davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-12-26
WHAT TT COSTS TO LIVE

could be cut nearly in half if the two were married and keeping house, or s450 in round numbers. Laundry for two is figured at s117. If keeping house it probably could be covered by $65. But housekeeping would necessi- tate some household expenses for~uten- slls, linen, etc, perhaps $50. And the government allowance gives nothing for insurance. which would cost s25 at the least, and educational advantages would add $50, vacations $50 more , and savings ought to be Aoo at Ieasty
 All these total s10s0, which, added to the figure s6s7.31. makes s1727.31. Thus it appears family of two must have more than $s3 a week on which to live and save a small amount
 But, some will say. many are living on less than that. That is true, no doubt. But how do they do it?
 We'll, first they do not pay ss9S.51 for clothing. More likely they are mak- ing old things do and cut that cost to s125. Perhaps they are lucky and their health bills aren't over s25. May oe they Walk 10 Work and save $io, meanwhile cutting amusements, inci- dentals. etc, to $50 instead of s1o5. All this would cut the total needed from $1727.S1 to s127SSo.
 Probably that could be cut some but not great deal and permit saticfac- tory living conditions So 1t seems ab- solutely necessary that any couple must have an income of practically $25 a week.
 It may we'll be wondered how some Tn this section, whose income is less than that and whose expenses are more on account of having children ar. able to get along. Yet some of them will be seen buying cuts of meat they cannot afford, and spending money on iuxuries. How can they do it?
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-12-26
Dack-wounding cnIumny The whilcst virtue strikes.
 Measure for Measure.
Government Control Proved
 To Be Costly Experiment

1.-THE governments plan of retain
 0 ing as far as possible the same personnel with which the nations railroads were operated under private management will considerably simpli- fly the return of these properties to their owners, March 1.
 President Wilson's announcement that the railroads would revert to pri- vate ownership March 1, 1920, instead of at the end of this year, was due to the dilatory tactics of Congress, which has not yet enacted remedial legislation. The actual transfer will be comparatively simple, but the gov ernment, as well as the railroads has experenced for the past two years something of nightmare.
 A huge deficit of more than six hundred million dollars has been piled up, while the reads themselves have deteriorated, both in service and in equipment. The experiment has served one good purpose, however, It has convinced the most sekptical that government ownership in a coun- try as large as the United States is rot practical.
 To be sure, the government took over the roads at time when our national energies were concentrated on win ming the war against Germany and government control did not receive a fair test, because of the extraordinary demands made on the railroads for transporting troops and munitions of war, but the American people are pretty we'll convinced that it would not prove much more successful in normal times than it didl during the war
 Restoring the railroads to their owners will be another tremendous step in getting back on peace basis and will be sure to have stabiliz- ing effect on national industry and business in general. It may require some years of hard work to bring the railroads up to their pre-war eff ciency, when they were conceded to be the best in the world, but Ameri- can brains and energy are equal to the task.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-12-26

From the Keene Centinel.
 IN order for a single man to live in
 Washington, as clerks in the em-
 ploy of the government have to live, it costs ssT0.71. For a single woman it costs $1046.50. So says the department of labor. And these amounts do not include the purchase of any ance for vacations or educational pur- poses or for savings. The biggest reason it costs a woman more is be- cause she spends s240.15 on clothing to s15S,36 for the man
 The department also says these fig few could get aceommd aations at these figures, even if two roomed together.
 A good many people might not be in terested in these figures for Washing ton, except that they afford an esti- mate for any section. Not all locali ties would be as high as Washington yet few would fall much below the cap itais minimum figure, which makes no allowance for books vacations OF educational needs, while a budget for most sections would include something for these.
 From the figures it is possible to es- timate pretty closely the cost of liv- ing for a man and wife keeping house. Clothing costs would be $15S.36 and $24015. Other expenses would be toilet supplies, etc, $25; health, doc tor, dentist, etc. $75; religious organi- zations, $104O; newspapers. $40; car fare, s75; amusement, recreation, gifts etc. $5s; incidentals, $4s. This makes a total of $697.S1.
 But to this must be added rent, at $20 month at least, or $40. The gov ernment allowance for board is $S06.50 for two living singly. Probably that
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-12-26
THE aMovIEso-pRo AND CON

From the, New York World.
 It is doubtful if any innovation of mod ern days has gained such tremendous headway in such brief span of time as
 has the moving picture. When we con
 sider the enormous amount of capital in
 vested, the fortunes already made, the
 number of persons to whom they have
 given amusement that is on the whole
 wholesome, if sometimes lurid. we must
 admit that the movies have become an
 institution of supreme importance. with
 other worlds to conquer.
 It is too early now to sum up the evi-
 dence for and against this form of en-
 tertainment or to guess with anything like certainty what the future holds for us. Its possibilities are enormous and events have already proved that many of the gloomy prognostications which attended it's birth have not been. realized. It was said that because of its cheapness it would rob us of the spoken and acted drama. but so far from this being the case it is believed by the most astute theatrical oracles that it has created a taste for the stage that has contributed largely to the present unprecedented prosperity of the theatre. Nor can it be said that moving pictures have demor-
 alized public taste. Their educational value has caused their enlistment in the service of schools and colleges and
 the strict censorship maintained prevents the display of improper or debasing films. Moreover, the establishment of the movie houses in suburban and other small towns has proved a godsend to those unable to reach the ''iegitimate'' theatres and has contributed materially to the solution of the difficult servant problem
 Perhaps the worst thing that could be said of this institution is that it has 1 had baleful effect on our'writers Of | fiction, although it has added largely to ! their emoluments. The author who was once content to shape his course with 3 view to selling his serial rights now plans his story with an eye to the film. l It is impossible to read current novels without realizing that something is wrong with the majority of them The truth is that in their pages literature is sac rificed to the 'movies.'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-12-26

of Alfalfa Center. Fisk himself had been farmer and he had deep dyed respect for the rural gentleman who possessed hard baked" sense. He was one of that class.
 When Fisk commenced to burgeon out in Wall street those who had cyn- ically regarded his somewhat rapid rise as stroke of downright luck pried into his antecedents, especially after the brilliant financier by an alchemy all his own, proved how a s5,ooo, ,0O0 concern could easily trade on assets df five times that amount. C
 Rumors were set adrift in "thN street to the effect that before Fisk came into the arena of finance he had taken flier in the raising of live stock which was sold on the hoof by weight, and that just before the cattle or horses or hogs were driven on the scales Fisk contrived to have them gorged with water. he, in the mean time, having subjected them ts l2 hours thirst
 Of course the weight shot up in a few. minutes and an eight-hundred- pound steer. with five gallons of water aboard, weighed $40 pounds Someone. it is said, discovered this plan and thereafter Ffsk's live stock were all luded to as "watered stock.1
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-12-26
SIR RIDER HAGGARDs WARNING


 From the Montgomery Advertiser.
 The interesting and imaginative Sir Rider Haggard, British novelist, has turned prophet again His previous suc- cesses in that field should assure him of respectful hearing in future. In any case, one who is so utterly lacking dull ness as Sir Rider is, may count upon an attentive audience at any time he cares to address the world or any portion thereof even though we prefer to regard him as a story-teller rather than as philosopher
 In a recent address before the national birthrate commission. Sir Rider discussed some aspects of birth control as appl- cable to Great Britain and her depen- dencies, but held out warning also to America that the same conditions S. ply here as in the old world. He bluntly gives western civilization 200 years to reeoup it's forces and gird itself for the says already threatens to submerge the western world beneath it's hordes. Unless some startling changes occur in the birth rate,'' he declared, within the next two centuries, the dominion of the western races will cease, as that oN Rome ceased. before a new influx from the east beneath which our remaining population will be submerged" He add ed: '"rhe maternal instinct is not highly developed in our modern women: nor, for that matter, is the paternal instinct always strong in men,.
 There is one thing Sir Rider omitted Ito discuss, but which we should be pleased to hear him or some better authority, remark upon: And that is that whereas the birth rate is higher in the east than in the west, is it not true tffat the west is rapidly reducing infant mortality while the east is making comparatively no progress in this field? In America rel atively fewer children are born, but each l year the records show that fewer infants die. We are learning how to save chill dren. The east is not, although it's enor- nous birth rate enables it to maintain a decided statistical advantage over the west
 | Unfortunately, too, we never knew of an appeal like Haggard's to make much ! impression People do not change their theories or practices out of fear of what may be the consequences 200 years hence
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-12-26

us on our own terms, or all their gains from victorious war would be imperillsd.
 Thanks to Hcnry Cabot Lodge and the republican senators, all of the Presidents amendments were rejected by the Senate, but A reservations. some of them amend ments in fact, were adopted by majority vote, together with a preamble requiring their acceptance by three of the four al- lied governments. Not only did the Presi dent refuse to ratify the treaty that Great Britain, France, Italy, Japan, Bel gium and Germany had ratified, but whea the Senate could not agree he declared that the treaty was dead and introduced concurrent resolution to declare the war at an end. At the same time he an- nounce2St that the treaty would be made partisan issue in the 1920 campaign All this is a matter of record, and we are astonished flat the Tribune's discoN cry is so belated President Wilson is to blame. If it had not been for his per. sistent opposition to the Treaty of Yer sailles, peace would already have been proclaimed.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-12-26
Claims Women Barbers
 Are Crowding Out Men
TONSORIAL artist who is de

M ToNsoRIAL artist who is de- S scribed in dispatch from Philadelphia as having recently "blown in from the vest" announces that the supremacy of the male bar Der will shortly end. His place will be taken by the female barber-bar- baress, or barberette.
 This knight of the father believes so strongly in his prediction that he is founding barber's college in Phil adelphia, by which he will turn out lady barbers in droves The institu- ton will be co-educational, but more women than men are expected to ma triculate, take their degrees and go forth into the world prepared to wage war on whiskers, hair and dandruff.
 Until quite recently women barbers were a novelty in the south. They have been fairly, numerous in the west for some years and no longer attract attention. Birmingham, be- ing progressive city, was among the first southern cities to have women barbers. There are now number of these shops here and they all do flourishing business.
 When we consider that prejudice
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-12-26

John Bull for some reason or other. failed to wish the Sim Fein a Marry Christmas. Eggnog has just made what seems to be positively it's last appearance in the land of the free
 x # < Uncle Sam is planning to hand over the railroads to their owners with some thing that very much resembles a sigh O. relief
 * x $ If the high cost of living ever does come down, A. Mitchell Palmer will be in- position to point with pride.
 x * # The downtrodden packers will continue to sell soap. They are, however. consid- erably past the peddling stage.
 & X % Somewhere in Ireland should be sub stituted for Somewhere in France" to denote a theatre of war.
 # x % America is stiil in the twilight zone the transition stage between war and peace.
 * # x In dry land the first of the year loses much of its significance.
 x + < With so much prosperity the calendar crop should be record-breaker.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-12-26
COFFEE


 From the Providence Journal.
 N CURRENT report on coffe from A\ the bureau of foreign and domes- c S tic commerce brings out that
 America is beginning to draw heavily on
 countries other than Brazil, which for
 long period has been by far the largest source of supply. A friendly exchange of goods is chief basis for amicabie relations between nations; classic example being Eng lands age-long friendship with Portugal, built on the liking of Englishmen for port wine which has been the theme of story and poetry. Portugal joined the entente powers in the war less because she had grievance against Germany than because of that ancient affiliation Americans feel better acquainted wSh Brazil than with any other South Amer ican country because of a well-establlsheo
 business relationship, of which coffee is the foundation. We are the largest con suming country in the world for coffee Iaithough not per capita. In recent years, ltOo, we nave been tdhlHS ih iiiei ee'SiiiS amount for re-export.
 Before the pure-food legislation. which forbids, camouflage labelling of commod- ites, the better grades of Brazilian cof- fee bore the trade names Java and I Mocha But of billion pounds consumed annually. only a few millions came from Asia or the East Indies. Colombia and lyenezuela. combined, now send us some 200, ,ooo,ooo pounds. and imports from the Dutch Indies are growing. But the most notable expansion has been in the inn ports of Central American coffee, the producers of which for many years have been trying to get into the North Amer ican market. This group of countries in- creased their exports to us from O.0oo 900 to 16O,0o0.0oo pounds annually during the war period The result is that whereas Brazil formerly supplied us with 75 per cent of our coffee, her exports for 1Ne fiscal year 1919 were less tha,. 55 per cent The most striking item in the table showing the shift Of the trade is that (which credits Haiti with the shipment of 1 4S 0C0O00 pounds lo us in 1919. Tn 1gl. l we took only--2 00O.00o pounds of Haitian
 coffeee Here is a plaia indication of
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-12-26
Liquor High and Bad.

T was talking to Judge William I Grubb of the United States court a few days ago" said John Sparrow, "and I told him he and Judge Walker certain lS did fix New Orleanse when they is sued the injunction against the order of Judge Foster and declared that the country was still at war and the war time prohibition still in effect. He told me, though, that didn't know half of it, as the liquor was SC high and so bad there that the people were now thank ing them for it.r
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-12-26
Year-Rouna Resort

T am sure that the friends of c. &. McLarn, chief dispatcher ,of the A. G.. recovering from his severe attack of pIeurity, which forced him to go to Gulf port to recuperate," said J. F. Douglass. Mir. McLarn never fully recovered from the flu Mrs. McLarn and their son, Jack, are with him for the holidays at the Rivera hotel Gulfport has become an all year round resort: It is filled both summer and winter with tourists
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-12-26
ON THE BowERY

From the New York Tribune.
 Zero weather in New York. and ii the
 Brewery mission only one man applied
 Wednesday night for bed. The Munici-
 pal Lodging House. with capacit~ for
 SIS men and women, had GA guests. Bread
 lines 10 longer string out their queues Of shivering men with shuffling feet. Truly a great change, attributable to the nigh wages and to the paucity of imbibable alcohol Once there was a ttheory that the bum" would not work But he will-at price-and if the job hunts him. The sandwich man now gets V Where formerly he received 50 cents, and talks of forming union. For the clshwasher 8 and board was once the
 ruling wage rate. but no longer. The question of whether or not life is easier Tor those on the fringes of society is oetter answered by walk down the quiet and orderly Bowery than by all the
 tables of statisticians interested in up-
 holding preconceived opinion.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-12-26
THE WAY TO BETHLEHEM


 Long was the way to Bethlehem To those who sought of old. By burning sands and bitter sprines And nights of haunting cold, Bearing their nard and ranaincensc. Their precious gems and gold. Hard was the way to Bethlehem, So far it seemed, so far, By flowerless wales and arid sops And barren heights that bar, With ne'er an omen for a guide Until they saw the Star But then the way to Bethlehem, It <was no longer lone: Joy was their comrade, those who troa Deer bruising shard and stone, Until they found for a king Child. A manager for His throne Upon the way to Bethlehem
 Till time shall bring release. However dim and rough the path, May not our, footsteps cease, Since at the end for us awaits The guerdon of His peacos
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-12-26
BLAMED IF ON THE WEATHER

From the New York Telegram.
 Talking of the weather. we should like to hear from the experts on the relation between atmosphere and crime. seventeen-year-o SIP a week brok- CTS messenger who stole ss2.0oo wortl of bonds says he did it because it wal gloomy day"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-12-26
AMERICA LAGs BEHIND

From the Brooklyn Eagle.
 ''Baby airplanes." which will fly 6o miles an hour with single passenger. are said to be purchasable in London or Paris at 5000 or little more. How long is America to keep tail place in the con struction in which her proud lead was once acknowledged?
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-12-26
Launching of the
 "City of Birmingham"

THE "City of Birmingham" first
 < of the four self-prcpelled steel boats built for the Warrior river serv- ice, will be launched at St. Louis, Mo-, on January P. Originally it was in- tended to launch the boat next Mon day, but the river at St. Louis is filled with ice which it was feared would not run out by that time, so the launching was postponed.
 Some time ago it was suggested that
 a committee of Birmingham business
 men go to St. Louis to witness the
 launching, but nothing has been heard
 of this now for several weeks. It
 would be fitting recognition of the compliment paid Birmingham by the
 Warrior river management in naming the first lof these vessels "Birming- ham," and the idea of a delegation going to St. Louis to attend the launching ceremonies should not be abandoned.
 The other three boats now build ing will be named for Mobile, Tusca- loosa and Demopolis, but as Birming- ham was first honored, she should show her appreciation and see that the boat gets a good send-off. One of the many pretty girls in the city could be selected to christen the ves- lsel. This was suggested at the time the trip was first mentioned two or three months ago. Birmingham needs advertising. A representative delegation going to St. Louis on January 22 for the launch ing of the "City of Birmingham" would be we'll advertised. S x That Chicago woman who was due to receive a $275.OO0 pearl necklace for a
 Christmas present probably didn't enjoy the day any better than hundreds of other women who merely received linn cuisines, 5000 fur coats and such trifles. < < # Ctub r.,in ;.
 on an extensive advertising campaign. These words will suffice to draw tour ists by the thousands: The stuff is here"
 Perhaps those deported reds" would not have been so insolent if they had been deprived of their money belts. As a
 matter of facts the money belongs to
 America.
 1 Admiral Sims once said in London that When he started to speaking he told everything he knew Sturdy old sea dog
 At any rate, we can always tell where ! the admiral stands
 * * #
 An Illinois minister deplores mushy
 mother songs. There's an evident lack of sincerity in the Tin Pan Alley eofh- posers who write them. and the vaude- ville ''vamps' whc sing them * x ,
 l Photographs of the Carpenter Beckett.
 fiasco show the Frenchman carrying his beaten rival to his corner. The two war
 riors didn't fight long enough to become really angry with each other x E + Kentuckys most famous brands of
 whisky are going into exile, never more
 to return. Is it any wonder that the hearts of the colonels are sad? < x * santa Claus always brings cigars or cigarettes to the man who has sworn off
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-12-26
Nor 4 .REp,s, WAY

From the Philadelphia Inquirer.
 One red who arrived at Ellis Island for deportation had roll which contained about 5000, but we didn't read anything to the effect that he was dividing it up among his less fortunate fellow voy- agers.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-12-26
vINDICATING sHYLock

From the Florida Times Union
 pr. Packard of New York indignant ly insists that the original Shglock was not Jew-and Sir Henry Irving declared that Shylock was the only gentleman in The Merchant of Venice.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-12-26
United States at War
 While Canada Has Peace

W ntAG NdndoS ElaS SaCG l 1O EGINNING with the new year, ID it is announced that Canada win virtually revert to a peace basis. "War conditions" states the Cana dian government, Hong ago ceased to exist"
 On January l, 1920, restrictions placed on race track betting and the importation, manufacture and inter provincial, trade in alcoholic liquors will be lifted. Control of paper, pulp, sugar, coal, silver coinage, trading with the enemy, gold export and sev- Ieral other orders in council will re- main in force until the close of the next session of Parliament.
 More than year has passed and the American government is still tech nically at state of war with the central powers. For twelve months the country has passed through one industrial crisis after another, much as ship rides the waves in a storm, and the nations business has been kept in suspense, not to speak of the vast humanitarian work abroad that has been held in abeyance while Con- gress wrangled and senators who couldn't apparently see two inches be- yond their own noses played the rank lest kind of politics.
 Our French and British friends pro- fess not to understand us. There are times when we don't understand our selves, but those gentlemen of the Senate who have tried to make ship wreck of the League of Nations and jeopardize the relations of the United States with our associates in the late war do not voice the opinion of the American people.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-12-26
so LoNG!

From the Houston Post
 Premier Nitt of Italy has advised his countrymen to adopt prohibition like America has done Farewell, Brother Nitti take care of yerself,