davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-05
Frcm the Minneapolis Tribune

From the Minneapolis Tribune. N HANTEY singing at sea was in ( vogue as long as 400 years ago. " American sailors on the ocean and roustabouts on wharves borrowed 1t from their British brothers Briefly, it was a rhythmic device to make men work in unison in weighing an anchor, hoisting a sail, churning windlass or pulling a rope The cadence of the sing ing tended to make them forget the hard ness of their tasks. Chantey songs served to brighten ocean life when winds howled and seas ran high. They relieved the stress of parting thoughts when ports were left behind. sailor was not sailor unless the salt of the sea was tey i'll his blood.
 Who has not felt his muscles grow taut in rhythmic sequence when reading or re- citing that famous chantey song quoted by Stevenson in Treasure Island?" Here is one stanza of it:
 Fifteen men on the dead mans chest;
 Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum! Drink and the devil had done for the
 rest,
 Yo-ho-ho and bottle of rum! We rapped 'em all in mainsail tight With twice ten turns of a hawser's blight, And we heaved 'em over and out of sight
 With a yo-heave-ho and a fare ye we'll And sullen plunge in sullen swell
 Ten fathoms along on the road to hell;
 Yo-ho-ho and bottle of rum!
 American sailors of the olden days 'sang our flag over all the salt seas,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-05
DEMOCRATIC CHICAGO

From "The Valley of Democracy-Chi-
 cago," by Meredith Nicholson, In the
 February Scribner.
 Chicago is the industrial and financial clearing house, the inspirational centre of the arts, and the playground for 5o,- 0O0,GOO people. The pilgrim who lands on the lake shore with an open mind and a fair understanding of what America is all about-the unprejudiced traveller is immediately conscious that here, n- deed, is a veritabe capital of democ- racy.
 Every night 300 or more sleeping cars bear approximately 4500 persons toward this western metropolis on journeys varying from five to 12 hours in length From innumerable points it is nights run, and any morning one may see these pilgrims pouring out of see railway sta tons, dispersing upon a thousand CT rands, often concluded in time for the return trip between o'clock and mid- night At times one wonders whether all the citizens of the tributary pro- vinces have not gathered here at once, so great Is the pressure upon hotel space, so thronged the streets. The sleeping car holds no terrors for the westerner. He enjoys the friendship of the train crews, the porters-many of them veter- in addressing them he avoids the gen. eric George" which the travelling sales
 man applies to all knights of the whisS broom, and greets them by their true baptismal appellations of Joshua or Obadiah. The professional or business
 man rises from his meagre couch re- 1 freshed and keen for adventure and after a strenuous day, returns to it and clumbers peacefully as he Is hurled home ward. The man from Sioux City or Saint 1 Joe who spends a day here does net crawl into his berth weary and de- pressed, but returns inspired and cheered and determined to put more vim into his
 business the next morning. On the home
 ward trail, eating supper in company with the neighbors he finds aboard, ne dilates eloquently upon the wonders oi I-the city, upon it's enterprise, upon the heartiness with which its business mer meet their customers. Chicago men work longer hours than their New York brethren and take pride in their accessi- bility. It is easier to get a hearing in in Chicago than in New York; there is 1 less waiting in the ante-room. and a bet ter chance of being asked out for lunch
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-05
THE yAGABoND

By Robert Louis Stevenson. Give me the life I love, Let the lave go by me, Give the jolly heaven above And the byway nigh me. Bed in the bush with stars to see, Bread I dip in the river There's the life for man like me, There's the life forever. Let what will be OCT me; Give the face of the earth around. And the road before me. Wealth seek not. hope nor love, Nor friend to know me; All seek, the heaven above, And the road below me. Or let autumn fall on me Where afield I finger, Silencing the bird on tree, Biting the blue finger. White as meal the frosty field Warm the fireside haven Not to autumn will I yield. Not to winter even! Let the blow fall soon or late. Let what will be Ger me; Give the face of the earth around. And the road before me. Wealth ask not, hope nor love. Nor friend to know me- All I ask. the heaven above And the road below me.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-05
ADRIFT WITH THE TINES
PROvoCATION

Profanity 6o deplore, But ardent cuss words come Whener l feel beneath my heel A wad of chewing gum.
 Akron Times. Kind words and gentle ones we praise, But, gee, how we ad lib., When we our best umbrella raise And find a broken rib.
 Youngstown Telegram I never swear at all. you bet, And yet my virtue fails Wheneer I black my shoes and get The polish meath my nails.
 Cleveland Plain Dealer. Harsh langwidge gra.tes upon my nerves, Its use l always bar, Except, that is, whene'er l run Two blocks and miss my car.
 Macon Telegraph. It may be very wrong to swear, And yet I wax exceeding hot And "sulphurize" the vacant air When someone swipes my best paste pot.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-05
Americas Task
 On Lorraine Front

M10W that the censor has permit N ted the announcement that the American sector of the battle line in France is in Lorraine, it is permitted to make some observations which have heretofore not been appropriate.
 This portion of the battle front is very mountainous. It has seen com paratively little action since the lines were first formed in 1914. To those familiar with French history and tra- ditions, there is conspicuous reason. Lorraine is a part of the territory (which was cruelty wrenched from France by the Germans in the 70's, and is largely inhabited by French people. France has naturally been lcath to extend military operations in this direction. St. Mihiel is the sharp est salient thrust into the French line along the whole front and yet St. Mihiel has through all these months and years been spared lombard ment because the city is occupied by French.
 Sentimental reasons have kept France from advancing into Ger man Lorraine because she did not want to lay wuste the fair cities occu- pied by her own people. It was prob ably felt that if it had to be done it should be done by the Americans, whom everyone recognizes are fight ing not for conquest but for ideals.
 No one knows Pershing's plans for the future, but his men are known to be along the Rhine -Marne canal, which connects the Marne river in France with the Rhine in Germany. These names may figure more and more prominently in the dispatches as the days go by.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-05

Correspondents going to see what the Rainbow division is doing must wear their gas masks '1n alert positions" This probably means in a position to be pulled over the face in considerably less time sthan it takes a woman to adjust her hat.
 The moralists don't care how many op ponents the late John L. Sullivan put to their fond admiration by sending John Barleycorn through the ropes.
 # % #
 Secretary Daniels says the navy Is assured of enough transports to have half a million men in France early this year. The muckrakers. however, will find fault even with this.
 * # #
 Alabama faces another railroad rate fight. Everybody is getting in fighting humor and those who can't take 1t out on the Germans must have some outlet for their pugnacity.
 x x S
 A regiment of electricians is being re- cruited for work in France Modern war demands specialized talent and it makes no difference what is required. Uncle Sam can furnish 1t.
 # # #
 Daniel B. Gallagher of Bocton Ala bama, who has been located in German prison, has fighting name and he doubtless lived up to it immediately pre- ceding his capture.
 The official announcement that Amer ican soldiers are defending the Lorraine sector makes a lot of old fellows jingle in their boots and wish they could be lover there"
 Maybe that fellow who registered at a Birmingham hotel under the name of | movie idol was dying for feminine ad- niration and didn't know any othee way to get it.
 Americans have taken up a sector of the battle line in Lorraine. This sector is destined to cause Germany some of her most uneasy moments in the months to come
 A contemporary says Trotzky is not pleased at the way things are going. Neither is Wilhelm Ho -hzollern, if the truth were only known.
 Love will do as nothing else for a baby" says Winifred Black If there is any moral to this it must be: Don't beat your baby.''
 John Sharp Williams is getting tired of the "muckrakers of the administra- tion." So are lot of other people.
 # # # CTS made of paper 1t must make them shiver every time they see nail.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-05
Annual Meeting
of Alabama Educators

TT is expected that the Alabama u Educational association which holds it's annual meeting in Birming- ham the last week in March will be the most largely attended in the his tory of the organization. Up to this time an enrolment of 2200 to 2300 has been considered very large, but indi- cations point to an attendance at the forthcoming gathering of fully 5000.
 It used to be that the enrolment for the annual meetings did not begin until day or two before the date of assembling, but the members who in- tended to be present were urged last fall to send their names to the secre- tary as early as possible. There is, therefore; already large enrolment.
 This years programme is of excep ticnal interest. War has had it's ef- l feet upon educational activities as it has had on all other moral and ma te1ial forces, and the papers to be Tread and the subjects to be discussed l Informally will have a strong note of patriotism. While pedagogy as  subjects bearing upon Americanism as compelling motive will draw out the best thought of those men and women
 who view education in it's broader
 riritual aspect.
 As the state is now aflame with pa- triotism, every teacher and principal in the public schools, and every col 1 lege professor whos attends the meet ing will be eager to listen to every speech that brings with it message of liberty and loyalty. N Nicholas Murray Butler, president of Columbia university, known far and wide for his stalwart American ism and his engaging personality, may
 be expected to deliver the keynote ad-
 dress. What he says will be an in-
 spiration, and Dr. Buffers presence l l. Lo
 fail to swell the attendance.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-05

Appeals for such practice have been made from time to time, but the mat ter should be further urged until the desired results have been achieved.
 Alabama's coal production in 1917 struck a new high record. The total exceeded 20,000,0OO tons. Let's have 22,OOO, ,OOO or 2S,OO0,OOO tons this year. Such will be the record if every miner realizes fully his individual re- sponsibility in this most important war work. Every ton of coal will be needed.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-05
LIKE M,LuKE SAYS

It would be easy enough for a man to be content with little if nobody had any more
 While man of 50 doesn't know much, he manages to get by because he has a son of 20 who knows it all.
 NThe reason why father knows that the baby inherited it's smartness from his side of the house is because mother knows that if it hadn't been for her side of the house the baby would be an idiot.
 What has become of the old-fashoned prize fighter who used to open saloon?
 And whole lot of men never feel spir- tied until they are full of spirits.
 The man who never overlooks an op- pcrtunity to say something is the same lad who always overlooks an opportu- nit" to keep still.
 When you meet woman you haven't seen for a year or two, always tell her that she doesn't look a day older than she did when you last met. You will be a wall-eyed liar, but she will always love you for it.
 Every man considers himself commit tee of one to look into the low-neckeo waist question.
 One of the most wonderful things ir the world is the way man can sleep III the morning when it is time to get up.
 When nervous woman goes on triI she is always disappointed because the train wasn't wrecked. There is always something to be thank ful for It is no longer fashionable fol a girl to wear enough store hair to stuf a mattress After man has roamed around thu world for about 50 years he has sens' ei tugh to wrap the small bills on tn outside of his roll Don't get fat-headed. Many man hal lost good job because he got the idle; that nobody knew enough to fill hi place.
 l A woman is almost as glad to see paperhanger come as she is to see hin so.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-05
CROSS OF THE LEGION OF HONOR

CROSS OF THE LEGION OF HONOR From "The Field of Art" in the Febru-
 ary Scribner.
 The famous French cross of the "Le- zion d'Honneur'' was instituted by Ma poleon in 1892 when he was first consul. It is not cross at all, having five arms instead of four, and was designed for an eagle, the upper arm representing the head, the side arms the wings, and the two remaining arms the legs of the eagle. The imperial eagle was on the centre of the obverse.
 The order is not exclusively military order, being awarded quite as often for artistic or literary accomplishments or for industrial achievement, and for dis tinction in many fields of adventure and its award is not even restricted to French subjects.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-05
IN LOW SPIRITS

"I presume a great many o1d-fashioned gentlemen miss their morning toddies now that the prohibition law is being strictly enforced"
 ''Yes indeed. And it's very noticeable too"
 In what way?"
 Coming down on the trolley cars in the morning. Colonels, majors and judges who used to foregathe~ on the rear platform and have a love feast all the way to town arc now so grumpy they rarely have a pleasant word for any boGy''
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-05
How She Sets Her Clock

q have an old negro mammy who has been cooking for me for years," said Max Sington.
 My wife and I think a lot of her. At night when she gets ready to leave she always goes by and glances at our clock. We noticed it, and so asked her why she always did it just as she was going home. She said: Cause I wants to set my clock by it. Now, bear in mind she lives across town from us, but evidently she has timed to the minute, the time it takes her to walk from home, for every morning she arrives for duty or the dot"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-05
Patriotic Attitude of
 Organized Labor

1E YER since the United States en- l1 tered the war organized labor has shown distinctly patriotic atti- tude Samuel Gompers, president of the American Federation of Labor, has been among the most ardent sup porters of the administration in its war policies and has exerted 9 strong influence over wage-workers through out the country along patriotic lines.
 Individually laborers of all classes have proved themselves absolutely loyal. No campaign of education has been needed to make them understand the vital principles involved in the international conflict. And a vast majority of them have given concrete evidence of their readiness to aid in winning the war. This has been especially noted in the munition plants, where production has reached high-water mark.
 This patriotic spirit on the part of wage-earners was to be expected, of course, but it has been none the less gratifying.
 But here in the Birmingham dis trict some of the coal operators com plain that miners do not work full time. In these strenuous days there should be maximum capacity out put at all the mines, but this can be attained only by every mine worker doing his best six days in the week.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-05
THE RIGHT SPIRIT

The high cost of living's a subject for
 tears And many will shed them in war-ridden
 years, But true-hearted people are ready to
 bear Such trfles and greater privations
 would share With those who are fighting the battles
 of right. An, s:ey-at-home brother, your burdens
 are light!
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-05

HE railroads traversing the south S have done highly efficient work in exploiting the natural resources of the states through which they pass. Within the last ten years thousands of desirable settlers have found their way to region where good farm lands can be bought for comparatively little money, and where skilled labor is in demand.
 For the duration of the war there will be lull in the movement of |homeseekers, but there is no better time than now to let the people of the north know of the wonderful oppor- tunities that the south offers for in- vestors, large and small. The Sea- board Magazine, published by the general development department of the Seaboard Air Line, is attracting attention among the very class that our civic associations and farm inn provement organizations are seeking to reach. The current number-vol- ume 1, No. Ais brim full of informa- ton clearly presented. Ample space lis given to Birmingham and Montgom- cry and the stories of their progress are finely illustrated.
 This missionary work so to speak 1 should bear good fruit at the end of the war. There will be great tide of immigration southward and Ala bama will have it's full share if the proper organized efforts are put forth now. It used to be the west that attracted capital and homeseek- CTS, but as one writer, who had made survey of the country south of the Mason and Dixon line expressed it, 'the south is the new west" This lis the section to which thousands of families, seeking new homes, will turn their faces.
 The advice given by Horace Greedy lin the fifties or sixties, "Go west, young man; go vest" will, for some years to come, be given with only one word changed. This will be "Go south, young man; go south" And the rail- road companies will he entitled to much credit for the south's new de- velopment and rapid increase in popu- lation.
 Alabama will soon have the reputation
 of being first in everything. The first man of the navy to sacrifice his life was
 from Alabama, and now comes word that an Alabama boy is among the first batch
 of prisoners captured.
 # Hs #
 Hymns of hate are discouraged in this
 country. but close attention is given tt
 bayonet exercises
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-05
wnnd Wins ns Fuel

Recently when the coal situation was so acute, I was greatly surprised when I received, by freight, three cords or kindling wood from my friend, Mrs. Renfro, the agent of The Age-Herald at West Dover," said Mrs. J. M Beets. T had written Mrs. Renfroe about the situation here, and had no idea that sne would come to my aid.
 ."I was surprised to find that wood made an excellent and lasting fire, and I have about decided to use the country fuel exclusively The kindlng came at a time when I was completely out or coal, and there appeared to be no chance to get any. Those who experienced the similar conditions can realize how l ap- preciated the gift"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-05
CANP wACs

From the Kansas City Star.
 Merely because the town wag happens to be drawn in the national army IS no reason why his career as wag should be thus summarily cut off. Out at Camp Funston he sends green rockies after '50 feet of skirmish line," and If the rookie ever gets back with 1t he sends him again, this time after 1.-two dozen sabre points,"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-05
AIDING MR. HooyER

From the Houston Post
 We want Hoover to understand that when we howl he must disregard the agony of it and tighten the pressure. There are some appetites that have no business running round unrestrained in a time of war and we have unfortunately grown to one of them.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-05
-------9f----- 7-7-1-'-<<s- s-7777 77' ' VI LET THE TRUTH OUT

From the Nashville Tennessean
 A German paper has issued a call for the people to revolt Of course, this pa per will have very short life, but II has the consolation of knowing that It said, once. what the German people really feeL
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-05
Nn wnNHER

From the Baltimore American.
 "The fighting spirit seems to go with life on the sea-
 Can you wonder when ships have so many spars and seamen are always ready to box the compass?''
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-05

BEGINNING THE DAY-My Fa- ther, may my sreyice to Thee be not the "oId keeping of law, but the warm pleasing of person." May it be reaching out my hand and feel ing Thine. May it be welking through a garden with my Father. In Christ's name. Amen.-H. M. E.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-05

on time. The master need is ships. But German prophets, no longer able to say that the U-boat will win the war n six months are driven to lelude the fantastic
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-05
EASILY IMPRESSED

EASILY IMPRESSED "Jibway seems to have great faith in tho American government"
 So he has. Why, Jibway is so over come by the power and greatness of the American government that he regards @ postage stamp with awe"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-05
RIGHT ON THE JOB

'what's become ef the fellow who used to rock the boat?'
 q saw him the otler day"
 And what was the dampllool doing?' .He stuck his walking cano into tho propeller Of an airplanc when q mechan- ician was testing it." PAUL COOK.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-05
Want Man Who Cam rio,v

T have been looking for a man wlth a mule, and g. blow for the past three months" said II. M. Stiles, put nave been unable. to get in touch with the trio.
 q am like everyone in my neighpor- hood on the crest of Forest Park want ing a bit of ground plowed in order to have it ready for d spring garden. oo not see why some enterprising person who wants to do a thriving business ooes not get busy and reap harvest in dol lars It's got to be regular joke among my neighbors, for when we meet the first thing we ask one another is Have vou found anybody who can plow""
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-05
A EXTERNAL FULL

'There goes q young captain of in- dustry who started at the bottom five years ago and now he's at the top.'
 Remarkable"
 Not when you know the circumstances His father happened to be at tho top when he started at the bottom"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-05

THE ARTISTIC TEMPERAMENT "When an actor gets used to the spot light, I dare say he feels uncomfort- able without it."
 "Oh, yes. Particularly if the spotlight happen to rest on some other member of his company. That makes him feel deso- late"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-05
NOT INTERESTED

'Do you understand the nebular hy- pothesis?" asked the elderly professor.
 NO" replied the man who was trifle narrow between the eyes. And if it's a new theory to explain this blan- kety-blanked war, don't want to un- derstand it."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-05

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 for republication of ell news dispatches credited to It or not otherwise credited in this paper and also the local news published herein.
 All rights of republication of spe- cial dispatches herein are also re- served.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-05

Washington bureau, POT Hibbs build ing.
 European bureau, 6 Henrietta street, Coyent Garden, London.
 Eastern business office, Rooms 4o 10 50, inclusive, Tribune building, New York city; western business otflce, Tribune building, Chicago. The ;. C. Beckwith Special Agency, agents Tor foreign advertising.