davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-12
Cotton Seed Oil
 Industry of Russia
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M USSIA'S cotton seed oil industry SS will eventually offer a market to American manufacturers of cotton oil machinery. Russia's- cotton seed oil refineries are located mainly in the districts of Ferghana, Murgal and Merv. They have recently been in- creased by the addition of two new mills. These mills are now handling 192,000 tons of cotton seed, their for mer consumption being 144,000 tons.
 Turkestan exported 10000 tons of cotton seed to Russia in 1913. It is predicted that this industry will be de- veloped on large scale and after the war is over will be one of the many industries in the vast domain of Rus sia, now practically unknown to Amer ican manufacturers, which will prove extensive purchasers of American made machinery.
 The trade possibilities with Russia when peace comes are so vast that they are not yet appreciated in the United States, but the eyes of far sighted business men are turned in that direction and America can have for the asking the place formerly held by Germany in the commercial life of Russia.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-12
Crimson Schedule

Prospects for a successful year on the gridiron in 1918 are exceedingly bright" said Lonnie Noojin of the Uni versity of Alabama, who attended the annual S. I. A. A. meeting at Athens, Ga, last Saturday. Practically all of the colleges and schools in the south and the effect of the war on athletics were thoroughly discussed.
 The Alabama football team will ap- pear in Birmingham about four times next season, if our present plans ma terialize. We have already scheduled a game with Sewanee. which promises to be as good as ever and Louisiana States university will also be brought here for contest on November 19. The sewanee game will be played on No. vember 2.
 "A game with Vanderbilt, Mississippi A. &s M. and Howard college are prac. tically agreed upon. Vanderbilt and the Mississippi team will be played in Bir- mingham, while Howard will be en- gagged on our campus. The Crimson schedule, when completed. will be one of the most strenuous of any eleven in the south"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-12
German Atrocities
 Not OverdraWn

6N HE book entitled "German war
 J Practices" compiled from au- thentic records and edited by Prof. D. c. Munro of Princeton and other competent persons, presents "dum- founding evidence of German fright fitness. It has just been issued at the government printing office and is in- tended for general distribution.
 From the very beginning of the war the Teutons were guilty of .barbarous practices that would have made the Huns seem humane in compar- ison. The ruthless invasion of Bel gium and the brutal treatment of the people of that country, the sinking of the Lusitania, and other diabollcal deeds without number, staggered civ ilization, but atrocities that never be- came known outside of the halser empire have now come to light.
 Before the United States entered the war pro-Germans were always protesting that the cruel practices ot which German soldiers were accused were either without foundation or greatly exaggerated. Even some loyal Americans were inclined to think that the Kaiser was not as Satanic as he was painted, and that his fighting men were no worse than the soldiers of other countries.
 But in view of the documentary rec ords now printed, no sane person, no matter how kindly disposed by nature, thinks of Germany with anything but loathing.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-12
AN AMAZING CASE


 From the New York World
 If the charges made against otto Iu- lius Merkel, who was arrested In New York Thursday, can be substantiated, his Is one of the most amazing cases or espionage the war has yet brought forth.
 The man is said to have maintained several expensive apartments and com manded many employees. He had an or ganization of university graduates for German defense" a term of double meaning He sought knowledge of news papers in which articles favorable to the German cause might be printed. And while thus poisoning the Sources of American information, he is alleged to have been in receipt of code messages from Mexico and to have sent military information to his family in Germany, intimates of General Mackensen.
 Understanding that lack of conceal ment Is the best concealment. this ar tist is super-espionage is represented as doing his work not behind locked doors in his apartments but in the reference room of the New York public library. with his stenographer by his side and attendants bringing books to so distin- guished student" He was much an- noyed by his detention; 1t caused ''sur- prise, to some of his associates.
 Unless Merkel has been grossly ma |ligned by government officials. his ar rest suggests two widely different lines of inquiry: How many men such as he ifs described to be are at large In the country? How long in Berlin could a man engage in such activities without being backed against a cold. grim, blank wall to face q firing squad?
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-12
AT 4sCALoN, A FRAGMENT

From the Westminster Gazette. ts E"Ascalon has been occupied by infantry
 and artillery.
 North of Beersheba there is nothing to
 report"
 So from the south. Ts The noise of battle, carried on the
 breeze, sa Grew ever louder. Then came awful As though some giant beat the patient In hopeless agony, and cadent screams: Flung far across the sky from unseen
 throats And ceaseless tEamps of knights and
 men-at-arms, St Until the glamour, breaking through the.
 soil ei That held me prisoned for 300 years. :. Snatched me from sleep, and l, at
 length, awoke, sl Thinking the lion heart had come again And fought the goddess paynim as of oids Then did scramble from my shallow bed r And gaze around in eagerness to see d The flashing swords, the banners bravely borne, sf The armored warriors. and hear the cry IOf gallant soldiers: England, and Saint George"
 But, though saw the Saracen in flight.a The scene was passing strange. NO; cleaning steel, No dancing pennons. no bedizened host Could discover; but across the sand Stole men in sombre garb. And as One raised his hand aloft and deftly hurled
 A ball replete with thunder: and It brake
 Where there had been Turk, and he It cried 0 aloud: % "cheeror' and went his And birds bore men aloft who dropped strange eggs
 That slew, each one. thousand heathen. slaves; And over hills and hollows monsters. That seized and swallowed up the fright; While one whom others called Sir An zac" stood 7 Erect and cried; What 'o' What price. the tanks?"
 Then, weary of the slaughter. and un., Bv things of magic falling from the sky ! That filled the earth with sound. each knight and squire Placed something white as snow bs- tween his lips, And, as a dragon, from his mouth breathed smoke, s. And murmured, sadly: Where's the wat canteen?"
 So did know, to whom these things ] were strange
 And fraught with fearsome portent, that the worldi y Was full of wizards4 and I shut my | eyes, And whispered: "such crusades are not
 for me!'' E0,
 So back to siumber. F. BE
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-12
Henley Wasn't Scared

q haven't volunteered nor have been drafted" said John c. Henley, one of the promoters of Camp Mcclellan, but believe me I got dose of big guns with out going to France. I was over at the camp moseying around without having been put wise to the fact that the artil- lery had begun to practice with the big guns and when they cut loose I thought the Germans had hit Alabama. I am somewhat used to noises and particu- larly blasting. but when the sound of many cannon began to roar in my ears it seemed to me the earth tren1bled. l lit out for home and sent my partner, Ganstner, over to hold down the situa- tion. It's we'll I did, for he landed in good time to get some great snow pie lures of the camp and the boys"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-12
Dollar Wasted an
 Ally to the Enemy
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ERANK A. VANDERLIP, national 4 director of the war savings can1- paign, will render public service of far-reaching benefit in his two-weeks' speaking tour through the south and west. As president of the National City bank of New York, he is one of the busiest men in the country, but like Henry F. Davison, another busy banker, who is now giving the greater part of his time to the Red Cross cause, he gladly makes a sacrifice to aid the nation in winning the war.
 No one understands better than MT. vanderlip the financial necessities of the government, or the good that will come from the aggregate of savings, large and small. His aphorism, "a hoarded dollar is stacker and dol- lar spent for an unnecessary thing is an ally of the enemy" conveys vital truth in way that will fix itself firm ly in the public mind.
 The campaign against food waste has shown practical results, and this campaign for the conservation of the sinews of war, touching as it does, various classes of society, promises large returns. Ever since America entered the international conflict, rep resentatives of President Wilson's ad- ministration have been urging econ- omy in all directions, but the time has come when an organized movement is needed to impress upon the people the value of dollar in the prosecu- ton of the war against the Teutonic jpowers.
 And MT. Vanderlip is the man par ex- cellence to lead in the work. As an apostle of thrift he has labored for years to develop in individualssof small means the habit of saving. His especial appeal now is in behalf of war savings stamp. By the sale of these stamps the government seeks to raise $2, ,0OO, ,000 ,000. Men, women and chil- dren who invest in baby bonds, as the stamps are called, not only help feed and clothe our soldiers, but they re- iceive interest compounded on their savings.
 As to people confining their ordi- nary expenditures to the purchase of
 necessities, the question arises, What 1 is necessity? That depends. With
 some it is one thing, with some an- other. It means, of course, cutting out all extravagance. But it should not
 mean such drastic retrenchment in
 household expenses as would paralyze
 ordinary mercantile trade or such re-
 form as would seriously affect places
 of innocent amusement.
 | MT. Vanderlip, being reasonable
 man, never leans to extremes. He
 simply accentuates his idea of war economy so as to drive home certain great principles, the application of
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-12
Soldiers Executed
 at Fort Sam Houston

F1H HE hanging of Is negro soldiers
 U of the Twenty-fourth United States infantry, at Fort Sam Hous- ton, and life sentences given others, who were convicted of complicity in the rioting at Houston, Tex, last Au- gust, will impress on all our soldiers, white and black, that the government will not tolerate gross breaches of discipline, no matter what the provo cation may be.
 These men were tried on charges of murder, mutiny and rioting. They were given a fair and impartial hear ing before court-martial. They were convicted by soldiers and those who paid the death penalty were executed by soldiers. In this case there was no opportunity for race prejudice to fig ure. If white soldiers had "shot up' . city, causing 17 persons to be killed and a number wounded, they would have received the same degree of punishment and it would have been equally deserved. Even in times of peace such conduct on the part of men in uniform cannot be tolerated. Now that the nation is at war with pow erful enemy, and victory depends on the discipline and morale of it's troops, there can be no place in the ranks for criminals.
 The evidence brought out in the court-martial proceedings showed
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-12
Hog Killing Time

"Hog killing time is certainly upon Alabama now" said Ed R. Norman, as sistant postmaster "I paid a visit to my former home at Lafayette Sunday and on the way back home the only thing that could be seen around the country was the farmers taking a little target practice upon their hog pens.
 There must have been over 100000 killed yesterday in the state This is an ideal time and the man who cant keep the meat in good condition during this kind of weather shouldn't have any anyhow"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-12
ALABAMA PRESS

Montgomery Advertiser:l If it's 40 times as cold in Siberia as it Is here, which it probably is, can you blame Nicholas Romanoff, Esq, for trying to escape?
 Mobile Register: The London Daily Ex- press says that while it was difficult to get President Wilson into the war, it will be infinitely more difficult to get him out of the war until all of Americas ob- jects are attained. We afe getting that understanding over here, too, for we are learning that when the President has an idea he sticks to 1t.
 Talladega Home: Revive the old art. not entirely lost of making bark and shuck collars, bow and hamper baskets few cotton baskets, willow baskets, and split bottom chairs. Hooverize. war or no war;
 Albany Decatur Daily: There is but one real issue before the American people today--winning the war. This task Is So colossal there is so much at stake-in- cluding the very existence of our nation that it seem puerile to take out time dis cussing minor events.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-12
ADRIFT WITH THE TIMES
NOT LIKE OTHER GIRLS.


 NOT LIKE OTHER GIRLS. The mermaid is funny girl, Now this we know is true; She's never heard to ask man To please tie up her shoe
 -Yonkers Statesman. Although she's truly in the swim, The mermaid never flirts; 15s She has no pesky corns to trim, And no divided skirts.
 Youngstown Telegram. sg And when the nermaid's dressing, she Is never so incased Tn steel that she must ask some one To button up her waist. $
 -Johnstown Democrat. Another of the mermaid's traits She never frets or blubbers When it has rained and things are
 damp, E Because she's lost her rubbers.
 New York Globe. Oh, who would not mermaid be! She never moans or walls; For even though she takes on flesh, s' She's not afraid of scales. 4 w aSnlnSLOu fOSL. And when you bid her to the show. She doesn't make you wait For hours and hours that she may know
 For sure her hats on straight!
 Nashville Tennessean. Nor does the mermaid ever shriek: My goodness, have a care; To dry my locks it takes a week, So do not wet my hair!"
 Detroit Free Press. Our admiration she doth win The reason we advance; She's never seen cavorting in honky-tonky dance.
 MIGHT BE LATER. "There goes scratcherly. the artist. He's drawn hundreds of pictures of beautiful girls"
 "Is his wife Jealousr K Not yet. She's still his model"
 TOO DARNED SCARCE. .This eminent practitioner says su- gar is not food, but a drug" What next, wonder?" sWhile my Knowledge of medicine is limited to a few simple pills and pow ders, I can tell the eminent practitioner one thing"
 And what is that?' Sugar is not drug on the market"
 PAUL COOK.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-12

BEGINNING THE DAy--s'O Lord, let me not henceforth desire health or life. except to spend them Tor Thee, with Thee, and in Thee. Irant that with humble and perfect sup mission and in holy confidence. may receive the orders Of Ihine eternal Providence, and may equai'y adore all that comes to me iro'" Thee.--PascaI.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-12
From the Kansas City Star.

From the Kansas City Star.
 N CORRESPONDENT asks us if we
 NN don't think Tom Sawyer is bet x lA ter than Sentimental Tommy. In the language of the latter we are not So sure. That's good Scots 0or we believe there is none better than Barries) ana perhaps this language will give cue 70 verdict. If you like Scots you propaoiy will vote for Tommy Sandys If you don't like it (and some people don't, you will vote for the other Tom.
 But we are not sure that the inauiry is clear. Is s.Tom Sawyer better DOOR than sentimental Tommy, or is Tom Sawyer better boy than Tommy san dys? If we are to answer both inquirles we would have to give split verdict' We think sentimental Tommy" is bet ter book than Tom Sawyer" but we think Tom Sawyer Is better boy than Tommy Sandys. By better" we mean' of course, more true as characteriza- tion-more of s'huan boy as MT Chadband would say. Tom sawyer "e think we know. We have seen him drag A never have seen Tommy Sandys, no more have we ever heard him converse, anu we suspect him of keeping. too close coiii- pany with his author. We think we near Sir James prompting him now ana then' which is not good for the illusion.
 We would have to admit that this con cluson is based on ex parte evldence. We never lived in Thrums. We never knew any scotch youths except in the way we have met Tommy and David Bal four, and perhaps we are not compeleh' to judge of them. They may be all tnat Barrie and Stevenson tell us they are and vet we must doubt it, for we observe that in the annals of Tommy he alone commands the thought and the language of his biographer. Corp Shaich might pc Missouri youth. Give him a cob pipe Naiu a little philosophy not so confoundeoly scotch) and he would not be hopeless as
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-12

which is essential under present condi- tions.
 The distinguished banker will reach Birmingham December 20, and will address meeting of citizens on that date. That he will be enthusiastically received goes without saying.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-12
Houston's Report

Z "I am, of course, deeply interested in the crop statistics not merely of Ala bama but of the whole country" said T. P. Hay, gJr., secretary of the food preparedness bureau, "but the report of Secretary of Agriculture Houston which is just out is most encouraging, and shows that it paid to get in behind the raising of food crops. It is a masterly report and touches on many things that ought to be widely read. It deserves great publicity as it shows us our status"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-12
A COLD RECEPTION.

A COID 1tECEF HUN. How does your wife act when you try to explain why you spent large part of the night playing poker?"
 About the same way President Will son would act if the Kaiser were to send an envoy over here to offer peace terms based on the status quo ante hellunnn
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-12
DOUBLE TROUBLE.

Some of these war photographers run as much risk as fighting man."
 More, I should say"
 ''Why so?''
 "A fighting man can throw away his equipment in a pinch, but a pho tographer has to hang on to his cam era, if it costs him his life.'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-12
WEAK COMFORT

From the Detroit Free Press
 Charles Edward Russell of the Amer ican commission to Russia said at banquet of New York socialists:
 T confess that some of the Russian news looks rather dubious"
 "Cheer up, Charlie." shouted an op- timistic socialist from the further end of the table. Never despair. old man! Somewhere behind the clouds the sun is shining
 Yes" said MT. Russell. And some where below the sea there's solid bot tom. But what good dos that do to the chap who gets submarined?'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-12
M.n,h.r of the Associated Press

Member of the Associated Press
 The Age-Herald is the only morning and Sunday newspaper in Birmingham carrying the Associated Press dls- patches.
 The Associated Press is exclusively entitled to the use for republication of all news dispatches credited to IL or not otherwise credited in this paper and also the local news published herein.
 All rights of republication Of spe- cial dispatches herein are also re- served.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-12
FEMININE INCONSISTENCY
GRASS EGoTIsM.

Caesar had his Brutus, you know"
 'Yes, but Caesar amounted to some thing when he was alive, and so did Brutus. It makes me tired to see man who was defeated for the office of constable going around flattering himself that he, too, has his Brutus."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-12
Keene Enioxs Snow

felt fine with the snow beating in my face" said Manager Keene of Loew's Bijou. T had been led to believe that was going to the sunny south where the snow never falls. It was, however. about noon that I was made really homesick, for when the rain came and the slush was everywhere I got real lonesome for dear old Broadway. I be- lieve the cold is colder down here than it is up north. Somehow it seems to bite in deeper. I am sure glad that our heat death"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-12

All friends shall taste The wages of their virtue, and all foes The cup of their descryinss'
 king Lear.
 x % x
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-12
cmmIEzMM4AauttH

P. s.-Pray for the peace of Jerusa- lem; .,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-12

TELEPHONE Bell (priyate exchange cOnnectins all departmentsD Main 49OO.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-12

Washington bureau, POT Hibbs build ing. .+-aa+
 European bureau, Henrietta street. Covent Garden, London. ,o
 Eastern business office, Rooms 4s .o 50, inclusive, Tribune building Me" York city; western business olilce' s Tribune building, Chicago. The s' V. Beckwith Special Agency, agents TOT foreign advertising.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-12

tians. It's time for song, and l hope III avery Christian church throughout the world next Sunday there will be sung Jerusalem! Jerusalem!
 Lift up your gates and sing Hosanna in the highest,
 Hosanna to your King.
 Jerusalem! Jerusalem!
 Sing for the night is oer
 Hosanna in the highest
 Hosanna for evermore
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-12

Entered at the Birmingham, Aia'' postoffice as second-class matter un- der act of Congress, March 8, 1879.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-12
NOTHING TO BRAG ABOUT.

NOTHING TO BRAG ABOUT Oh, we're having lovely weather,
 What with snow and slush and sleet And we're risking life and limb each Time we walk upon street. And the ice' kings frosty fingers
 Are not pleasant round our throat And he has a way of piercing
 Through the thickest kind of coat. If the sun would only venture
 To come peeping through cloud, He could much accommodate us
 Banishing this winter shroud. Sooth, it's trying on our temper
 And it's worse upon our roll" Which is certain to diminish
 If we keep on buying coal.
 FEMININE INCONSISTENCY
 T can't bear those Jibways," said Mrs. Dubwaite. "They are social climb CTS"
 But, my dear" replied MT. Dub- waite, mildly, I've were social climbers once"
 That's just it, Do you think I want to be reminded of what we were by continually seeing somebody else try ing to do what we did?"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-12

Daily and Sunday Age e-Herald, year ss.oV Daily without Sunday. .........' o.Vv Daily and Sunday, per month..'. " Daily and Sunday. three months 1'VU Sunday Age-Herald, per annum'' Z'oV Weekly Age Herald, per annum'. 20
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-12

No communication will be puoilsne1 without it's authors name. Rejected manuscript will not be returned unless stamps are enclosed for that purpose Remittances can be made at curren, ,, rate of exchange. The Age-Heralu WI. not be responsible for moheS through the mails. Address,
 THE AGE-HERALp,
 Birmingham, Ala
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-12

"There goes Scratcherly, the artist. He's drawn hundreds of pictures of beautiful girls" 'Is his wife Jealousr K
 Not yet. She's still his model"