davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-20
". C. '. U. Actiuiitiies
 For God, Home and Native Land''
Fly MRS. MABEL F. LEAKE

Offertory prayer.
 Adoption of resolution for ratification.
 Singing.
 The Aaronic benedction
 Mrs. Donahoo president of the Fran ces Willard union, reports most en- thusiastic meeting held Thursday after noon at the home of Mrs. William coates. Every department in. the work was represented at the meeting and re- ports of the superintendents were most flattering.
 The Frances Willard is planning a meeting for the first part of February. when they will invite the teachers and children of the Ullman school 10 he their guests, at which time they will present them with a handsome picture of Frances Willard
 At meeting of the Central union Iuesfay afternoon the report of Mrs B. N. Spence of the soldiers and sail ofs department regarding the work that mad been accomplished, was especially pleasing to the members
 Mrs. w. A. Stockham of the Sunday school department reported that she and her assistant, Mrs R. l.. Ezell were busy making preparations for observ- ance of temperance Sunday in the diff terest was being manifested in the terest was being manifestede in the work by Sunday school workers.
 The many friends of Mrs. William Coates Will be glad to learn that she is now convalescing from her recent pain ful illness.
 Mrs Y A. Dyar of Rome, Ga. for merly treasurer of the Central union, this city, is spending sometime with friends at the Motion hotel. She is receiving most cordial welcome from her friends at the local headquarters.
 II MI o4,,. : tea room continues to grow in popular favor, and that Friday the guest book showed the attendance to be the greatest since the opening"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-20
By DOLLY DALRYMPLE

If we think the winter has been hard on us we just ought to stop and think how hard it's been on the weather man.
 Day after day he has been forced to sign written statement to the effect that the weather today will be: Colder anC more snow.' "Sleet and rain, fol- lowed by snowstorms in southern portion of the state" Much colder tonight" !" and prophecies to that effect, and day after day, with ghastly consistency, his prophecies have come true; he didn't want to prophecy these awful things any more than we wanted him to, but alasi what's a poor man to do with the ele- ments at war, so to speak, and the skies letting forth upon our poor sinful heads everything from rain to snow all in one day?
 People in Birmingham have almost come to the point of holding MT. Horton, our nice weather man, personally respon- sible for the state of the weather; old jokes about the weather man" have been resurrected and oiled up and given 8 trial spin down the road apiece before appearing in the funny columns and vau. deville skits, and the poor benighted quill drivers frenzied with the task of writing about the ''coal shortage" and the Hate trains" have become positively libelous in their articles about the weather and the weather man.
 And the worst of it all Is that MT. Horton doesn't promise any 'let up' except now and then, in weather condi- tions; he simply admits that the condi- tions are curious, andd that it's one of the very worst little winters he's ever been responsible for.
 Since 1 was q child, remember hear ing weather prophets talking about 'lamping" the sky and then they'd scratch their left ears and remark about itEer fleet burning" and flowing it was 'goin to rain,'' but today the weather people predict things on quite different basis. 1t is all done scientifically now, as we know, but this year even science has failed to find out what the trouble is with the elements; all the signs have failed, which they are supposed to do in dry weather (when there is any) and nobody is surprised, for what with the war going on, the Mexican trouble break ing out anew, the coal famine, the rail- roads under government control, woman suffrage carrying, and measles epidemic all of them upsetting.-and the Lord knows what else-the weather has gone a-glimmering!
 And what can the poor weather man do?
 Suppose, for instance, you were in his place and received this sort of message: Monterey, collie, damatian seaman en- sue dubbedr'
 Wouldn't you think that the Kaiser had the tummy ache or the Russians had the seven years itch, or something. and wouldn't you just hold up your hands and say:
 Why certainly help yourself; glad to know you, sir, or anything else you wish"
 That's just about what you'd say. Feel sure, if such personal quotation were made to you and still worse if would be if it came "via wireless" then you'd know that Harry Thaw had broken loose again or that a German spy had dynamited the White House
 But the poor weather man; that's the sort of message he receives every sin
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-20
AT THE MOVIES
AT THE COLONIAL

Wallace Reid, the popular Paramount star depicter of western types who was recently seen in Nan of Music Noun tain, will be seen at the Colonial the atre today. tomorrow and Tuesday in his latest production, ''Rimrocl Jones.'
 This picture is a typical Reid picture and is sure to please all movie fans.
 "Rimrocll Jones' is a prospector who, at the opening of the story, find him. self in hard luck through the designing efforts of Andrew McBain, a canny Scotchman. The latter has claimed Rimrocks' mine by unearthing a long forgotten law to the effect that the holder of the apex of mine can claim the whole. McBain stops at nothing to accomplish his ends and even goes so far as to try to steal another mine from Rimrock. How Jones finally wins out with the help of pretty Mary Fortune makes a thrilling and realistic photo play.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-20
 Winter We Having One

All I have to do is to put out the prediction, Cloudy with occasional rainstorms; heavy easterly gales,' and l can drive off the boards the most animated conversation about the big gest allied offensive that ever was launched or draw the teeth out of the bolsheyikis most delicate situation.''
 And he's right I'd be willing to bet if the Teutons were to take tip from the Preparedness Movies" and invade the United States and had an army corps of a million men encamped Somewhere in Alabama" that if the
 weather man" were co uncork one of his recent big storm blasts the first remark of nine out of ten conversa- tions would be;
 This is h. of reception with sleet as big as cobblestones pounded on our heads!"
 The weather man, incidentally, may say, has saved more regulations and social functions than any other influence in American life and still when the main weather guy dopes out lot of rotten weather to the local weather man over which he has ab- solutely no control everybody jumps on him world without end and gives him hail Columbia Happy land.
 But enough of this persiflage; let's get down to business. MT Horton had come to see me at my earnest solici- tation and I was present to find out something-to get soisie sort of sooth- ing balm from him for the thousands of weather mad people who are look ing to him for solution of the prob lem.
 "Of course some people hold me re- sponsible," Mir. Horton said but any body who knows me knows that wouldn't make such weather if could help it. Do I have many in- quiries about it? From Friday after noon, January II. to Sunday morn ing, January 13. we answered 400 or more calls at the station; then we stopped. Many of them were very luz dicrous; such as for instance When is the weather going to change? I want to wean the baby and, How many is 1t today?' And we are left to guess whether the lady was in- quiring about how many American soldiers had been killed or what's the price of eggs. It has it's ludicrous side to be sure, but the side 1 see is very serious
 ''One thing I will say at the begin ming Is that the war has absolutely nothing to do with the bad weather as so many people are saying" Mr. Horton observed. "The high explosives now used in battle are given as an excuse for the weather conditions, but that Is quite absurd. Long before the weather bureaus scientific activities along this line, the Smithsonian insti- tue at Washington made careful re- searches as to the probable influence of high explosives on the atmospheric conditions. It was discovered that for est fires, big conflagrations in cities, concussions and other things of sim- liar nature produced A minute conden- sation of vapor, but not sufficient to influence anything more than the im- mediate area; it would not be great work to be general
 While we are complaining so much about this winter and the bad weatn- CT" MT. Horton said, i've oU/rf to re- member the terrible freeze in Febru- ary. 1899; also in 1901, and in 1905 we had some severe weather I admit, though, that December, 1917. was a record breaker when It comes to av- craze temperature for the whole
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-20

relics from the battlefields and vari- ous war fronts.
 The new institution has been placed under the care of Camille Bloch, gem eral inspector of the French national libraries and archives. and he has an nounced his intention to make it in- ternational by appealing to all the al- lied powers to furnish him with docu- ments and exhibits dealing with the war.
 The collection is to contain trench journals. works of propaganda. speei- mems of paper war money. medals, parliamentary documents, military in- signia, ration cards, war stamps and. in fact. everything that has bearing on the war.
 The French government has asked the Chamber of Commerce for a $50,- 900 appropriation and various private persons have promised gifts for the furtherance of the work, which it is considered appropriate should have it's seat in the country that has seen most of the fighting.
 Among the exhibits are the medals struck by order of the German Elm peror in honor of the sinking of the Lusitanian and the Sussex
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-20
AT THE STRAND

Stella Maris," Mary Pickford's latest picture, will be shown at the Strand theatre today, tomorrow, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
 Miss Pickfords many admirers always welcome one of her productions and this, her latest is said to be one of her best productions. While Miss Pickford is charming in all of her pictures, she is most charming in this film and is sure to prove a drawing card.
 "The Birth of a Nation,'' D. w. Grif- fins famous picture, will be shown at the Strand theatre for one week begin ming Sunday, February 3. This is the first time that this stupendous produc- ton has been shown at popular prices and those who failed to see it when 1t appeared in Birmingham at the Jeffer- son theatre several years ago will have another opportunity of seeing this won- derful spectacle.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-20

get from your pharmacist about four ounces of lad Salts; take a table, spoonful in glass of water before breakfast for few days and your kid-. neys will then act fine This famous salts is made. from the acid of grapes and lemon juice. combined with lithia. and has been used for generations to flush and stimulate clogged kidneys: to neutralize the acids in the urine so 1t no longer is a source of irritation, thus ending bladder disorders
 lad Salts is inexpensive; cannot in- jure. makes delightful effervescenta lithia- water beverage. and belongs in every home, because nobody can make mistake by having q good kidney flushing any ttme.-Adv.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-20
FUEL ORDER DELAYS JEFFERSON BOOKING Thurston the Magician Will Not Give Monday Per
 fOrmance

Thurston. the magician, cannot make bis imps of magic cavort on a cold stage, Nen if there were shivery audience pn hand for the performance, so the Jefferson will delay the opening perform hnce of his weeks engagement which was to begin Monday January 2S, in de- ference to the wishes of Fuel Adminis- Tator Garfield. The engagement will
 Itart with a performance Tuesday night
 While the Jefferson Is dark many nights in the month the management is accepting cheerfully the order of the Iuel administration regarding the en- gagement that happens to fall on Monday light. Manager Douglas has donated the
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-20

The American men and women must suard constantly against Kidney trouble. because we eat too much and all our food is rich Our blood is filled with uric acid, which the kid
 neys strive to filter out, they weaken from overwork become sluggish; the eliminative tissues clog and the re- suit is kidney trouble, bladder weak ness and general decline in health
 When your kidneys feel like Jumps or lead; your back hurts or the urine IS cloudy, full of sediment or you arc obliged to seek relief two or three times during the night; if you suffer with sick headache or dizzy, nervous spells acid stomach, or you have rheumatism when the weather is bad.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-20

The campaign for national constittl- tional prohibition opens Thursday, Jan uary 24 which will be observed as a day of prayer. Services will be held in the auditorium of the local headouar- ters by the Central union, and a cordial invitation is extended to all unions to join in the services by Mrs. Jackson, president, The state president Mrs. w, H. Jeffries, will preside over the meet ing and different church organizations will be represented on the programme, which Is as follows;
 Singing, America"
 Scriptive reading Crusade; Psalm 146
 Topics for thanksgiving prayer, Mrs. J. E Ramsey, "For the Submission of the Prohibition Amendment"
 Topic for supplcatory prayer, Mrs. S. F. Moore, For the President of the United States. that He May Be Given Wisdom and Strength"
 For the Campaign Work for Ratifica- ton of the Prohibition Amendment Mrs. W. P. McAdory.
 Singing, Onward, Christian Soldiers.
 How the w. C. T. U. Prepared the Way for National Prohibition" Mrs J. H. Mccoy.
 How the Campaign Was Inaugu- rated; Closing with Mrs. Stevens Proc lamation," Mrs. c. B. Spencer.
 How the w. c. T. U. Helped in Se- curing Submission; Our Petitions. Our Great Conventions, Our Legislative De- partment," Mrs. Annie K. Weisel
 Reading the National Amendment as Submitted and the Campaign Plans,'' Miss Hattie Leslie
 Singing.
 Forum .syyhat is Our Stata p,ann;ny and What Can Our Union and We. as Members, Do to Secure Ratification?"
 Offering for Lillian Stevens campaign fund.-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-20
Wasting Government Time

inomas F Logan, in Leslie's
 Relatives of American soldiers are eager for news of their loved ones at the front The stream of inquiries has reached so great volume that -four telephone lines have been set aside in the adjutant generals office at the war department for the sole purpose of an- swering questions about the welfare of the men in training camps or trenches. The governments consideration for the families from which it's defenders have been drawn is commendable, Unfortu- nately big percentage of this strain on war department efficiency is utterly un- necessary. It might be relieved by the exercise of a little common sense. A few days ago an excited individual tele- phoned for information about young ster who had run away from his home. His family felt sure he had enlisted under an assumed name and wished an instant report. by telephone. from the adjutant generals office. A request of
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-20

denominations preesnt pension funds
 are: Protestant Episcopal, $S,5o0ooo;
 Methodist Episcopal church. south, S1,2oo,o00; Methodist Episcopal church, $12,000,000; Presbyterian, s6,559, 9,933;
 Northern Baptist, $2,O0o,000; Congre- gational, $1,90O,000 general synod, Lutheran church, $15,000; Augustana synod. Evangelican Lutheran, $265, 900, and Church of Christ, $316,000.
 Washington, January 19.-Secretary Daniels appeared before the Senate Judicial subcommittee Friday to urge favorable action on the House soldiers
 and sailors civil rights bill. The peace of mind of soldier or sailor is es- sential, he told the committee.
 Major Wigmore of the army judge advocate generals department. said that hundreds of men who have ap- pealed to the President for exemption from military service base their claims
 on the ground that if they are drafted
 they will be wholly unable to meet their civil obligations.
 Petrograd. January 19 ' Maxim Gorkey's newspaper, Novaia Zhizn, as- serts that the German delegates in
 Petrograd asked the representatives or the government commissioners to permit the former empress and some other embers of the late imperial household related to Emperor William 10 travel to Germany. The request not only was categorically refused but was the immediate cause of a decision to try the former imperial personages
 Washington, January 19.-A House hill opening 100000 acres of Choctaw and Chickasaw Indian coal and asphalt lands In Oklahoma to private development un- der a royalty leasing system was passed tooay by the Senate, with an amendment limiting private operators to four tracts or a6o acres each, unless they hold larger tracts under existing leases.
 Washington, January 19.-The customs bureau of the treasury today issued an order permitting entry of gifts for pris- oners of war or interned enemy aliens in tnis country free of ordinary duty charges. This is in accordance with rules commonly observed by belligerents.
 washington, January 19.--Authority to call into the United States service Philip plne military organizations is given the rresident in House bill passed today by the Senate and sent to the White House.
 ~, w ashihse eoii, january l9.-Fr1ends of the piii 10 let the navy develop the Califor- ma naval oil reserve lands won a victory In the Senate today by getting the oil referred to the naval committee, Its op- ponents wanted it to go to the public lands committed
 washington, January l9.-Print paper stocks were shown in figures issued to. day by the federal trade commission to De approximately 3S days ahead of ,le- mand. Publishers have on hand 13s.cOG tons. manufacturers 4l 0eo tons and there are teoo tons at terminals. The monthly is estimated roughly at TO- 900 tons
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-20
sunset and the sunrise which is treas ured among sailors. which says:
 Red at night.
 sailors delight; stsl Red in tha mo. - -
N sailor's warning."


 A sailors warming" "As to the goosebone prediction Mir. Horton said it originated, I be- Iieve, in olden days by wiseacres dfyin- ing the state of the weather by the number of specks on the bone of the goose The more specks, the worse the weather--or something like that. [ really don't know exactly how the prophecy is made by the goosebone prophets. The behavior of animals is regarded as a sign of weather condi- tions, and there is some value to many homely old saws and axioms still in existence.
 We make the weather forecasts, MT. Horton said. flor this locality of the made in Birmingham variety, you might say. Our information from Washington, of course, is very general and given in very terse terms and. and we must amplify the conditions by ex pressing the degrees to which we think the weather will be reduced and give out as definite information as we can Briefly foreeasting is resolved in+o watching the course of great disturb ances and calculating their probable movements and the time it will take to cover distances.
 Again from Washington the fore casts are SD general, MT. Horton said, the information covering the territory from Maine to Mississippi, that when we forecast the weather for the entire state it applies just as often to the southern portion as to our own Bali- wick
 The storm catside was raging and tearing and puffing and snorting like mad when the nice ''Mr. Weather Man" left. and l wondered if there wasn't anything that he could do to save us from another horrible spell of weather
 pictured tho nice ',Mr. Weather Man going home and conjuring with the meteorograph and the whirling psycrometers, the official therlnome ters and the maximum and the mini mum thermometers and all the other apparatus of a modern weather station and trying for the sake of suffering humanity to coax them into giving us better weather
 But, alas. nothing seems to be of any avail; when I woke up the next morn- ing and read the paper, this is what found:
 The weather; much colder, with freezing temperature interior and heavy frost on the coast at night"
 "Ye gods and little fishes," I cried in disgust. Bring forth the outing flannel nightie once more with the Whisker-ettes on it, and my woolen stockings and crocheted bedroom slip pers. I may as well sleep in everything again tonight except the llitehen@stove. if l want to keep warm for we are going to have some weather and I love 1t just about as much as the Rus sians at Brest-I.itovsk love the Ger mans. with whom they are celebrating new-found brotherhood just now"
 p. s.-eWith apologies to Mr. Frank Willis BarnettD I am writing this story in the midst of hail and snow and rain on Monday afternoon. January 14; what the weather may do between now and the time it is published on Sunday January 20 l don't know. but I'm hoping and praying for the best. Aren't you?
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-20

this character would be amusing if it were not for the fact that unceasing i'm creases of telephone service at the war department have failed to keep pace With the growth of calls Urgent inquir- les about men in actual peril and busi- ness matters of supreme importance to the government are delayed by the thoughtlessness of importunate individ- uals whose questions should be com mitted to the mails. Congressional probes of government delays might in
 clude the loss of time in the departments
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-20

use of the theatre on eight occasions for patriotic reasons this year. and is de- sirous in every way to cooperate in making the efforts of Dr. Garfield to re- lieve the fuel situation successful.
 Thurston, the magician. will appear at the Jefferson five nights instead of six. with a matinee on the final day, Satur- day.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-20
BRIEF ITEMS OF NEWS

Washington, January 19.-L. F. Featherstone of Beaumont, Tex. rep resenting the Texas Steel company, testified before the House naval expenditures committee that pig iron can be produced by the government using its own raw materials, at less than one-half the price it now is pay ing for pig iron under the Presidents fixed reduced price of sSS per ton He also said ships can be turned out with a satisfactory profit to the builder at 20 per cent less than the shipping board is paying for them. Pig iron can be produced by the government, MT. Featherstone told the committee. at s15.sO ton.
 Chicago January 1s-Protestant churches now have approximately $s3,- 100000 of the $65,000.o00 preachers, pension fund which is being raised, it was officially announced today. By
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-20

caused by unnecessary telephone calls from the private -secretaries of congress- men,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-20
Boots Make Serviceable Roads


 From the Popular Science Monthly.
 Waste boot leather has been used for making roads in England. Combining it With slag, granite, limestone. asphalt ana bitumen, material was obtained which possessed the hardness and rig ldity Of the ordinary tar macadam road and at the same time reduced dust and was more resilient than the usual road Although it was sufficiently hard to kear heavy traffic, it yielded without crack Ing on the surface. 1t was patented in 1910, under the name of .'broughite Tests of new limb support which have been made in a hospital in this country have proved so satisfactory that Red Cross unit will take one of the devices to France, together with specifi- cations for making others if desired It consists of hammock-like sling sts- pended from steel arm that can be att tached either to a bed or a wheel chair. It's special feature is the freedom of movement that it affords the patient.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-20

Washington, January 1s.-Frends of the piil 10 let the navy develop the Califor- ma naval oil reserve lands won victory m the Senate today by getting the oil relerred to the naval committee, Its op- lands committed