davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-01-10
Personal and COmpIimentary

The Age-Herald made ten-strikc with the people of Alabama when Hugh Roberts was sent to Washington as special staff correspondent" said Wal ter Sanders of Tuscaloosa, president of the Sanders Cotton Mill company, who was in Birmingham yesterday
 While I try to glance through the regular press reports from Washington every day, 1 do not have time to read all those dispatches fully, but l never fail to read every word from the na- tional capital sent out by MT Roberts. His gossip and stories on national and state affairs are most readable and give the people of Alabama just the insight into the real meaning of most events that is desired by the average reader In Tuscaloosa The Age-Her- aid has always been most popular, but no step taken by the management of the paper in recent years has been, more appreciated by the people in our city than the designation of MT Roberts as the Washington correspondent"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-01-10
THEN AND NOW

From the Cincinnati Times-Star. "Come ye-whate'er your creed-O waken Whate CT your temper, at your Country s
 call;
 Resolving (this a free-born Nation cam To have one soul, and perish to a man, Or save this honored Land from every
 Lord
 But British reason and the British
 sword
 No, this is not from a poem written by Rudyard Kipling or Henry Newbolt in aid of Lord Derbys recruiting scheme. They are the last lines of poem composed in 1903 by William Wordsworth and entitled, "Iines on the Expected Invasion" En- countering passage so apt to present conditions would lead one to believe that history is but writing again the old story with modern embellishments and perhaps a different ending.
 The reader of Wordsworth does not have to depend on one poem in pointing the similarity of his day with ours There is the sonnet. Between Namur and Liege," beginning:
 What lovelier home could gentle Fancy choose? Is this the stream, whose cities heights, and plains, Wars favorite playground, are with crim- son stains Familiar, as the Morn with pearly dews?'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-01-10
SOUND THE LOUD TIMBRELL

Miriam's Song, by Thomas Moore. And Miriam tho Phophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a. timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances"- Exodus 15:20. Sound the loud Tmbrel OCT Egypt's dark
 sea; Jehovah has triumphed-his people are Sing. for the pride of the Tyrant is
 broken,
 His chariots, his horsemen, all splendid
 and brave How vain was their boast for the Lord
 hath but spoken, And chariots and horsemen are sunk in
 the wave. Sound the loud Timbrel OCT Egypt's dark
 sea- Jehovah has triumphed-his peoples are
 free Praise to the Conaueror praise to the Lord! His word was our arrow, his breath was
 our sword. Who shall return to tell Egypt the story Of those she sent forth in the hour of
 her pride? For the Lord hath looked out from his pillar of glory And all her brave thousands are dashed
 in the tide. Sound the loud Timbrel OCT Egypt's dark
 sea; Jehovah has triumphed-his peoples are
 free.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-01-10

From the New Orleans Times-Picayune. RANGES thrift is an intending source of surprise and delight to ! the economist The aggregate successes of her stupendous flotations have been commented upon ad nau- scum and vet almost daily some spe- cific instance comes to light which adds to the astonishment. It is not so very long ago that a representative of the Bank of France. making his "gold tour" through the land to gather in yellow metal for the nations treasury, went to Soissons and arrived at moment when the bombardment was particu- larly brisk. According to custom the bulk of the population had sought shel- ter in cellars, quarries and wine "caves" When the news spread that the bank agent was there the prairie dog" population popped alert heads out of the earth and brought forth thou sands upon thousands of francs in gold, for which they received government bonds.
 This was some months ago, before the authorities had gone down into the more deeply buried sock of the thrifty French peasant. This now, however, is being done and the surprise of Jaleyrac Is by no means unique.
 Auvergne is the butt of. many French jokes That district of central France, as the humorist said of Colorado, is mostly set up edgewise. It is one of
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-01-10
FREEDOM

By Lord; Macaulay.
 There is only one cure for evils which newly acquired freedom produces, and that cure is freedom. When prisoner first leaves his cell he cannot bear the light of day; he is unable to discriminate colors or recognize faces. The remedy is to accustom him to the rays of the sun.
 The blaze of truth and liberty may at first puzzle and bewilder nations which have become half blind in the house of bondage But let them gaze on and they will soon be able to bear it. In few years men learn to reason. The extreme violence of opinions subsidies. Honest theories correct each other. The scat tered elements of truth cease to con- tend and begin to coalesce. And at length a system of justice and order is educed out of the chaos.
 Many politicians of our time are in the habit of laying it down as self evil dent proposition that no people ought to be free till they are fit to use their free dom. The maxim is worthy of the fool in the old story who resolved not to go into water till he had learned to swim. If men are to wait for liberty till they become wise and good in slavery they may indeed wait forever.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-01-10
MAGNATES OF THE PAST

I know this to be true, for Russell Sage, behind his spanking team, was pointed out by many of the Central park visitors, and I may add. what very few people know, that when one of his favorite horses fell desperately i'll in
 the stable at the rear of his residence
 on Fifth avenue, MT Sage, busy man
 as he was, and carrying upon his shoul-
 ders enormous financial transactions
 spent nearly all night with the sick
 creature in his anxiety to see 1t re-
 stored to health. Sage was always
 talked of as a close proposition. He never paid any attention to criticisms of this kind. One day in referring to a particularly cruel attack in vicious
 newspaper, he said that he gave his charities in his own way, and then dis closed to me that he was the chief supporter of little, struggling church in which he had become interested. He
 wanted nothing said about it or he would be overrun with calls for help. Jay Gould was a little man, always neatly dressed. He had grayish brown beard and Semitic cast of countenance. He had a pleasant smile was amiable, thoughtful and not a rapid talker. He was the most abused man of his time, but he paid no attention to his assail- ants. I will never forget the impress sion he made on me while the West
 ern Union, which he controlled, was
 being assailed more severely than the
 Standard Oil company ever was. He
 spoke of the injustice of these attacks.
 He said that they were inspired by
 the growing tendency to criticize men
 of wealth and large corporations, sim-
 ply because they were rich and large.
 He said that if the public were moro
 largely interested in the corporations
 the latter would have more friends and
 fewer enemies, and that he was ear
 nestly seeking to get small investors
 interested in Western Union stock,
 for" said he, "every stockholder, no
 matter if he has only 10 shares, be-
 comes the company's friend and de- fender"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-01-10
The Drama League

"To hear Dr. Henry M. Edmonds on any subject he may choose to talk upon IS regarded as a treat, indeed, and the Drama league members are especially eager to hear him on the drama said Mrs. B. F. Wilkinson, president of the local league center. He has the faculty of making other people think, and after all that is the end and aim of lecture, or good play. Dr. Edmonds has been a member of the Birmingham center since it's organization, and is also 8 member of its executive board.
 Miss Betty Gilmore, the talented harp ist, will render two harp selections The programme will be given in the Tutwiler ballroom on Tuesday at p. m.
 Many new members will doubtless be received upon this occasion There are over 100 men among the members of this center and it is hoped that many of them will attend the league meeting Tuesday,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-01-10

Jasper's "Reminiscences in Leslie's.
 n UssELL SAGE controlled the TX "put-and-ca market, and in
 ! A his plainly furnished office, this simply attired master of finance, wear ing a suit of clothes that he boasted did not cost him more than $10, held
 powerful sway in Wall street because he was crediated with having, and really had more ready cash at his dis posal than any other active operator.
 Russell Sage was a curious character, but I admired his sincerity and strength. I met him two or three times
 week. I had known him as grocery storekeeper in Troy, N. Y., in his early days He was always fond of his old
 Troy acquaintances. No man was more
 accessible to Russell Sage. You could always find one or two and sometimes a group of men, mostly youngsters. standing in his little anteroom peering eagerly into the door where Sage sat
 busy at his desk, and, at the first op- portunity, thrusting before him little slips of paper. These were bids for privileges, puts, calls or spreads" as they were known, for this form of speculation centered at Sage's office and he was master of it.
 Mr. Sage and MT. Gould usually lunched together in the Western Union building. Gould did the speculating and Sage furnished much of the ready cash. Gould was inaccessible to the general public, but Sage was not above meeting any of the brokers who chose to drop in, and if they were eating pea
 nuts and laid few upon his desk. or if they had an extra apple about lunch
 time to offer him, he never refused. His habits were the simplest and his word was as good as his bond l asked him one day what comfort he found in in his rigid adherence to business from day to day without taking time for any vacation, and he replied: After the market closes, and when l get through here I hitch up my team and drive through Central park. I have a fine team, and while I am driving them I forget all about business"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-01-10
Senator Denson Talks

The European war, which resulted in the low price of cotton in the fall of 1914, is destined to be the best thing that ever happened for the black belt of Alabama" said Senator J. T. Den son of Eutaw, who was in Birmingham Sunday. Practically every farmer in our section of the state cut down on his acreage during 1915, yet, due to the high prices, he received just about the same amount for his staple that he did the year before. And then in ad- dition to his cotton money, he had lived at home.
 ''The farmers in our section of the state raised plenty of meat for their own use and as result, the people are in better shape than previously, de- spite the small cotton crop and the invasion of the boil weevil. The future
 outlook seems much brighter than when the boil weevil first struck the black belt. The low price of cotton in 1914 forced the farmers to turn their atten- tion to other crops, and the result has
 been most satisfactory
 Senator Denson was in the city on his way to south Alabama where he ! goes on legal business. When asked as to the report that he would prob ably be a candidate for lieutenant gov- ernor in the next state primary, Sem l ator Denson stated that he had made no announcement, and had given no
 thought to the matter yet Several
 newspapers in the black belt have men tioned the name of the Greene county
 senator in connection with the second place on the state ticket.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-01-10
A Good Business Barometer

Last season owing to general depres- sion in the business world, the frst-class theatres in all the cities suffered, but it is very different this season, and the large attendance at good plays is a cheering sign, said Charles H. Wayne of New York.
 The theatre is one of the best business barometers we have. When times are bad, theatregoers naturally deny them selves the luxuries, and even some of the real comforts of life. On the other hand, when we see the theatres well filled, as understand they are in all sections of the country this season, we may know that people are prospering."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-01-10
The State Bond Amendment

Financiers and business men of un-
 questioned ability and stanch pa
 triotism are urging with all earnest ness the ratification of the amend ment to the constitution authorizing
 the issuance of S1,5O0,O00 in short time bonds for the purpose of paying
 the larger part of the states floating debt
 The measure presents no financial complexities. On the contrary, the proposition is easily understood No voter, therefore, who casts negative ballot can plead ignorance of the purport of the measure. If Alabama is to maintain it's credit, past due ob- | legations now pressing must be paid, and the only way this can be done is by bond issue.
 As has been repeatedly pointed out, the issuance of bonds will create no additional debt. It will be simply a
 practical method of relief from a present indebtedness by postponement
 on business-like terms.
 It will not increase the taxpayers
 burden. Instead, it will prevent tax increase. It may even lessen taxes. As to how the treasury deficit oc-
 cured, as to the administrations re- sponsible for the accumulation of the | floating debt, it matters not, so far as the question relates to the proposed amendment.
 Judge Thomas w. Coleman, in dis cussing the measure, and favoring it's adopted, sententiously remarked: "What difference does it make whether the debts of the state were incurred by the one or the other ad- ministration? The debts were legally contracted, whether wisely or not"
 When Governor Henderson as- stunned office he faced treasury def icit of more than $2,0O0,000. He is carrying out a policy of very rigid economy, and he feels that, granted a $1 100000 bond issue, the floating debt remaining can be absorbed by the revenues of the state without crippling any branch of the govern ment.
 Let those people who allow preju- dice or set notions to sway them when it comes to exercising the privilege of the ballot, stop and think.
 Let's have no apathy on election day-a week from tomorrow. There should be a large vote and large majority for the amendment.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-01-10
JALEYRAC

the few spots in the republic that is geologically volcanic, but there is noth- ing volcanic about the people. They are slow, headstrong, dull and seem ingly the type of the poverty stricken ''hill billy" From outward appear ances one would as soon think of taking a bunch of gold bonds for Notation among the mountaineers of Georgia or east Tennessee an to offer them to the Auvergnat peasantry. The French know better, however, and the govern ment agent went into the little village of Jaleyrac with good bundle of cer- tificates in his portfolio. Jaleyrac has just 670 inhabitants, men. women and children, but that day the agent car ried away with him more than $20,O00 value in gold coin, which had come forth from socks and buried teapots to be invested in '1es bons de Petat." Twenty thousand from 67O inhabit- ants! Carry that proportion through Frances entire population and the gold subscription would be considerably more than $1, O,000. .OO0,0 a sum that is huge even when measured by the terrific war expenditures that one reads of daily.
 And do not forget that Auvergne is quite one of the poorest in peasant re- sources of all France and it's people among the most secretive and least given to emotions and enthusiasms. What a reserve power that nation has in its peasantry
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-01-10
The South's Grain Crops

In the final estimates of the cOun- try's grain and forage crops produced in 1915 it is gratifying to see the prog ress that is being made in the south's diversification movement.
 Alabama makes a particularly fine showing. Seven or eight years ago this states corn production was be- low 40,O00,O00 bushels. In 1914 it reached, what was considered then, a very high record-52, ,0S7,000 bushels.
 The Alabama estimate given for last year is 69,91S,00O bushels. Only two of the cotton states exceed that production. Tennessee, with 94,670,- 900 bushels, and Texas-big Texas with 175,S93,O bushels.
 In 1914 Georgia was ahead of Ala bama in corn, but in 1915 it lacked nearly 5,000,OO0 bushels of being up with this state. Mississipp made a large gain in corn-64 ,970,000 bushels as against 55,2S2,oOo bushels in 1914.
 In hay production Alabama shows a slight gain over 1914, but Mississippi led us to the extent of 16,000 tons. Alabama doubled it's wheat crop a year ago over 1914, and it will make good record again next summer. In this connection President Fairfax Har- rison of the Southern railway has just issued a bulletin commenting on the recent report of the United States de- partment of agriculture on the acre age of winter wheat sown.
 This report, says Mir. Harrison, 'is interesting chiefly because it shows a continuing tendency to diversified az riculture in the south. As compared with last year the states of Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi all show increased areas sown to wheat. In South Carolina the area is the same as last year. These states as whole show an aggregate increase over last year of Al, 900 acres, or 2.92 per cent, while the states outside of the south show a net decrease of 4,907 000 acres, or 1919 per cent While the acreage sown is a slender basis on which to base an estimate of the final yield, so far as it goes il is favorable to the south as indicating a larger yield in our section at a time when a smaller yield in the United States as whole will tend to advance the price,
 The crop diyersification campaign Of last year brought valuable results, and
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-01-10
MARS AND MUSE
From the Rochester Democrat ant
 Chronicle

From the Rochester Democrat and 1 Chronicle.
 1 Two New York newspapers have
 found novel ground for dispute The
 Tribune complains because the war has
 not brought forth better poetry. The
 Times asserts that war and poetry have little in common, and that, with the
 exception of a certain lengthy conflict
 on the plains of Troy, war never did excite the poetic muse in any memorable way.
 l There appears to be some truth on | both sides of the question. It is true
 that war is not an inviting subject for
 the poet, and that great epic poems are scarce But splendid poems, whether I epic or lyric, are not written in the
 routine of the days work. In the best | of them there seems to be a high en- thusiasm, a sort of ecstasy of thought, | as if the poet was for the moment wiser | than other men and wiser than himself. There can be no doubting that inspir- ations have come to men, but in the time in which we live they are infre- quent visitors. War pulls men out of houtine, and rouses high passions and enthusiasms. As an example may be cited Lissauer's Hymn of Hate," which l Is a somewhat remarkable specimen I of expressed passion, and which the
 author now professes to regard with pain and astonishment
 l In short, the frightfulness of war does for men what they seldom do for | themselves-it makes them think of something else than making themselves like other men and living as comforta-
 bly as possible. It is not improbable
 that the wars vast stirring up of the spirit will produce in this or the next generation few men of exceptional creative genius.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-01-10

have been an appalling loss of life, but the fact that she carried arma- ment-if it were ever proved in the mass of conflicting testimony-would have vindicated the submarine con- mander to a certain extent. Subma- rines are vulnerable craft and their commanders cannot afford to risk treachery. It is assumed that pas senger carrying ships will not offer resistance and thus put the lives of their passengers in jeopardy. Steam ship companies can best prove their sincerity by not permitting weapons of any sort on board.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-01-10
Italian Liner Armed

It's an old saying, but true one, that there are two sides to every question and in all fairness to the Austrian government, it should be remembered that there may be pal litating circumstances in their re- cent attacks on liners.
 The Giuseppe Verdi arrived few days ago in New York on her second voyage from Genoa, carrying nearly 1000 passengers and two three-inch rapid fire guns mounted on her after deck. Throughout the voyage it is said that there was daily practice with the guns, so the Verdi would be able to resist submarine attack. No attempt was made to conceal these guns after the Verdi reached her pier. In fact, Captain Zannoni of the Verdi affably explained to newspaper men their operation and the purpose for which they were hurriedly placed on board just before the ship left Ge- noa--" solely to protect my passen- gers, the mails and cargo, if we are attacked" The guns have capacity of 24 shells minute and range of four and one-haf miles, The shell weighs about IA pounds. Although of small calibre, such armament might well be feared by the commander of submarine who would be justi- fled in taking no chances of being fired on.
 Furthermore, the chief officer of the ship said that two ex-gunner's mates had been shipped on the voyage expressly to handle the Verdi's guns, < ssand from what 1 have seen of their { craftsmanship" he declared, they could hit fly's leg at 4000 yards"
 It is true that the captain of the i Verdi says he was instructed not to use his guns unless he was first fired on by submarine and under no con- dition would he invite hostilities if hailed in the proper manner by an { enemy. However, the very presence of guns makes a passenger vessel po- tentially belligerent and the tempta- ton to use them, particularly if there seemer to be chance to escape, would be very strong. Had the Verdi been attacked and sunk, there might
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-01-10

even larger results will be seen this year. Alabama's corn crop should, with favorable weather conditions, cross the 100000,000 bushel mark.
 With diversification continued and extended the south will eventually be the richest section of the union.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-01-10
HOTEL LOBBIES
Will Be a Large Convention

There will be at least 300 travelling men in Birmingham next May al the annual meeting of the Alabama Travellers asso- ciation," said A. C. Smith of Montgomery, who was registered at the Hillman yes terday. At the recently closed conven- tion held in Mobile more than 300 were in attendance, and we are sure there will be fully 500 here.
 ''The cohvention will be held at least 90 days prior to July 1, and the date will be finally decided on by the executive committee. We expect to have our most enthusiastic meeting in Birmingham
 MT. Smith is secretary of the Alabama Travellers association. He also is secre- tary of the United Commercial Travellers, and is a member of the Travellers Pro- tective association.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-01-10
FULL OF IRON
From. the Philadelphia Telegraph.

From the Philadelphia Telegraph. The talk topic turned to the subject of artesan wells tKe other evening, when
 Congressman Joseph w. Fordney of Michigan was reminded of an incident that occurred in the west. Recently town in that region built an artesian water plant and after it had been in operation a while Black, a native of the town, chanced to meet a friend from an adjacent burg. By the way, Black said the friend during the conversation, "how is that ar tesian water over in your village turn ing out?"
 NO good was the disappointed re- joinder of Black. Tt is full of iron" That doesn't hurt it whole lot, does it?" querled the other well, should say so.' declared Black "It is so full of the stuff that even the G!ce club is beginning to sing in me-
 tallic voice."