davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-04-29
Best Floors Nov Made
 or Southern Pine Blocks

both cold and dampness, noisless and easily kept clean, working conditions
 are improved The absence of dust, and
 the distinctly antiseptic nature of the
 creosote preservatiye, are real factors in securing better health among the work men.
 Owing to the particularly resilient na-
 ture of it's surface, the wood block floor
 is comfortable to work on and labor IS
 spared much of the fatigue attributable to floors composed of harder materials.
 This characteristic also helps to keep
 tools from being blunted or castings bro-.
 ken that may be allowed to fall. Then,
 too. the absence of dust saves bearings
 and other delicate parts of expensive
 machines from injury. Truck labor IS
 greatly reduced and also the accident hazard is low with floor that IS not
 broken. uneven or patched and that never becomes slippery.
 The absorption of vibration is another
 valuable point in favor of wood block floors, as it enable greater accuracy to be obtained in the operation of precision tools, Again, the use of such small units as wood blocks makes it simple mat ter to take up any section of the floor to put down pipes, conduitS or rails,
 or the foundations of heavy machinery. and to relay it quickly again without any alteration of the floor level. Light ma chinery can be lag-screwed directly to the blocks, perfect stability being in-
 sured by the strength of the binding. Long-leaf yellow pine has been select ed for the better grade of wood block flooring, for the reason that, on the au- thority of the American Railway Engi- neering association, it exerts the greatest resistance to end compression because l of the extreme density of it's fiber and l high proportion of summer wood
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-04-29
Many Small Industries Considered
 Essential Springing Up in the South
Coming the EeochemistsThelr Visit Reaching Eect-Next to Coal Iron and Steel Ala
 bama Graphite Attracts Most Attention Now

ite from Ceylon and Madagascar con- tinues to enter the market freely, the price of domestic graphite will neces- sarily be reduced with the increase in production. With return of peace, however, operators will face an un- favorable condition caused by de- creased market and large increase Ill production. On the other hand, mln- ing conditions in Alabama are very favorable, the mining costs are low, and new developments in concentra- tion and finishing will probably result in larger percentage of good flake in the finished product and higher saving of graphite of all grades. Costs of mining and milling at an efficiently managed plant should not exceed $50 ton of concentrates produced, or about 2k cents a pound for the finished product, and even with prices as low as 5 cents a pound for No. flake, cents for No. 2, and F cents for dust. there should still be a possi- bility of profit. A recent article by Prouty contains an interesting discuss sion of cost of production of graphite in Alabama. It is of course idle to speculate on the possible dura tion of present conditions, and the situation may be summed up by saying that as long as the present demand for crucl- bles in the manufacture of munitions continues. the plants in operation should all be able to make profits, and even with the expected drop in prices after the war the most favor ably situated and efficiently managed plants should continue to be profita- ble"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-04-29
Gouernn1ent Asked to Stop Unfair Methods Of Securing
 Labor for Big Nitrate Plant

seriously reduced this year unless they can obtain labor.
 The government was asked to stop un- have the agents go into other territory where the industries are not essential to the support of the war.
 The fact that labor cannot be obtained shows that this state is prosperous to degree never before contemplated. The demand for men is so great that many Alabama towns have adopted stringent ordinances against vagrancy. All law enforcement officials are cooperating in the enforcement of the vagraney laws, and the saeriffs, at the request of Cover nor Henderson, are paying particular att tention to loafng places in order that all vagrants may know that they must go to work or 80 to jail.
 Bankers themselves were astonished at the wonderful showing of state banks as revealed this week by a preliminary statement of the banking department or the condition of banks at the close of business March 30. An increase of abou. $26000,O00 in deposits in nine months was almost unbelievable and convinced the bankers and banking department that the farmers never before had as much money Tt their comand. This is sup posed to be dull season for small banks because of the constant withdrawal ot money by farmers in financing their crops, but this year the withdrawals are almost unnoticeable.
 The mere increase in deposits means little to layman until it is understood that the banks have on deposit now about oo per cent more than they had last June. The report of last June showed deposits or about sf6.000,000. The preliminary re- port this week showed S71, 900 O00
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-04-29
Are Dreaded Most of All by Men Who
 Navigate Air at Night

London. March 13-(Correspondence of the Associated Press are the most nerve-raking enemy which the airplane pilot has to face in night, writes an airman in the Daily Mail.
 "Searchlights are cruel things" he says land are far harder on the nerves than high explosives or shrapnel, They seem so alive, as though they had voli- tion of their own and were great arms stretched out across the night, sweep
 ing the darkness with an eager de- sire to find their quarry.
 Perhaps the airman is flying placid
 ly over the enemy territory in an area
 which he knows has been hitherto un- defended Suddenly he sees immediate
 ly in front of him beam of light nov ing up and down, up and down. "Nearer and near it moves towards him. weaving it's way in wide sweeps across the sky until it flashes over him. and for a moment the machine is lit up and he is conscious of a great pool of intensely brilliant light in which he seems to swim, and then 1t passes beyond him--but remains very near the machlue.
 ''The pilot throttles his engine ana | turns slightly as he glides silently down the night The beam is, at it were, puzzled, and moves slowly be- hind him as he glides farther and far | ther on, and soon he has left it long | distance behind him.
 "He goes on, light-hearted again for | the moment. feeling as mouse must
 do when it has been cornered by | l cat and has been playfully tapped a few times by a heavy paw, and has | then, by sudden move of strategy,
 managed to escape to the safety of it's 1 |, Ia
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-04-29

Montgonery, April 2S.-(Special..) Business of all kinds, big and little, raised a great howl last week over the methods being pursued by some persons in an effort to obtain labor for govern anent work and Washington was ap- pealed to for aid by business organiza- 4ions of Montgomery and other points !in south Alabama. A telegram of pro- 4est went to Washington from the com unercial organization of Montgomery Eriday.
 Agents of the government have come Unto Montgomery and other towns in an affort to obtain labor for the government nitrate plant at Sheffield, and it is con- hended that unfair means have been em- ployed which have resulted in the taking away of labor which is needed on the farms of central and south Alabama 1T hhis state is to do it's part in furnishing flood for the armies The Montgomery business men pointed out that in addi- hion to promising high wages, the gov ernment agents have advertised free dance halls for white and colored, nave nromised free house rent and have agreed Hhat all iaborers may return to taeir homes every 90 days at the expense of the contractors.
 As a result, it is claimed, large num- ber of farm laborers are leaving the farms daily and no labor can be found to take their places. Several owners or nla Nations in central and south Alabama havg contended that their crops Will De
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-04-29

Combining all of the essential elements of a good, general purpose, heavy service floor. creosoted wood block floors are be- coming quite common. says the Scientific America Althought the first cost Of this wood block construction is higher than some other types, maintenance cost IS almost negligible by comparison because of it's great durability, while 1t makes many economies possible in plant op- eration.
 The resistance of wood block floors to wear is astonishing. Under the extremes of load and heavy traffic the ends Of the wood fiber iron out smoothly to form surface that grows stronger and more compact with use; surface which IS claimed to be permanently level and does not abrade, crack, crumble, chip or cor rugate. With all this it is the easiest floor to repair, should repairs be neces- sary. It is firm and hard enough to offer small rolling resistance, yet never becomes slippery or loses its resiliency. It absorbs vibration; is g. non-conductor Of heat and cold; is comparatively noise- less and does not originate dust. It is
 
 proof.
 Most interesting of all is the fact that wood block floors of the better kind resist high temperature extraordinarily we'll and char very slightly even when directly subjected to fire. When set on concrete base wood block floor is exceedingly difficult to burn. There have been instances in foundry operation of crucibles overturned and molten metal poured upon the blocks, which showed but little damage. In the fire which com pletely destroyed the P. & R. pier No. g. at Philadelphia, Pa., the structural steel was twisted and warped, and after the wreckage was cleared away the creo- soted block floor was found to be dam- aged very little, suffering only slight charring on the surface. These blocks were taken up, scraped and relaid and are still giving excellent satisfaction practical demonstration of their free dom from damage by fire.
 A shop or factory floor with all these physical advantages must promote higher efficiency both as regards employees and mechanical equipment Being free from
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-04-29
WELL STOCKED AND RUNNING FULL TIME
Southern Pine Deliveries Far Advanced - Yards
 Being Established

New Orleans, April 2S.-(Special) Cancellation of orders for more than 25. oo0. GOO feet of Douglas fir timbers placed with west coast mills several weeks ago by the emergency feet corporation, to supply deficiencies then ex:s-ing in Atlantic and &uif aflhs wards is announced today hy w. j JIsynen. assistant lumber adm'n's'r'i- tor If the south.
 snipvards are well stocS-a with southern Line. am over-suoossel "n r,any items, according to Mr. Hay ren
 Al. ysrds are now operated on tuH time 1t is stated.
 snGtht1n pine deliveries are go Tar advanced. says MT. Favnen, tat t has been necessary to instruct mills not to send any more material in con siderable number of sizes.
 Mir. Faynens optimistic views are shared by Lumber Administrators Jchn ii. Kirby, who declared before leaving for Washington last Sat Wdpy nis'it that the aouthern shipba'll,ng si,ua- ton was ell that could be hopei ". MT Kirby went to the capi:ti with r.. l.. Sanford of Zona, La, and w J. Bowers. director of the Southern Pine Emergency bureau, to confer with of ficials of the emergency fleet corpora - tion regarding the amended timber oilI agreed on here last Friday for the modified type of Daugherty( nationaD ship.
 tnl ha ha.- mills expected to be able to provide all the timbers necessary for their share in carrying out the wooden ship pro- gramme.
 Concentration yards. he said, are be- ing established at Brunswick, Ga, Jacksonville Fla, Gulfport, Miss, and Beaumont, Tex.
 ''There is plenty of timber and plenty of labor in the south to bull l all the wooden ships of the present programme, and as many others as the shipping board desires to contract for according to MT. Kirby.
 MT. Kirby said the concentration de- pots were established to enable the quick replacement of timbers requested by shipyards in case of wrong saving or other loss. He said the southern yards would soon be on very eff cient basis of production.
 That the emergency fleet corpora tion intends to build the Daugherty type of ships on the Pacific coast, as well as elsewhere. is indicated by the recent visit to Orange, Tex, to inspect these vessels, of Ed Heath, superin tendent of the Tacoma Shipbuildins company, Tacoma, Wash, and l.. D. Geary, naval architect of the emer- gency fleet corporation, stationed al Tacoma. MT. Heath and MT Geary passed through New Orleans this week on their way home. They made 3 eare- full examination of the DaugherE snip and are prepared to adjust mill ont put in the western district to this type of vessel whenever called on.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-04-29
Quality of Peanuts Important

The peanut established itself last year as a money crop" in several southern states including Alabama, says the Amer ican Fertilizer. The acreage plantel tEls year will be still larger The oil. aartl- ened with hydrogen, has made a great hit everywhere as a cooking rat, ana will continue to command good price as long as the war increases the con sumption of animal fats. Indeed 1t IS probable that vegetable oils will be preferred by many housekeepers att CT the lard market has again become normal.
 As the value of the peanut crop IS determined mostly by the yield of oil, it is important that the utmost care be given to the selection of seed for the 1918 crop. The planting hereto fore has been more or less haphaz- ard.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-04-29

that the secretary incluHe in his emer- gency appropriation a substantial sum for the purpose of making the neces- sary forage investigation to show the value of these idle lands for stock raising purposes. This received no at- tention from the Secretary of Agricul- ture for some time, but was finally given d lukewarm approval by an as- sistant secretary, with no assurance that the question would be pressed be- fore Congress. Through courtesy to the department of agriculture, the landowners have refrained from ar- preaching congressman direct It is now too late in the current session 10 accomplish anything by doing so.
 The cut-over pine owners are now back where they started It seems ro be forced on these men. many of whom have made money out of the timber from these lands, to spend some or it in an attempt to solve their own land problems, with whatever local help they can get A working plan for accomplishing the desired purpose was submitted to them at the meeting of the Southern Pine association year ago, but as yet little has been accomplished.
 One of the primary needs is one or more we'll organized and equipped ex- pertinent sta tlOnS III the cOaStdl pidiu region where a staff of able men can have the necessary facilities to con- duct experiments in forage crops, grazing and feeding. If these land- owners will provide the necessary frnas to establish and operate such stations they will then stand good chance to secure the detail of govern ment specialists to conduct the tech- nical work This is indicated by the fact that the department of agricul- ture now conducts it's work largely on a co-operative basis, and seems to be- lieye in the old adage that the Lord Q
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-04-29
Wealth Of Raw Material
 ln the Appalachian Section
 Is oflnterestto the Chemists

resources along the tour the opportunities therein; they will have visions of plants ana factories growing up and about the country, and visions of the future will ha carried in their minds
 hhoXvllle, the second objective point Will furnish an inspiration in the plant at Mascot. where low-grade zinc ore of apout per centum values is concentrated by Jigs and Notation using the Minerals oeparaton company's process to a prod uct or oo per cent ready for the shelter.
 what mas been accomplished in the de- Veiopment of hydroelectric power on the I'ittle tennessee river by a series of dams to provide reservior capacitv for a steady supply of 100000 horse power for the Aluminium Company of America is feature that will have an active in- terest for the members and indicate how much such typical sites scattered
 throughout the region can be developed
 Chattanoosa, too. as center of electro chemistry Will occupy attention some of
 the power possibilities will be seen. and
 the plant of the Southern Ferro- Allows company, which is already making fer roslHcon and other alloys of iron, will
 be one of Chattanooga's s chemical indus
 tries to command the members atten- tion.
 , Muscle Shoals in Alabama, with it's S30 = oOo.oo0 government plant consisting of a synthetic nitrate and cyanamid plant together with the great 6S0,0O0 horse pow CT development of the waters of Muscle Shoals, most of which power will be available for use of private companies, will center the interest upon an indus trial center the development of which will read like an Arabian Nights story l at date in the not distant future. Birmingham, the Pittsburg of the south. l With it's iron and steel plants drawing I their supply of raw material, iron ore, limestone, and coal from the surrounding l foothills, in this respect at present in-
 comparable with any other iron city, will,
 as center that has grown in one gen ! eration. have a keen interest for the members of the society.
 | The tour will conclude at Anniston May 4, where electric ferromanganese
 furnaces and electric steel furnace plant 1 will be inspected
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-04-29
THE HUM OF INDUSTRY IN THE SOUTH
Use of Cut OUer Grazing Land WiU SoLue Problem
 OF American Wool Clip

New Orleans, April 2S.-(Special) The New Orleans Item editorially says: There must be 20 sheep behind each soldier and sailor to clothe and equip him." The American wool clip last year was not enough to meet military needs The civil population must be clad in imported wool. The army and navy are consuming 10,o00,00o pounds of beef a month more than they did in civil life, and the exports to the F,uropean allies are more than 10 times inc nre-war average All of the best western range lands have gone into the hands of homestead settlers The farm production of cattle and sheep has not Kept pace with the increased demands.
 The only large bodies of grazing lands now left are in the cut-oyer pelt, where more than 100.000,000 acres are not used for any profitable agrtcultu- ral purpose. Much of this is owned in large tracts by lumber concerns. Many individual efforts to sell or oevelop these lands have proved abortiye Tne owners now believe the use Of this vast idle area is the biggest real es- tate, development and farm problem in the country today The difficulties encountered in this have slowly brought these owners closer and closer together in an effort to find a sat1s- factory solution.
 Believing that the use of these graz ing lands bears an important relation to meat and wool production. Presi- dent Charles s. Keith, of the southern Pine association, brought the questlen last January to the attention or the Secretary of Agriculture. He askeu
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-04-29
Snirit of the American Navy

From "Our Navy in the War;, py Hoh.
 Josephus Daniels, in the American
 Review of Reviews
 Destroyers submarine chasers, pa trol boats furnish practically inde- pendent command for younger officers who are put, as the British say, 'on their own" This service requires un- teasing watchfulness and prepared- ness, instant decision and action qualities that have been displayed by these young Americans in a superla- tive degree. Battles with u-boats are measured in minutes. not hours. It re- auires a keen eye to see a periScope 2000 yards away. to train and fire gun at a boath which can Submerge in half a minute
 s.Damn the torpedoes; go ahead.' Farra gut's order at Mobile bay eN' presses the spirit of our destroyer crews. They are not content With con- yoying merchantmen and guarding them from attack They Ego after" the submarines. and ask only where the enemies are. Read the story of the Cassin which, though struck by tor pedo and seriously crippled, refused to return to port as long as there ap- peared to be a chance of engaging the submarine which had fired it's deadly missile and submerged The whole country Was lHfiileu py tHe dccouHt VI the exploit of the Tanning and the Nicholson in destroying a German sub marine and capturing it's entire crew. The British admiral in commenting of ficers and men said the incident showed that the destroyer is "a man. of-war in the best sense of the term, well disciplined and organized and ready for Immediate action" and he concluded: The whole affair reflects ba diSnin1ipe m fra n n IT l of the United States flotilla."
 | There is many another story of the courage and energy of the men who are performing this arduous duty in l foreign waters. which. for military | reasons. cannot now be told. But their work will form bright chapter in the
 history of this war.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-04-29
Port Terminals Needed

Arguing for increased terminal facilities at the southern ports. the Manufactur- CTS Record makes strong appeal by giv- ing some facts which carry weight. Some of them are of especial interest to the cotton seed products trade. Among other things the Record says:
 "Three-fifths of the entire coast line of the United States is in the south. This section produces all of the cotton. more than 50 per cent of the lumber, 99 per cent Of the sulphur and more than 50 per cent of all the oil of the country. It is now raising $f,60O, O00, ,00o bushels of grain a year and an enormous output of soy beans, velvet beans, rice and peanuts, etc It's cotton mills consume much more cot ton than all the other mills of the Unit ed States. and the bluk of the cotton duck made for the soldiers tents in fllii country and abroad is turned out by southern mills.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-04-29
Three New Plants

Three manufacturing plants to De established here. at Cuthbert, Ga, as reported in the Industrial Index last week. will be valuable additions to the business of that place. These plants will be grain elevator, . flour and grist mill and knitting mill The elevator and flour and grist mil will encourage the growing of wheat and corn in this section.
 The three plants will be established q by one company, and will cost slZo,Vo9 CT more.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-04-29
Incredible Hardship

From the Boston Transcript.
 "So your brothers joined the army?" Yes
 How does he like t?'
 "Oh, the food is something awful Why, he hasn't had pie for breakfast once since he left home"
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-05-17
"wHArEvEK YOU WANT TO KNOW

The kaiser is continuing to perfect
his plans for a peace which he expects
Will leave him in absolute control OF
the larger part of Europe. The latest
rhbve consists in taking over Austria
Hungary into German control With
this addition to his domains and with
a large part of European Russia al
ready under the German flag, he Is
prepared to say to the allies, II 1t De-
come necessary: take back Belgium,
Afsace- Lorraine, northern Italy and
the Balkans; keep all my colonies;
only let us have peace" He could do
this and still be far ahead of the
game. If he could escape on these
terms he would be in a better condi-
ton for organizing another war than
ne was for this one. There should be
no peace with the Hun until all his
forts and munition works are RACED.
Any attempt to rebuild them in the
future should be regarded as decla-
ration of war. The maniac must be
disarmed