davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-13
----------------.e---------- THE ONLY MAGIC BEAN

From the Louisville Courier-Journa1
 A dispatch from Waukegan, Iill., tells of the arrest of a clairvoyant who promised to bring about the immedi- ate reunion of girls with their will fully absent sweethearts by burning magic beans bought with money pro- vided by the love-lorn young women.
 It is the contention of the prosecu- tion that there was nothing-that is to say, nothing but prof1t for the clair voyant-in the magic beans. They were the common garden variety of lima beans, and possessed no peculiar powers. The prosecution doubts that the clairvoyant actually burned the beans, but there is no sort of doubt that when the girls handed over the money they spilled the beans
 Many years ago, when the mothers of the girls of today were girls, there was a popular novel called "The Flor was magic bean which had the power lO trduSlOTIl sex. EXpSrln enCS With It got the characters in the novel into sundry trying situations. The bean was even more powerful than that dealt in by the itinerant clairvoyant who came to Waukegan to rescue the damsels of Waukegan from their distress, but it was not more hctional. In the one par ticular the novelist's and the clair voyant's magic beans were identical.
 The only magic bean that will bring suitors for the hand of even the most unfavored 1assie is fiat one with milled edges bearing upon one face the likeness of fair goddess. It is wiser not to burn these magic beans to get results. Possess them in peace, Millicent. but not so secretly that none will suspect that you possess them. Lead the man of your choice to believe that he will be allowed to burn the magic beans. After the wedding see to it, as you value your happiness, that he does not burn all of them, or enough of them to diminish the store greatly, and all will be-or may be-well.
 The clairvoyant knows the real magic bean when he sees it, Millicent, but he naver burns one in your behalf. He has other uses for it, and the distress of damsels does not soften his heart.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-13
JOHN SKELETON WILLIAMS

From the Progressive Farmer.
 "I understand those banks that have been charging all sorts of outrageous in terest rates are after the scalp of John Skeiton Williams, comptroller of the cur rency," said a farmer in our office the other day And if they are, then all the farmers in the United States ought to let Williams and Congress know that they are everlastingly with him"
 And our friend was certainly right. II would have been easy enough for Mr. Will. Hams to take his job uietly draw his sal ary. offend nobody and be praised by ey erybody. Instead he made searching investigation as to the interest rates charged the public by numerous unscrup- ulous national banks. and risked the en- mity of powerful influences by publicity exposing and denouncing usury wherever he found it. For this he deserves the thanks of the people, just as w. P. c. Harding of the federal reserve board de serves public gratitude for the same he- roic service and just as Secretary Me Adoo deserves thanks for supporting both these officials in this particular service they have rendered the people
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-13
As to Cotton Acreage

MT, Harding's advice to the farm CTS of the cotton south to keep down their cotton acreage this year should be needed and will be to large ex- tent. But in Texas, where the staple gets ahead of the boil weevil, it will be hard to persuade the planter that it is to his interest to reduce produc- tion; and yet the less cotton he plants the better will be the price his crop s will bring.
 In states where the weevil wrought havoc last year there is little prob ability of an increased acre = this spring. In Alabama's black belt the loss from the boil weevil last sum- mer was seriously felt at the time and it is felt now, when the fertilizer season is at hand. Only a small ton- mage of fertilizer has been sold and without artificial aid cotton produc- tion in most sections of Alabama is emall.
 Government experts are co-operat- ing with progressive farmers in an endeavor to raise cotton in this state in spite of the boil weevil, but the best plan, certainly the only sure plan in the infested counties, is to give up cotton planting altogether for two or three years. Starve the weevil out and and in a few years little will be heard of infestation.
 Now that the value of crop diversi- fieation is being thoroughly under stood and as diversification practice has proved so successful. foodstuffs will be produced in Alabama on a larger scale than ever. The raising of 1.-Two stock can be made as profitable n Alabama as it is in any grazing or xtain state in the union; more so than n most states.
 Alabama herds are already reckoned
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-13
FOR THE LITERACY UPLIFT

From the Atlanta Constitution
 The Columbia State commenting on the work that is being done for the literacy uplift by the moonlight schools of North Carolina, where there are 63s of these schools, with 1000 teachers in structing 554o pupils. says there is need of this instruction in every county in South Carolina.
 Work for the night school education or
 lliterates has commenced there and the campaign is on in earnest. Our Column bia contemporary says:
 That 25,OoO or 3O,OOO white men in this state are unable to read and write or are barely able to do so is a continuing men, ace to the safety of the commonwealth, as well as a serious obstacle to its ma terial progress. Moreover, that so large a proportion of the negroes are illiterate is deplorable. It should be the purpose and endeavor of the state to remove the affliction of ignorance from all It's peo- pie, regardless of color.'
 Throughout the south interest in educa- tional preparedness is growing, and the people are coming to see that its strength lies in individual and united effort; 1T local taxation--in the making of sacri- fees, wherever they are demanded. 1oi the common good; state and county pride individual help, all working in harmony to one great end.
 When North Carolina established moon light schools and went to work for a nt- eracy record the campaign was kept al white heat until all the people were inter- ested, and it shows wonderful progress that in comparatively short time her night schools of the hills and valleys had an enrolment of over 5000 pupils. That is a fine working basis for educa- [ tional preparedness, and will give North Carolina what every southern state should strive for a higher place in the literacy oalilr1p
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-13

While perhaps not a serious loss to the
 world of music, the war has cut off the
 supply of mouth organs and the shortage ot these instruments is felt keenly in
 England, where the lower classes have
 shown a partiality for the harmonica made in Germany" According to an ar ticle in the London Times, there are no mouth organs produced in England, and
 the superiority of the German factories is conceded. The famous Hohner fac tory at Trosingen. in Wurtemberg, claims to be the largest harmonica factory in the world, employing 2500 skilled work men and turning out about S,0Oo,OO0 harps annually. It is said that each instrument is tested by six experts before it leaves the imports of harmonicas into England dealers turned to Switzerland. Importers were permitted by the English govern ment to purchase harps from a certain Swiss factory on condition that they were accompanied by a certificate that they were made in Switzerland. However these instruments have been found ln- ferior to the German product, and to make matters worse the supply from Switzerland has been mysterously cut off. While not recognized in the pest musical circles, the enormous number of mouth organs turned out before the war started indicates that it would have been impossible for all of them to remain in pawnbrokers' windows, a popular sup position. In America the harmomca Is the musical instrument of small boys and negro musicians who frequently double with a banjo or guitar, but occa sionally performer gets on the vaudeville stage through his skill in playing the mouth or gan and his efforts are greeted with rap turous applause.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-13
GIPsIEs INVADE CHICAGO

From the Chicago Post
 A de luxe invasion of Chicago by a band of gypsies has been accomplished.
 Fifty of the nomads. led by their kind, descended on the city just as gypsy bands have descended on cities for cen turies past-with one important detail changed.
 Instead of arriving in a dozen covered wagons, with a string of perhaps hun dred nondescript horses trailing behind and horde of romantically dirty children running ahead this twentieth century gypsy troupe came in private car on one of the crack trains Of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul railroad.
 They came from Omaha, where they vii! stay here for a month or so. the ex- tent of their visit depending on Chicago s demand for their wares and services.
 King John, the realmless ruler of the gypsies, stepped majestically from his private car when the train came to a halt at the union station. After quickly cautious glance up and down the plat
  nodded his head and his subjects poured out
 Every woman carried at least one in fant. Every child old enough to walk carried huge bundle Every man was loaded-arms. back and head-with bun dles, clothing for the person and thu bed, coffee urns, household utensils and big assortment of interchangeable goods The children outnumbered the grownups about two to one.
 All were herded into the immigrants room, where the women and childrer were left. while the men went on a re- connoitering tour for quarters. The men are coppersmiths by trade. The womer denied, with flashing smiles, that they were fortune tellers King John pro claimed that he was wealthy and hated publicity. He even tried to bribe ths photogra phers not to take his picture
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-13
COST OF MODERN BATTLES

meter and other similar field pieces are said to last for about 5000 rounds, while the big guns-12 and IA inches and over-probably last not more than 200 or 250 shots. A complete field. gun of the 75-milimeter type costs $500O. while one of the big American naval guns-with which, for lack of a better standard, the German siege mortars are compared-cost as high as $75,000. It is true that when the barrels are worn out. new ones are placed on the old carriages. so that not all the cost is lost. There should, however. be heavy depreciation" charge against every shot fired.
 The wide disparity between such enormous consumption of shells and material as took place around Verdun, and the largest possible output of pro- Jectiles, is illustrated by the output of the Bethlehem Steel corporation. the largest American manufacturer Of such supplies In all last year that company, it is stated on good author ity, turned out only some 100000 shells At present it's output is about 30,000 day, or, say, 12,000,000 a year. allowing for expected increases in the rate of manufacture. In other words. years production of Americas largest ammunition manufactures would be sufficient for only about IF days of such fighting as took place at the Marne. or, say for 20 consecrated attacks like that on Fort Douaumont. This makes no allowances for the al- most continuous firing which goes on along practically the whole front in France, Belgium. Russia and in the Balkan theatre.
 If authentic figures are lacking in regard to artillery ammunition used. estimates of the consumption of cart ridges by rifles and machine guns are even more hazy The statement has come from one familitr With the small arms and ammunition business, that to kill a soldier on the European battle- fields requires a mans weight in lead. Rifle firing has been notoriously inef- fective in proportion to ammunition consumed. but no such complaint has been lodged against the venomous mitraillieusc.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-13
Candidates Grateful

"The invitation extended by The Age- Herald to the various aspirants for of flee to state why they should be elected, in letters to the editor, not over 100 words in length, was happy thought" " said Prof. S. A. Ellis, candidate for the county board of revenue. ''As a rule, a candidate is never averse to telling why he should be permitted to hold office and I notice that large number availed themselves of the op- portunity given by The Age-Herald.
 And it was also a real kindness to ing under political announcements and cards of various kinds, which reads: Paid Political Advertisement not only signifies that the paper in which they appear assumes no responsibility for the sentiments expressed, or the claims made, bu it also indicates that the author had to extract a certain amount from his campaign fund before he could get the desired publicity.
 Among the large number of men at present running for office in this county there are some most worthy citizens, who are not in the millionaire class, and are in position to appreciate the lib- erality of The Age-Herald. Judging from the comments I have heard, the political department of Sundays Age Herald was one of it's most interesting features"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-13
HOW THE SUBMARINE FAILS

Indeed, Its capacity to enter those waters can also be limited. The use of nets, of mines and of patrols-especially when as- sisted by aircraft-these at any focal point which submarines coming or going must pass can do much to obstruct their free passage. The narrower the waters, the easier their control by these means. And even in comparatively open waters great destruction can be and has been done by surface craft upon them.
 But, apart altogether from the dangers to which the submarine is exposed, what is its value when it is at work in hostile waters? It has two weapons, the torpedo and the gun. It can carry but few tor pedoes-few, that is, compared with the number of rounds of gun ammunition that it can stow away. The torpedo. too, is an uncertain weapon at the best of times, particularly uncertain when aimed While the submarine is submerged. Wherever it is possible, then, the captain of the sub- marine has done his work with his guns. But as a gunned ship the submarine is the weakest thing afloat. Hence its guns can be used only against unarmed craft: It dare not approach any armed ship on the surface at all If it has to approach an armed ship submerged its speed of ap- proach is greatly limited The highest submerged speed does not exceed the half- power speed of the sloweSt warship. Hence high sped and a high standard of vigilance in ships which are armed make them altogether immune from submarine attack except in rare cases, when, by pure chance, their course takes them within the submarines striking radius. The point is that if the ship is armed the submarine must keep submerged, and if it keeps submerged it's maneuvering speed is low, it's capacity to get within striking distance is very limited, and its weapon very uncertain. If the ship 1t intends to strike is both at speed and accompanied by destroyers or fast craft, the area of danger to the submarine and the intensity of the vigilance are increased, and the danger from submarines becomes alto gether negligible.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-13

Arthur H. Pollen in the North American
 Review.
 "HE most questionable element Tn the
 American programme is the very
 1 large provision of submarines. Fifty fleet submarines and s5 coast sup marines, which are to cost in all nearly sS6. oo0 GOO, make vast hole in the $5Oo'0oo'- o0o that it is proposed to spend. As It IS in many respects the most striking, so m another it is the most difficult item to criticise. The special circumstances or this war and the very extraordinary cir- cumstances which preceded it. have gwen the submarine an entirely false lmpor- tance in the public eye. Essentially tne s,,hrna rine is a variant of the destroyer Once within attacking range or an eheily 1t has what the destroyer has not' the power of delivering daylight attack' re- maining itself almost unseen. But lnVisi- bi]ity is not new attribute. The torpedo boat and the destroyer possessed it at night Their speed enabled them to de- liver the equivalent of unseen attack in the dusk Except that the submarines invisibility is more complete, it is the oe- stroyer's inferior. It has less speed, It IS less strongly armed.
 But it's invisibility does give it func- tion new to naval war. It has the ca- pa acity to pass through waters which are absolutely commanded by surface ships because it can pass them submerged and unseen Fleets otherwise powerless to enter commanded waters can now enter them with this form of craft. Thus the German submarines have been at large to a limited extent in the English channel and with extraordinary freedom in the North sea- in the western Atlantic and In the Mediterranean. They have gone, Tn point of fact, where no German surface ship could have gone at all. British sub- marines similarly have penetrated the Sea of Marmora and the Baltic. The first and most striking fact about the submarine is its capacity to enter into and operate in waters that are adversely commanded.
 But once in those waters the power Of the submarine is extraordinarily limited
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-13
Association Activities Speeding

Greater life is constantly being thrown into activities at the Birmingham Y. M. c. A. as new attractions are added and the older features steady grow in merit and attractiveness, re- marked W. M. Cosby, president of the board of directors.
 Tn fact, the management of the Bir- mingham organization feels that it must express it's qualification at the whole hearted support that has been &C., corded it lately by the large member ship in organizing special modes of amusement and recreation. The minstrel show staged under the auspices of the association proved to be all that the most sincere friends of the institution could well have desired, and the ath- letics of the Y. M. c. A. continue on high plane. The subway, with it's neat and attractive lunch room is the scene of unceas asing merriment and pleasure.
 Tn this connection. let me say that perhaps the most encouraging feature of association work in Birmingham is to be found in the spirit of enthusiasm of it's large and steadily increasing membership which seeks expression in practically every manner imaginable that may be conceived to rebound to the credit and good of the great organization. Indeed, officials connected with the association here at times find it rather difficult to keep pace with our rapid growth in staging events of sufficient magnitude
 allow full play to the energetic and aggressive spirit shown by the youth of of the city,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-13
THE NAMES

By Browning. Shakespearei-to such names sounding,
 what succeeds Iltly as silence? Fater forth the spell Act follows word, the speaker knows
 full well. Nor hampers with it's magic more than
 needs. Two names there are That which the
 Hebrew reads With his soul only; if from lips it fell. Echo, back thundered by earth, heaven
 and hell, Would own Thou didst create us!'
 Naught impedes. We voice the other name mans most of
 might,
 Awesomely, lovingly; let awe and love Mutely await their working, leave to
 sight
 All of the issue as--below-above- Shakespeare's creation rises; one re-
 move, Through dread-this finite from that inc
 finite.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-13
In the Business World

Henry Clews in his Saturday sur. vey of financial conditions begins by taking hopeful view of diplomatic complications at Washington and then says ill part:
 '"The European conflict has revofu- tionized foreign trade, and it's effect upon American commerce is becoming more and more pronounced. Whatever happens, the field for American en- terprise abroad is bound to enlarge. Not only American products. but American capital is sure to find a larger foreign outlet. Neither England, France nor Germany will be able to finance new ventures in other parts of the world with anything like for mer freedom. South America, China, Russia, Central Asia and other unde- veloped countries will all require cap ital in large sums when peace returns. if not before. In some cases their needs are already urgent. This means a big demand for funds for years to come, and the United States for ob- vious reasons will be the best able to respond. This also means employment for American industry, and will in- evitably lead to a much greater de- velopment of New York as an inter- national banking center. New York Is practically sure of reaching and hold ing second place in the worlds finances and in some instances will push i4on- don hard for premiership. The great nations of Europe for many years to come must labor under huge debts and impaired resources; disasters which this country, thanks to it's isolation and peace policy, has fortunately es- caped
 Domestic business conditions are satisfactory. Our railroads are still overtaxed with traffic, especially those centering at New York. Various modes for relief for congestion have been suggested, such as a diversion of traf- fic to other ports, stronger embargo on certain articles of traffic, increased demurrage charges higher lighterage rates, etc. But insufficient emphasis has been placed upon the fundamental fact that the roads are now showing 8 the effects of over regulation and tht consequent discouragement to enter prise and capital out of which alone the necessary facilities for handling freight can be provided. Public opinion is more disposed to give the railroads square deal than at any time in the past decade, and public officials should be held to a strict accountability fol their share in bringing on present transportation difficulties. As a re suit of their mistaken zeal. capital oft en shuns this form of investment anc this fact has not little to do witt present inadequate facilities.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-13
HOTEL LOBBIES
The Confederate Reunion

mat was good suggestion made by Mir. Hard with regard to the Confederate reumon-to organize a large chorus to sing the old fanlIliar songs the veterans heard in youth and during the war;" said Prof. Fred l.. Grambs
 An interesting programme could be ar ranged for an evenings entertainment, and I can imagine nothing that would give the visitors more pleasure. There would be no difficulty in getting together for the occasion a hundred or more singers
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-13

From the New York Evening Post.
 K n feature of the battle around Nverdu has been more strongly ! emphasized, and none has grippeo the imagination more firmly than the terrific and prolonged artillery ex- changes. A glance at the war news of almost any day while the fighting was at it's height will illustrate this we fired at full speed for 20 min utes," wounded French artilleryman said in describing the action. when cease fire came there was heap o1 shell cases, fully man high, behind our guns." A Berlin dispatch says Una "the Germans who stormed Hill NO. 34A under a rain of shells had to maintain themselves without food during two days and nights as the French curtaln of fire made bringing up of supplies impossible" "The German artillery preparation was of unparalleled Vio- lence.'' a. third account states. "Every inch of ground was searched out; every point where it was thought gun po- sition might exist was filtered with shells"
 With such stress laid upon the ar tillery engagements, it was inevitaple that Wall street should consider the struggle at yerdun in its relation to the subject which was the corner stone of speculation last fall--nameiy' the munitions business.
 The following figures. furnished oy the official of the company alreaoy mentioned, threw some light on the cost of such an artillery engagement Every shot fired from one of the French field pieces costs from $15 to $2O. The shell fired from one of the German howitzers must cost more than 5000, based on the cost of firing one of our own 14inch naval rifles The cost of the shell. however, is only part of the expense incurred, since the waar and tear on the guns soon make them unfit for service. The 75-mili-