davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-04
ARCTIC TRIALS OLD AND NEW

ables,' which had laid down the night
 before.' Besieged by death and shrink ing ill a pile of reeking skins, men read
 les Mserables" in the Arctic. It is good to know, thought not quite surpris- ing. Many Arctic expeditions have car red more or less elaborate libraries. The rigors of the wilderness have often
 been mitigated by books Roosevelt in
 the jungle with his pigskin volumes is the great example. There was Lincoln,
 rail splitter.
 Hernits, exiles and castaways alike seem to do their reading osentatiously. De Quncey in his mountain retreat spoke. of reading German metaphysics digested With the aid of opium. Hugo spent his exile with Shakespeare. Ship
 wrecked sailors on remote islands ordi- narily have their Bibles, and snivel over them. Napoleon at St. Helena took com fort in books, though he never found his ideal reading, as accounts of his own affairs were denied to him. David Grayson used to ramble through coun- , try lanes with Montague in his knap-
 sack; Mary MacLane, while clutched in the desert arms of this Butte reads
 Keats and ate cold boiled potatoes at
 midnight; Jesse Pomeroy, Massachu-
 setts famous lifer, studies the Greek philosophers. Man and his book always; is there anyone who has not an ideal desert island-and are not books second only to food? And the soldiers in the l trenches--
 | Getting back to the Arctic from coral | islands and Butte and Jersey and jun ! gles and Charlestown prison, the 1 Crocker land eXpedition-four years of one of the most searching scientific sur- 1 veys ever attempted-has a history
 which is far from told. Scientific and adventurous news of another character
 monopolizes the presses at the moment Lieutenant Greens sample is promising | of d tremendous addition ultimately i to Arctic literature. MacMillan found no Crocker land; what he did find, writ 1 ten into comfortably readable form for tall the world, will not lack interested
 attention.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-04
Congressman Resigns
 After Long Service

TH HERE is an old saying that few U office holders die and none re- sign; but Congressman J. J. Fitzger- aid of New York, chairman of the committee on appropriations, is an ex- ception to the latter rule. His resigna- tion, announced yesterday, is to take effect December 31.
 Congress sustains distinct loss, for there are few abler men in the national legislature than the loyal democrat who has labored faithfully for his party and for the country dur | ing eighteen consecutive years. MT. Fitzgerald, like most con- gressmen who have achieved signal success in the halls of Congress. en- joycd his work and the comradeshjp which he found among his fellow members; but for business reasons he felt it his duty to return to the prac- ltice of law, which his congressional activities had caused him to put
 aside.
 | When men of MT. Fitzgerald's
 character and experience are con-
 strained to quit public life, presumably
 because of the financial sacrifices that such entails, the old question arises, lAre government salaries as large as
 they should be? In the early days of
 the republic congressman received
 only $3600 year. When the salary Twas increased to $5000 it remained at lthat figure until comparatively re- cent period. It was then advanced to lS750O, and that is the salary today. A representative or senator-both draw the same salary--can live on IS7500, but if he has a family he is forced to practice strict economy in
 order to meet his ordinary expenses.
 As to saving, it is almost impossible flor him to "get ahead" Still it would
 be against the spirit of a republican
 form of government to pay fancy
 salaries.
 While Representative Fitzgerald's
 absence from the House will be re-
 gretted, his action will have no ef- fleet on the salary question. Seventy
 five hundred dollars will be deemed
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-04
FINDING A NEW THOUGHT

From the Montgomery Advertiser.
 The reading man, one who follows the workings of the minds of other men who think, occasionally runs across start ling thought which jars him, for the moment, out of his own mental compla- cency He encounters at odd times an idea wLich conflicts with popular opin- ion. and which sometimes lets in ray of fight, to show some defect in our na- tional character.
 We encountered just such a thought in a letter written by John Butler Yeats, an Irish literary man, who has spent some years in America. Here is a force- full and not altogether parliamentary remark, which should at least cause the average American to pause for mo- ments reflection He says:
 Damn nervous energy and damn ef- ficiency. They have, killed good man ncrs, as they have killed conversation, for sake of which good manners exist. and they have killed art and literature. 2
 There is something uncomfortably true in this deciaration. By nervous energy
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-04

From the New York Sun.
 violently descriptive tales of the
 S early period of the war may find familiar note in the following lines:
 "No opportunity did fortune miss to crush from our days the very essence or joy. We told ourselves the blue sky was lovely, but the wind blinded us as we looked. Now and then we sang to prove our spirits were still strong-the words fell hoarse, and without music from our blistered lips. We talked of food, almost always of food '"
 But the words are those of Lieut.. Fitzhugh Green, United States navy, a member of the Crocker land expedition, who sets forth his experiences in the United States Naval institute proceed ings.
 Lieutenant Greens part in the expe- dition was perhaps not unlike that of other explorers. It has it's high lights, including a test of coal" tolerably black bitun1inous mixture" which in the burn ing suffocated the Eskimo woman member of his party. There were the meetings and separations of different branches of the expedition; the long journey home in the fall of 1916. year before MacMillan was brought out of the Arctic by the relief expedition. Che of the few pictures of MacMillan himself-for explorers rarely talk about each other is this, which depicts a very human and classically dishevelled man: "A fine, fat, rotten hunk of walrus meat was apportioned among the teams, which immediately outdid all former records in the violence of their ensung riots. For once MacMillan lost his pa tience I photographed him out of his sleeping bag-just out-clad in the rags i of a union suit, grimy bearded and | fuu of wrath as he delivered himself of some fine and furious ora 1 tory *."
 1 In writing of one tense moment Lieu | tenant Green casually mentions knock | ing over the pot of greasy water, which spread through the pages of Les Miser-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-04
LUKE NI'LUKE SAYS

Don't judge by appearances. A fast young man is often mighty slow about his debts. When a prude sees man gazing at a display of lingerie in shop window she thinks 1t will be terrible if he could see that she is wearing the same kind. We will admit that aviators should keep sober. A drop too much is liable to prove disastrous. It is hard to make mother believe that a baby would rather go to sleep than listen to lullaby. If it wasn't for his wife man would not know that the neighbors starve themselves and spend everything they have on clothes.
 who is always saying that he will never do a certain thing. He'll do it eventually if you give him enough time.
 A smart wife is wise enough not to let her husband know that she knows him.
 Every girl should know that as long as she keeps just out of a mans reach she can keep him busy reaching for l her.
 What has become of the old-fash : toned man who used to wear a pencil | behind his ear? 1 When woman fails to attend a ses- l sion of her weekly gossip circle she is ! sure to get run down that night when
 l the other members get through dis cussing her.
 1 A girl is often more worried about
 | keeping her complexion spotless than keeping her reputation that way. | Never feel fiattered by the solicitude
 with which man inquires after your | health until you find out what he has
 ! to sell you or how much he wants ts touch you for. l Sometimes a man orders divorce
 l suit before he has his wedding suit 1 paid for.
 l And where is the old tad who used | to sit on a soap box all day and whit
 l tie and carve out wooden chains with
 a jack knife?
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-04
CHILDREN OF FRANCE

Gertrude Robinson, in Life. Dear little sad-eyed children of France. Once on a time, when the world was
 gay, h the streets of Paris you canced and
 sang,
 Cod grant you again d happy day,
 Sad little children of France. Wan little weary-eyed children of h the streets of Paris you knelt today. Knelt at the sight of a succoring flag. Knelt i'll the streets where you used
 to play,
 Heart-broken children of France. We are thinking today of the long ago. Kneeling children beyond the sea, When your fathers came. with hearts
 aflame
 To HIS, in the name of liberty.
 Fatnerless children or France. Fair by the side of the Red. White and
 Blue
 The Stars and Stripes in your streets
 are a-hlow! Never so beautiful, now they glow In the name of that help of the long
 ago,
 Kneeling babies of France. You knelt in your streets as our flag
 went by Our flag with glory strangely new. The stars of heaven gleamed in its folds. Strewn but today in that field of blue.
 For you. o children of France! Dear little. war-smitten children of
 France,
 In our hearts is prayer as the flas
 goes by For the f.ag we have vowed to glori" oIs quest,
 For the flag aflame on far away sky.
 For God-and the babies of France
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-04

and by efficiency, the American people have believed that they would grow na- t.onally great The result has been much money made broken constitutions, ner- yous breakdowns, and an absence of social enjoyment and intellectual pleas ures. The successful business man with his nerves throbbing, takes his recreation in blatant noisy cabaret and over eats to the accompaniment of the tin pan pan poundings of barbarous music.
 Again, Yeats writes his friend:
 Here in America they get rid of their sorrows by denying that they exist, in loud assertations of immense bodily ac- tivity, and by bad poetry and sort of organized sentimentality.
 America, he is convinced, is "a steriie land' There are some Americans who have agreed with him. An Alabanlian. who sometimes enjoys the uncommon pleasure of reflection, said recently: We are prosperous people, but we are not happy people"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-04
PROMPT PAYasMNa'E

From the New York A5nsffcan
 Two insurance agentsFa ' nkee and an Englishman-were Rrags8sig about their rival methods. The Eli lsner was holding forth on the system of prompt payment carried out by iis people-no trouble, no fuss. no attemos to wrig- gle out of settlemenf
 If the man died tonil.ht he con tinued, his widow wopjd receive her money by the fist 2ost tomorrow morning"
 'You don't says'' asawiea the Yan- kee See here, npfsi ycu talk of prompt payment WfAi, cur office is on. the third floor at building 49 stories high. One of our dlients lived in that forty-rlnfh Ncrv. and he fell out of the wind0w We handed him his check as he psssAes sD
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-04

TYPE So bespafui sAe seemed to me. I wished wo light be wed Her neck was just like ivory! (Alas! So was her head) Ted Robinson in Cleveland Plain Dealer. In fancy I can see her now, Why did we ever part? Jest like a snCwdfift was Ter brew, And also was her heart. Charlie Leedy in Youngstown Tele- g't.m. To me she sometimes seemed inclined. And had quite a case; She had frank and open mind, And, mostly, open face.
 Houston Post. I watched her dance, so slad. so free, So tireless and so young; But what did not appeal to nc She had tireless tongue.
 POOR JUDGMENT. "Dunershy ought to get along better now"
 why so?.'
 "IIe's married smart business won- an"
 She's not as smart as you think" "How's that?"
 She's retired firm business, with the idea that Duffersby will be able to sup port her" WITHERING SARCASM. "You're fired!' thundered the mana ger.
 whats wrong?" asked the new press agent.
 "A multimillionaire is following our star around in his private car and there | isn't word in the papers about it. q thought you wanted that kept quiet" You did, eh? I'd like to know what would become of dramatic art and the theatrical business if everybody thought the way you do.' | PAUL COOK.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-04
OVERRIDING CHARITY CONCERT

From the Musical Leader.
 The charity concert may be driven
 to be curse instead of a glessing, and
 artists should not be worked to death
 and harassed into contributing their
 services upon any and all occasions.
 cert becomes nuisance to those talk
 ing part and to the people asked to contribute. A publisher in London has sounded a note of warning and
 calls attention to the number of un- paid engagements filled by profess siona1 artists on behalf of charity, when in reality charity should in
 many cases, commence at home. The
 war, has played havoc with music in 1 the British Isles. Many English musi- clans belong to the class for whom | Arthur Shattuck established a fund, and who are frequently in greater need than the charity to be benefited. Those charity workers whose ambition is to create funds for worthy enter prises forget entirely, that when art ists are contributing their services gratis, they are robbing Peter to pay Paul. For the most part artists live by what they earn, and 1t is absurdly inconsistent to ask them to donate time and art. Artists should be paid for their services. They are the peo- pie attracting audiences to charity concerts and entertainments, and, therefore, should be reimbursed.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-04
* * #
Venetians Have Flown,
 But Venice Remains

TOSEPH w. GREGG, special cor O respondent of the New York World, pictures the Venice of today as a silent and almost deserted city. ssFully two-thirds of the population have vanished" he writes, "and the shutters are drawn in most of the palaces and houses"
 gE@ Renetians a convinced that Irssz, gil no1 ssli into the hands y 6ae Huns they reel that every sol- dier alsng ths PiaY will die before he will let the invader pass. The evacuation was largely due to eco- nonical reasons. Lace and glass fac tories are closed and most of the citi- zens of Venice can no longer make 8 living there.
 Those stout buccaneers, the tourist guides, still hang on, but alas, there is never a tourist to be gulled and business has gone to pot. The swiftly gliding gondolas, once picturesque feature of Venetian life, have largely disappeared from the canals and waterways. The correspondent found "perhaps half dozen well-appointed gondolas." The Red Cross has helped in the evacuation of Venice and, thanks to it's efficient aid, when the Hun invasion is rolled back, the ex- iles will be able to return quickly and resume their normal life.
 St. Marks, the ducal palace and other famous structures, are protected by sandbags. All movable works of art were taken away when danger first threatened the city, and should the Hun ever succeed in capturing Venice, he would find neither art, nor wealth nor treasure-only the stately piles which cannot be moved. These, however, would be shining mark for destruction, and their loss to the world would be irreparable.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-04

BEGINNING THE DAY-Lord. l thank Thee for this land, wherein men may find themselves; where any poor man may become rich anu any peasant may win a throne Lord, | pray Thee for this land. that it may be freer yet; that no soul in it may be caged, and that no child mny be hindered of hts chance, Amen.-H. NJ. E.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-04
Demand for Bibles and Cigarettes

C7T HE American Bible society csti-
 U mates that a million copies of the New Testament will be needed to supply our soldiers. The demand is said to be greater already than the supply.
 The society is now raising fund of $400,000 to pay for Testaments to be sent to the boys in the trenches, and it is believed that early in the new year large shipments of the scripture will be on their way to France.
 Whether or not the Bible is more generally read today than it was a generation ago, statistics show that 1t is still the best seller" In time of war the sacred word is reverently read by the men in camp, and no sol- dier is ever too callous not to feel grateful for a gift of any portion of holy writ.
 Another demand especially noted in France is that for cigarettes. There is . cigarette famine in Paris and
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-04

| hold it cowardices To rest mistrustful, where nopAe
 heart Hath pawn'd an open hand In siSn
 of love. -HENhh 'A'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-04
ample, no doubt, for some years to

ample, no doubt, for some years to come.
 # %-% We no longer see pictures in the newspapers of German soldiers fondling French and Belgian children. Uncle Sam has just about put stop to German propaganda. in this country.
 $ # x Nothing would please the Prussian war lords more than to make a triumphal entry into Rome. However, we don't always get what we want in this world
 < * * There isn't much detachable art left in Venice. If the Huns should capture the city they would find little loot that would be transported to Berlin.
 E I. %s Kerensky Is a wonderful orator, de- clares one of his admirers. But 1t will take something more than a gift of gab to pull Russia out of the mire.
 * % a. IL IOIluUdle lHdb 1OiO16l I1ORS0 Has a military title That will make him feel at ease among the great military leaders of Europe. Rcdin was once asked to make a bust of the Kaiser He pleaded i'll health, and while he didn't say so, Wilhelm made him sick.
 # # # Those fussy individuals who are warn ing girls not to flirt with soldiers are simply wasting their more or less valu- able time.
 Bolsheviki delegates, sent through the German lines on a peace mission. were blindfolded. And still they didn't smell mouse
 "Is virtue variable?" asks the Louis vile Courier-J Journal That seems to be the consensus of opinion among scenario writers.
 
 Some of the costumes worn in the new girl shows remind one of Kiplings de- scription of Gunga Din's fatigue uni form"
 Nat Goodwin denies with some heat that he is about to be divorced again. Nat is an old man now and he's growing testy.
 One way to dispose of a soap-box ora tor is to put a moose around his neck and then kick the soap box from under him.
 It remains to be seen whether the next step of Mrs. De saulles will be in the direction of Chile or the stage.
 * !. x At any rate, Austria is consistent. She has been yearning for peace nearly ever since the war started.
 # ;. t A princess with democratic ideas says the Kaiser is insane. That makes it al- most, but not quite, unanimous.
 # # T. The sale of baby bonds is another in- fant industry that is going to receive lot of encouragement.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-04
CAN'T MOVE PEERLESS ONE From the Pittsburg Dispatch.

Not even the concerted action of gov ernments to fix a maximum price on silver can draw Brother Bryan away from the silence holding firmly at 1e to 1.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-04
Will Plan For Big Things

T was glad to see that the unifica- ton of the Southern University at Greensboro and the Birmingham colN lege went through with a whoop at the Alabama conference at Dothan," said pr. J. A. Duncan, one of the prominent Methodist preachers in the Birming- ham district who wanted some changes made in the proposals of the north Alabama conference to the Alabama conference, but who when out-voted, pledged himself to stand by the action of the conference, wholeheartedly.
 '1t means that at last the Methodists of Alabama have made up their mind to go to work and have college Tor young men that will be up to the high est standard. I feel sure that the lead- CTS in both conferences will begin at once to plan for big things at Owen. ton"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-04
c3mEzU1MdAaassS'H

P. S.: The only form of lie indunffy which I want to see curtaiied ss the peanut politician"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-04
work of ministers, Conference


 q entered on my work as president of the Ministers conference with the hope that the churches represented will be able to make a great show ing this year." said Rev. A. K. Wright of Ensley.
 q realize my responsibility but am sure that I will have the hearty CO., operation of the churches of all de- nominations. Many matters of im- portance, not merely to the church life of the community, but to the civic up- lift of the city, are constantly coming before the body. I believe that we have it in our power to advance the cause of Christ and to make Birming- ham a better place in which to live and to do business. The conference is not a part, but part of the life of Birmingham"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-04

Washington bureau, zO7 Aipps pul4a- ing. atraet
 European bureau, 6 HenrIe''@ Covent Garden. London. 70 X
 Eastern puslness office Rooms " 50, inclusive. Tribune bulldlhs' ave" York city; western business olAA1e' ", Tribune building, Chicago. The D. V. Beckwith Spec1a1 Agency. aseHls Aoi 1orelgn advertising.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-04
Member of the Associated Press

nfember of the Associated Press
 Tha Are-HeraId is the. only morning and Sunday newspaper in Birmingham carrying the Associated Press dls- patches.
 The Associated Press Is excluslVely entitled to the use for repuoIicatlou II of all news dispatches credited 10 IL or not othe4 wise credited in this paper and also the local news pupnsheu herein.
 All rights of republication of spe- cial dispatches herein are also re- served.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-04
ADRIF'T WITH TI4E TIMES
SHOULDN'T BE DONE.

SHOULDN'T BE DONE. There's so much conserving Iris truly unnerving, There's little in life that beguiles; And 'tis all the more pity, When a maiden is pretty, To preach conservation of smiles.
 COLD COMFORT. T want to borrow $50" Good luck to you" "Is that all you have to say?" Well. I might go a bit further and say you have my moral support"
 PERMANENT REFLECTION. Did I understand you to say Dubson was nbsent-minded?" Yes. but not in the way it affdcts some very learned people" "No?"
 Tn Dubson's case it's continuous"
 SPOILED EVERYTHING. You quarreled?"
 ''Ycs-over the telephone That can be patched up. Seek per sonal interview
 No use. I chirped, Is that you, Grace? Her name is Arabella."
 AN IDEAL GIFT. Old Santa was getting ready for his annual trip.
 Whats that large chest in the rear for?" asked one of his helpers. That" replied the genial saint, Ifs for the storage of important papers. ex- pect to leave at least one baby bond in every American home.'
 FICKLENESS PERSC SCNIFIED. This flirting with Fortune |s Is 6 theme to lament, When you wake up some morning And can't raise the rent; So troubled in spirit
 You're ready to wilt And VOW that Dame Fortune Is merely a jilt.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-04

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