davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-16
rom the Louisville courier-Journal.

From the Louisville Courier-Journal.
 A KENTUCKY contemporary reports A that young man "by sleight of
 A hand" persuaded all of the mem
 bers of an old-fashioned family of skunks to come out of the den, one at a time, and be shot. His profit from the adven- ture was $10.
 It would be interesting to know what was the sleight of hand method em-
 ployed. There are, evidently, more ways | of killing a eat" than a majority of skunk hunters know. Hypontism and sleight of hand have not been recognized generally as being among the practical
 means of securing ''polecat" pelts.
 The accepted method of catching sBunks used to be to hunt them with dog small enough to go into the anteroom of the den, if not further and report whether the animals were in or out. The hunter sine qua non was very small dog whose veracity could be depended upon. A dog whose morals were bad might mislead his owner, and it was half-day's job to dig from the surface of the earth to the bottom of the den Where trutnIui dog said there were skunks there was sure reward for the expenditure of labor. It may be believed popuiarly that any one might be able to tell whether a lam | fly of slzunxs was at home, by poKng an inquiring nose into the front door or the den But that is not true. The pun gent aroma for which the skunk is fa- nous is a weapon of defense often a weapon of offense to the innocent by stander Even very bad skunk does not befoul his own nest with it. If he should 1 hunters say, he would die as result. The theory is plausible even if it IS not, as indeed it may be- that of naturalists. l Old skunk hunters will tell you that | they feed their dogs from early puppy hood on gun powder to stunt their growth and make them small enough | to enter den. Beginning with a pup | from the smallest short-haired terrier stock they feed him in the direction or dwarfhood and when he reaches the age ! of discretion he is not greatly larger than ferret Appreciation of the impor-
 tance of telling the truth is drilled into l hunters of ''varmints'' while he grows 1 smaller as ne grows oiuer on SulpoW- l der.
 ! When the skunks are "treed" the course l of the den is followed with the spade until it is possible for the hunter to reach into the sleeping quarters of the sxunks with a long iron hook. By jabbing the 1 animals until they lose their temper and snap at the hook, and by manipulating I the hook after getting a bite the hunter hooks the game, in the mouth or neck, and draws 1t forth It is of supreme inn portance to get the skunk to daylight headforemost. It is safe to rely implicitly upon his not attempting to employ his weapon within the den. But he must be stunned or killed quickly by blow upon the head as soon as his head is lyisible He Is then thrown aside com jparatively perfumeess. The operation iz
 repeatad until; the den is cleaned of 1tz
 last inhabitant.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-16
 RUssIA's FIGHT WITH ICE

From the Boston Herald.
 At Petrograd and Riga, at Archangel and Vladivostok, the ice is stronger than the ice breakers Not even the powerful breakers which Russia procured from America last year have been able to keep a free channel to Archangel har- bor. No more in the White sea than in the Baltic or the Japanese can the grip of winter be thrust aside. The break CTS have performed a notable feat by keeping navigation open for about three months longer than usual. Could they have added another month or six weeks, the lock of ice on Archangel's door would probably not have barred the way throuh the Arctic ocean to the Atlantic, as hitherto it has always done Some double track railroad from Petrograd to Ekaterina should be completed by the American contractors, and then Russia will have an ice-free Arctic port.
 The section of the road from the cap ital to Sorolza has just been opened for traffic. That would not by itself relieve the situation Soroka being, like Arch angel, in the White sea, and equally ice- bound for eight or nine month in the year. The second section of the road leaves this sea behind, crosses the wide neck of the great Kola peninsula and terminates at Ekaterina or Katharina harbor, in the Arctic, where the warm stream which starts from the Gulf of Mexico expends it's remaining strength along the coast of Lapland Here Rus sia's ocean traffic will make a great stride, for the new harbor. never having more than an inch or two of ice, is in a deepbay of the Murmanian shore, only 50 miles west of the Norwegian frontier, and 400 miles nearer than Archangel to the Atlantic Russia will thus gain a most important northern outlet to all the oceans, while the southern outlet through the Dardanelles, of which she has dreamed for centuries, is yet beyond her reach.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-16
MARROW ESCAPES IN BATTLE

From Tit-Bits.
 One bullet went clean through my pocket, struck my notebook, and stayed there. have it still. It was my first hit and so I have kept it as sou venir." Thus wrote an officer from Elan ders some time ago. and the, incident is typical of many occasions when men have been saved from death and sablement by some object they were carrying about their person.
 Not very long ago private in the Fourth East Yorkshire regiment was saved from death by a cigarette case which he was carrying in pocket over his heart. The missile lodged in the inner cover of the case, and the cigarettes were badly damaged, but no other harm was saved by a cigarette-tin and a penny in his breast pocket.
 Bishop Taylor Smith. speaking at Har-
 row school told now q captain in tn
 Coldstreams was wounded by a shell When he was examined the doctors found a Bible in his hip pocket. The piece oi of shell had struck the Bible and gone through the pages. Had it not been for the Bible the officers spine would have been shattered. Curiously enough the
 missile had stopped at the ninety-first Paslm, and the officers father, who had given him the Bible, had written a verse from that Psalm on the hyleaf. Shaving soap, tobacco pouches, letter
 cases, and books of all descriptions have ! saved the lives of many soldiers, but the
 most extraordinary life saver was a mouth
 organ which was smashed to pieces by z bullet as it rested in the left breast pockei I of Private Keghley, Canadian. It was 1 found afterward that the mouth orgar
 bore the legand, Made in Germany
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-16
The Proposed Sunday Ordinance

lne HTOpOSeu OuHudy OAuAAtdhCC
 The proposed ordinance prohibiting Sunday movies and Sunday concerts did not come up for action in the city commission yesterday as had been ex pected.
 Commissioner Weatherly, who hac drawn the ordinance for the Pastors union, has reached the conclusion that the ministers and others who insist on prohibiting Sunday musical enter tainments and closing photoplay houses on Sunday should proceed to procure the necessary number of sig natures to a referendum petition and settle the question at issue by vote of the people.
 Since it is known that the proposed ordinance lacks sufficient support in the commission to be finally adopted in that body the referendum would be the only other alternative in keeping up the agitation.
 Birmingham is musical city and many worthy citizens have no scruples in attending concerts on Sun day. It is a city, too--like all other large cities-in which the Sunday movies supply innocent recreation for vast number of decorous people who think it no sin to look at photoplays on the one day in the week when they have an opportunity of doing so.
 Every right-minded man, whether he is a church-goer or not, is glad to see the churches prosper; is glad to see them prosper regardless of his own attitude toward the question of creeds. But there is a strong senti- ment here as in other populous com munities against legislation intended to restrict personal liberty in matters that in no wise oppose civic righteous ness or make for bad morals.
 If a referendum on Sunday movies and Sunday concerts should be sub mitted to the voters it is reasonable to suppose that the proposed ordi- nance would be overwhelmingly de feated
 Political campaigns in which moral or religious issues are involved al- ways cause bitterness and turmoil. They do nothing in the way of en- hancing the cause of religion. They only leave sores.
 Birmingham is making reputation as clean, lawabiding city. Let's not have it thrown into state of foment. Many individuals may be eager for referendum. The city as a whole does n2t want it, but on the other hand thousands would de- plore it.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-16
THE OXEN

Thomas Hardy, in the London Times. Christmas Eve, and twelve of the clock
 Now they are all on their knees. " An elder said as we sat in a flock
 By the embers in hearthside ease. We pictured the meek, mild creatures
 where
 They dwelt in their strawny pen, Nor did it occur to one of us there
 To doubt they were kneeling then. So fair fancy few believe
 In these yearsl Yet, feel, Eff someone said on Christmas Eve Come; see the oxen kneel. s'In the lonely barton by wonder cooinb Our childhood used to know I should go with him in the gloom,
 Hoping 1t might Dc 50.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-16
A REAL CELEBRITY

My boy" said the man of many mil lions how do you expect to amount to anything in this world if you spend all your time dancing?"
 But, father" answered the youth, in an aggrieved tone. Ifs it possible that you have never heard of my reputation ?''
 ITO me, sir, you are nonenity."
 Such is fame Why, I'm known as the dance king of seven cities"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-16
ADvENTuRE IN THE sIIRuRRs

Simeon Strumsky, in Harper's Magazine | Walking in the outer suburbs is a fascinating exercise because of the real estate operator who has filled the land- scape with surprises. You have reached the outskirs of the city. Before you lies a primitive vista fields as far as the eye can reach, a good deal of marsh, some old trees in the fore ground, and perhaps bit of water large enough for skating in winter Or there may be tangIe of dwarf tim Der and scrub running clear to the hor- izon, unbroken by those deadly ene- mics of rural beauty, the factory chim- ney and the gas tank. Looking across the waste of brush and fallow, one might imagine it melting into the prairies of the west, and so on to the Pacific. You scent the genuine primi- tive, the real thing, at the farthest pole from the suburban. To ybur right, a path, real country path. leads through grove So you follow it, prepared for adventure, feeling something like Stan ley or Captain Scott
 In two minutes you are through the grove and slap up against a steam shovel. Across the field runs a gash a quarter of mile long, and it is crossed by five similar scars. They are new streets The signposts are up, though the street is only in the making-Jef- ferson avenue, Franklin avenue, Clin- ton avenue-our revolutionary period being the most prolific source of nomen- clature for the suburban builder.
 Walking in the suburbs always has these little surprises in store. They are not what an artist would enjoy emerg- ing suddenly from the dank freshness of marsh and woodland It is only the rising urban tide tapping up the will derness.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-16
The Al c1nh

Great interest is being manifested by members of the Ad club in our contest Tor suggestions for the best method of raising fund of $1OOO to send 10 delegates to the national convention in Philadel- phia, said Secretary H. Dempster Gull len of that organization "The prize for the winning suggestion is free trip to the convention with all expenses paid, and the members of the club are respond ing liberally with suggestions.
 Our luncheon next Tuesday, the 22d. will be given over almost entirely to dis cussion of the coming convention, and matters to be taken under advisement in Philadelphia will be explained to our members"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-16
POSITIVELY INDECENT

Ideas of temperance have undergone a great change
 Quite so."
 Tor instance, the old-fashioned tipplel who used to consume something like a quart of spirits day didn't consider himself incorporate"
 NO, but judging from some of the un- expurgated editions of early English au- thors, his language was''
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-16
The sxmnhonx orchestra

The Minneapolis Symphony orchestra with S5 men, comes today. It will give two concerts at the. Bijoy-a children's matinee at S:sO and an evening perform ance at S:3O o'clock.
 The Minneapolis orchestra is one oi the greatest of the half dozen famous symphony organizations in the United States, and the Bijou will be crowded at both afternoon and night performances, '' said John Wiegand This orchestra not only ranks high in the west, but it i: now in great esteem in New York and Boston, where it has been appearing of recent years. It will give a concert in New York city about two weeks after playing here. No orchestra in the world has a larger number of high salaried artists than the Minneapolis
 Madame Chilson-O Ohrman, voca celebrity, will be on the Wednesday night programme for two solos,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-16
WARRLERs BARRED
le Memphis News-Scimitar

From the Memphis News-Scimitar.
 .Over in Fort Worth, Tex, they recently had hog calling contest under the au- spices of the state encampment of agri- cultural clubs. Only boys were eligible for admission This discrimination ex- cluded many alleged opera singers, who no doubt would have shone in dazzling splen- dor as porcne lurers.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-16
PERISH THE THOUGHT.

From the New York Telegram.
 Fact that the charming wife of Thomas A. Edison is crusading for modest attire raises horrible suspicion that the great but absent minded inventor may be wear ing a sport shirt.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-16
P. 1T. OuTCLAssED

From the Pittsburg Sun.
 Judge Ben Lindsey just can't keep out of the newspapers, and so they are cabling from Berlin what he thinks of the juvenile situation on the other side. And Bar mum thought he knew something about publicity
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-16
ADRIFT WITH THE TIMES
A DISTURBING THOUGHT

Suppose Napoleon had been fighting under modern conditions" remarked the theorist. Do you think he would have escaped defeat?"
 That is rather hard to say" answered the connoisseur, "but for the sake of art, I'm glad he lived when he did"
 ''Yes?p
 Think of the splendid battle pictures we now have in our art galleries, de- picting incidents of Napoleon's cam paigns, and imagine what sort of work an artist would have done had he attempted to paint Napoleon telephoning to the front, or Napoleon in his dugout."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-16
PROGRESS.

Why should women want the vote?' asked Mr. Twobble fretfuny. Don't they run everything now to suit them selves?"
 "only within certain limits. replied Mrs Twobble "ro the average woman of intelligence bossing a husband is such childs play that unless she ex- bands her zone of activities she is apt to retrograde.e TAKING THE JOY OUT OF JoYRIDEs Hon hayrides, dear. used to dote," Said dainty Daisy Green, But now I'd rather have you tote Me in your limousine"
 Youngstown Telegram. "On hayrides, dear, I still will go,' Said little Nellie Silver; But do not dare to ask me, Joe, To go out in your fIivver.,
 onl1ers> Statesman. On auto rides the dears will go lis what they must love doing; But only take your mother-in-law When you go out canoeing.
 Houston Post, An auto ride is much too slow, For old man Bullion's Jane, Who says she's simply wild to go Up in an aeroplane
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-16
Neu Yocn1iat

"one of the most beautiful solos have heard in sometime was that rem dered by Mrs. F. P. Davidson at the morning service of the Church of the Advent last Sunday" said J. Hardie Brown. Mrs. Davidson sang T Hath Not Seen from Gauls' great oratorio, The Holy City The richness of tone of her splendid contralto voice and depth of expression made the selection one of keen enjoyment.
 Mrs. Davidson has, I understand, re- gently moved to Birmingham from At lanta and will make this her future home Mrs. Davidson is a decided ac- quisition to the musical circles of the city"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-16

Lovers of peace hoped that when the prohibition question was settled here neighbors would dwell together amicably, but Sunday moving pictures have started another war.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-16
AN ALARMlsr.
wing great prosperity,

We're having great prosperity,
 A most unprecedented boom, And yet you'll meet most every day
 The man who wears a look of gloom, And shakes his head and glowers round,
 As one who for deep vengeance thirsts, And says with fierce intensity,
 ''Just wait until the bubble burstsp'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-16
A SORRY SIGHT

From the Memphis commereial-A Appeal
 Just now and then yeu run across a New Years resolution, but t is frayel at the edges and down at the heel.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-16
Maaninrton bursae. s07 AlDbs bulIa,

BEGINNING THE DAY-O, my God, make me brave. Make me brave enough to say no. Make me brave enough to suffer even the charge of being not brave. Make me brave enough even to sit still and walt EIake me brave enough even 10 AoE- get that I am brave. For the sake of Him who was brave unto "ii things md unto the end. Amen F, M. E.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-16

Geraldine Farrar's honeymoon has been postponed. In the meantime she con- tinues to pick up great deal of loose chance from opera impresarios and movie magnates,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-16

Since the attitude of this government toward armed merchantmen has been clearly indicated, there win not be so many foolish American travellers willing to take sporting chance'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-16
ALABAMA PRESS

Andaiusia Star: No "conversation stockings" have been noticed in Anda- lusit although we do not see all that goes on.
 Fort Payne Journal An academic dis cussion is the kind that is carried on over the free lunch counter regarding the constitutionality of the income tax law.
 Franklin County Times: All bachelors in Birmingham are threatened with a S5 tax each year. If that were to pre- vail here, mamma would have to cough up for some of them.
 Anniston Star: Lawrence Seed and Eunice Field were married at Hot Springs recently by the Rev. A. P. Flow. A regular agricultural wedding. What will the harvest be?
 Gadsden Times-News; Alabamas new election law is something like a Chinese puzzle It is possible under the law for the head man to be dropped out in the summary. Why was the second choice plan embodied in the new law? Some one answer the question.
 Colbert County Reporter: The expect ed revival in the popularity of the bicycle is here-perhaps as one result of the gen. eral improvement in roads. Last year 100000 bicycles were sold in this coun- try, the largest number in any year since 1896, when the wheel reached it's great est popular favor
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-16
John Drew With Hole in His Trousel

John Drew With Hole in His Trousers
 "One of the New York critics when he saw the initial performance of John Drew's play, The Chief remarked that MT. Horace Annesley vachell, whom none 1 could possibly accuse of turbulence after seeing his 'Qinneys' and 'Searchlights, had actually come near wrecking the es- , tablished order of things and busting up dramatic unities when he presented MT. Drew in his new play with hole in his trousers" said Brown Parks, the clever assistant manager of the Jefferson, yes terday. 4s
 'AIr. Drew has always been clad in all of his plays in the most elegant and up- to-date manner and he is considered the Beau Brummel of the stage, when it comes to being properly groomed and dressed. If one is to judge by the criti- cisms of The Chief, MT. Drew has the best play he has had in years, and as the 'Earf of Yester,' who is a widower with a ward, a yacht, a secretary, five auto mobiles, the love of three ladies-'queens' (not The Love of Three KingsD and the usual nobility of nature that accompanies the roles he plays, why, he is seen at his very fineStl''
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-16
HOTEL HOBBIES
An Admission Editor

Conditions in Anniston at the present tune are improving rapidly" said Harry M. Ayers, editor of the Anniston Star, who is in Birmingham for the opera.
 The industrial pay rolls arc increasing and the munitions plant which is just be- ing completed will mean a healthy addi- tion to the city.
 T have greatly enjoyed the opera and hope to be able to remain over Wednes- day for the symphony concert"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-16
QUITE LIKELY.

"old MT. Grabcoin always speaks with great exactitude.Y
 I've noticed that. How do you ac- count for itg'
 q don't know. unless it's because the way he figures interest on loans has af- fected his daily conversation"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-16

There may be more truth in the report that the German Crown Prince has been deposed from his command than there was in the rumors of his death
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-16

Now we are face to face with another problem. Just how large or how small should submarine be?
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-16

It is said that Colonel House learned to keep his mouth shut in Texas. There may be something in that. Colonel House is rather small man.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-16

Fortunately for British pride, it was a mine that sank the Arethusa and not a shot from German warship
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-16

Washington society will miss Mrs Gar rison, and it is barely possible that the administration will miss MT. Garrison
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-16
NOT FORGOTTEN.

George Washington is dead and gone,
 His life a moral lesson teaches; Although he long since travelled on,
 He crops up every day in speeches.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-16

If every other state sends as many pol iticians to Washington every week as Alabama does, the hotels of the capital must be crowded.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-16

Richard Harding Davis is writing such good war stuff for The Age-Herald that we'll have to forgive him for calling Kip ling a middle class Englishman
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-16

pr. Sun Yat Sen. like Villa, seems to think when he's out of the running is a good time to take another wife.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-16

The various departments of the govern
 ment are now using advertising methods
 that have been found so successful by large commercial concerns. Since the
 anti-tick campaign was started in the
 south the department of agriculture has been distributing periodically supplement
 tai literature on this subject designed to
 follow up the colored posters which were
 used at first to help arouse public inter- est. These pamphlets give in the virile and forceful language of the professional ad writer information on how many mil lions of dollars worth of flesh building blood is sucked out of southern cattle every year by cattle ticks. The latest pamphlet is printed in red and black ink, and has marginal drawings in the same colors, quite a radical departure from the government reports heretofore sent out over the country. The department is try ing to convince cattle raisers that an anil nal will lose as much blood through a heavy infestation of ticks as 1t would from a serious wound. A report made by the Tennessee experiment station shows that cattle ticks multiply with great rapidity and live a long time with out food The average female lays about 2S5 eggs a day and produces more than 200 eggs in all. Some prolific specimens were found to lay more than 100 eggs in 24 hours. Eggs dropped in the spring are matched in "A hours. Those dropped in the fall do not incubate until the fol- lowing spring. Newly matched ticks have been known to remain alive 29S days while waiting for an animal to feed on.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-16

Some of the hosiery worn by the fair sex conveys the idea that they intend to put something more than their best foot forward.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-16

President Wilson says he will not con test for the democratic nomination. Per- haps he thinks it isn't necessary to do so.