davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-14

The fair was success, and I heartily congratulate President Brown, Secretary Dent, and the board of directors.
 Birmingham has a great opportunity to make the fair a great feature every fall, and I think the directors ought to call the business men together at once and see if more of them cannot be made to see it's benefits and then set to work to build permanent buildings
 
 There is no use shutting our eyes to the fact that the present structures are wholly inadequate to meet the needs They are out of date and in bad repair, and 1t is hard to make decent showing in such unslightly buildings.
 
 The grounds are we'll located in every way. They are easily accessible to Bir- mingham and the suburbs. They are arn- pie in size. The mile track can easily be put in first-class order. The lay of the land Is such that any additional build ings can be erected without expensive grading.
 There Is another asset that Is not to be overlooked. The surrounding mountains as a background, with the city in the distance, makes a panorama of unusual beauty and is restful. Frequently tired with the open air shows, lift my eyes to the eternal hills, in which God has stored wealth for our using, and I find rest
 I don't want to slop over, but we people here in Jones Valley have much to be thankful for, as the fields sandwiched in between the mountains of coal and ore are rich and fertile, the farm lands climbing right to the top. Nature yearly pours into our laps the fruit of mans husbandry, while the earth beneath re- wards his devling with minerals of the highest worth.
 Now, this gives us our chance to have fair that will show to the world not merely the raw material which we bur- row for. but the manufactured product, the output of our great industries; not l merely the farm products that arc brought to our doors, but tho yellow corn and the golden wheat made into meal and flour in our mills.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-14
Educators to Meet
 Here Next Year

7T1HE annual meetings of the Ala l bama Educational association are always looked forward to with keen interest, and as the executive committee has selected Birmingham as the place for next years gather ing-iust before Easter-school heads and instructors and all friends of the schools and colleges in this part of the state win be especially alive to the importance of the occasion.
 As the association met here in 1916 ard in Montgomery last spring, it is safe to assume that Mobile will get the 1919 convention. At one time it was proposed to make Birmingham the permanent meeting place, but the consensus of opinion was in favor of alternating between the three cities having adequate facilities.
 The Alabama Educational associa- ton is not only strong in pedagogic talent, but strong in numbers. Its conventions are attended by from 2500 to $500 educators, and that means a demand for room for the business ses- sions and demand for extensive hotel accommodations. Birmingham's High school auditorium and the various large class rooms in the High school building provide for the working side of these meetings, and the open ses- sions at night are held in the largest theatre available. As for hotels, only two or three cities in the south are so well off as Birmingham, and not one surpasses it.
 This city's only lack now from a convention point of view is an audi torium of 5000 or 5000 seating ca pacity. We will have it some day. In the meanwhile we make the best use possible of the theatres.
 Birmingham is coming to be more and more of great educational cen- ter and the Alabama association will be received next year with unbounded cordiality.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-14

would be sufficient to shatter sea- soned veterans, and have done SO, the rapid deterioration of German armies along the western front is due partly to the fact that young and in experienced troops have been hurled into the struggle in the hope of checking the allied advance. Some of these troops are mere boys whose nerves and fighting stamina are quickly destroyed by the terrific gum fire which they experience. The des- perate plight in which Germany finds herself is clearly shown by the use of such troops sent to the firing line long before it was thought they would be needed.
 It is also evident that there is a shortage of trained German officers, and as result there is disaffection among the soldiers and distrust of their leaders which cannot but result in disaster. Expert leadership is in- dispensable in all warfare and par ticularly in the gigantic struggle now going on where the average soldier hasn't the slightest conception of what is going on outside of the range of his vision, and the closest co- ordination is necessary over a wide territory.
 Germany may be defeated before next spring, but it is a foregone con- clusion that when the weight ot America is thrown into the scales the end will come quickly.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-14
LUKE M,LUKE SAYS

You will often see a woman who IS as old as she looks. But you never saw woman who Is as young as sne thinks she looks.
 The reason father hollers so loudly about the size of the water Dill IS ne- cause he never says word about the size of the beer bill.
 If you want to get an idea or now
 you look after you have been out all night, just look at a straw hat aDout this time of year. farmer gets calluses on his hands and a mail carrier gets calluses on nis feet. A clerk with a desk job gets calluses, too, but he doesn't get as much chance to talk about them as the farmer and the mail carrier The man whose memory remains green in a community isn't the one whose photograph adorns every home. It is the man whose I. O. U. adorns every pocketbook. There are only two times when an l Irishman will fight: When he knows
 he Is right and when he knows he IS wrong.
 l looked as imposing and as important as the badge he wears. We sometimes envey the man to whom 1t is less effort to make money | than it is to spend it. But if we were all that way there would be no coin in circulation.
 1 Father often wishes that mother would regard him as company once in a while so that he could get to use | one of the company towels or one of the company napkins. 1 A fat woman doesn't know much | about dimension. But she does know 1 that if she squeezes in at the middle, ' she is bound to squeeze out at the 1 top.
 1 We all like to quote the old stuff about the rolling stone. But the fact of the matter is that if you are con | tented to follow the beaten track, you
 are bound to remain beaten. Any old time friend husband gives | friend wife money without being asked for it, she knows that he has been doing something he should not the time.
 man ever kissed his daughter, he Is
 often bragging about it to one of the men who did.
 l Another mystery is how woman can wear q hat all one season and then make 1t over the next season and have 1t look like new when she never wears a sweatband in her hat. A man always wears a sweatband in his hat and yet the ribbon around the hat turns green from sweat in a few months.
 A woman wants her husband te economize after marriage, but sht doesn't want. him to grow whiskers as a measure of economy
 woman of 50 has no business marrying unless she wants to be 2
 young mans bank account
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-14
Did Shakespeare
 Write Shakespeare?

7T1HE controversy which began
 U hundred years ago over the authorship of the plays and sonnets bearing the name of William Shake speare goes on, and probably will go on to the end of time. While the tra- ditional view that the Stratford bard was the author of the worlds great est literary treasure is still held firmly by the majority of scholarly actors, critics and students in gen. eral, there are mapy scholars of painstaking research who maintain and seek to prove by circumstantial evidence that Bacon or some other man of letters of Shakespeare's day was the author.
 As relief from discussion relat- ing to the war two well known Eng fish writers are debating in the col umns of Nineteenth Century and After the old question with profound seriousness. Gordon Crosse takes the Shakespeare side and Sir George Greenwood the negative sideO No new facts are presented and the only in- terest in the discussion is chiefly academic.
 The Baconians have argued earn- estly, but never convincingly, except for their own following Many of those who reject Shakespeare's au- rthorship go so far as to make out the bard to have been an ignorant, drunken actor of no standing at lStratford or anywhere else. But Sir
 George Greenwood means to be fair.
 But like free thinkers who deny the divinity of Christ, and the miracles of lthe Bible, he simply cannot believe without what he terms indisputable
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-14
.BiIlyr Pickens Here

want to claim no credit for great ness thrust upon me-" said w. H. Pick ems, manager of Barney Oldfield.
 Yesterday number of friends whom have known for years congratulated me on having obtained a prominent posi- ton with Al c. Field, the minstrel. There Is w. H. Pickens so favored, but he is not I.
 T imagine association with Al Field would be pleasant enough. But with Old- field and Chevrolet and Katherine Stin- son-all as temperamental as they are clever-I have my hands full"
 Mr. Pickens, after having been with friends in Birmingham for a week, left last night for New Orleans. He was born in Alabama. and once lived in Bir- mingham. Since that day, however, he has seen the world in all it's moods and phases.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-14
CHRISTMAS MAIL
om the Washington Star.

From the Washington Star
 There ought to be a ready response on the part of the public in the matter of Christmas mail for American soidiers and sailors abroad. Mail early" s.ad- dress plainly and pack securely are the watchwords. Christmas mail. and of course that includes Christmas gifts, should reach the troops and sailors on Christmas morning. The Postmaster General and Secretaries Baker and Dan iels have issued . Joint statement in which they say that Christmas packages for the forces in Europe must be mailed not later tl.an November Is.
 It Is the object of the authorities to de- liver the Christmas mail on Christmas morning. and 1t Is urged on all persons who intend to give tangible form to their thoughts of the men overseas that they write on every package in conspicu- ous way the words. Christmas mail.'' the complete address of the person for whom It h intended and in the upper ieft-hAnd
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-14
Local co-operation

While it is fact that many of our citizens are prone to criticize local af- fairs and local officials, it Is also a fact that these same critics can, as 8 rule, be relied upon to make cheerful re- sponse to any movement that has for its purpose the general good" said Hardie Browne. This trait was exemplifed last week in the manner in which these citi- zens put their shoulders to the wheel and made the state Confederate reunion and the State Fair such pronounced successes. While much credit is due the State Fair officials for the entertainment provided. yet without the local public behind them it could not have succeeded, and so far as the reunion Is concerned. it was really wonderful the way they turned out and helped to make tho old veterans really feel they were the guests of the city. And looking bacnward a little bit we can point with pride to the generous response to the appeal for funds for the Y. M. c. A. war work, the Red Cross and the first liberty bonds."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-14
DECEPTION
,. why. what is that?"

"Camouhage, why, what Is that?" Asked Miss Salina Spreckels. That's when you spread the paint on
 thick
 To cover up the freckles.
 Memphis Commercial-Appeal < "Oh. is that so," replied tho dame, Her eyes a merry twinkle; 'fFor if 1t Is, right here and now I'll hide this brand new wrinkle"
 Columbus Enquirer-Su A camoufiage for men we know, Is apart of their head rig; When one is used 1t makes a show; Some men call it a wig.
 Savannah Press. Of camouhage we've seen a lot, But merely wish to say, Though ancient danes like chickens" dress,
 They seldom dance that way
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-14
PROVIDING AMUSENENTS-By Frank Willis Barnett

Let's plan big things for Birmingham i Let's get 1t out of our heads that 1t Is
 g. finished town Let's realize that it Is still in It's infancy. Let's get a bigger vision of it's future than we have yet dared to dream. Let's every mothers son of us go to work to make 1t what 1t
 can and ought to and will be-the south's greatest city.
 Bounded on the. east and the west by two excellent seats of learning, hemmed 1 in on the north and the south with a res- idential section that Is the wonder of visitors from everywhere with splendid schools dotted here and there. while lofty church spires lift their heads skyward, with beautiful broad streets, with pure and sparkling water, with power at our things that make for civil beauty and 1 civic righteousness.
 l With smoke belching forth from some of the greatest industrial enter prises in the world, while nestled all | around them are the SiidiiCl ohcS
 using the raw material into staple ar ticles of use, with sufficient banking capital, with progressive merchants, competent builders and architects as witnessed by our great skyscrapers, let's take heart and go forward.
 | I have lived in many cities, and
 wandered much. Having been engaged
 in legal, ministerial and editorial :, work. I think I have a right to say
 that here in Birmingham we have D i bar that will rank as high as any in the country; a medical society which 1 includes some of the best doctors and specialists in the land 8 ministers
 conference which embraces a fearless
 and eloquent lot of preachers; a press which ranks high in newspaperdom, with bunch of good fellows trying to 1 boost the town. Then what lack we?
 Well, I'll tell you.
 | There is no use blinking the fact that city with over 100000 inhabl- tants must. have more ways in which to be amused. I know that we have a
 number of theatres, many movies. a recreation park at East Lake. zoo at
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-14

Avondale, and the chance to have free golf course at Green Springs.
 Redwood park and some play grounds for children. But these are not enough. and we might as we'll face the amusement situation and set to work and try and find way to inter- est the people.
 Now. Director Lawrence has done big thing in the push he has given community singing. It Is step in the right direction. and has within 1t pos abilities of great usefulness in help ing to solve the problem. I know full
 we'll that am treading on debatable
 ground when I raise the amusement question. I have studied 1t much as a
 minister. have studied 1t also as a
 private citizen. It's one of. tho things we need the best brains of the com
 munity to tackle. stand always for clean amusements and clean sports. Now. having canvassed the situation as 1t applies locally, 1t seems to me our i greatest chance to provide wholesome amusement for the greatest number | for a week each fall is through the | fair association. This Is one reason I have put in so much time on tho grounds watching the people, studying the shows. and keeping in touch with the fair officials. I wanted to try and get at the bottom of the amusement l tangle.
 1 am convinced that we ought not | leave the burden of the fair on the shoulders of the merchants, but that every one of us, preacher, lawyer, doc ! tor, industrial head, bank president,
 manufacturer. printer. publisher, edi tor, mechanic, clerk or in whatsoever
 class we may fall, we ought to pull off
 our coats and make the fair com
 munity affair. In this way we can im- prove 1t from year to year and make
 it benefit us all. am ready to do my part.
 | P. S.---Let's call mass meeting after | the directors have had time to find out l just how the present fair came out
 financially. and go into 1t with g vim and build permanent buildings.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-14
MATRIMONIAL REPARTEE

From the Minneapolis Tribune.
 The conjugal dispute waxed loud and furious. Mrs. Blank said:
 Yes, yes; 1t was sol" and MT. Blank said: Pooh, poohi 1t was not so!' Tn the end came tears. Then Mrs. Blank fell to approaches.
 T was reading one of your old let ters, James, today" she sobbed. "and live in endless torment with me than in bliss by yourself"
 We'll grunted Blank, T got my wish"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-14
sam RInch Reco,nring

T have just heard from my brother. sam' who was recently operated on for appendicitis" said Colman Blach. and while he is still at St. Thomas hospital in Nashville he is doing so well that he hopes to be able to move to his sisters home next week. We are all hoping that from now on his health will be much improved We want him to take long rest before he comes back to the store, put 1t will be hard to get him to re- main away"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-14
RoADwAYp

By John Masefield. One road leads to London.
 One road runs to Wales. My road leads me seawards To the white dipping sails. One road leads to tho river
 As 1t goes singing slow; My road leads to shipping
 Where the bronzed sailors go. Leads mo. lures me, calls me To salt green tossing seas. A road without earth's road dust Is the right road for mo A wet road hsaving, shining And wild with seagull's cries, A mad salt sea wind blowing The salt spray in my eyes. A wet road calls me, lures me West, east. south and north: Most roads lead men homewards, My road leads me, forth. .s To add more miles to tho tally Of gray miles left behind, In quest of that onA beauty (, ao{ put no hef6 to lli ''' <
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-14
NEWS IN ADVANCE

New York Correspondent Cincinnati
 Times-Star.
 The soldiers of the Seventy first regt- ment will agree with MT. Hearst's an- nouncement that his newspapers give all the news about military affairs ahead of any other publication. At Il o'clock the other morning, the ninth edition of the Journal was circulated in tho camp of the Seventy-first in Van Courtlandt park, giving description of how the regiment marched down Fifth avenue ' 2 o'clock that afternoon.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-14
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
 AND ELSEWHERE
Musgrove a Politician Too

want to register a mild complaint against The Age-Herald." said ''Breck' Musgrove. T am sure 1t was uninten- tional, but recently in giving the list or politicians in town my name was left out Now, am willing to admit l am not candidate. but please don't let it get abroad that I am not politician may be foolIng myself, but I thought was still in the political game in Alabama"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-14

corner the name and address of the sender. Another matter that ought not to be forgotten Is that every parcel must be easily inspected by the postal authorities, for no parcel will be dispatched to France which has not the postmaster g certificate
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-14
Interest in Football

T saw the football game between the sixth Agricultural school and the Chiiton County High school that was played at Clanton on Friday afternoon said J. l.. Johnson, "and as a Clan tonian greatly enjoyed seeing the home team win with score of to O. Both teams put up game fight, but our boys had little the best of it. More interest IS being taken in our county In athletics than ever before. Baseball has always been popular, but football is fast forg- ing to the front"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-14
ON THE OUTSIDE

From the Osborne Farmer
 Mrs. Mary Jason is getting moro dis contented every day. It is all because she is forced to remain silent half the time at club meetings; she Is not fa- miliar with the subjects other ladies arc talking about. Mrs. Jason thinks 1t is because she has never been away to . city hospital to undergo an operation.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-14

From the Memphis Commercial Appeal
 "A poet has sung the praises Of the army cook. Who will pay . deserved tribute to the army mule?" asks the Bir- mingham Age-Herald. Who. indeedi The cook and the petty servants of Mars have been written Into song and story. but the hind heels of the mule have found no laureate. Alas, alas. for poesy and literaturel
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-14
CRAFTY LIAR

Henry Pokerpiay, you were talking in your sleep last night"
 "why-er-what did I say?"
 You kept saying, That's good.'"
 Possibly so. You see. I was look ing at some suburban property yester- day and 1t impressed me very favor ably. must have dreamed about it."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-14
SETTING THE COLONEL RIGHT

From the Louisville Courier-Journal.
 Col. Theodore Roosevelt denies that he ever suggested to Baron Speck von Sternberg that the imperial government establish state in Brazil, as solution of the Venezuelan question. Possibly he told the Baron that the imperial govern ment could 70 to soms warm country
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-14
WRONG sURM1sE

"Do you know Jasserby?" asked Mir. Twobb ble. who had just returned from a funeral.
 Slightly" replied Mir. Dubwaite.
 His troubles are over."
 "welll Welli Has that extravagant wife of his left him at last7"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-14
HEIR VERSATILITY

uIOIu tI5 OHIO bl6l0 JOUTnaI. No one Is moro versatile than . smart woman. and we suppose those White House pickets who have been whiling
 away their dull hours in jail by engag- ing in rough-and tumble fights with male guards and colored lady prisoners will soon be at large again. earnestly pre-
 senting the crying need of woman gentle influence in our public life.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-14

proof. A man of Shakespeare's limited education could not have written, he thinks, matchless dramas. full of wisdom and learning, and son. nets faultless in style and technic as we'll as Illuminating in content.
 The skeptics base their unortho- doxy concerning the authorship prob- lem mainly upon "antecedent in,- probability" The burden of proof has always been on the Baconians and of necessity their proofs are only negative.
 The articles in Nineteenth Century and After are not likely to change the views of anyone, but similar de- bates in the years to come will never fail to stir literary circles in England and America.
 j. MT. Taft thinks La Toilette womb b,vs been willing to fight Venezuela if she had sunk our ships. To be sure And he might have marched away at the head of remigent to a bloodless war and lot of cheap glory.  an invader planted on the fatherland The moro we read of handwriting sx. perts in criminal cases. the more sym pathy we feel for the wretch whose fate depends to a greater or less degree on their findings.
 The people of France have given up es o,oo0ooO francs from their savings +o help carry on the war. Lives there a man with soul so dead who never to him. self has said, "Tll buy liberty bond P, Pleasant A. Stovall, minister to Switz- erland. says Switzerland has kent he, neutrality intact. The Swiss are not ;r the habit of lending their ears to Ger. man plotters
 l The French and the British may win 2 decision before Uncle sam gets into tbt fray with both feet, but they will have to give him credit for being liberal with his loans.
 Japanese toys are making their appear. ance in the toy stores, another indica. tion that Made in Germany" has ceased to be an international trademark l If Jupiter Pluvius doesn't quit inter fering with General Haig's offensiyes he win be accused of pro-German sym pathies.
 l When those Oklahoma Indians ret f. the firing line and let loose a few war whoops, Fritz will think of home m, -- mother
 1 Political spellbinders will be permitte, to address soldiers in cantonments. Ye, they were promised the best of treat ment.
 1 Of course, those Germans stoutly de tended a brewery east of Poelcapelle. I was almost like having rnet rude foot o II The Kaiser was offered bread and sal in Sofia. according to custom But h went there for heart -to-heart talk. AA Do Germans see lightr' asks tn esteemed Pittsburs Dispatch. They eth CT sec . light or smell rat
  Count Won Luxburg Is now in . de tention camp and his correspondents henceforth will be limited.