davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-12-01

living. 1t is the song Of one in the
world and of it, and rejoicing so to be-;
yet there is in it a haunting sense of
aloofness. of mystery, or something be-
yond ones ken. 1t is as If his joy had
deeper foundations than sunshine and
plenty; as though he had lived through
pain, clear to the other side OF Of 1t, and
learned that it, too, is good.
His powers Of mimicry, I think, are
greatly exaggerated. He does not really
sing other birds songs, as his cousin,
the catbird, does; he merely experiments
with their notes-a stave from thra5her
here, a light flung oriole measure there,
a thrush note, piercing sweet a bit of
the wren's summer trili. 1t is as If he
would try life on all sides and look at
it from every point of view; his ear
Is keen for the music from every throat.
But always, through all this imaginative
performance, he clings to the integrity OF
his own message. One may hear a cat
bird for an hour, and, unless one sees the
blithe gray mime among the leaves, never
suspect his heal identity. But all a
noclxing birds borrowed notes are woven
into the texture of his own song, which
wholly claims him as the melody rises,
sweeping him with it bodily up to heaven.
His is the rapture of open vision, feath-
cred mystic that he is.
Now a bird like that one would expect
to be a recluse, dwelling apart in clois-
tered green, afar from his fellows and
from mankind; but the mocking bird
fatty declines that role. He is a bird
OF affairs, friendly and neighborly
withal, a haunter of mems doorways
and house vines, and a public spirited
citizen who rejoices to succor the OPP
pressed. For he has fine, full fledged
temper of his own. and any amount of
fighting blood. He rarely seeks a quar-
rel; but if one is thrusts upon him, either
by aggressions attempted upon his own
rights or by the call of another bird in
distress, he accepts the combat with
alacrity, and carries it joyfully to a
triumphant conclusion. And three min
utes after the enemy is routed his voice
floats down from the highest perch IN
the vicinity as if he We're singing at
heavens gate He has fought for all he
is worth, yet not a feather of his spirit
is ruffled.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-12-01

NIX TAsH1NGToN, November 80.
WV Especial -Concerning Philep,
toward which the victorious
Servians and their allies are pressing
after having retaken Monastir from the
Germans and Bulgarians, the National
Geographic society issues the following
war geography bulletin:
Situated at the head Of the Pelagonian
plain, rs miles northeast of Monastir-a-
long Elk hours journey over rough road
before military necessities brought about
an improvement of the highway-Philep,
also called Perlepe, is an important stra-
getic point whose capture by the Ser
VANS would be a material step in the
retaking of their homeland.
"Circling the town to the north and
east are the rock Babuna hills, and over
these to the north lies the city Of Uskup,
some 40 miles distant.
'Prileps value from a. military stand
point Is due largely to the fact that in
this railroadless country even 4indiffer-
emily good dirt roads are scarce, and at
this point five important highways con-
verge The most important of these, of
course, leads to the southwest to Monas-
tir, across the Pelagonian plain another
strikes due west to Krashevo, high up
among the hills 10 miles away; third
follows stony and meandering north
westerly course to Kostovo, a town sit
uated at the source of the Vardar river;
the fourth mounts the Babuna range of
to the northeast, a station on the Saloni-
ki-Uskup railway; the fifth strikes east
and then northeast to Rosoman, follow
ing the bed Of the Rajec torrent, a tribu-
tary of the Cerna river
"Philep is dear to the hearts of all Ser
Wan peasants, for around it cluster
countless stories of one of the nations
most popular Legendary supermen-
Marko Kralievitch, otherwise Kings Son
Marlzo.
"The ruins of the Castle of Kings
Son Marko overlook the town, and if the
visitor proves to be a sympathetic audi
tor the guide will no doubt point out to
him, in the slabs of rock which strew
the approach to the stronghold, the in
delible footprints of the masters favor
lite steed, Sharatz. And If you should
happen to be in Prilep on the anniversary
of Marko's festival, or slava,' you can
prove to your own satisfaction whether
there is any truth in the widely credited
peasant legend that at midnight the
| doors of the castle chapel burst open and
the hero, fully armed, rides in on his pie
bald charger, although the Mako of the
| flesh has been dead for 500 years.
"In an old Servian ballad called Mar
kos Judgement, there is recited this
prophecy: Kral O<ing) Vukashine, Mar
kos father, whose chief fortified city
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-12-01
THE CRUCIBLE

BY 'Piccolo."
Out of the test of me-rest of me-best
of me
Something shall be eclaimed-something
shall come.
Out of the stumbling, the fumbling, the
grumbling,
The CALLING, the falling-yea, even the
mauling,
The aches and the breaks-the clear grit
it takes,
The striving. the driving 'gainst petty
conniving,
Something shall yet be done-wonderful
fabrics spun
Games to be played-and won-even to-
day.
Out of the maze of it. out of the daze OF
it, every last phase of 1T,
will possess the key-I will prevail.
Out of the drilling, the grillng, the mill
ing.
The SQUIRTING, the buffing. yea, even ths
muffing,
The ringing the singing, the clnging
the flame
Luck loses many mile-PluclS wins with
easy smile, Fortune still knocks the
while
Back to the game!
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-12-01
PICTURE IN CONTRASTS
Pittsburg Dispatch.

From the Pittsburg Dispatch.
Two suicides in New York, the pub
lished accounts of which were side by
side, picture two sides of human nature
that are far apart, quite uncommon, and
noticeable more as a subject for reflec-
tive contemplation than in any other
sense The inquests brought out that one
of the suicides, a man, had ended his life
upon the completion of a business deal
involving 100000 for himself. 1t is super
fluous to point out the unusualness of
this.
The other suicide, q young woman
closed her career because Of impending
blindness, foreshadowed by failing sight
and refusal of doctors to promise any
thing but darkness for her future. She
could have endured the blindness for
itself, if it affected only herself, but she
could not face the condition because it
would end her unselfsh labors for the
dead than unable to follow out her self
chosen work of doing for others
She had occupied her time for years in
deeds of charity in any form for the
poor who surrounded her on the East
side. So widespread had been her work
that she was known generally as 1.-THE
Angel of the Eastside." She had access
to an inviting social life, but pushed
aside everything but the devotion to al
leviating suffering where it existed and
being helper where simply a sympa-
thetic human hand was the necessity.
Between the man who killed himself
in sheer nervous strain after days of ne
gotiating a business transaction involv-
ing fortune for himself and the young
woman of culture, refinement, beauty and
an ethical vision that chose death to
abandonment of helpful social work. there
is span that asks the mind to sit back
and take good long look at It, Pinned
to the bosom of her dress when her body
was found were these lines from "The
Journey Forward" by Moore:
$50 10th we part from all we love,
From all the links that bind us;
So turn our hearts as on we rove,
To those we've left behind u.s.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-12-01

Amy Oakley, in Harper's Magazine for
December.
N7OT even the hill towns of Italy
UWl have ever seemed to me so full of
q v charm, so enveloped in the spirit
of the middle ages, as the little town
of Torla upon hill in Aragon. Shut
off from all our modern life by the UNI
changing hills, it's customs vary little
from Gentry to century. Its fortress and
fortified convent are crumbling away,
and there remains only the Casa de VIII,
with but fading shadow of its former
splendor. Here, according to the old ira
dition, the traveller is always welcome
and is entertained by the Marques. But
now, alas, for the pride of other years!
the visitor leaves gold behind him-a
poor. mean way we moderns have, for
how can one pay for hospitality?
Our horses hoofs resounded through
the narrow street. where cloaked figures
lurked in dark, mysterious recesses. Lat
tees opened and wrinkled faces peered
out to see the cause of the unwonted
disturbance. AT a SUDDEN tuIH VIC SdiiO
upon the archWay on which is carved the
blazon of the VIII, the star and bell.
We knocked upon the portal. 1t was
opened by Ramon, the brother Of the
Marques Facing up across the patio was
the seventeenth century palace OF the
VIII, with balconies and grills of richly
wrought iron; to our left the wooden gal
lery opened out from the kitchens and
servants quarters; the family chapel ad-
Joined the archway; while the stables
completed the square. We were led up
the worn stone stairway, with ancient
carved balusters, and into the baronlal
hall.
Here the Marques greeted us. He was
a loosely built young man, with the
high brow and fine, straight nose OF
Aragon, but with puzzled eyes. which
seemed to ask why life should be 80
cruel He was one of the few in Torla
who had discarded the native dress and
who wore instead shapeless corduroys.
He was the only one who could chat with
us in French. Life was monotonous, he
told us; rarely did he see stranger.
Hearing that we had come from America,
he said that many young men from Torla
had gone there to make living-to
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-12-01
LIKE M,LUKE SAYS

After a fellow has lived for awhile he
begins to realize that it is easier to think
a matter out. and decide it for himself,
than to listen to the mess of assorted
advice his friends will give him.
They claim that men can't stand pros
perity. But most of us have never had a
chance to find out whether we could or
not.
1t always amuses a harness-galle old
timer to hear a callow youth telling the
crowd what he knows about women.
A woman can always pin more hair on
her head. But if a mans hair won
grow, he has to go without any.
A working girl will go out on strike for
some zap talk her into marrying him
and work IS.
The trouble with having a family
skeleton is that the blame thing always
wants to rattle when there is company
in the house.
Don't worry, girls. The men. who are
irdignatng about the low-necked waists
are the same fellows who would take a
good long rubber if they thought you
couldn't see them when they were do
ing it.
If vice We're as monotonous as virtue.
there would be a whole lot more good
people in the world
No matter how innocent a girl may
| SEEM she knows too much to pretend she
| does.
| small boys idea of q mother is a
| scary person who wants fellow to learn
how to swim before he goes near the
| water.
What has become of the oldfashioned
man who used to spend an exciting even
| ing at home playing parchesi, tiddly-
| wirks and crokinole?
| Worry is the best friend the doctors
and the undertakers have. And you have
no desire to fatten their batting aver
ages, have you?
| If YOU will only let some men do the
1 talking, they don't care hang who does
| the thinking.
| A man may know more than his wife.
But she can live with him for 20 years
and still remain in ignorance of the fact.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-12-01
HOTEL LOBBTES
Soldier Lie Along BORDER

L always enjoyed reading The Age
Herald while, I was in Alabama and
considered it decidedly the best paper
In the state" said w. A. Smith, who
Is connected with the engineering
corps Of the government at Douglas,
Ariz.
However, 1 did not realize Just what
a good newspaper it was until the
government sent me to the Mexican
border. We get copy of the paper
every day, and there is a great rush
to see who shall read it first. Some
times one man will read it aloud to
a big crowd which is certain to col
lect as soon as it becomes noised
abroad that The Age-Herald has ar
rived. At other times the paper is
passed around until it is literally worn
out from handling.
THE government has a. number of
men in the engineering department
stationed with the different detach-
ments of the troops The Alabama
boys on the border are doing well,
and they have been trained into SPLEEN
did soldiers. OF course, they are all
anxious to get home by Christmas,
but 1t seems that they will be unable
to do so.
There is one great advantage about
the action of President Wilson in call
ing the troops to the border. The
National Guard has been trained I'M
til it forms a splendid second line of
defense. In fact there are many units
in the guard which are practically as
good now as the regular army"
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-12-01
Mexican BOIL WeeriI

II see that the Mexican cotton boil
weevil is one of the newspaper head
liners these days." said Miss Sadie Ali
son, assistant in the Birmingham
the reading public should know that
the United States government has
made a very exhaustive study of this
vigorous little animal and that his
life history and everything else known
about him, with photographs for iden
LITIGATION, have been told in a book en-
titled Mexican Cotton Boil Weevil,
by w. D. Hunter and w. D. Pierce of
the bureau of entomology, United
States department of agriculture"
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-12-01
City ThOroughIy Aroused

1.-THE city seems to have been thor
oughly aroused over the proposed or
dinance of the commissioner of pub
lie safety regulating moving pictures
said Monte Semon, manager of the
Lyric 81 hardly believe the drastic
and unreasonable measures will re-
ceive any attention from the majority
of the commission.
"The author received a great deal of
publicity and the public found out
that people who sometimes seem to be
their champion are not. There hag
been a great deal of bombastic talk
and lot of nonsensical legislation
talked about at the city hall, but it is
doubtful if any action will be taken
on the majority of the blue law propo-
stions. The sooner this city Gains
down to business and quits listening
to the agitator the better it will be-
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-12-01
THE MOCKING BIRD

From I'm the Garden of Delight. by
L. II. Hammond, (Thomas Y. Crowell
Company. 81 metz
The hooking birds have a constant
fascination for me-the charm of COM
pick nature which touches life on many
sides. One can know robin by heart
in single season, and predict with ones
eyes shut the doings of anyone of the
proposition.
His song throbs with the pure joy Of
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-12-01
Shakespeare Debarred

II am glad to note that President
Ward and Commissioner Truss have
expressed their opposition to the pro-
posed movie ordinance" said Hardy
Burt. without impugning the intent
Of those behind the measure, it occurs
to me to be SO unreasonable in it's
provisions as to border on the absurd.
Should the ordinance become effective
it would debar such wholesome, inspir-
ing plays as the old Homestead and
The Little Minister and others of like
character that have been Endorsed by
clergy and laity the country over.
am also informed that not a single
ShakeSpearian play could be presented
under its restrictions. Such proposed
measures show a disposition toward
civic tyranny that has always been
repugnant to the average American
citizen"
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-12-01
ssWeeGese Town In Illinois
Sold to Oil Company

s'WeGGesG Town In Illimois"
Sold TO Oil Company
F77HAT the Standard Oil company
y is able to buy a town should
cause no surprise, but that deal of
this sort has actually been consum-
mated is unusual.
Benbow City, Ill.,, with a population
of 81 and % saloons, has been sold
outright by A. E. Benbow, owner and
permanent mayor, to David A. Wyck-
off, for the Standard Oil company, the
consideration being between 100000
and $4,000
Benbow City was founded twelve
years ago by the man whose name it
bears and was intended to house en-
ployes of the oil company, but
larger town was built on more
healthful site and named Woodriver.
The new town throve wonderfully,
while Benbow City fell into bad habits
and was known as the "wettest spot
in Illinois" 1t was also frequented by
lawbreakers and its days were num-
bered.
There is retribution in the fate that
has overtaken the town, for it will be-
come a switchyard. Its population of
81, who must be largely connected
with the liquor business, will probably
seek pastures new. 1t is too much to
expect that they will labor in the
switchyard.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-12-01
States With Marrow
Electoral Margins

TN HERE have been close electoral
y margins in presidential cleo
tions of years past, but not so many
of them as in this good year 1916.
Wilson carried New Hampshire by
majority of only Sc votes over Hughes,
but for the democrats to have carried
it at all was significant. That state
was for long time rockribbed in it's
republicanism, but like some other G.
O. P. strongholds, it has had demo-
cratic or independent leaning in re-
cent years.
In state elections the republican
plurality in New Hampshire has been
diminishing steadily since 1906, and
in 1912 it reached the vanishing point.
A democrat was elected governor for
the first time since the birth of the
republican party, although Wilson,
while he had a plurality of 2097 over
Taft, lacked nearly 10000 of having
majority over the combined vote of
Roosevelt and Taft.
Minnesota, at one time strong re-
publican state, came within 1872 votes
of going democratic. With compare
lively little effort in 1920 it should
be brought into the democratic
column.
There were some other narrow mar
gins, but the pivotal state was Cali
fornia. Without the electors of that
progressive commonwealth President
Wilson would have gone down in de-
feat. 1t was not big plurality that
he polled, but it was more than 5000,
and that was surprisingly large for a
state that used to be normally repub-
hcan.
Had it not been for the sweeping
republican majority that New York
gave Hughes the republican party
would have been crushed beyond re-
covery. 1t has lost the west, which
used to be as solidly republican as the
south was solidly democratic, and as
victory no longer depends upon New
York, the republican leaders will have
hard time to rally their old-time
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-12-01

"The laxity on the part of certain
watchmen at the Twentieth street
crossing is evident to the most casual
observer" said E. J. Donohue. "One ac~
cident has already occurred at this
point and it was clearly proven that it
was caused by the negligence of the
Waterman.
81 was on a Miner Heights bus to-
night when a clear case of carelessness
on the part of the fiagman was dis
at $40 o'clock and was northbound.
The driver stopped his machine and
waited for signal The fiagman who
has a little house on the right hand
side of the street was evidently dream
ing or telling an interesting yarn. AT
any rate two lanterns one green and
one red, sat on the ground beside the
house and the nagman was out of
sight. The fiagman on the left side of
the street was placidly walking to-
wards the Louisville and Nashville sta
ton with both lanterns in his hand.
1--WE waited for a minute or so. The
driver blew his horn. A switch en-
CINE backed almost to the crossing and
stopped. After a while we went on by.
Not a sign of a lantern being waved
was seen by me. Several other passen-
gers on the same bus remarked about
| the NEGLIGENCE. 1t will take a catastro-
| phe to wake someone up about this
Icondition of affairs"
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-12-01

You may not remember the notorious
Hanna Elias. She is living in poverty.
now and the moral element" is vim
dicated.
There may have been something lacking
in the flavor of Mr.. Hughes turkey yes
terday. Mr.. Wilson'S bird was tooth
some
A boycott is the most effective scheme
ever devised for making greedy food
Spectator see the error Of his ways.
While Germany may be ready for
peace, the allies, like the heroines Of
problem plays, have work to do"
4 4 y
A Kansas City reporter" who is said
to have voted 80 times qualified as a
stout party worker"
x X x
Chicago's meat packers are not even
lelding their moral support to the widely
advertised diet squad.
4 Is
THE most beautiful suffragist" is dead
The average suffragist would scorn to
travel on her looks"
y x *
1t appears much more reprehensible for
a football star to break training than to
break his neck.
x
AT any rate, the Rumanians are get
ting plenty of exercise
y
Sense of fullness today? Take a few
pepsin tablets.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-12-01
MANIFOLD USES OF ELECTRICITY


From Leslies
Hardly as old as a grown man, the
electrical MISUNDERSTANDING railways,
telephones and telegraphs-has already in
vested $S,125000,OO0 in the business Of
America. Its utility companies alone pay
Uncle Sam $20O,0OO,0OO every year for taxes
seven out of every ten use it in some
form every day 1t is Enthusiastically the
most vital factor today in Americas pros
perity. It's resources are boundless. AS
Secretary of the Interior Lane expresses
it, there is enough hydro-electric energy
running to waste to equal the daily labor
of 1900 900, 900 men or 80 times our adult
population.
This strange power only recently har-
messed, that has actually revolutionized
life and promises more radical reforma-
ton in the future-what is it? Mys-
FERROUS, yet dependable; powerful enough
to drive ponderous machinery, yet gentle
enough to warm the baby's bottle; almost
omnipresent, yet invisible-what a para
dox is this inanimate yet living thing we
call electricity for lack of a better namel
Many people living today remember
those practically electricless days when
electricity was used only for a few tel
egraph lines, and knowledge of its action
and of it's laws was exceedingly prim-
tive.
Today Berlin radios New Jersey. Every
part of the earth and ocean is now within
the wireless telegraph range, The next
logical step was the wireless phone. 1t
is here already. Washington recently
talked to Paris and a few days later to
Honolulu--5O00 miles away Voices were
distinctly heard over this vast span of
air
These illustrations are typical of cleo
trio progress in every phase of life today.
One statistcian now figures COS practical
uses of electricity; another finds 70 uses
of electricity on an automobile In the
home, upon the farm, in the factory
everywhere, the world is fast becoming
electrified OF the 2o,5OO,0O0 homes In
the United States one-fourth are already
lighted by electricity. At the present rate
of transfers from steam to electric drive.
we are told that three-fourths of all
Americas industry will be electrified in
side of five years.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-12-01

BEGINNING THE DAY-"LOrd,
Thou hast been our dwelling place
in all generations" IL L live in Goa
1 ought to be beyond all earthly
ties. Rain and shine, sun and cOId,
disease and health, ought to lind
me alike covered in Him. Death,
I'm the strictest sense, will not even
he n change of residence.-H. NJ. E.