davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-15
THE "pLUNGERsv FINISH

From the New York Herald
An aged man stood at the bar of the
Essex market court the other day to re-
ceive a six months workhouse sentence
for street begging. He presented such
a pitiable spectacle that 1t was difficult
to realize that he had been in his day
a successful race course ''plunger."
Twenty-Five years ago he was worth
nearly three-quarters Of million dollars,
but, to quote his own words, the break
came. just as it comes in the life of
every gambler who sticks at the trade
long enough In a few years 1 was
penniless." His history is that of scores
of others who have followed the wretched
trade of gambling. Some of them may
be seen strolling in Broadway borrowing
from the few who do not flee at their
approach. Others are in bowery lodging
houses or on Blackwell's Island. Few
leave anything behind them when they
die.
Many years ago a young gambler gave
to Mayor Hewitt check for the yellow
fever sufferers. In relating the circum-
stance he said: THE mayor thanked me
and then said something I don't quite
| understand. l told him 1 was the new
| 'plunger' on the Brighton track! In that
case he said, I think I'd better get ur
at daybreak and deposit this check.
What do you suppose he meant?"
This one-tme "plunger' probably lived
to find out what the wise mayor meant
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-15
THE POILUS

stables. bloody and silent. but not de-
feated
Now they gave us tobacco and souve-
Mrs, and told us of their gosses, and
helped US tinker with our cars, about
which some of them, mechancians in
happier days. knew so much more than
we did; and now they died in our am
balances, and sometimes went mad. We
saw them gay and we saw them gassed;
we found them idling or writing letters
on the running boards of our cars and
we found the dark stains of their fading
lives upon our stretchers; we passed
them stealing up like stalwart ghosts to
action, and we left them lying in long
brown rows beside the old roads of Elan
ders.
And to me, at least. it seemed that the
dominant note and characteristic quality
of the poilu, and all his intense activity,
was just disciplined matter of factness
a calm fine, businesslike efficiency an
utter absence Of heroics. OF his heroism
it is superfluous to speak now. My OBJ
servation convinced me, indeed. that
fortitude is everywhere more common
and evident, not less, than even rhap-
sodical writer's have represented. There
seems literally no limit to the powers
Of endurance of the human animal once
he is put to it.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-15

NAL gardens. In places their blossoms
lay in banks, as the golden poppy lies
on the hills of California
Then we rounded a corner into street
what it was before l cannot tell-that
was all wrecked. 1 had been seeing de-
vastated towns for two years off and
on now, but never so great a city so
nearly ruined. The debris, when it first
fell, had blocked the street. road
for motor cars had been shoveied
through. In places the bank of dust.
of burned wood. of shattered stones,
Of twisted iron, rose as high as our
seats. The buildings on both sides were
so nearly effaced that they lacked even
those pathetic little signs of former hui
man habitation that one so often sees
amid other ruins. as a bed in the intact
corner of broken second story, a pic
ture on a shattered wall kitchen stove
with the pot still on the hole. White,
however, pointed toward a side street.;
Down there's a nursery" he said,
with the front blown off. The toys are
Just as the children left them-a hobby
horse, a Teddy bear, big dollhouse and
all that. Border of little rabbits and
kittens round the wall papcr-you know
how they fix up nurseries. And over
there"-he pointed in another direction
"a shell has torn down the walls of a
house and just pulverized everything in
it except one thing. There's a big statue
of Napoleon in the hall. 1t hasn't been
touched, and it stands with its arms
folded facing north and defying the
Germans!"
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-15
Car Shortage Critical

Birmingham is not the only place sur
fering from shortage of cars" said
Luther Davis, a prominent business man
of Tuscaloosa, who was in the city yes
terday. Tuscaloosa is one of the most
important lumber centers in the south
and that industry is badly crippled be-
cause of inability of the mill owners to
secure cars.
There are about so lumber mills in our
county and in addition to these there ara
many In the adjoining countless The
iunnoer business has shown remarkable
Improvement during the past six months,
yet we are receiving practically no ben.
efits because of this car shortage. Some
of the mill owners are really in a critical
condition, as they have many thousands
OF dollars worth of lumber on the yards
which has been sold but it cannot be
moved. Some of them will soon have t.
close down when they have many un.
nlled orders on their books
The business interests of Tuscaloosa
are at work on this proposition, as it is
Gripping other lines of industry as well
as the lumber business. A fund has been
raised to look into the matter and find
where the fault is While the blame ID
not attached to the representatives of the
railroads in this section, many of the
business men are of the opinion that
those higher up are responsible for the
situation and that they are doing abso-
iutely nothing to remedy the shortage.
This investigation may bring out some in
teresting facts
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-15
A DOUBTFUL "ATRocrTY. CHARGE

From the Washington Star.
A rather fantastic story comes from
Petrograd which charges the Germans
with a form of cruelty that is difficult
to comprehend. 1t is alleged that, ac-
cording to testimony taken by Rus
sian commission of inquiry, numbers of
Russian prisoners were CARRIED in Ger
of the German lines in France, to de-
ceive French air scouts, who, taking
them for German reserves dropped bombs
on them. Just why Germany should take
the trouble to send large number OF
Russian prisoners all the way across
Germany and through Belgium into
France, a mater of several hundred
miles, with the railroads presumably
working to capacity in the transport of
German troops and supplies, in order to
have them bombed by the French is
difficult to understand. II deception of
air scouts were desired as to the num-
Der and position of reserves, and there
were German uniforms to spare for the
purpose, French and English prisoners, it
would seem, would be more conveniently
available for this purpose. Germany has
long list of cruelties to answer in the
summing up of the war, but this charge
must be held as distinctly subject to
positive proof In the face of the fact
that the action would of itself be merely
stupid.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-15
AT THE GAVE OF WALKER

BY Joaquin Miller.
He lives in the leveled sand,
from the tropic sun.
And now of all he knew not one
Will speak him fair in that far land.
Perhaps twas this that made me seek.
Disguised, his grave one winter-tide:
A weakness for the weaker side,
A siding with the helpless weak.
A palm not far held out a helping hand,
Hard by long green bamboo swung,
And bent like some great bow unstrung,
And quivered like a willow wand;S
Perched on it's fruits that crooked hung,
Beneath a broad banana leaf,
A bird In rainbow splendor sang
A low. sad song, of tempered grief.
No sod, no sign. no cross nor stone,
But at his side cactus green
Upheld its lances long and keen;
1t stood in sacred sands alone,
Flat palmed and fierce with lifted spears;
One bloom of crimson crowned its head
A drop Of blood so bright, 30 red.
Yet redolent as roses tears.
In my left hand held a shell
All rosy Tipped and pearly red;
| laid it by his lowly bed.
For he did love SO passing we'll
The grand songs of the solemn sea-
o SHE'LL sing we'll, Wild. with a will,
When storms blow loud and birds be still.
The widest sea song known to thee!
said some things with folded hands,
Soft whispered in the dim sea sound,
And eyes held humbly to the ground,
And frail knees sunken in the sands
He had done more than this for mo. "
And yet I could not we'll do more.
turned me down the olive shore.
And set q sad. face to the sea.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-15
HOTEL LOBBIES


according to Chairman George Whatley
OF the Jefferson county board of equali-
zauon' the report of the property valua-
lions which will be submitted to the tax
assessor within the next two or three
weeks will show only slight raise over
the previous assessments.
we are working rapidly on the books. q"
said Mr.. Whatley, "and expect to be
through before October l, when the tax
BOOKS are open. However, there is still
much work to be done, especially since
because of faulty bookkeeping much OF
our work has. to be done over. AS to the
raise in the assessed valuations of the
county, I do not believe it will be much
over the previous figures. In fact, our
report will not create much excitement
in the community, when it is finally SUBJ
mitted"
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-15

From the Louisville Courier-Journal.
YIN letter to the London Chronicle
Sir Thomas Esmonde. a grandson Of
Henry Grattan, and member Of Par
lament for Wexford. who lost a noble
and gifted son in the naval battle Off
Jutland, writes of the insensate abuse
Of the Irish in England:
IT have grown sick and tired of the
incessant abuse of Ireland in connection
with the war I do not know if there Is
any sense of fair play left in England
where ireland Is concerned, but If there
is, the interests both Of the war and OF
the empire would suggest a stop to this
amending yillifcation Of Irishmen. Neither
do I know if there is anyone In England
of sufficient manliness and honesty and
authority to cry halt to this hideous cam
paign Of hate. 1t would be to Englands
interest If he could be speedily discov-
cred
.what have we Irish done, already In
| this war? We have supported 1t from
the outset. We have done all we could
to insure it's success in the teeth OF the
bitterest official opposition in every quar-
ter. We have submitted to the CHASTITY
nnisgovernment of our country and to all
the needless vexations of so-called war
measures without protest. SWe have con-
tributed far more than our fair share of
have sent the flower Of our manhood to
| fight and die without either reward or
recognition.
1--WE have done all this. first. because
we believed in the Justice of the war;
and, secondly, because we believed in the
promises OF English statesmen. The char
acter of the war remains the same. but
through monstrous msmana cement II
has brought us infinitely greater sorrow
and loss than we ever could have an
ticipated. The promises of English
statesmen turn out to be scraps of pa
per. and what do we Irish get in return
for our sacrifices? Nothing but ABUSE
gross, cowardly. dishonest abuse
when I think of our glorious lrisn
regiments and their unacknowledged deeds
| OF unsurpassed heroism-of our gaiiant
Irish sailors who for two terrible years
have guarded the empire In stress ana
storm and danger from the Arctic to the
| Antarctic-when I think OF Flanders ana
France. and Gallopoli and Servia, ana
Mesopotomia. and Egypt-of the landing
at the Dardanelles with its awful toll OF
irish lives-of our splendid Tenth Irish
division recklessly thrown away by Brit
| ish incompetency-of the hundreds OF
irish sailors who perished in the Jut-
land battIe-s0o of them in two ships
alone. When think of our desolate
irish homes-of the unnumbered Irish
fathers and mothers and sons and daugh.
ters who have bravely and uncomplain-
inclv given what they loved best on earth
TO the service Of the empire-I ask my
self, what spirit possesses the anti-Irish,
when not even our children's sacrifice will
propitiate them?"
In America, SO say we all. Outside a
faw Anglomaniacs around about Boston
England as England has no friends In
the United States and deserves none.
Nor is there any love for US among the
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-15
A CRYPTIC MESSAGE.

Henry" said Mrs. Gadspur, sternly,
here is a note addressed to you. l took
the liberty of opening it."
Yes. my dear
1T merely contains the numeral fol-
lowed by the letters, P. G. S. o. P.
Now, want to know what is the mean
ing of this
well, il you must know, my dear the
note merely means 9 o'clock. Poker
game. Same old place. And, of course,
l have no intention of being there
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-15
LUKE M'LUKE SAYS

Copyright, 1916 by the Cincinnati En-
qurer)
Some men give you the impression, that
the only use they have for their heads
is to have a handy place to hang their
hats on.
You say the other fellow won't listen
to reason when what you mean Is that
he won't listen to you.
Our idea of pretty girl is one whose
complexion tastes as good as it looks.
There are lots of silent partners who
are not in business. They are henpecked
husbands
We do not blame the girls for dressing
comfortably this sort of weather. But
why do SO many Of them imagine that
thew have to wear their collars under
their arms?
You may have noticed that the mar
who is always claiming that the world
owes him living Is usually too lazy tc
get out and collect it.
When the bride begins to refer to her
lingerie as her underwear you can bel
the honeymoon is ended.
The only sure way to get the best OF
an argument Is to keep out of 1T.
Maybe you have noticed that the more
pills a woman takes the more pimples
she has.
After a man has been married fpI
awhile he never has more than one til
for regular wear. The old ties are cop
ped out by friend wife and used a.
carriers when she is around the house
We may inherit our vices. But we &C
suire our virtues. II you will let III
tell 1t.
What has become of the old-fashione(
man who used to stay home at night al
read. The Pilgrims Progress?
The women certainly believe in adver
Using. And most of them dress so a.
| to act as their own shop windows.
| The man who imagines that he Is mar
rying an angel in disguise often discov
ers later on that the disguise was per
manent
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-15
DRAMATIC RESCUE AT SEA

From the Dayton Journal.
Already the plan for the creation of a
coast life saving aerial fleet, such as ap-
pears to be on the way, has received an
Endorsement of the most practical char
acter. At Atlantic City two aerial boat
owners had been given parking privi-
leges. Suddenly the call came for them
from Capt Albert Hall of the beach pa
troll to go to the rescue Of a bather who
was rapidly drifting out to sea on an in
flated tire as his only support. He was
quite quarter of mile beyond safety
when. the call reached the birdmen. Cap
tain Hall In the flying craft made a
quick flight to the spot, swooped down
with easy assurance, picked the swimmer
up, and returned to the shore, where
medical attention saved his life. AS a
result these two airboats are now Off
cially connected with the beach life saw
ing service.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-15
THE STUPID ENGLISH

English. The ruling caste in England Is
our enemy If there is ever another great
war, as. pray God, there may never be,
it will be between the United States and
England.
Away back in the seventies of the last
century, nigh on to 50 years ago, young
Kentuckian. writing from London to the
Courier-Journal of the anti-American
feeling everywhere manifest exclaimed
In burst of extreme disgust of the nou-
veaux riches among his countrymen who
were boot-lcking the British lion and
cooling their heels in the outer rooms Of
the legation after invitations to court
1T is my ambition to lead column of
black-horse cavalry across Trafalgar
square, up the Haymarket and through
Piccadilly to Hyde Park corner, camping
around Rotten Row and watering in tha
Serpentine, thence to show these var
mints thing or two" Some exaggera.
ton may be forgiven youngster equally
callow and patriotic But. truly, when
the oldest of US reads such a simple, true
and touching statement as that quoted
above, he feels like varying the Ito H.
with the H. and the H." with ITO hell
with the fools and bigots of Downing
street,"
In what has Austria treated Servia
worse, has Germany treated Belgium
worse. than England has treated IrelandS
Next after sending the Hohenzollern to
hot grass and freeing the German people,
and seeing the Hapsburgs go up the
flume in a column of sulphurous smoke,
it will be the turn Of their cousins of
England to walk the plank. Then will
Ireland come by her own. Then will JUS.
tice be rendered among nations and
among men, Then will America be Eng
lands friend-and not till then.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-15
Pathephone Records

1.-The Brunswick Balke- Collender COM
pany will place a machine on the mar
ket known as the Pathephone soon," said
L. G. Weber, special representative of
that concern, in Birmingham "One of
the largest deals recently made in the
north was the purchasing of the Pathe
disc records by the Brunswick-Balke
company.
THE concern 1 represent has long been
known as one Of the largest manufac-
turers of billiard tables and high class
fixtures in the world. The recent an
nouncement of them entering the record
and Pathephone business has caused
much comment in financial circles. In
addition to the record and Pathephone
business they will. in the future, manu-
facture automobile tires. The details OF
the transaction which involved millions
of dollars are now being worked out.
look for an exceedingly big business in
the south this year."
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-15
WON TOO MUCH

New York Correspondence Pittsburg Dis
patch.
He laughs best who laughs last. When
two men differed upon question last
night at well known inn. each was so
positive he was right that he offered to
buy the other the best cigar in the house
il proveH wrong. The loser gamely or
dered the waiter to bring on the best
smoke" The waiter did SO. 1t was
packed in a special box, wrapped round
and round with tinfoil and was exactly IL
inches long. six dollars, SIR said the
waiter. and watched with compassion as
the man recovered. Then the loser re.
membered that one of the stipulations had
been that the loser must watch the winner
smoke the cigar to the last atic
draw. He sat back In his chair and began
to enjoy the prospect. despite the knowl-
edge that Sc cigar check was waiting for
him. For exactly one hour and a half
the winner struggled with the IA inches
of tobacco. When he had finished it his
face registered a distinct fatigue. He
hurried out in the direction OF the river.
There is small possibility that he will
smoke for sometime.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-15
OLD NANTUCKET

From the Boston Post.
The fine old island of Nantucket has
lost another IF it's distinctions, no
longer is it without the telephone. Yet
in losing it there departs nothing of
its delightful flavor of quaintness. for
the telephone is formless and will not
intrude itself to the detriment of the
charming tout ensemble" And it will
please the rest of the world to be able
to say Hello. Nantucket" once in a
while.
The island is still a horse-and-c
Lriage paradise, where the cough of the
Automobile rends not the health giving
air. Philistines growl at this, but the
people of the island know best, and the
thousands of pilgrims to their fascinat-
ing shores are for the most part glad
enough to find one spot sacred to pla-
cidity and rest.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-15
HOW FRANCE DID 1T

From the New York Telegram.
On October II, 1910, the National FEEDER
alton of Railway Employees of France and
the Federation of Unions of Railway
Engineers and Firemen Of France called
a general strike on all the railways of
the country.
The very day the general strike was
declared the ministers. using their full
authority under military laws. called for
the mobilization of the strikers the fol-
lowing day to join the colors for three
weeks military training. The military
duty to which the employees were sum-
moned consisted In the maintenance OF
the railways in working order.
In six days the railway labor organiza-
tons declared the strikes ended.
Good thing to bear In mind.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-15
ADRIFvT WITH THE TIMES
A CHANGE OF HEART.

The blatant campaign orator
Is heard throughout the land;
He pounds the table with his fist
And roars to beat the band.
He pleads his party's righteous cause
While tears come in his eyes,
And on his false opponent calls
Down Judgment from the skies.
He prides himself on telling facts
And that's his daily boast;
He wants to see the truth prevail
For aye, from coast to coast.
And though he wakes eloquent,
Which cannot be denied,
He used to talk the selfsame way
When on the other side.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-15
Faxors Consolidation

II am in favor of the proposed con-
solidation of the Tidewater lines and
the Birmingham Railway, Light and
Power company lines" said Dr. H. A..
Elkourie. II cannot see any argument
that might be advanced against this
proposed plan FOR the merging of these
two street railways. In view of the
fact that the people. the masses, will
be the main ones who will be bene-
fitted by this consolidation I could not
be against this proposition.
"a transfer system that will aid ma
terially those residents who live in
East Lake, Ensley and Bessemer will
result from this deal. Another thing
that i,npresses me with the virtue of
the merger is that the employees OF the
Birmingham Railway, Light and Power
company are now unionized and re-
ceive a higher scale of wages than
those who labor for the Tidewater. In
the event of the consolidation these
men will reap the benefit of higher
| wages and the whole public will reap
the benefit of better service plus trans
fers."
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-15
National Highway

Practically all of our good roads
funds for this year are going to be put
on the Memphis, Birmingham and AT
lanta highway said Probate Judge w
J. oliver. of Talladega county, who was
in Birmingham yesterday attending thu
meeting of the good roads enthusiasts al
the Tutwiler hotel
I'VE believe in this branch of the road
and we are going to work to put oui
share of 1t in condition. 1t is the pur>
pose of the promoters of this road to
make it part of the Washington ma
ticnal highway, or branch of 1t. This
section OF the country has been left out
of the route of this highway and that OF
the Dixie highway. SO 1t is up to us to
build this connecting link from Memphis
by Birmingham and Atlanta"
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-15
sHELL-ToRN yERDUN

Will Irwin. in the Saturday Evening
Post.
We entered verdun through an I'M
damaged street The blinds and shut
tiers were drawn; it looked simply, on
first sight, as though the people hac
gone away for summer vacation. On
second glance you saw how nature, the
uncomfortable, was prevailing over the
works of man. For the scarlet peoples
which blow in the fields OF all Europe
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-15
BAD FOR HER TEMPER.

Are you looking forward to election
day with much anxiety?"
More than have ever experienced be-
fore" answered Mr.. Dubwaite.
Are you afraid your party is going to
loser"
"Oh, 1t isn't that. Mrs Dubwaite is 60
pect rather trying evening when she
returns from the polls"
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-15
WILLING TO BUY COAL.

should not care to hunt the pole.
And plough my way through seas OF ice;
Let others seek a frozen goal,
I'll just keep warm at any price.