davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1917-07-25
OLD AGE.
Infirmities of Advanced
Years Are Treated With
Indifference.

We wish to say a few words for
the old folks. believing that the in
firmities of advanced years are often
treated with an indifference that is
hard to bear. Not by all, of course,
for there are many, we will hope the
majority, that are thoughtful of the
aged and kind to them Then again,
there are others who, to put it mild
ly, are harsh and cold. 1t is very
natural to smile on what is lovely and
strong and frown on the reverse
without even observing that we do
so; and it often follows, with the
young especially, that as they look
on the furrowed face, the dim eyes
the trembling hands, the totering
uncertain steps of an old man or wo-
man, they seem to forget that in that
warm and homely prison house are
a heart and soul which yearn for
recognition, for kindness in word and
deed, and for little love, with an
lulChollS IudI sOulh III lIS luiIlCoo
does not know. They must forget,
or one would not so often hear such
remarks as, "Oh, grandma, don't
bother; grandpa forgets everything;
grandma, what do you want to go
for? Old folks ought to be content
ed at home"
In our words to others, in all our
dealings with them, it is our duty to
stop and think; and with the old it is
positive cruelty not to do so. 1t is
down hill, remember; hill with
steep stony paths, and at its foot
there is only a grave. Dol't by i'm
patient words and looks push them
along its precipitous ways; don't
bruise their weary feet with rocks of
ridicule and uncalled-for jest don't
glaze that downward slope with the
ice of Indifference; and, above all,
don't hang on every bush and bould-
er placards of their own deteriora-
tio1. 1t is not necessary to remind
them that they have left their prime
and strength behind. They know it;
none so we'll.
Yes, let us sometimes stop and
think; let us turn from our own am
bition; from our ambitions for our
children and lend a hand TO the old
folks. Let us smooth their path, let
them lean on us as they step over the
steep lodges and let us warm the
chill of that bleak hill side with
sympathy and love. Let us give
them back all they gave in other
days and give with interest; for, be-
lieve us, however useless you may
deem them now, you will miss them
when they are gone. 1t may be as
you stand by their collins; it may
be in years to come, when you tread
the path once was theirs; you will
stop and think thoughts will come.
Then God help you! God help us ALL
That il those thoughts there may
not be that word of flame-remorse
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1917-07-25
ROAD NOTICE.

To Whom 1t May Concern:
The Commissioner appointed to
vacate a road commencing at the
Southwest corner of the NE4 NEA
Sec. l, Bloomfield Twp. Winneshiek
County, Iowa, and running thence
south to the SW Cor. of the SE4
NE14 Sec. l. Thence East and term
mating at point twenty-five feet
West of the East Il corner of Sec.
|, Twp. 96 N, R. West of the 5th
P. NJ, has reported in favor of the
vacation thereof and all objections
thereto, or claims for damages,
must be filed in the Office of the
County Auditor on or before noon
of the 10th day of September 1917,
A. d. or such road will be vacated
without reference thereto. Said road
now runs through land owned by
Theodore Dreier and Christian
Hasse.
Signed OSCAR WINGER,
2S-4 County Auditor.
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1917-07-25
OLDER BUT STRONGER

To be healthy at seventy, prepare att
forty, is sound advice, because in the,
strength of middle life we too often forget
that neglected colds, or careless treats;
ment of slight aches and pains, simply
undermine strength and bring chronic'
weakness for later years.S
TO be stronger when older, keep your
blood pure and rich and active with the
strength building and blood-nourishina
properties of SCOTS Emulsion which iss
food, a tonic and medicine to keep YOUR
blood rich, alleviate rheumatism and
avoid sickness. No alcohol in Scott's.
Scott & Bovine. bloomfield, NJ,
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1917-07-25
CoNOvER.

July %. 1917.
Edward Jelliscn of Prairie du
Chem, visited at the home of Geo.
Cummings over Sunday and in the
evening autoed to Calmar AID attend
ed the show.
Mrs. c. Gardner and daughter of
Mason City, are visiting home folks
this week.
Joe Klema autoed to Calmar on
Friday
Miss Christina Philip of Spillville
is visiting at the Geo. Cummings
hcme this week.
Joe Becvar was in Calmar Thurs
day evening on business.
James PiziIger was a Calmar cal-
Ter Saturday.
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1917-07-25
Long Life for LinOIeum

After buying new linoleum we like
to lay it so it will not wear through
on rough and uneven places in the
floor. We get a quantity of sawdust
at a hardware store and cover the
floor thickly and evenly all over;
then lay the linoleum on this soft
bed. You will find it will wear in
definitely without a sign of a crack
or break.
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1917-07-25
plow i'm Use as Years.

Bradford Brinton, vice-president OF
the Grand Detour Pillow Co., recently
received a Grand Detour pillow share
which had been il continuous use
from 1888 to 1916. The share was
sold in 1888 to the father of Samuel
Ray, a farmer of Oregon, ILL.,, and it
had been in continuous use until last
fall.
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1917-07-25
This is a Joke.

Smith Everything that I drink
goes to my head"
Jones-"That bears out the old
saying that there is plenty of room at
the top"
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1917-07-25

When folks used to smell ham and
cabbage cooking in our kitchens they
thought we were poor. Now they
wonder where we got the money.
Omaha daily bee., 1917-04-29
Under the Sun" Barber Shop

the finest and cosest onSOa paror under the Newest and best
chairs manufactured have been installed to absolute
fort Skilled BARRIERS under the personal supervision of NJ Valentine
stand ready all times WELL Quick Service Courtesy and Clean
Illness motto. Clean towels with each shave.
NJ Manicure in Attendance
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-17
A GLORIous RASCAL

From "Carry On," by Lieut.. Coningsby
 Dawson John Lane).
 I know men out here who are the dependable daredevils of their brigades, who in peace times were nuisances and as soon as peace Is declared will become nuisances again. At the moment they're fine, laughing at death, and smiling at the chance of agony. There's a man l know of who had record sheet of crimes. When he was out of action he get rid of him, they put him into the trench mortars, and within a month he had won his D. c. M. He came out and went on a spree-this particular spree cor sisted of stripping a Highland officer of his kits on a moonlight night For this he was sentenced to several months in military prison. but asked to be al- lowed to serve his sentence in the trenches He came out from his punish ment a Kings sergeant-which means that whatever he did nobody could de- grade him. He got this for lifting his trench mortar over the parapet when all the detachment were killed. Carrying 1t out into shell hole, he held back the Hun attack and saved the situation. He got drunk again and again chose to be returned to the trenches. This time his head was blown off while he was en- gagged in a special feat of gallantry.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-17
LIKE MILK ESAYS

You may not believe it. But we can remember when a congressman could take the elevator and go down to the
 House bar and get snort instead of having to walk two squares to his office
 for liquor as he has to do now. Them
 was the happy days.
 Remember that when you hand out
 cheap cigars to your friends you lose both your cigars and your friends.
 What has become of the old-fashioned man who used to refer to the show
 troupe" at the Oprey house?
 Out of every 100000 men who join the
 Don't Worry club, 999,999 are expelled
 for breaking the rules.
 We like real dogs. But we would hate to be so henpeched that we per mitted our wife to own a kioodle she
 called Baby and permitted her to
 make us take Baby out for an airing
 every night so the whole world could
 sees that we were not leading Baby
 but that Baby was leading us. It makes a farmer mad all over to drive into town and vote dry and then drive back home and discover that someone has stolen the jug of liquor he had hidden in the hay in the barn. A fool man wonders how woman hears because she always wears her hair over her ears. The durn fool should remember that. @ woman wears her hair over her ears because she expects to do the talking, not the listening. When a man Is hurt in a railroad wreck he expects to recover from the railroad even if he doesn't recover from the injuries.
 The man who is making so much fuss over the little favor you did for him may be batting his hook for bigger ia. vor. 95 When pretty girl marries the wrong man it doesn't take her long to look like a last summers straw hat in Decexn- Der.
 The friends a man makes through
 premises he soon loses through ex' Icuses.
 We do not know much. But We dc know that things are not going to come your way unless you start them in the
 right direction.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-17
IN VARIETY

planned rather publicly, say upon sidewalk of Eighth avenue.
 Perhaps the varieties are not what they used to be; nothing is. Our valued correspondents the Singing Fitzpat- ricks may believe that variety will never be right again until '"rhe Hazel Dell" and "The Chimes of Trinity are heard. For that matter, the ballad is coming back; nothing but peace can stop it. Better the ballad than the ir. regular rhymeless, tuneless senseless recitations that are whined to the ac- compartment of a piano mixture that is neither stoptime nor jazz. The ballad it. The singer is everything. Miss Lydia Barry sings "Just Break the News to Mother 20 years after it was written and gets away with it much more magnificently than great operatic song bird could.
 The sketch is not doing as well in vaudeville as it might. Actors have come to rely upon pretty sets of scenery, not realizing that the patron of variety is Elizabethan in the sim plicity of his wants. Give him plain library set, with a table from the drawer of which pistol may be taken. Let a villain be shot at the end of 16 minutes, and it is enough; don't bother about new art hangings
 We hear, too, complaints about paucity of tramps, magfcians and soft shoe dancers. Smith and Cook led the way for Ward and volSes in tramp acts, and now Nat Wills, who followed them, is gone. Is the magician disap- hearing with the silk hat that he loved so well? MT. Hoover should encourage the unlimited production of rabbits. As for soft shoe dancing, that is an art so great that in these flying years it may be that nobody has time to learn 1t.
 But the teams of musical sisters have not decreased in numbers or pulchritude and the yearly output of sidewalk comedians is as large as ever. So long as newspapers are printed so that they may be rolled up and used by Harry to strike Joe in the face, so long as walking sticks are sold in the public marts, the sidewalk comedian will be with us. He is%better than ths interpreting dancer who cannot dance.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-17
Reasonable Closing
 Hours Adopted

i TIT used to be that the merchants
 kept their stores open until late
 hours every night during the week before Christmas, but they have
 agreed upon a departure this year. They will close at o'clock as usual Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. On Thursday and Friday they will keep open until 9 o'clock and on Satur- lday and Monday Christmas eve) un- ltil II o'clock to accommodate wage workers who are not paid off until a few days before Christmas, or those
 who are otherwise prevented from shopping before night. The stores will be closed all day Christmas.
 The schedule adopted is reasonable and will be greatly appreciated by
 the army of salespeople and porters, who hitherto had been overtaxed by working until near midnight for an entire week or more.
 This humane advance on the part of
 the merchants is a practical demon-
 stration of what education along social
 service lines has accomplished.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-17
THE KNITTER'S FACE

From the Cincinnati Times-Star.
 M MEDICINE has discovered the llWll s'knitter's face.' It is q mild S complaint, more disagreeable than serious, according to the announce ment of the disciples of Aesculapius. The symptoms are said to be a ''do-or- dc' expression of the face, with head and shoulders extended forward.
 The physician is far behind the lay man in the work of original research in this disease. Doubtless the layman had the advantage, for the "knitters face" is one of those diseases in which friends observe the symptoms of the afflicted long before they have been submitted to therapeutic observation and treatment. The greatest opportunities of observa- have been 'left behind" because of age or obesity and who have tried to cheer the hours of the knitters with quip and jest, thereby contributing indirectly their bit to the warmth of our soldiers and eailors.
 The ordinary case of "knitteF's face" is the one in which she is just learning. Of course, the patient is hopeless for conversational purposes although she is in condition of continuous convales- causes the conversation to be on the subject of knitting, just as when you visit a person recovering from the
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-17
Gifted Preacher

T was greatly pleased with both the sermons preached by pr. F. M. Poteat at the Southside Baptist church on yes- terday morning and evening"" said George H. Estes. 'Dr. Poteat is not only a brilliant thinker, an attractive speaker but he is a thoroughly deyout man. He married the daughter of the famous Boston preacher, Dr. Gordon, one of the greatest missionary spirits of his day. It is small wonder that Dr. Poteat's two sons, Gordon and McNeill are at work on the foreign field. Me Neill supplied several summers ago at Selma and made many friends. Both sons are highly educated and gifted preachers. McNeil1 is great athlete, taking after his grandfather in physique. Dr. Poteats boys are the best kind of evidence that missionary service is claiming some of Americas s picked young men, Many who heard Dr. Poteat are in hopes that he can be persuaded to give up his work as presi- dent of Furman university and re-enter the pastorate and make Birmingham his home"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-17
This to Be Santa
 Claus Busiest Week

f1C7 ABLY Christmas shopping has N come to be the rule and the merchants of Birmingham have had
 a brisk holiday trade since the first
 of December, but Santa Claus busiest
 week will begin today
 If Christmas purchases are not as lavish this year as usual the poor will be well remembered and clothing and baskets full of good things to eat will be generously distributed. But
 Christmas festivities will center chief ly on innocent child life. The tots are awaiting the coming of old Santa
 with all the eagerness that childish hope and dreams inspire, and loving mothers, in going the rounds of the shopping district this week, will find pleasure immeasurable.
 The war is throwing deep shadows, but if society is less given to festive demonstration than in past years, the Christmas spirit will manifest itself more than ever in deeds of kindness and mercy. As for Santa Claus, let's give him the right of way from now until Christmas eve.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-17

From the New York Sun.
 YIN and about the two dollar theatres
 are heard cries, groans and male S dictions. The would-be audiences complain that they cannot buy seats except from spectators. The actors moan that their pay Is reduced. The managers trumpet their belief that un- less the theatres are more literally supported the pillars of the nation will fall
 The moving picture business is not without it's sadness. Students of the whizzing film grieve because producers are not getting the soul of something upon the screen. Producers mutter be- cause stars are obstinate about salaries and because it costs so much to build pyramids as backgrounds for sirens. Spectators mourn because it is so hard to get a thrill; it seems as if every shock and shudder has been played out, and the camera has searched every where, from the abysmal home of the octopus to the garret of the sky.
 Is there no balm in show land? Yes, consider the varieties. Paradoxes of the playhouse, they are almost change less. They have no first nights, for they are an endless chain. The specu- lator has no connection with them, we believe, except that on his night off he hurries to vaudeville theatre, blanks down his dollar, and gets front seat. If a speculator tried to sell him a ticket, he the speculator ap- preached would bite him; it would be an outrageous conspiracy in restraint of pleasure.
 The war has affected the variety theatres, but they keep a stiff upper lip. Many of them are really neigh borhood theatres, where Mir. Smith has K2 and K4 every Tuesday evening. Young MT. Jones used to have FIG and IFS every Thursday but Jones has gone to the wars and the young lady who sat in IFS for year or more is at home knitting on Thursday evenings. The small vaudeville houses are intimate theatres in real sense of the word. When tAe De Verde Brothers, Emper- ors of Song and Dance, come on the stage there is something in the wei come of the watchers that tells even the stranger that the empire was first
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-17
Pleased With Consolidation

l l find in going over the state that the Methodists are enthusiastic over the con- solidation of the Southern university at Greensboro, and the Birmingham col lege at Birmingham said pr. J. R. Cummings, financial agent of Birming- ham college "The business men espe- cially commend the movement as busi. ness proposition, and I find collections much easier for subscriptions already made, and, while we are taking no new subscriptions yet to meet the condition of the contract between the Alabama and the North Alabama conference, from all expressions I have heard by repre- sentative men in various portions of north Alabama, they feel it will be great privilege to give to the unified school. For example, was in Anniston on Saturday and a prominent Anniston- ian who had already made and paid liberal sum to Birmingham college made a new subscription to the consolidated college of double the amount given in the first instance"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-17
England Honors Men
 Who Stopped the Germans

7RHE "First Seven Divisions" Brit
 U ish soldiers who halted the Ger man advance in the summer and au- tumn of 1914, were commemorated in Albert hall, London. The ceremonies were attended by King George and Queen Mary and seven hundred sur vivors of Great Britain's expedition ary army in France.
 That heroic band, referred to by the Kaiser-now a sadder and wiser man --as a contemptible little army, will have everlasting fame in history. It saved the day. for England and her allies.
 Yet the men who fell during those bloody weeks, when the fate of Eng land hung in the balance, were vic tins of national unpreparedness. w Ulle they SdCTulc6u LIlelT uVeS SlOT- iously, they might have been spared if Great Britain had not been caught dozing by the Prussion war lords. England has a mighty army now, well trained and we'll equipped, a tribute to the lamented Kitchener, but she learned her lesson at frightful cost.
 America has been able to profit by the mistakes her ally made during the early stages of the war Had we been called upon to plunge into the fray as England was, with a mere hand ful of regulars, augmented by na- tional guard units and awkward vol- unteers, how would we have fared against the most perfect military ma- chine the world has ever seen, already flushed with victory and scenting lim- itless conquest?
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-17

The Sultan is quite naturally beginning to ask what in Sam Hill has become of all those glorious promises made tc him by his loyal pal, the Kaiser.
 # * % General Allenby entered Jerusalem as a modest Christian gentleman should. Now, if it had been the Kaiser-make way there for the royal chariot!
 * # # Just because the American people are willing to observe meatless and wheat less days is no sign that they will stand for heatless days
 * * < comedian to interpretative dancers who cannot dance. Evidently. this choice is not a matter of form.
 < * < It is wrong to exclaim, Pooh, pooh," every time the U-boats are mentioned. The U-boats cannot be, 'pooh-poohed7 out of existence
 & x < Tn lieu of any direct word from Mars, we may assume that President Wilson has been accepted as spokesman for the universe.
 x x < MT. Hoover planes the sugar mag mates. The sugar magnates blame MT. Hoover. Here's a pretty, kettle of fish
 * < x While vaudeville stars are singing Break the News to Mother none has yet dared to resurrect After the Ball"
 $ x % It is worth remembering that the Prussian masters of Germany are even now making plans for the next war"
 !. * * There is a strong demand in Wiscon- sin that Senator LaFollette be given his just deserts.
 # + + It begins to look as if General Crozier would have anything but a merry Christmas.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-17
WHY HE LOST HIS PEP
New York Correspondence Pittsbur
 Dispatch.

New York Correspondence Pittsburg Dispatch.
 i A case before the court of domestic relations yesterday which seemed to in-
 dicate menace with music was that of Mrs. Minnie Eustace against her hus-
 band and others. She contended that Clarence Eustace, with whom she has contracted to live through this life, has but one hobby-liquorta that is a re- suit of it the wear and tear on the fam. fly temperament and furniture is well night unbearable. In the course of the testimony it was indicated that MT. Eus
 tace is a man of great indifference, provisioning almost every morning and frequently forgetting the address of the position from which he is supposed to derive a living. He is house painter, Mrs. Eustaee explained, but of late has had nothing but brush He lacks pep, doesn't care to paint Judge" said Mir Eustace, in indignant rebuttal, I'm all right if I get little help. Other wise, good nightl I sleep over cause she don't wake me, or ever think of me until a bill comes in. Mornin after mornin' I wake up an see it's late and go out in the kitchen. There she is washin' dishes and singin' Hawaii, Hawaii, Long for You Sometimes I just stan there lookin' at her with her red kimono and her straw sandals an figure if I put one of those orange eolored feather boas around her neck we'd probably get along. She's one of those Hawaiian housekeepers.'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-17

grippe, the talk generally Is of germs, diets and medicines. A far more aggra- vating case to the observer is she who thinks she has learned to knit suffi- ciently we'll to take her eyes from her needle and direct them appreciatively or scu,fully toward yours. If wit is desired, you polish your brightest ar row of approved epigram and draw your bow If the personal equation demands some ething more soulful you utter some sentiment that has been successful with the fair sex upon previous occasions, then that "something happens The face becomes pale and wan. The eyes rove as if in search of some floating substance in the air The remark, be it wit or sentiment, exaporates into the thin and unappreciative atmosphere.
 What has happened? Why. she has dropped her stitch and she is too proud to look for 1t She Is groping her way through labyrinth of wool for a dang ling minataur. When suddenly she re- members that she should smile respon- sively to your remark, 1t is with an empty grimace, a vacuum of hilarity, a thing as animated as the restrained laughter of the sphinx.
 Of course, some day she. will learn how to knit sight unseen and will be pronounced cured. But until that time she has declared moratorium in her conversational obligations.