometime before Jefferson will be cattle growing county on a large scale, but there is no reason why all the pork consumed in the county should not be included in l it's crop production.
 1 There are many fine farms in this county, and by adopting the intensive method and carrying out all the prin ciples of scientific farming we should be able to produce all the hay, corn and oats consumed in this district, and thus save something like $1,500 900. As for poultry and eggs, $450,00O went out oi the county to purchase these coAmodi ties. We should be able to produce $1 100000 worth of poultry and eggs
 Jefferson county has many prosper ous truck farmers, but we should have three times as many There is cer. tainly no excuse for not raising here
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-05
GOVERNMENT-OWNEDS SHIPS

enterprise in competition with the private | interests of its citizens,
 | Such action would be wrong in any
 case, and it is particularly vicious when
 the interests against which the govern
 ment will compete are already having the greatest difficulty in keeping their heads above water. It should be the policy of the government to encourage l our struggling merchant marine, not to drive it from the seven seas! l Furthermore, the plea of the President that the war has so disorganized the | carrying trade that there are not enough ships to handle our imports and ex- ports. has been completely demolished by the recent trade returns, which show | an increase of exports for December, 1914.
 over those of December, 1913, of over | $13, ,0Oo,0O0
 As we said at the outset. facts are
 what we should keep our eyes upon, not theories. And if ever cold, hard facts
 demolished plausible theory. these trade ! returns for December have swept away the one plausible plea that has been made
 for this i'll conceived government owner ship scheme.
 Be 1t remembered, also, that in the very | nature of things an enterprise which pri- , vate capital and the best brains of the country have failed to make profitable
 can never be run at a profit if handled
 by the government
 Our humanitarian navigation laws rem der 1t certain that government owned fleets will be run at loss. That loss
 must be made good from the treasury
 and to this extent the proposed govern ment owned fleet will become tax upon the people--a manifest injustice. The last and. surely, the most impor- tant objection of all against this fatuous bill is the grave and ever present dan ger which it will introduce in the inter- | national situation. The right of search on the high seas exists and is recog- nized; contraband of war is liable to find its way into the bottom of ships, what ever flag they fly; and situation is con ceivable in which the right of search might be exercised on a ship that was sailing under the government flag. Is the presidential hand which wrote the so-called declaration of neutrality prepared to sign a measure which might easily upset, in a single day, the neu- tral attitude which the Presidents procla- nation has thus far so successfully as- sured?
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-05
Profcssor EIIls, Artiele

very intelligent lady living in Jef- ferson county outside the city writes in reference to the article by Prof s. A. Ellis on (Which Shall We Do, Burn the Bible or Abandon the Schoolroom?' ?'' published in The Age Herald of Jan uary 4, strong indorsement. The let ter is addressed to Professor Ellis and here is an extract from it:
 But should I not address you thus; My dear ti-evolutionist? Surely your writings deserve place of prom thence in every newspaper as well as the religious papers. Every child with whom reason has become a part sEould read and reread until a discussion Is brought about over your Which Shall We Do, Burn the Bible or Abandon the Schoolroom?'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-05
Creatore Today

Creatore and his band will be the at- traction at the Jefferson theatre this afternoon and tonight. A musician who has seen the two programmes that Crea- tore will present said he regarded them as especially pleasing to music lovers in general.
 'The second number on the afternoon programme" he said, Twill be Mozart s Magic Flute overture. The third number will be the 'Misere, from II Trovatore' and the fourth number will be Tschai- kowski's beautiful Italian Caprice After the intermssion we are to have an or- gan offertory by Batiste, especially ar- ranged for Creatores band. Then comes a serenata by Moszkowski; then Even ing Star played by the solo baritone horn. The afternoon programme will close with the brilliant finale of the third act from Ponchillis Gioconda.'
 At night the overture will be William Tell and among other especially fine attractive numbers will be the Baraca- role from the Tales of Hoffman, se- lections from the third act of Puccini's s Tosca; the 'Adagio Cantabile' from Beeth- ovens sonata, 'Pathetique; the 'Sextette from Lucia and grand selections from 'Traviata.' The programmes are short, so that many extra numbers may be played.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-05
THE GHOST OF THE PAST

Thomas Hardy, in "Satires of Circum-
 stance"
 We two kept house, the Past and I.
 The Past and I; I tended while it lowered nigh,
 Leaving me never alone. It was a spectral housekeeping,
 Where fell no jarring tone. As strange, as still a housekeeping
 AS ever has been known. It dwelt with me just as it was,
 Just as it was, When first it's prospects gave me pause
 In wayward wanderings, Before the years had torn old troths
 As they tear all sweet things Before gaunt griefs had torn old troths
 And dulled old rapturings. And then its form began to fade, Began to fade; Its gentle echoes faintlier played At eyes upjon my ear Than when the autumn's look embrowned The lonely chambers here, The autumn's settling shades embrownec Nooks that it haunted near. And so with time my vision less, Yea, less and less, Makes of that Past my housemistress; It dwindles in my eye; It looms a far-off skeleton And not comrade nigh, A fitful far-off skeleton Dimming as days draw oy.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-05
From the Scientific American.

From the Scientific American A LTHOUGH the question of the up
 A building of our merchant marine 4 , and the scope and character of the government assistance which should be given to assist in it's resuscitation is full of complexities, there is one funda- mental fact in the situation which is clearly understood by the shipping men,. by the private citizen, and even by Con- gress itself.
 We refer to the fact that, because of the better food. better accommoda tions, higher pay, and other advantages con- ferred upon the American seamen by navigation laws of the United States the cost of running an American ocean, going steamship is so much greater than the cost of running ship under foreign flag, that successful competi- tion in the deep sea trade is an absolute impossibiity
 Time was, moreover, when it cost very much more to build a ship in American yards than it did in foreign yards; but the margin of that difference has been gradually reduced, until now it is com paratively negligible in comparison with the vast difference in the cost of the operation of ships.
 Everybody knows that we have failed to build up modern merchant marine, and everybody knows just why we have failed. Today the government, with the strong backing of the President, recog nizing the failure of private enterprise wishes to go into the shipping business itself and fly it's flag over fleet of government-owned shps hoping thereby to build up an American merchant marine, and promising, when the new venture is fully established, to with draw in favor of private operation and ownership.
 We wish to put ourselves on record as stating, first, that the whole scheme bristles with fallacies; secondly, that the latest trade returns show that government owned fleet is unnecessary; thirdly, that it will work injustice to the private owners of ocean going ships and, last and most important of all that this shipping bill will sooner or later entangle us in the great European war.
 In the first place. the government is violating one of the Fundamental, if un- written, principles upon which govern ment is based if it enters into business
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-05
WHY DREADNAUGHTS?

From the Providence Journal.
 under discussion again. A mem
 = Der of the House naval affairs committee suggests that authority for the construction of more ships of the first class be withheld until experience is available from the present war to show what kind will really be needed.
 Manifestly, he does not feel that the dreadnaught is giving a good account of itself Senator Tillman expresses the same thought. MT. Carnegie, address ing the New York Peace society, says that he has not "heard So much good sense in Congress in many long day. He considers that Great Britain made stupendous blunder when she offered to the powers the first example Of this type of warship.
 It is the fact, of course, that dread naughts have not figured in the naval actions, up to this time. It Is even Dos- sble that the war may end without call ing for them. The Germans are keepins theirs in fortified harbors The british have theirs on the leash-they VIII not be loosed unless the Germans come out or can be got at. The sea warfare mas been marked by the employment. pro- pressively, of light cruisers, armored cruisers and battle cruisers. The turn of the heaviest class. the dreadnaughts, | is yet to come.
 It would be nasty, though, to assume. because dreadnaughts have not been used or may not be, that they have been overrated; or that other types. of demon strated usefulness in the particular serv- | ice they are designed for, are more use- full or would be sufficient. MT. Car negie points out that Great Britain rem dered her own unrivalled fleet obsolete
 when she launched the first dreadnaught; and thus enabled Germany to begin the
 building of a navy of nearly even terms. But it is unbelievable that Germany would not have introduced the revolu- tionary type had Great Britain been con- tent to proceed with normal development For the dreadnaught-which is simply a seagoing ship, carrying exclusively the | heaviest guns and armored to the limit
 of weight--was the suggestion of an jItalian engineer. publicly offered to the
 powers. It had been under consideration
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-05
The Iron Market

Rogers, Brown & Co.'s Cincinnati re- port says in part:
 Increased activity in the iron mar ket without any features of unusual interest or extraordinary development marks the week. Locally the market is very quiet Elsewhere some lines are improving and January brought a marked change to many interests. Op- timism, even among those who are doing the least, continues strongly in evidence and in all lines Is. outstrip- ping actual development, but improve ment continues and will be justified as time goes on.
 January was notable in that our exports for the month show the largest balance over imports for any month in the country's history. This was pre- d;cted in December and was justifica- lion of the rate which our foreign trade has recently developed.
 "The month has seen an increase in activity of the steel plants generally estimated at from 10 to h per cent over that ruling in December. It saw an increase in buying on the part of ths railroads, largely, however, of rails and equipment rather than structrrals and it is reported that the last weel, brought total contracting up to 325,- 900 tons for the month. There is a good number of car and locomotive inquiries under negotiation, but 1t is problematical when these will turr into actual orders. The same is true of structural steel, large tonnage being under considera ton. Steelmak CTS in the Pittsburg district are increas- ing their furnace capacity and arc re- ported to be operating at the present time from 50 to 60 per cent.
 '"The reflection of railroad improve. ment was brought out by purcnases during the last week by railroad equip.
 ment concerns of round tonnage oi
 malleahle iron in the Chicago terri | tory which is the only feature. ''There have been some inquiries fol business extending over the third ant fourth quarters, which are not being considered by the majority of furnace, and will hardly result in immediate or. ders. The first of February sees em. phasis OH the improved business whicl the new year started and the outlool 1 is clear for a continuation
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-05
WAR ECHOES

l Cleveland Plain Dealer: The appearance
 of a German submarine in the Irish seq
 may have have startled England, but il
 has had no serious effect upon the ship | ping in that important region. Rather ostentatiously the authorities at Liver | pool are permitting ships to clear as | usual, as if danger were nonexistent or negligible veritable swarm of destroy CTS and other small naval craft is scurry- ing about to prevent a repetition of the exploit which made U-21 famous. The actual damage done by the German craft is inconsequential. Such raids can merce. The benefit to the Germans of submarine activities must lie wholly in their moral effect. If the sinking oi three unimportant merchant ships shall establish reign of terror among British shippers there may be some substantial advantage.
 The risk of the exploit is, however, tre- mendous This submarine made a voy- age of more than 1000 miles from the near est German base. Now that the British are warned they will be on the look out for similar exploits, and it is scarcely likely that they will be frequently re- peated. In the North sea and in the English channel shippers and captains realize and accept their danger. But in re- moter waters there will be little timidity until the adventure of U-21 has been sev- eral times repeated.
 Chicago Herald: From a little black smiths shop founded at Essen in 1872 the mighty firm of Krupps, the makers of German guns, has grown into the largest armament concern in the world. Fried rich Krupp originated the smithy and for 14 years struggled against poverty. He died poor man, and on his deathbed confided the secrets he had discovered to his son Alfred. It was more than 20 years before Alfred Krupp gained recognition, but after obtaining fame through ex- hibiting- a Acton cast ingot of steel at the Crystal Palace exhibition in 1851 he never looked back. When he died in 1887 60,00o people followed him to the grave Today Krupp's works cover 1000 acres Even before the war rush the firm em- ployed 60,O00 men at the main works at Essen and thousands of others at their collieries, shipbuilding yards and private testing grounds. It is estimated that more than 300,0o0 people depend on Krupps for their livelihood.
 At the works 40000 cannon are turned out every year.
 Work at Krupps is conducted in great secrecy. Each worker is forbidden to en- ter any office or workshop not connected with his own department. He has a passport for his special job, and must take no interest in any other Hundreds of watchmen guard the secrets of the Krupps' works day and night, and the grounds are a mass of electric traps which immediately signal the approach of an intruder.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-05
Distillers in Dry Kentucky CountIe.

Tn Hotel Lobby interview with my old friend MT Samuel Lazarus of Lex ington, Ky, the types made him say Barbour county, instead of Bourbon, which adjoins Fayette. in which Lexing- ton is situated" remarked member of Birmingham's Kentucky colony.
 "The widely known Bourbon whisky gets it's name from Bourbon county.
 'Fayette county voted wet recently by an increased majority, but it's neigh bor Bourbon, at the same time voted dry
 "A peculiar provision in the Kentucky law Is that dry counties may operate whisky distileries, but the output can not be sold legally except to wet coun- ties.
 Bourbon has always had a large dis tillery traffic and it's stills continue to be worked almost to full capacity.
 Mason is another Kentucky county that went dry. It has a large distillery and it is in operation as of old
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-05
ALABAMA PRESS

Montgomery Times: After having been shot by modern gun at a distance of 25 miles, the victim may know what hit him, but he cant tell who did the shooting g.-Birmingham Age-Herald.
 That is the first intimation that we have ever had that these fellows, shot in war, lost any time looking around for the fellows who shot them.
 Montgomery Times: The legislature has decided to adjourn until July 1S, after working 20 days It begins to look as if that body met for the sole purpose of making Alabama y."-Birmingha Age-Herald.
 Well, such doings-a strenuous piece of work as that-is worth a good long time to get good breath. That dry season is to last three years and a half at any rate.
 Selma Journal: Seven out of more than ECO bills have reached the governors desk and four of these were on the whis- key question. But they will soon be piling up before him and he can begin to whet his pen for signing them, oI sending back veto messages. However this shows how slow general Legislation Is in getting to the chief executive. Mobile Register: "As far as the Pratt Consolidated Coal company is concerned there Is no other port on the gulf Mobile is to be our center for the move ment of steam coal. both export and local Our barges will commence in May to bring loads of Warrior river coal di- rect to Mobile from our mines, and this coal will be delivered on board ships at $2.25 per ton," so speaks MT. McCor- mack, president of the Pratt company. It is an Alabama way of speaking. It means that Mobile Alabamas sea port has. as far as MT. McCormack's company can give it, Alabama's recognition. GoodI Let us have more of this sort of thing, It helps
 Montgomery Advertiser: Birmingham pastors indorse Ndiversification. Every- body indorses diyersihcation And why not? It's a good thing.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-05

abouts all the vegetables that are handled in the Birmingham market. But last year upwards of $25o,00O went out for vegetables and green produce. The crop diversification campaign is going to wake up the farmers and larger crops of everything except cot ton will be the rule in the future.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-05
From Memphis to Birmingham

L. Mannen. who had been sales agent at Memphis of the National Cash Reg ister company of Dayton. 0. T have opened an office here and will have charge of the cash register business for this territory.
 "I lived in Memphis 10 years and like the city but I find that Birming- ham is a much better place from ] business point of view. Birmingham has unquestionably the greatest future of any city in the south"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-05
AN EMERGENCY
From the New York World.

From the New York World.
 The man in the automobile duster and goggles confronted an artist painting a picture by the roadside.
 Say" said the motorist. 'Ill give you s5 for that picture, just as it is. Don't put another stroke to it.
 'T am really very flattered by your of- fer" replied the artist, but why not wait until the picture is finished?"
 Cant I need the canvas to mend a busted tire with"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-05
sELF-DEFENSE
From the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

From the Cleveland Plain Dealer
 Men have been known to kill rabbits
 same reason is uncommon Yet a New England woman used this unique excuse when her neighbor trailed missing hen. ''The hen came at me like a fury.' she told the judge. She seemed determined to scratch my eyes out. fell back and
 she pursued me. Then we fought and fought and I finally killed her" Alas, for this theory of defense! The hen was found with her feathers off, gently stewing in the aggrieved woman's kettle. a l.s And the judge sravely shook his head
 as he rendered judgment against the
 kettles owner.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-05

BEGINNING THE DAY-Heip me, Father. bring to Thee what l bnve, and in Thy hands may l see again the miracle of the little multiplied. Under Thine eye may I thrill and grow. In Thy presence may my pow CTS leap. Q great God, make me pIiant under Thy fingers. In Ghrist's tame. Amep-H. M. E.