davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-08

V/ ASHINGTON. February r.
 w Especial )-In Washington. as
 1t is almost everywhere else. It seems unusually hard to get i good servant. Cooks who understand the science of annoying a set of griddle irons and producing the manufactured article in such condition as not to be mistaken by the casual observer as armor plate, or a liver pad, are as rare in Washington believe me, as cor dial diplomatic relations are in Eu- rope
 Ihe average American citizen liv- ing in Washington whose salary is of such proportions that he can look an internal revenue collector .n the face any day in the week without whimper, is dependent entirely upon Washington colored society for the su- perintendence of his culinary depart ment. Unless, of course he Is such a lost and undone wretch as to believe that the wife of his bosom should be annoyed with such matters rather than devote her time to a study of polit- ieai scieHce ana the 1Yory-headed per yersity of the framers of the Amer lean constitution that they did not as- sert in that out-of-date instrument that women were the equal of all men and the superior of most of them, and therefore should vote.
 Some of the best cooks I ever saw were negroes. But they lived in small country places where their social ob- iigations were not so exacting as they seem to be here. I am also nvinced. a1ter very thorough study of several specimens, that a literary cook will not meet the requirements of the av craze person ho is fond of food for eating purposes. Modern literature is Tot conducive to the efficiency of A brunette female whose principal aim IT. life should be directed toward har- monizing few high priced groceries into finished product that would prove less fatal if used moderately than dumdum bullets. We had a cook recently who was of very religious. as well as of very literary tenn perament. She could quote scriptura most fluetly and devoted much of her
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-08
Big Crosstie Contract

q am going down in the lower edge of the county-out into the sticks--to superintend the cutting of crossties on lands belonging to my family and some leased lands." said Jerre Gwin, former engineer of highways.
 'I intend to camp out for some months, and to enjoy the outdoor life to the fullest My present contracts calling for 10000 ties-will occupy my time and attention until about Septem- Der 1. After that. will return to my calling of engineer. expect to return home every week to spend Sunday with my family in Ensley."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-08
POINTED PARAGRAPHS

From the Chicago News.
 The mother tongue has the father tongue beaten.
 No great success was ever attained by kicking.
 One little taste of defeat is difficult to swallow
 The young widow begins to talk about her late husband rather early.
 The average man wastes lot or en- ergy in laughing at his own jokes
 Once in a while woman wears hat that actually looks like one.
 According to statistics, there are more men with blockheads than wooden legs.
 It doesn't }take a woman long to get wise to 8 rians actions after marrying hirn--tben she proceeds to call his bluY.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-08
WOMEN AND THE MANN ACT


 From the Chicago Tribune.
 The federal department of justice is said to regard the decision of the su- preme court in the Clara Holte case as an effective check upon the abuse of the Mann act for the purpose of black nail. As the department reports more cases in which men are the victims of blacSmaiiing conspiracies under this law than cases of real 'white slavery the reed for some check is plain. That it rather than explicit amendment is to be regretted.
 The Mann act is bad law with good purpose. It seeks, in fact, to reach one result while aimed at another. Passed under the pressure of public opinion, reused by the white slavery exposures and the resultant reform propaganda, 1t was drawn in such general terms as also to impose upon the federal government duties of moral discipline entirely within the powers of the states. To the zealous moralist and the minimizing >this result was to be welcomed because federal agencies of prosecution are now sup posed to be more vigorous and unsparins than local agencies. But simply shift ing responsibility from one agency to aEother is to obtain temporary benefits at the expense of deteriorating both agencies in the long run.
 Furthermore, this legislation was iri- proper because it took advantage of pub- lie opinion aroused against one heinous offense-"white slavery''-to include with in the severe penalties of law osten- sibly directed against that offense other offenses far less serious, however rep rhensible from the point of view of pri- vate morality.
 The Mann act is a specimen of a kind of legislation which is not based on gen. eral public opinion or candid consid- eration of the problems involved. It is the product of the organized pressure oi & comparatively few enthusiasts. Not a little of our legislation is of this order It is not democratic, but, on the con- trary, is a weakness of democratic leg islation.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-08
Success of the Crop Campaign

Alabama's crop diversification campaign is now well under way and the large attendance at the various county meetings held thus far and the enthusiasm which the farmers are manifesting are highly encouraging to the promoters of the movement.
 Prof. P. G. Holden, director of the farm experts, having spent three days in north Alabama with the crews conductingsthe campaign, says he has never seen better attendance at campaign meetings in any of the states. He found keen interest every where, and the spirit of cooperation was greatly in evidence. Continued enthusiasm is now well assured.
 Many intelligent farmers who had been giving most of their attention to cotton began two or three years ago to diversity, but now every progress sive farmer who has any progressive tendency will as result of this cam paign not only raise all the food crops he needs, but will raise them on such large scale as to add materially to his income. In many counties beef cat tie will be the principal money crop, and in all of them diversification will result in larger measure of prosperi- ty than ever known before in this part of the country.
 According to the latest agricultural statistics published in Sundays Age Herald Iowa has wrested from Texas the title of banner crop state. Last years harvests of thirteen principal crops grown in Iowa are valued at $351 ,450,000. Illinois crops, worth $319, 9,656,000, came next, while Texas, with crops worth $28S, S,355, ,00O came third. Had cotton prices been normal Texas would have remained in the lead, but it is the Lone Star state, like the rest of the cotton states, needs the diversification system.
 Alabama's crops grown last year are valued at $114, ,255 ,OOO. This state produced it's record breaking cotton crop, and before the European war began it was estimated that the value of its agricultural yield would total considerably more than $2O0,0OO, 1000. But even as it turned out, Alabama's crop production was greater in money value than Tennessee's by nearly $8,000,000. The crop statistics of the cotton states accentuate the impor- tance of diversification. Had it been general throughout Alabama last year the money value of it's crops would have much more than $2O0,OOO, ,OOO. The total would probably have reached $225, ,OO0, 1000.
 This diversification campaign will probably bear large fruit this year, but still greater benefits will be seen three or four. years hence, and Ala bama should not be satisfied with yields worth less in the aggregate than $4O0, 0,O00,000. Looking ahead ten years, the most ardent prophet of Alabama's prosperity can hardly overestimate the wealth that will be added to the state by the farmers.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-08
Business Continues to Improve

Business conditions continue to i'm. prove. As will be seen by the weekly reviews of the Associated Press there is very marked improvement in some branches. The United States Steel corporations ingot production last week increased operations to 53 per cont capacity. Several orders for
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-08
A BATTLE IN POLAND

From "The Russian Fighting in po,and Il,
 by Stanley Washburn, in the America n
 Review of Reviews for February.
 TNHE fight was now over front of
 perhaps 20 kilometers; there was no
 = strategy. It was all very simple. In this belt were Germans and Austrians. They were to be driven out if it took a month. Then began the carnage. Day after day the Russians fed troops in on their side of the wood. These entered. were seen for a few minutes. then dis appeared in the labyrinth of trees and were lost. Companies, battalions, regi- ments, and even brigades, were absolute ly cut off from all communication. None knew what was going on anywhere but few feet in front. All knew that the only thing required of them was to keep advancing. And they did. Foot by foot, day after day, fighting hand to hand ,tak- ing and retaking position after position. For all of this 10 kilometers of forest I venture to say there Is hardly an acre without its trenches, rifle pits and now graves. Here one sees where a dozen men had little fort all their own and IOuSnt lurlOuSly Wlt1 lne enemy lew feet away in a similar position. Day after day it went on, and day after day troops were fed into the Russian side of the wood and day after day the inter- mittent cvack of rifle fire and the roar of artillery hurling shells into the wood could be heard for miles,. But the artil- lery played no very great part, for the density of the forest made it impossible to g.t an effective range. Yet the fire was kept up and the forest for miles looks as though hurricane had swept through. Trees staggering from their shattered trunks and limbs hanging everywhere show where the shrapnel have been burst ing
 Yard by yard the ranks and lines of the Austrians were driven back, but the near CT their retreat brought them to the open country west of the wood the hotter was the contest waged; for each man in his own mind must have known how matters would fare with the retreat once
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-08
MARKETING CLEvERLY

From the Youths Companion
 "Have you nice cucumber?" asked Sandy, as he entered the market garden. "Yes, here is one,'' replied the gar- dener, that will be ninepence.'
 "Too much. Have you no one for about tuppence?"
 The gardener showed him a small one on the vines. You can have this one for tuppence,' he said.
 "All richt, here's the tuppence; but cont cut it off. I'll be calling for it in fortnicht.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-08

| the open country without shelter should be reached. The last two kilometers of the woody belt are something incredible to behcld; there seems hardly an acre that is not sown like the scene of a paper chase only here with bloody bandages and bits of uniform. Still there was meag- CT use for the artillery, but the rifle and the bayonet played the leading role. Men fighting hand to hand with clubbed muskets and bayonets contested each tree and ditch. But ever did the Russians systematically, patiently, steadily feed In the troops at their side of the wood
 The end was, of course, inevitable The troops of the dual alliance could not [ suppose, fill their losses and the Russians could. Their army was under way, and as one sees them these days one feels that they would have taken that belt of wood if the entire peasant population of the Czar had been necessary to feed to the maw of that ghastly monster of car mage in the forest. But at last came the day when the dirty, grimy bloody sol- dlers cf the Czar pushed their antagon- ists out of the far side of the belt of woodland, and what a scene there must have been in this lovely bit of open coun- try with the quaint little village of Au- gustow at the crossroads! Once out in the open the hungry guns of the Rus sians, so long yapping ineffectively with out knowing what their shells were do- ing, had their chance. Down every road through the forest came the six-horse teams with the guns jumping and jingling behind, with their accompanying cais- sons heavy with death-charged shrapnel, and the moment the enemy were in the clear these batteries, eight guns to a unit, were unlmbered on the fringe of the wood and pouring out their death and destruction on the wretched enemy now retreating hastily across the open. And tho place where the Russians first turned loose on the retreat Is a place to remem- Der. Dead horses, bits of men, blue uni- forms, shattered transport, overturned gun carriages, bones, broken skulls and grisley bits of humanity strew every. acre of the ground
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-08

of better understanding between cap ita1 and labor, and prospects of more harmonious relations, notwithstanding g hard time. The fourth of March Is close at hand. Congress will then adjourn and the country will have a rest of at least nine months from new legislation.
 "A very striking illustration of inn proved conditions here was the readl- ness with which the Pennsylvania loan was absorbed. the subscriptions. it be- ing understood, having five times ex- ceeded the amount"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-08
In the Business World

Henry Clews, in his Wall street TO- view of Saturday, says in part:
 'In spite of world wide uncertainty, display continued recuperation ten- dencies. The improvement is slow, too slow to satisfy American optimism, but each week shows distinct gain, both | of sentiment and in the volume of trade. It is well perhaps that the gain is slow,
 inasmuch as 1t will thus prove more permanent while premature convales-
 cence would surely invite unpleasant setbacks.
 ward movement is beyond question. It Is based chiefly upon the abundance of
 loanable funds at reasonable rates and a good demand for our agricultural prod ucts at generally satisfactory prices. Undoubtedly the farmers of this coun- try are prosperous, and this gratifying
 condition, coupled with the sound bank | ing situation, Is the prime source of . our present national strength. These
 are the factors enabling us to over
 come Arrangements which followed the war anu LO cHQuTc tilc pdT
 alysis brought on by a prolonged era | of public unrest and hostility to biz business. They have, as yet, by nt
 means spent their force, and in addi-
 tion there are other factors serving L, strengthen recuperative tendencies Chief of these Is the political situation Both Congress and the administration
 are now refiecting the moree reasonable attitude of the public toward large
 corporations. The abuses of the latter which so aroused public opinion nc longer exist. Our great industrial lead
 CTS are doing their utmost to satisfy
 the public and to give others besides themselves a fair chance. Out of all the ! bitter discussion which has been going
 on for nearly decade there are signs
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-08

Europe up to the middle of the eight- eenth century. The Chinese locksmith of today uses exactly the same kind of tools that his forefathers had, for they are very simple and primitive He car- ries all his impedimenta in two cabinets. sitting on one and working at the other When he has finished all the work avail able in one neghborhood he fastens the two cabinets to bamboo rod and sings it over his shoulder. He tramps through the towns burdened in this way, and stops when he is called, much as a scissors grinder or umbrella mender does in our country.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-08

BEGINNING THE DAY-O God, hold me in my misery not only to be comforted by remembering that happier days must come, but help me to dig into my desert until .bsll find living water. Show me the song mt the heart of my sor- row. May my very grief unprisor my soul. For Christ's sake. Amen. III. NJ. E.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-08
The Proper Time

From the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
 This is a good time to revive Stephen Grelet's touching lines:
 T shall pass through this world but once. Any good thing that can do, there- fore or any kindness l can show to any human being. let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-08
CHINESE LOCKS

From. the February Wide World Maga-
 zine.
 of Chinese make. Although it is impos- sible to tell the exact date of those still extant, they are wonderfully well made. and as strong as any manufactured in
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-08
ALABAMA PRESS

Talladega Reporter: Statewide tick, Coco Cola and snuff bills had not been passed by the legislature as we go to press.
 Selma Times: A Kentuckian avows that he owes his long life to pie. We
 know some people who have lived a long time an the political variety. N Montgomery Times: Everybody seems to think that just because Francis Sayre, Jr., was born in the White House, his chances of ever being elected Presi- dent of this country are doomed. Tough
 luck He should have been born in a log cabin.-Birming gham Age-Herald. Anyhow, the President was deter mined not to place a millstone about his neck in giving him a name. Plain Francis leaves him free to work out his own destiny. to maintain his own individuality. independent of his dis tinguished grandfather.
 Attalla Herald: Sugar is getting cheaper again." says the Birmingham
  ing towards the blue." And yet it was only few short months ago that we were taught by the sugar spectators to believe that sugar was about the only thing in the food line that the
 armies of Europe could use in their business. Perhaps few applications of
 the Sherman antitrust law, judiciously
 applied would reach the trouble. put wheat out of the 'vaulting" business, and remind the wheat spectators of the touch of high life that Uncle Sam" gave to the coffee speculatoTs some- time ago.
 Collinsville Courier: The Age-Herald still seems to be of the opinion that a majority of the general assembly have hong ears and bray like mule. We will wait until we see what they do with the woman suffrage bill before we open
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-08

A magazine story contains the descrip- ent champion of France and another pugilist almost as well known, and the author hasn't taken the trouble to change their names, although his story is pre- sumaby fiction. The 'pugs" should pay the author for advertising them.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-08

Crop diversification is proving one of the most popular movements started in Alabama in a long time, and it's a move- ment in the right direction.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-08

Since Germany has declared a blockade Britons are doubtless trying to think up worse term of approbrium thar Huns for the Kaiser's subjects.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-08

It seems that the Chicago tailors can not find the perfect man." No won- der. He hasn't been born yet.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-08

A Pratt City man claims that his grandmother is 135 years old. If people can't live long in Alabama they can't live long anywhere.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-08

A Sunday afternoon spent in a moving picture theatre is better than a Sun day afternoon spent in a poker game.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-08

There may be a difference of opinion as to what happened to Birmingham $ finances, but nearly everybody will agree that they need mending.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-08

The I.usitania' Is a queenly ship, and than when she was flying the American flag, even if it was a ruse to mislead the Germans.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-08

A correspondent says that some of the German generals don't look at all like fighters. However, judged from their pie lures, most of them do.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-08

The state legislature has discovered that while Governor Henderson may be shy of hair, he is by no means shy of brains.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-08

Even the Mexicans are beginning to tire of so much strife. If the military leaders down there could be eliminated the feeling might soon be unanimous.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-08

Mime. Emmy Destinn is to take out American citizenship papers. Mime. Des- tim is a true artist and is welcome to
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-08

The esteemed Montgomery Times does not understand the use of the word 'balmy" in a pert paragraph recently published in The Age-Herald. The Times is correct in It's dictionary definitions of the word, but it was used with quota a special meaning. "Balmy" Is an Eng fish colloqualism and means lacking in gray matter That was why it was ap- piled to the state legislature, which was at the time indulginf in some extraordi- nary performances.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-08

Optimists are already looking forward to the time when revolving doors will be folded fiat for the summer.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-08
Regarding Sunday Picture shows

While I appreciate the educational value of moving pictures, [ seldom have time during the week to go to one of the shows and if they were open on Sunday afternoons I would hardly have time to attend, but I am heartily in favor on general principles of allowing the movies to be exhib- ited on Sunday" said a prominent cit izen whose business requires his att tention on Sundays as well as on week days.
 T am sure that many a hardy ork- ing man who does have a Sunday rest would enjoy the privilege of attending the picture shows on Sundays. Some one told me the other day that a state law permitted places of amusement to open on Sunday when entertainments were given for charity, but that they were not allowed to open except for the object named. That is a mistake. One of Birminghams best lawyers said he had looked into the matter thor oughly and while there are laws pro- hibiting a lot of things being done on Sunday there was no reference what ever to theatres. shows or concerts. These come under the head of police regulation and are therefore subject to city laws"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-08

Of approximately every 50O persons in the United States in 1910, there was one inmate of an insane asylum. A recent report of the census bureau states that in typical community of 100000 people, divided equally as to sex. POS males and 200 females were in insane asylums In one year 72 males and 60 females would be admitted to the asylums. In the year 1880 there were 2O6S male lunatics in the asylums of the United States and 20 ,3O7 females In 30 years this number had increased to 9s.695 males and so.O96 fe- males, exclusive of insane privately cared for. The male admissions to insane asy- lums in 1910 shows an increased ratio over females, 13 males being admitted to 100 females. Deducting alcoholic psy- choss and general paralysis. the propor- ton of the sexes is the same As the two diseases mentioned result from dis- sipation. the figures do not indicate that males under normal conditions are any more subject to insanity than females
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-08

Washington bureau. POT Hibbs build ing.
 European bureau, Henrietta street, Covent Garden, London.
 Eastern business office, Rooms AS ;o 50, inclusive, Tribune building, New York city; western business office, Tribune building, Chicago. The 5. C. Beckwith Special Agency, agents for eign advertising.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-08

Daily and sunday Ase-Herald. $S.J0
 Daily and Sunday, per month";. 10 Daily and Sunday, three months. 2.01 Weekly Age Herald, per annum... .50 Sunday Age-Herald. d............ 2.O5