davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-20
Red Cross Winning
 in Spite of Rumors

1 ID IRMINGHAM'S Red Cross mem- W bership drive is making fine progress and the outcome promises once more to call conspicuous atten-. tion to the manner in which this city is meeting it's war obligations. Hundreds of men and women and scores of Boy Scouts have entered into the campaign with vim and Field Marshal Rushton is confident that Birmingham and Alabama will ex- ceed their quota.
 It was expected in the beginning, however, that there would be lack of sympathy with the work in certain circles and already the committees have begun to hear of attempts to dis courage people from joining. The old ! sweater story" which, it is stated, has appeared in every city where Red Cross campaigns have been conducted, has appeared in Birmingham. Ac- cording to this story fond mother knitted a sweater for her boy, sewed a $20 gold piece in the sleeve and later visited her boy's camp only to find stenographer at Red Cross headquarters wearing the sweater. Of course, the fact that army sweaters have no sleeves makes no difference in the story, because it has but one object and that is to discourage as- sistance to the Red Cross.
 Other stories are told that Red Cross money is squandered. Still others are to the effect that those who join pledge themselves to knit and nurse, and negroes are told that by joining they enlist in the service and will be put in the front trenches.
 But in spite of such tales the work is going ahead splendidly. The Boy Scouts even receive occasional re- buffs, but they are doing great work and in most cases are welcomed most cordially.
 It is gratifying to know also that in all cases where unusual hostility { to the work of the Red Cross is dis played names and addresses are taken and these are turned over to the de- partment of justice.
 Membership in the Red Cross means no further obligation than that the member is in sympathy with the cause and is willing to pay the small membership fee to assist in the great work of humanity being done by this osganizaticn.
 I $ $. #
 i A young woman who was out walking with a soldier objected to being stopped by a female investigator and asked a lot of insulting questions. There is q cer- tain type of reformer who does consider ably more harm than good in this world,
 # s* ;:
 An eastern contemporary says Co
 ads may don overalls to show their pa
 riotism. Evidently no harm was in tended. but that sentence looks queer < 4. 4
 Holding public office is by no means q sinecure when Congress begins to ask ipertinent questions.
 l * l. $
 The Kaiser is conceded to be sadde' man. but there are no indieations thai he is any wiser.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-20

ure, rom this summers losses; they wilt come out strong in the spring, but it is safe to say the allies will be consider ably stronger. The shortage of copper. rubber and proper wood has a pro- nounced effect on German airplane con- struction. In the less active parts of the front the Germans are using over the lines types of machines recognized to be back numbers, which, if they could, they would have replaced before now with newer models. It would be a. mistake to underestimate the strength Of the enemy, or to suppose that the present efforts could be relaxed, but there is no justification for feeling other than optimistic.
 American intervention will eventually have an important effect on the allied fortunes in the air, but it seems hardly possible that American machines will bo a factor for some time to come. owing to the lack of workmen skilled in this sort of construction. With the ex- ception of the motor an arplane is 9 handmade affair; the men who build it are specialists, who must serve a long apprenticeship. Assembling an airplane. particularly, is slow pottering work, re- quiring a special sort of skill. The faster machine the more delicate are it's ad- justments; brace wire drawn too tight or strut a trifle out of alignment is enough to make machine unfit to fly. To get speed the factor of safety must be sacrificed, and if the workmanship is not letter-perfect, the machine may col lapse in the air. It is useless to talk about thousands of airplanes when the trained personnel of the factories is suf- ficient to turn out only few hundred year.
 Standardized airplanes, except for school purposes, are, up to the present, an iinpossibility. A model intended for use ever the lines cannot be turned out in quantity till it has been tried out in actual service; no matter how well it will stand up under the original demon- stration, or how near perfect the maker srpposes it to be, it will show up a dozen faults on the front By the time these have been corrected and it is bien au point, a newer and better type has been developed. The flow of invention and improvement is too rapid for stand ardzation.
 Americas greatest immediate contri- button will undoubtedly be motors. They are badly needed over on this sde and. the United States has every faculty for building them quickly and in quantity
 When the plan of training 10 600 pilots was first suggested it seemed colossal, but taken in connection with the recent trained within the next year. that avia- ticn programme seems conservative. One hundred and fifty thousand officers means an army of 4,50o,000 men. If these plans are carried out the ratio of avia- tors to infantry will be no higher than in European armies.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-20
HARDENED

''Do you suppose Gadspur would keep cool if he were on steamer that was torpedoed by a submarine?' "I have no doubt he would. Gadspur has had so many blowouts since he bought a secondhand motor car that hardly any sort of explosion would make much impression on him now''
 PAUL COOK.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-20
THE RED CROSS CHRISTMAS SEAL.
 (Written for the Seal Campaign in Min

THE RED CROSS CHRISTMAS SEAL (Written for the Seal Campaign in Min
 neapolis.) By Theodosia Garrison. Oh, happy folk contented folk, and ye that go with gold To seek within the noisy mart the gifts to mark the day Jolly toys and gems and lace and trin- kets manifold Here be better wares to buy along the crowded way. Buy pair of red cheeks to give a little lad again, Buy pallid woman's face the bright eyes of health, Buy broken man a hope. buy the strength he had again, Here are bargains wonderful awaiting on your wealth. Oh, happy folk and careless folk. the worlds bazaar is piled With lovely gifts and lasting gifts to mark holiday. You who seek the fairest thing for lover, friend and child Surely ye shall pause awhile and buy the While ye stay. Buy a mother back her bairn, buy man his wife again, Buy lad the right to love, child the right to play, Buy the wistful kindred all. home and health and life again. And God be with you. gentlefok, who purchase these today.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-20
LIKE M,LuKE SAYS

it gives an ornery man a lot of conn fort to reflect that there are worse
 people in the world than he is. Frozen molasses may be slow. But it hasn's anything on a fat woman who is
 boarding P. A. Y. E. street car.
 Another difference between men and women is that when a man meets an other man he hasn't any use for he doesn't kiss him.
 And there is vast difference be- tween having word with friend wife and having words with her. A man judges another mans finan- cial rating by looking at Dun and Brad street woman judges another wom- ans financial rating by looking at her furs.
 Men are nearly as vain as women. A
 middle aged man who has gray hair always has the alibi that it is prema- ture. and that all of his folks were gray headed While young.
 You may have noticed that the golden
 rule works beautifully when the other fellow is following it. One way to be popular is to keep busy. If you haven't enough business to keep you busy get busy and make | some
 ! A man thinks that it is big and brave l to bras that his wife doesn't care a hang where he goes or what time he gets in. But the fact of the matter is thae there is something wrong about I a woman who is that kind of wife We have often wondered why female i colleges do not organize football teams ! Perhaps the reason is because no girl
 will admit that she is heavy enough
 for the line.
 And what has become of the old | fashioned school teacher who used tc I use mac hine strap on the palm of q bcy's hand when she whipped him?
 Another trouble with this country is that we have too many good orators and not enough good listeners.
 ] Maybe a woman would enjoy better
 health if she didn't expect d corset tc
 take the place of exercise
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-20
\. A. COur;c Dead

T have just had letter from my old
 home down in Barbour county" said Alexis Craven, telling me of the death of my uncle, A. A. Couric, the oldest resident of Eufaula He was for a long time in the cotton business, but later was for years clerk of the city. He was one of the landmarks and will be greatly missed, as he was. always on the right side of every moral and civic question" :"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-20
HARD LUCK STORY

"Why don't you join the army, instead of begging your bread from door to door?"
 T tried to join the army, ma'am." said the ragged visitor, but was re- jected"
 What for?"
 T have wife and nine children"
 You are certainly not supporting a wife and nine children now"
 No, ma'am. They used to support me, but when they saw I was going to be on their hands again they turned me out"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-20

past mistress in the difficult art of as- sembling, for it takes ability of the high est order to pick the best material and fuse it into a glow that gives it bright ness all it's own, and makes it stand forth in all it's beauty as new crea- ton. Every choice thought she touched she made her own
 I have heard some of the famous women who hold audiences spellbound. Susan B. Anthony, pr. Anne Shaw, Frances Willard. and many others. have heard many of the worlds greatest actresses, Sarah Bernhardt, Ellen Terry know when a woman has the speaking gift, and Mrs. Beecher is in the very first rank I will go far out of my way to have the privilege and the pleasure of coming under her luminous mind, her wonderful voice, and her charm of man. ner
 I cannot close without mentioning that her talk on Tuesday was shot all through with deeply spiritual note that evi- dently had behind it life that was in close touch with the Master. I believe in talks on patriotism, but I belie*o that one who speaks for America ought to war in which we can confidently lift dp our hands to God and ask Him to be with us and bless our arms.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-20
Whitiock Is Bock

sergt. Joel c. Whitlock of the To- cal marine corps recruiting station recently returned from a trip to the marine corps training station at Paris Island, s. c. Sergeant Whitlock spent two weeks at the camp.
 T was greatly impressed with the sights at the training station. The men are in perfect condition and arc anxious to be sent into active service The Y. M. c. A.. community houses and all organizations of the like are doing great work for the marines, ac- cording to the local recruiting off, ficer," said Sergeant Whitlock.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-20
Patriotic Firn,

Every patriotic man and woman should go after the Kaisers scalp with the determination to bring it home, 7" said c. W. Green, president of the strlckland-Green Furniture company. There is a bit for everyone to do and everyone should do his bit I have recently subscribed to the Red Cross fund for each of my IS en- ployes and can say that our firm is at last 100 per cent Red Cross"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-20
Wells Location

q greatly appreciated the kind notice in The Age-Herald on Wednesday morn- ing about our contemplated move said Ben Veil of Well Brothers" but mistake was made in that we do not get the place now occupied by Pantazes cafe, but the adjoining store. I make this correction, as I fear it might em- barras MT. Pantaze, not that it made any especial difference to me. I believe we are going to set new record in an up-to-the-minute mems clothing store when we get moved"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-20
cApslElIlMdAUnt6H
\ COLD WATER MARCH

From the Christian Herald.
 During the three years that I served in the army in the civil war; the govern ment issued whisky to us not to exceed a half-dozen times. and then only about from one to three tablespoonfuls to man. It is true that there were many men who were drinkers before they en- listed who obtained whisky from citizens
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-20
A SPACIOUS PLEA

Waiter, had fully determined to give you 5O-cent tip when I came in here"
 Thank you, sir"
 But on second thought, perhaps 1 had better donate it to war fund" I've been drafted, sir I'm due to leave next week and I'm sure your con science won't hurt you for giving that much to poor devil who will soon be in the trenches"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-20
THE HUMAN PROBLEM

From the Kansas City Star.
 MT. Gap Johnson of Rumpus Ridge, Ark. writes to- the Star as follows:
 When my IA children get to fighting amongst theirselves l don't worry half so much about who started the war as how I am going to get help enough to stop it."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-20
Immersion vs. Dry Cleaning

There has been many a contro- versy between members of the Bap tlst and Methodist denominations ih reference to immersion," said Hardie Brown, but new angle to the ques- ton was told me yesterday by q friend of mine who stated that two schoolgirls were discussing the relfg lous beliefs of their respective fam lilies. The first girl, who was Bap- tist, asked very seriously, Have you been immersed and had your sins washed away?s No replied the oth- CT, who was Methodist. have had my sins washed away, but have never been immersed Oh said the little Baptist, you haven't had your sins washed away. guess you were just dry cleaned"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-20

BEGINNING THE DAY-LOrd, I feel that l waste time, feel that waste motion and power. | know not; and even when l know, do not l am weak. I wander from my determinations. I am reed shaken by the wind. Help me to keep my
 eyes on the goal and to strain ray strength toward it. Amen.-H. NJ. Ks.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-20
ALABAMA PRESS

Alabama Reporter: Sugar King Spreck-
 els testified before the Senate investi- gating committee that there would have been no sugar shortage if it hadn't been
 for Hoover's orders. MT. Hoover comes
 back and says Spreckels is hollering be-
 cause said orders touched his pocket
 book Well, at any rate we still are in
 the same fix we were before the investi-
 gation began.
 Albany-Decatur Daily: There is one
 time when tolerance ceases to be vir-
 tue. And that is when men so far for
 get their duty to country and their cb-
 liSation to society as to treat with cold contempt or open insult the patriotic
 women who are working in the interest of the Red Cross membership drive. Several instances of this kind were reported by the Red Cross workers yesterday. That the offenders escaped unscathed is due largely to the magnanimity of a public that is growing extremely weary of such conduct.
 Selma Journal: Many young Americans are learning one French word at least. and 'questionnaire'' is now a household word in the United States.
 Opelka News: This moral journal has
 not worried the President with sug- gestions as to how to run the war. bring cheaper food and better cooperation, but we insist on the right to make at least one suggestion, and that we make | right here. Put Henry Ford in charge of the railroads of the country, with au- | thority to operate them, and we guaran- 1 tee there will be something doing Tuscaloosa News: There is a teacher shortage in Alabama brought on by in- l sufficient pay. The teachers salary re- | mains .ie same while the cost of living 1 for the teacher is as high as for any one else. Until Alabama pays her teach
 CTS better salaries a shortage will con
 tinue.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-20
ADRIFT WITH THE TIMES
MEN IN KHAKI

MEN IN KHAKI
  Hail our gallant soldiers, Rushing to the fray, Fighting for the nations Holding Huns at bay. Where the cannon thunder, Where brave blood is shed, And the shot for freedom To it's mark is sped, In a long death grapple They shall meet the foe Lay the Hohenzollern And his minions low.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-20
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
 AND ELSEWHERE
Cast Iron Pine off

"The outlook for the manufacturers of cast iron pipe is not very bright for the coming year." said George J. Long of Louisville, vice president of the United States Pipe company. During the time of war the cities are not going to go to any unneces- sary expenses in operating and con- sequently will not lay very much pipe this year. This is our largest source Of revenue and it will be felt through out the entire industry. We must soon find another outlet for our product or take decisive action in some man. ner.
 T have much opportunity to travel and can say, however, that this is one of the few industries which have been materially affected by the war except beneficially and there is a general air of prosperity that has been un- known for many years past"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-20

while cn a march. I was with General Sherman or his campaign from Chatta- nooga. Tenn. to Atlanta, Ga. from May to September IS, 1864, and not drop of whisky was issued to the soldiers by the government on that campaign. And learned enough of General Sherman then to knew that he was too good a commander to allow his commissary train to haul whisky for his men instead of crackers But it was easy enough for men who wanted whisky to get it from citizens while on march. Men who crank before the war drank after; but the discharged soldiers as a class made as good and sober citizens as those who were never in the army.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-20

VAIN ItElIREIo Do you find the sporting page in- structive?"
 T do," replied the moderately success ful man.
 Tn what respect?"
 T used to be considered fairly good pitcher myself. It gives me melancholy pleasure to figure out how much more money I might be worth now if I had stayed in the game instead of trying to be a lawyer"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-20
HIS CHOICE

HIS CHOICE
 "Do you see anything in here you would like to have?" asked the pro- prietor of secondhand book store. "Why, yes,'' replied the young man who was browsing about. "Is that cashier of yours-er-single?''
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-20
FAIR ENOUGH

You are pretty free with your advice about the best way for me to operate my furnace"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-20

Entered at the Birmingham, Ala. postoffice as second class matter un- der act of Congress, March s, 1879.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-20
Member 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 dis patches.
 The Associated Press is exclusively entitled to the use tor republication of all news dispatches credited to 1t or not otherwise credited in this paper and also tho local news published herein.
 All rights of republication of spe- cial dispatches herein are also re- served
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-20

Remittances can be made at current rate of exchange. The Age-Herald Will not be responsible for money sent through the mails. Address,
 THE HERALD,
 Birmingham. Ala.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-20

l came to the lunch tired from heavy mornings work. My mind was on business. I was out of tune with the emotionally. l did not know that she was to be on theyprogramme, and when she was called out I confess that l rather resented it, for I wanted to keep her in mind as I had seen her the night before in her triumph When she sto od But soon was again under her witch cry, and yet, man like. I was waiting for her to strike a false note, but she rang true all the way through, for to every thinking, broad, receptive mind, her message went straight as an arrow, l ''the war is to be the redemption of i America"
 | No che who heard her can ever again i speak lightly of the dollar being our 1 American trade mark No one who
 dict us for being mere pleasure seek 1 CTS. No one who heard her can ever
 again say that the nation is sunk in q sea of materialism. No one who heard her can ever again maintain that rel-
 zion is a spent force in the United | States. No one who heard her can ever l again charge that our people are with out souls
 1 She made no pretense that what she
 was saying was original, but she took the 1 thoughts of others, and wove about them 1 the charm of her own cultured mind l until the mosaic which she spread be-
 fore us evidenced the fact that she IS a
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-20

Washington bureau. POT Hibbs build- ing.
 European bureau, Henrietta street. Covent Garden, London.
 Eastern business office, Rooms 4e to 50. inclusive, Tribune building, New York city; western business office Tribune building, Chicago. The 5. C. Beckwith special Agency, agents for foreign advertising.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-20
VAIN REGRETS

'Well, If you're so anxious to help, let ne experiment with some of your coal"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-20

No communication will be published without it's authors name. Rejected manuscript will not be returned unless stamps are enclosed for that purpose
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-20

Daily and Sunday Age-Herald, year $500 Daily without Sunday. .......... 500 Daily and Sunday, per month.... 10 Daily and Sunday, three months 200 Sunday Age-Herald, per annum.. 200 Weekly Age Herald, per annum.. 20
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-20

I'm merely trying to help you"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-20

And when she finished he arose and gave her bow as courtly as ever knight of old bestowed on his lady love. It made the play complete, and yet it was more than play, it was bit of life that made every one who witnessed it feel a lump in his throat.
Hermanner Volksblatt. [volume] (Hermann, Mo.) 1875-1928, 1917-10-19
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Srau 6. NaegelirL Walta 8eno
Com. Soritlnann, Sartington, Icbr-
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