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

ages, proving that the auto was exceed ing the speed limits for the city by several miles per hour. and a verdict in favor of the plaintiff for $10,00O was re- turned, the supreme court affirming the case. Justice Holden declared that an automobile driver is entitled to a reas- enable use of the streets, but should be held to a strict accountability for the ar rogance frequently displayed by drivers who seem to have an idea that the roads and streets belong to them.
 BIG PRICE FOR SEED
 One day this week the trustees of the Mississippi penitentiary sold more than 400 tons of cotton seed produced on the convict farm at Parchman to the Central Oil Mill at Jackson for s80 per ton, or over S32,000 for the lot. This is the big gest price ever paid for seed in this state, and it is believed that s100 per ton | in eff ]
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-14
MAKING MORE COTTON

Farmers in this section of Mississippi are gathering more cotton than they thought possible when they planted their crops last spring and are getting unheard of prices for all they bring to town The ginners report for September shows 2000 more bales were ginned this year than last season to the same date. and it Is said that a small portion of he ginning for the county has been done, farmers taking advantage of the clear weather to do their picking before stopping to gin. Labor is plentiful everywhere, except, perhaps. in the del- ta counties, where all farmers are get ting rich. A few days since one Yazoc county farmerlawyer sold 91 bales of staple cotton at $215 per bale, and has nearly 400 more bales of the same kind to market He also has the seed. which are worth $40 per ton.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-14

that the campaign of dynamite against our industries with the attendant wreckage and murder, was deliberate act of secret war by the German gov ernment that the attempt by Americans to secure embargo on sending munitions to the allies was an effort to aid Ger many in thus making war on the United States; that the Irish pro-German move ment in this country was financed and guided from Germany, and that our cit- izens, whether or foreign or native birth, whether of native or German or Irish origin, who took part in pushing these movements. were doing substantially the same kind of work that Benedict Arnold once tried to do
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-14
Pillar Of SaZt Cifizenship
By THEODORE ROOsEyELT

When Lots wife was journeying to safety she could not resist looking back to the land she had left and was thsre- upon turned into a pillar of salt. The men from the old world who instead of adopting an attitude of hearty and inclusive loyalty to their land try also to look backward to their old countries become pillar of salt citizens, who are not merely useless but mlschievous mem beps of our commonwealth.
 The dispatches of the German govern ment, published by the state department, give us an Illuminating glimpse, not only of German methods and German conduct towards this country. but also of certain phases of our own citizen ship
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-14
USE COUNTRY AS BASIS

The German government proposed 10 use this country as basis of operations for wreclSing the Canadian railways. It also proposed to use and pay it's agents and certain of our citizens for Sabotage in every kind of American factory for supplying munitions of war; and for "a vigorous campaign to secure a majority in both houses favorable to Germany"
 The German staff. in issuing these di- rections and in naming certain Ameri- can citizens as tools for the treacherous work insisted that the embassy should not be compromised and that similar precautions must be taken in regard to Irish pro- German propaganda"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-14
OCCUPY OLD CAPITOL

Two or three of the departments of the state government have already moved
 from the new to the old capitol, and are delighted with their quarters. No arrangements have been made as to heat ing and lighting so far, and these cold,
 frosty mornings there Is little suffer- ing, perhaps, but the officials and their clerks are willing to await the comple- ton of the heating and lighting plant for a few more days. Before the end of October every one of the 40 rooms into which the old capitol has been parti- toned will have been occupied by sev- eral departments. However, the legis- lature declined to send Dr. Dunbar Row. land, director of the department of archives and history, to the old capitol and to occupy the entire second floor as he demanded. The legislature had a bitter fight over this proposition and
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-14

by the speaker, but if it had been there
 is every reason to believe it would have been adopted This legislature was called here to attend to eight dffTerent mat ters, and should have gone home in q week, but they have worked but about four or five hours per day and have in troduced more than 50 bills at each end of the capitol. many of them of a local and private nature, or of character that could have been carried over until the regular session in January, next. The most important matter settled was to make the state tax levy mills and coun- ty levy S mills, a reduction of mills i'll each instance. Nearly s2.o0O,0OO has been appropriated to repay money that the governor has already borrowed to run the state government during the year on promise of majority of the lawmakers to vote the appropriation when they re- assembled. Leaders of the two houses did their best to order the governor to issue bonds in the sum of $5,O0O,0OO so that the state could start the new year with clean slate, but that plan found few friends, and the governor was au- thorized to borrow $1,750,000 with which to pay the states outstanding bills The trouble with Mississippi is that receipts do not equal appropriations, and they have not for 10 years or more. Values on property of all kinds have been al- most doubled in an effort by the state tax commissioners to equaliZe taxes in the several counties and by the railroad commission in increasing assessments of public service corporations by $40, O0,O00, but now that the tax levy has been de- creased one-third the state will receive no more in the way of taxes than it did on low valuation at mills, and will be no better off than 1t has been haretOfnre
The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-14
CAN CLEARLY SEE NOW

Good citizens who have been nisled by false counsel must now clearly rec
The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-12-18
PRIVATE CAR
is ECONOMICAL
vanderiFp Makes Good Excuse for
Not Travelling on Regular
Equipment Of the
Railroads.

CUnited Press Leased Wire Servlce-l
HOUSTON, Texas, Dec. 1S.-"Our
private car is measure OF economy.
Thus did Frank A. Vanderlip, New
York banker and chairman OF the
national committee on war savings
certificates, here today answer his
critics who had complained that he
should not be making his thrift
campaign in such luxury"
"The car is our workshop the
financier told the United Press.
"It conserves car space for other
travellers and saves time on the ma
tional tour.
81 realized when / started out on
this campaign that l would be crit
icised for travelling in this way. In
the long run, however, 1t will prove
more economical 1t does not look
thrifty, but during such times as
these when the railways are taxed to
the limit handling government busi,
ness, it is more thrifty to travel as
we do than to crowd the railway
coaches and have car standing
idle"
Vanderlip explained that his party
had to live on the road and that the
members were working every hour
they were awake He said that local
workers travelled with his party in
various sections Of the country, All
of which tended to the conservation
of railway facilities.
1--WE could not travel on coaches
provided by the railways for thei1
usual business, without crowding out
other Travellers he said.
The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-12-18
FIRE BUGS DESTROY HOME
OF JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER

The belief of officials that the fire
was touch-off was strengthened
when watchmen declared there was
no fire in the furnace last night a
large crowd which witnessed the
blaze, was held on the edge OF the
estate sby high iron picket fence,
which borders the entire Rockefeller
property. Five oil paintings of men
and women in colonial costume and
an immense grandfather clock were
among the few things saved.
Friends of Rockefeller today de-
clared the fire made certain that he
will not return to Cleveland. Mayor
Bill Minshall of East Cleveland, a
personal friend of Rockefeller's, SAID
he believed John d. would stop his
annual visits here.
The estate surrounding the burned
house consists of 1900 acres and 1t
has been rumored that Rockefeller
intended giving it to East Cleveland
as public park.
The. home, wooden structure. was
located on high hill in the center
az the estate and the glare could be
seen for miles.
The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-12-18
Two American Batteries in Hot
Flaming Feud as to Which
One Deserves the
Honor.
WEST POINTER CLAIMS
Other Men Say They Fired First Real
Shell With Gun in
the Proper
Position.

[By j. w. Pegler, United Press Staff
Correspondent
WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN
FRANCE, Dec 1S. TX" battery
claims that "Y'' battery Judged" IL
firing that first shell at the Boches-
They came back to their training
center from the front with hot
feud flaming between them.
Men Of .Y" battery laugh sneer-
ingly at "x" battery's charge--just
sore heads'' they say.
Proponents of both sides told their
story today. 1t seems both dragged
out their guns-lby hand--across the
muddy valley, through. hundreds Of
honor Of firing Americas first shot.
A West Pointer commanded "Y"
battery.
KS commander was young ma
chinery specialist who gave up his
Job as manager of the London branch
of big American machinery concern
to Join the reserve He had previous
ly had long experience as an officer
Of indianapolis militia and was CIV
en- command of battery after only
week. s brushing up in training
camp. He took his command to the
front within a month after quitting
his civilian job.
1--WE began fair race to fire the
first shot" said an "X' battery gun
ner today. I'VE we're in position
first-but we played the game ac-
cording to the rules. Although we
could have wheeled the gun around
and fired as soon as we got there.
our battery was determined not to
fire until we had gun in its regular
emplacement.
Those other guys shot as soon as
they had their first piece in position.
without waiting to get into the pit"
The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-12-18
CONSCRIPTION
is WINNER
Carried at Election Without Counting
Votes Of Canadian Soldiers in
the Trenches Of
France.

UNITED Press Leased Wire Service.1
OTTAWA, Ont, Dec. 1S.-Without
the assistance of votes from Canadian
soldiers overseas, the union govern
ment and its platform Of conscription
is winner today in the dominion's s
general election.
Sir Robert Borden's administration
has majority of more than forty seats
in parliament and this may be increas-
ed to sixty seats when the soldier vote
is tabulated
Quebec province, with it's big
strength, went heav-
fly for Sir Wilfred Laurier and the lib
erals, who were pledged to delay op-
Grafton of the conscription law As
conscription stands now in Canada
the first call for troops is January 3
! Sir Wilfrid Laurier was elected to q
seat in parliament, where he will con
tinue to lead the opposition.
All the English speaking cabinet
members were reelected. English
speaking cities gave enormous union
list majorities. The women relatives
Of soldiers voted .leavily for Borden.
The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-12-18
Back Porch Blown Away, But
no One Injured When the
Explosion Occurred.

UNITED Press Leased Wire Service.]
SACRAMENTO Calf. Dec. 1S.-An
attempt to dynamite the governors
mansion and to kill Governor William
D. Stephens and his wife, was made
early today when charge of explo-
sives ives set off in the southwest wall
of the building. The rear porch was
blown off and a large hole was torn in
the brick work Of the building. AL
though Governor Stephens, his wife
and servants were asleep in the upper
floor of the building, nobody was in
jured and the damage was confined to
the exterior wall of the building.
Pro-German agents Or sympathizers
| are blamed by the police for the out
The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-12-18
Cleveland Building Lost, But
Valuable Oil Paintings Had
Been Removed.

United Press Leased Wire Serylce.J
CLEVELAND, Ohio, Dec. Is
Fire. believed to be of incendlary
Tigin, early today destroyed John u.
Rockefeller's Forest Hill home at
East Cleveland at an estimated loss
OF 100000. The fire was discovered
IN bedroom that Rockefeller al
ways occupied while here.
Few Of the rich furnishings OF the
aiouse, which was built by the OIL
aing forty years ago, were saved.
slremen today were searching In the
ruins for a valuable oil painting OF
sonn D. himself, which he priced
hghly. All the valuable paintings
nd art treasures were removed two
years ago when tax officials levied
assessment Of several millions
ssainst him.
The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-12-18
Mountains of Packages Have
Arrived in France and
Every Sammy Will
be Remembered
SHIP EARLY WARNING
Packets to be Opened Tuesday Morn
Ing In the Biggest Drive san
"a Claus Ever Took
Part In.
lBy George Martin, United Press
Staff Correspondent

lBy George Martin, United Press
Staff Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, Dec. Is. ship
loads of American Christmas have
arrived "oyer there" for the SAM
mics in France. ..
Little mountains of presents bear
ing postmar1s from the dear old U.
8. A. are beginning to intersperse
the mountains OF ammunition at the
front and in the training camps near
by.
On the basis of reliable, though I'M
mentionable figures, this Christmas
morning drive" of thrills and Joy
for Americas fighters at the front. Is
worth about q million and hall dQ4-
lars in cash and billions and billions
in sentiment.
The boys home folks Needed the
governments ship early" warning
and enough gift packages are peing
shuttled through France to give
Santa Claus blind staggers II 1t was
UP to him to deliver them ,.
They're being stored In neat Mttie
mounds: in bomb proofs. in shell
zones and in store rooms at the
training camps. Not one Will be
opened until the great day, now only
seven double rounds Of the CLOCK
away. Package opening will be cele-
brated Christmas morning with spec
ial celebration ceremonies at every
American camp In France.
No Sammy will be forgotten.
he has no Christmas giving forks al
home, he'll be thoroughly remember
ed by the women folks OF America
generally through the Red Cross.
In addition to Christmas pack
age for every American boy training
in camp in this country, there Will
be special community Christmas trees
and public celebrations at all the
cantonments.
One million. seven hundred and
ffty thousand of these Red Cross
packages have been contributed
hacked and shipped by women mem
| hers of local Red Cross chapters
throughout the United States. The
| money. $1,75O,O00, all came out o.
these women's personal purses.
Not penny was contributed from
the s1NO 900 900 relief fund OF the
national Red Cross.
Generally speaking, these pack
ages each contain tobacco, pipe
chewing gum, playing cards, pepper
mint candy, pencil socks, handker
chiefs and--clothes pins.
/ Chief among the gifts in persona
packages, according to postal author
tiles, are sweaters, muffiers, "rlst
let's. plum puddings, candies, frui
cakes and tobacco.
Santa Claus to Return.
] IBy w. S. Forrest. United Press Stai
Correspondent
WITH THE FRENCH ARMIES M
THE FIELD, Dec. 1S.-The little
.Jesus" is coming back to devastates
1 regions of France this Christmas
4 For three years the little Jesus ma
stayed away. ~,
! Six year old Jean Dupont IN MI
The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-12-18
BOMB UNDER RESIDENCE
OF CALIFORNIA; GOVERNOR

rage. Governor Stephens returned
only last night from Los Angeles
where he had delivered an address in
which he advocated sterner methods
in suppressing enemy agents and en-
emy propaganda.
The principal clew, on which the en-
tire police force OF Sacramento is
working, was furnished by Rev. Frazer
Langford, Baptist minister, living in
the Vicinity. He declares that for sew.
eral months he has seen a man, whom
he believes to be German, lurking in
the vicinity of the governors mansion
and aptly examining its construction
This man., he said, vanished less
than a week ago and Rev. Langford
believes ne was responsible
The police threw out dragnet early
today and rounded up number of sus-
picious persons. but have not yet To-
Gated the man wanted.
| Governor Stephens was calm i'm
|
The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-12-18
THIRD Time Of
REORGANIZATION
General Manage !; ris Of the
Emergency u corpora
tion Resign : th Aft
er Ap1S s lent.
CAME Az SURPRISE
Shipping Situation as Unsettled as
Ever With Slight Chance
Of Program Being
Carried Out.

UNITED Press Leased Wire Service1
WASHINGTON, Dec 1s.-For the
third time since its formatin, the
Emergency Fleet corporation is today
in process Of organization following
the resignation Of it's latest general
manager, Rear Admiral Frederick R.
Harris.
Practically forced out by Chairman
Edward N. Hurley, Of the shipping
board, Harris will return to his old
post as chief Of the navy bureau OF
yards and docks while Hurley here
after will run the ship-building pro
gram with his right hand man, Chas.
A. Ptez, Chicago engineer, in charge.
Harris resignation only one month
after his appointment to the post,
marked the elimination of a row, SINH
lar in many respects to the Denman-
Goethals controversy.
Harris friends held that he had
been hAmpered or thwarted In doing
business In shipHhape; had bo1n
blocked BY red tape and fnterference
from Hurley.
Harris resignation came as a SUM-
prise to all but those Intimately asso-
ciated with the tangles which re-
suited In the ousting Of Goethals and
Denman and the subsequent retire
ment Of Admiral Capps, broken in
health.
It has served to focus attention ON
the shipping situation with the result
that the two bodies may come UP for
g. share of the congressional probing.
Ship construction has been chiefly
on paper. Vessels turned out to date
have mostly been those on the ways
when the organizations started to
work and it is no secret that many OF
these have despaired of getting any
| where near the promised 6,OOO,OOO
tons Of shipping by the end of 1918.
Hurley has no intention of quitting.
He is satisfied now that the task of
ship building can and will go forward
satisfactorily.
Plez is Appointed.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 1S.-Charles
! A. P1ez of Chicago, \ was today ap-
! pointed general manager Of the
Emergency Fleet corporation to sue
ceed Rear Admiral Frederick r. Har-
ris, resigned. =
! In making this announcement,
| Chairman Hurley of the shipping
| board, declared that the latest shake
up in the governments ship building
personnel would not delay the pro-
gram.
Reports show that construction
work is progressing as fast as human
labor can turn it out" said Hurley.
Carefully checked figures show g..
395,30S dead weight tons under con-
struction and under contract"
The resignation of Harris resulted
| from his recommendations that the
| corporations offices be removed to
Philadelphia and that $12,o00,00o be
spent for houses for ship workers.
| When Harris demurred at the ship
ping board attempting to pass judg
ment on his suggestions, his resigna
ton followed. Former Rear Admiral
Bowles, ex-pres1dent of the Fore
River Ship Building company, will
have an important part in the man
The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-12-18
hximallst Regime is Slowly
But Inevitably Riding to a
Hard Fall Very
Soon.
hRRIsoN NOT LOYAL
ksnty-slx Provinces Refuse ReeosnI-
Ito and Meetings Of Pro-
test Are Very
Frequent

Umted Press Leased Wire Service.l
cofENAiAGEN, Dec. l18-Former
femler kerensIy has appeared near
ptroqr1d at the head OF several
susand troops, according TO dis
kch Via lHaParanda, printed today In
y Behring'S Tldente.
The dispatch asserted that the Bol-
AsvIh had sent out armed forces to
ut thlo newest counter revolution
nlnst them.
Whstl,er there has been any actual
tNna between the two sides was
ssd-
3lKerensky WAS last reported in a
lfie village in Finland, to which he
v escaped despite a price on his
IA set by the Trotsky-Lenine gov
nment
Recent elections to the constituent
ssembly showed that the former
smier had been elected to that
pdy BY the city OF Samara as well
y by the southeastern troops.
United Press dispatches today
kom Stockholm, from It's staff COR
sspondent. Joseph Shaplen. showed
hat the Bolshevih regime was fast
rumbling away.
With Kerensky reported in the
beld, there are now apparently two
eparate and distinct counter revolu-
sonary movements being waged
gainst the Bolsheviki.
| One Is the Cossack-C Cadet party re.
|Folt under Generals Kaledine and
Korniloff, which is operating for the
most part in southeastern Russia.
The second is the Kerensky move.
The above report does not indicate
Me source of the former premier S
strength. He may have Joined with
ehe Cossack rebels or he may be lead.
|hg separate revolt Of the social
kemocrats and the Russian labor
'party.
The Cossack revolt has been repud
hted by the social democrats, despite
The latter's intense desire to see the
Bolshevih unseated because Of sus
|picion that the monarchists> are be
hind Kaledine and Korniloff.]
by Jospeh Shaplen, United Press
Staff Correspondent
STOCKHOLM, Dec. 18.-The max
|malist regime is slowly but newt
ABLY riding to fall.
Reliable information from travel
|ers reaching here today, as well as
anti iBolshe newspapers smugglec
via Haparanda, indicate even the
Petrograd garrison no longer sup
ports the Lenine-Tro ring.
Twenty-six of Russia's provinces
The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-12-18
Feed wate- 70 oysters.

limited Press Leased Wire Service ]
DES MONIES, Iowa, Dec. 1S.-Did
you know oysters drank water after
they are dead?
E. L. Redfern, state chemist. says
they do.
According to Redfern, many com
paints are being received from ever
the s.atc that retail dea'ers are aG IL
teratIng oysters by adding 4 gallon ot
water to each container. The oyster
takes up the water and the dealer gets
the price of gallon Of oysters more
for each container He's investigating.
The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-12-18
straiohtenino Out Love At

UNITED Press Leased Wire Service
DENVER, Colo, Dec. 1S.-1n an eff
fort to "straighten OUT a love affair
with her first cousin, VIM. Potter, Mrs
Laura F'urneux, %, took taxi and
called at his home here early today.
A quarrel developed and she shot Pot
ter twice, dangerously wounding him.
The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-12-18
Today's War News Fails to
Tell of Anything Being Done
by Allies Of Much
Interest.
WEST FRONT rs QUIET
Marshal Haig Has Nothing to Report,
While French Tell Of Active Ar
tiIIerying on Their
Front.

rUn1ted Press Leased Wire Service.l
LONDON, Dec. 1S.-Field Marshal
Haig has nothing special" to report
from the west front today.
The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-12-18

[The German official statement an
nouncing capture OF American soldiers
ON November 3 located tho American
forces near the Rhine-Rhone canal y
The only other activity reported oy
the war office was repulse Of German
raids south Of Givencourt.1