davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-09

at the disappearing crows, who were afraid, when there was nothing to be afraid of! Just then came thunder ing bang!-bang! from behind the zigzag fence!
 He caught a fleeting glimpse of drifting. smoke-and the very corn sprout he was in the act of pulling up, was torn out of the ground by some thing that sized through the air and it wasn't a bee, either. His two mid dle tail feathers-the long ones that he was so proud of, dropped to the ground, shattered and torn.
 That there was something to be afraid of, and the old crows did have little sense after all, were some of the thoughts that passed through his mind, as he pounded the air with his wings in futile effort to fly faster than Nature ever intended a crow should. Reaching the home pines, out of breath, and out of humor-about the first crow he encountered was his sister-the one he sat on that day his
 mother dropped him back in the nest. She sqauwked out, loud enough for everybody to hear: Why! Inkspot. What have you been doing with your tail? The two long middle feathers are missingl
 He snarled back, in a way he had when talking with the family, that it looked to him like anybody with half sense would know that was the latest fad in tails, in up-to-date Crowdom! Next morning he concluded he would not bother with corn any more, so he put in the day hunting bird nests. In black thorn bush he found a thrush's nest, with five small speck- led eggs. These he greedily devoured. Next, he ravaged the home of a timid Pewee, of four pink little baby birds. So quickly was the deed accomplished that the tiny babies went sliding down his big throat, with mouths still open, wondering what kind of a way that was their mother had for feeding Pe- wee youngsters! One day it occurred to Inkspot that a right young, fuzzy little chicken, tender, yellow legs, or a big Plymouth Rock egg, chock full of white and yellow goodness, would
 be a pleasant change in his bill of fare. So he betook himself to the oak grove back of a neighboring barn. yard and silently waited his chance. He saw something that made his
 mouth water! In corner of the fence were two big white eggs, right
 out in the open, with no old fussy hens in sight. Making sure the coast was clear, he flew down and investigated
 A curious, coop-looking contrivance
 was tilted up, one end resting on an
 upright stick; one of the eggs was tied to another stick. Funny thing, to him, that they went to all this trouble when he would just as leave
 have his eggs plain, without all these | fixings.
 | There was nothing slow or pokey I about Inkspot. so he strode right un.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-09

they had picking them from the smaller tree. But although the chill dren used to come to the cherry tree the most, it was not happy for it saw the oak, which it loved dearly leaning farther and farther away from it every day and although the cherry tree leaned the same way it never grew any nearer. And so the little cherry tree was sad.
 One day it saw through the leaves some plum trees on the other side of the oak. "It must be that the oak thinks more of the plum trees than it does of me- it told the gardener. Wont you fix it so that some plums will grow on me? would be happy if I only had one plum," it said. So the kind hearted gardener took some wood from the plum trees and fast ened it to the cherry tree with wax and the next year it had plums as we'll as cherries.
 Still the oak tree leaned farther away.
 Then one day the little cherry tree heard the oak ask the gardener if he would make roses grow on it's branches. The gardener said he could not and the little cherry tree was sad, for it thought the oak wanted to be pretty for the plum trees.
 q can stand it no 1onger,' cried the cherry tree. q think I will die'' But the gardener who came past only laughed at the little tree flor its fool
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-09

to be the proper time to form your habits, and to make your plans for the years work.
 So much depends on the beginning -on the planting time--and the planting time is now. Loosen the soil of your new years resolutions and see whether they have taken root. Watch them carefully, and be sure that they are planted where they will get plenty of sunshine, for without light and warmth and love they will not thrive
 A pupil was chatting with his teacher about right living and in the course. of their conversation he asked, What are the most important habits that child s,nould plant in his heart?" Without hesitation the wise man said. "Punctuality, accuracy. steadihess and dispatch; for without the first time is wasted, without the second mistakes hurtful to ones own credit may be committed, without the third nothing can be well done, and without the fourth opportunities of great advantage and of the. highest importance are lost"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-09

tell me, what they do after the pea nuts are dried in the field? Aren't they dirty?"
 "Yes," mother replied. "The pea nuts are picked off the vines-some- times women and children do it, and sometimes it is done by machinery. Then the dirt is all knocked off by a big machine, and the peanuts are packed in 100-pound bags and shipped to the market. But they are raw, you
 know. The peanut men have roasters
 to roast the peanuts in.'' "Oh, yes!" Jamie cried. "I have seen them lots of times! Let me go
 on with the story!" he begged. "All right smiled mother.
 Well, the peanut man roasts the
 peanuts and puts them into nice paper
 bags, and little boys and girls smell how good they are and ask their fla thers or mothers for a nickel, and they buy the little bags of hot, roasted peanuts, and eat them right up!" Jamie clapped his hands. That story was almost as good as the cir cus," he declared.
 "Oh, I'd like to see field of pea nuts" Jamie cried.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-09
WALKING STICKS.

7YuALKING sticks have been used kk by men from Bible times down W to the present age. These have come in all varieties from the plain staff to the gold and silver mounted ones according to the fancies- and cus- toms of the age.
 When, in 17OO, footmen attending gentlemen were forbidden to carry swords, these dangerous weapons were usually replaced by staff with a large silver handle. This was called a Por- ter's Staff. Some thirty years later gen tlemen began to discard their swords and to carry large oak sticks with thick knobs, whereon were carved ugly faces. Before long a competition arose between long and short walking sticks. A writer of that time de- scribes the long ones as "leaping poles," while others preferred yard of vanished cane. This latter is still in vogue, ornamented to suit the taste of the wearer.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-09

close as they could get and were fast asleep long before the older members of the crow colony had settled down for the night. He was one of the largest one of all his brothers and sis ters. and the reason he outgrew the others was because. when a youngster he got more than his share of what his mother brought for them to eat; and, the way he got more to eat, was simply this-when one of his small brothers or sisters shut it's eyes and opened it's mouth Inkspot would push the little ones head aside and open his mouth in it's place.
 ! So he waved strong and lusty-all the while the mother crow was won dering why in the world the other children had such a pinched, starved ] look. Inkspot was always getting into trouble. One day, when he was about two weeks old, just as he was begin ming to cut his tail feathers, he leaned a little too far over the side of the nest, to see what that old Bluejay was talking so loud about, lost his balance and over he went.
 He lodged astride a limb about [ to him he fell at least a mile before | he brought up suddenly on the rough pinebark His claws were not strong enough to grasp the limb, so he sat 1 just as he had fallen, looking for all the world like ten cents worth of dark red steak, stuck full of short, blue l black matches
 l He was afraid to move, for fear he would slide off into space, and the world below looked to him as if i were hundreds and hundreds of mile: away. So, panting and gasping, ht rode his branch until his mother came home with a small, wriggling fielt mouse, in her beak.
 Five little black crow babies looked just like six little black crow babies tc her, so she didn't sense that one wa. missing at all. A weak little squal from the hapless youngster caused hi: mother to fall backwards, from hel perch, in her frantic haste to reacT her darling. She hovered right below i him and told him in her hoarse, dis. cordant way, to slide! He slipped right off on her strong, broad back Soaring and sailing, she paused jus above the nest, and, a brisk shake landed him-kerplunk. right on toI of his smallest sister! He didn't pre- tend to move, but sat there, ant i opened his mouth and waited for thu next field mouse his mother migh bring.
 | Black quill feathers began to tallt the place of scattering, yellow down and it was not many weeks before ht was strong enough to follow the flock as they went changing away, in long black, struggling line to some nearby cornfield. He soon learned how tt pull up the young corn and was vastly pleased to find the fat, white, seed grain at the end of the roots. One day, when they all were having the 1 bes. sort of a time down in the corn field, the old sentinel crow, who wa. posted on the tiptop of a tall pine gave warning cry as he fell off back wards
 Fighting himself he Tapped away towards the great woods by the river The other crows instantly lost all in terest in corn. and other things edi. ble, and followed helter, skelter in the wake of their leader. Inkspot, saw nothing alarming in the long, quiet rows of sprouting corn, and he cast g glance of pity, mingled with contempt
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-09
other answered.

potatoes,'' his mother answered.
 How funny! Please tell me all about them."
 Well, the nut is planted in the ground"
 "Oh. couldn't plant one of these?" Jamie interrupted.
 Those have been roasted, and would not grow, Jamie. The heat that roasted them killed the little life germ in them that makes them grow. So your peanut would not take root.
 "A peanut, then, that has not been roasted is planted in nice, warm soil. They grow best where there is lots of sand mixed in with the earth. Pret- ty soon the nut bursts open and tiny white shoots come out from it and poke their heads through the ground. Then they turn green"
 What makes them turn green?" Jamie wanted to know.
 "The light" replied his mother. "It makes green co1oring matter in the young plant. Well, after while, lit tie round-shaped leaves begin to form and pretty soon there is a tender green peanut plant. Then the flowers come but they bloom along the stems of the plant, instead of on the top. Then, when the petals drop off, the part that is left does strange thing"
 What does 1t do?" asked Jamie, eXcitedly.
 Each little part that is left-called an ovary-pokes it's head down into the ground and hides itself"
 "What for?'
 Because it wants to make a pea nut, and that is the way that God has willed that peanuts should be made. If the ovary cannot get into the ground. it just withers up and dies, for it can not make peanut on the top of the ground.
 There are dozens of flowers on each peanut plant, and each one of them makes a peanut. So that under the ground is a big bunch of peanuts.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-09

S AMIE had been to the circus, and
 had seen the elephants and the
 monkeys, and the horses with v bareback riders, and lots of little trek dogs and ponies. Of course his father had bought him bag of pea nuts, all warm and snappy, and oh! so good But Jamie was so busy watching things that he forgot to eat his peanuts, so of course he had a whole lot left
 .v-e was home now with mother, talking over the wonders of the night before, and enjoying the rest of his peanuts. When they had talked and laughed about everything, from the trained seals to the funny clowns, Jamie looked into the peanut bag, which was almost empty now, and said, thoughtfully, "Peanutsl Now, mother, I'd like to know where these peanuts come from!"
 So his mother said, Peanuts, Jamie, grow in warm countries"
 Like cocoa?" Jamie asked, remem- bering the story about cocoa.
 They do not have to have as warm place to grow as cocoa trees Pea nuts grow in the warm parts of this and other countries. where it does not get very cold at any time, for the plants are tender, and Jack Frost nips them very easily
 Do they grow on trees, like wal nuts?" Jamie asked.
 "No, they grow in the ground, like
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-09
@ About Peanuts

growing and growing"
 How long does it take for them to get ripe?" Jamie asked.
 Not very long. From the time the peanut seed is planted until they are ready to harvest takes only few months. Then, before it gets cold, the peanuts are plowed up out of the ground and in few hours are stacked up in the fields in big piles-some- thing like shocks of wheat-and al- lowed to dry"
 ''Oh, I'd like to see a field of pea nuts!" Jamie cried. "Wouldnt it be nice?"
 q forgot to tell you that if the pea nuts are grown in light soil they will be light, and if they are grown in dark soil the shells will be dark"
 "Oh, how funny!" Jamie said, look ing at one of his nuts. q guess these were grown in light-colored soil, then, for they are light" "Yes," mother continued ''the light colored peanuts bring the best prices. "
 But, mother, why do you call them peanuts?" asked Jamie.
 Because they resemble a pea in several ways, Jamie. Some people over the seas in Europe, call them ground nuts or earth nuts"
 Because they grow in the ground! Jamie announced.
 "Yes, but we call them peanuts be- cause the plants look something like a pea vine, and because the nut itself is shaped something like a pea, but mostly because the nut contains a good many of the things that a pea does. Some people feed them to hogs to fatten them, and they make fine food, too"
 "Those are lucky hogs" Jamie said munching a nice brown peanut. "But
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-09
Overheard At
 The Table

ISN'T this room a little cold ?"
 asked the Oil. q feel a little con- . gealed"
 T don't think so," said the Red Pepper. I'm hot"
 "Heigho!" sighed the Napkin.
 Whats the matter?" asked the Fork.
 I'm wondering whether I'll ever grow big enough to be tablecloth.'
 You are very impudent." said the Big Spoon to the Little Spoon.
 Well I. can't help it." said the Lit tie Spoon; Jack used me when eating his cranberry sauce last night, and I'm naturally saucey."
 T think it's real mean." sobbed ing to have rice pudding for dinner tonight, and I've got to go upstairs to give Jack his cod-liver oil. .Ugh," q was very. much disappointed at dinner last night" said the Table cloth "I simply love currant jelly, and nobody spilled a Dit of it on me-
 Come eat piece of pie with me-, said the Knife to the Soup-ladle.
 No. thanks" said the Soup-ladle. "I may be in the soup, but never eat pie with knife"
 Lets go to sea-" said the Spoon to the Salt. "You are an old salt"
 That's so. But what'n we go in?" asked the Salt
 "The gravy-boat.' said the Spoon.
 "I hate soup" said the Soup-tureen.
 And I hate toast" said the Toast rack
 "Well, let's swap trades said the Tureen. You hold the soup and I'll hold the toast"
 'T'd look well trying to hold quart of soup, wouldn't I?" sneered the Toast-rack. |
 T believe I've got a chill" said the Salt.
 Well, who wouldn't, living in a eel lar all the time?" jeered the Olive fork.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-09
|f@ @OURpUZZLE |I OORNER
FIyE-LETTER DELETToNs.

EIVE-LETTER DELEITONS. Delete letter from musical instrument and leave part of a feather; 2-Delete letter from an all Joy and find fish; 3-Delete letter from small animal and find to think deeply; 4-Delete a letter from boys name and find crushes.
 A FLORAL ACROSTIC. My first is white flower spelt with letters
 My second is a flower of many col ors spelt with letters.
 My third is modest flower spelt with letters.
 My fourth is a Chinese flower spelt with 4 letters.
 My fifth is yellow flower spelt with letters.
 The first letters of each of these flowers spell the name of Biblical King.
 AnstDers.
 FIVE-LETTER DEL ITO s.: Flute-Flue:; Brdss-bdss; Mousse muse; JdmeS-jdms.
 FLORAL ACROSTIC: Daisy, Aster, Violet, Iris, DdndeH0n, Dduid.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-09

ishness. Don't you see that the wind on account of the ocean, always blows one way here?" he asked.
 'I never thought of that" said the little cherry tree.
 Well, it does," he explained. And that makes the oak and the plum
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-09

ferent trees, but the fruits must be very much alike. I cannot make roses grow on an oak tree no matter how hard I try. One of the things I surely cannot do is to make the wind blow anywhere but where it wants to blow.
 But you can grow and, bye and bye,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-09
SOMETIMES.
nickels don't come
 WV plentiful

HEN nlCkeIS don com WV plentiful
 And papa seems to frown. And people say that times are hard
 Most all about the town It's then that get wishing so ;
 That was born a queen With diamond buckles on my shoes
 The finest ever seen. But queens are never really gay
 In fact I'm sure they cry. And so 1 kiss my mother quick
 So glad that I'm just 1!
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-09

6 JST how they came to be planted
 there nobody knew, but the great
 oak and the cherry tree stood \ side by side and the little chill dren used to sit in the shade and make little cups out of the acorns. And when the cherries were ripe, what fun
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-09

" HERE was one time bat,
 who, a real acrobat.
 Would remain through the
 day in the attic, .s Where he hung by his toes. looking down at his nose With an eye that was not astig- matic. At times he would doze as he hung by his toes, On a night. going out for his flying
 about,
 He came. to rest under an easel; And, being quite slow on the ground
 as you know. He was quietly caught by weasel. No time for a thought till he found himself caught. Now helpless, ensnared, be begged to be spared. Said the weasel, T kill every bird. :" "I'm no bird but mouse, and l live
 in a house. Every day. 1 will give you my
 word; I have wings" said the Bat, to es- k. cape from the cat.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-09

For me and the prize l
 = bring.
 I found her under a Snowdrift deep; I caught her out of the arm of sleep,
 The fair little stranger-Spring.
 Are not these lines beautiful? The comparisons are perfect. The Year in it's youth and vigor; the Spring a little baby stranger, awakening from under a snowdrift, come to claim it's place in the world.
 Who would not make way for the Spring For who does not love this season, with it's buds and flowers and birds? Sad, indeed, must be that heart which does not echo the notes of the warblers or reflect the glories of the spring beauties!
 l have often thought that the new year should begin at Easter instead of in January, for Easter means spring ing into life," and all the earth is new and young and happy. It seems. to me
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-09

trees and even yourself lean as you do That always happens where the wind blows one way.
 'I wanted to try and please you by making plums grow on your branches. can make some fruits grow on diff
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-09

your leaves viii touch the oak and you will be very happy again. Then you don't think I will die of love?' sighed the little cherry tree.
 'T never knew of a. tree that did, laughed the gardener.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-09
ssssssssssssss.sssss

E was young crow only about M eleven months old, but he Nj thought he knew it all. He wore ' a suit of black, with a wonder
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-09

IuI VIOIeI TtIIUCIIOII, WII0II lIe otOUd TIT the sun.
 Inkspot was just about as big as mother. For a while, after he left the nome nest up in the dark top of the pines, he and his brothers and sisters kept pretty well together. And, they snuggled up side by side, at night as
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-09

So. being released instead of deceased. Imagine, again in a trlce. He was caught by another. the weasel's
 own brother Who said, Tin the foe to all
 mice. (Remember that weasels are catching
 as measles). Now the bat had his wits in available
 bits,
 And replied without batting an
 eye: "I am no more mouse than wren
 or a grouse; Whoever knew mouses to hya With wings, not with talk, l escape
 from the hawk" According to rules pedagogic Again he escaped by his logic We're. not out of way, perhaps when Of this acrobat bat of the attic; That whatever he claims to be, he was
 not. or aimed to be. He certainly was diplomatic.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-09
MAKE WAY FOR SPRING

AA AXE way! make way" cried
 the lordly Year,
 For me and the prize l = bring.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-09

ISN'T this room a little cold ?" asked the Oil q feel a little con- . gealed."
 T don't think so," said the Red Pepper. I'm hot"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-09

T believe I've got a chill" said the Salt
 Well, who wouldn't, living in a eel lar all the time?" jeered the Olive fork.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-09

Lets go to sea-" said the Spoon to the Salt. You are an old salt"
 That's so. But what'n we go in?'' asked the Salt.
 "The gravy-boat.'' said the Spoon.
Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1916-03-11
TO REDUCE AGE LIMIT.

At the last session Of congress, bill
was introduced into the Senate, and
passed by that body, reducing the age
of homestead entrymen from 81 to Is
years. This same bill has now been in
troduced into the House, and it is be-
lieved will pass This bill provides that
any otherwise qualified entryman of the
age of Is or over, may file on any land
open under the homestead laws now in
force, but shall not be permitted to make
final proof until three years after reach
ing 81, the same as under the present
law. 1t is also provided that such minor
must comply with the homestead laws
as TO cultivation and improvements, but
need not begin residence on the land
until he is of age or q.
This law was passed to give the chill
dren Of ranchers opportunity to file on
land located near their homes, and to
cultivate the same, three years earlier
than otherwise would have been possi-
BILE. 1t also tends to keep the boys and
girls at home on the farm.-Rapid City
Guide
Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1916-03-11
POWERFUL ENGIN Es.

Fifteen of the largest and most power.
ful passenger engines ever built in this
country are now in the regular service
of the Burlington railroad They are
used on the regular through passenger
runs from Chicago TO st. Paul, Omaha,
Kansas City and Denver. The verdict
OF the men who operate them is that in
every respect they are far superior to
the old engines of the smaller type.
These monster new ''Let me pull you"
engines of the Burlington are over 70
feet long, and weigh 2l24 tons. A man
six feet tall, wearing silk hat, can
stand erect in the little end of the boiler,
and an ordinary sized barrel may be
placed inside the big cylinders. The
pulling power of these Golaths of the
rails is so great that the coaches of the
heaviest trains are like mere trailers
There is no Jerking" or "bucking" and
because Of their enormous size these
engines when once under way easily
make the respective time schedules re-
gardless of weather conditions.