davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-05
COMBINATION RATE
 RULING POSTPONED
Public Service Commission Takes Application for New
 Schedule Under Advisement

Montgomery, January 4.-(SpeciaI.)-
 The public service commission today heard and took under advisement the pe- tition of J. H. Glenn, agent, and others for the cancellation of the rules for con- structng combination rates on commodi- ties subject to specific increases under the general order of the director general of railroads for an increase in freight
 rates. It is proposed to cancel the old rules June 1.
 the effect of the cancellation would be an increase in freight rates on cotton.
 cement and certain other commodities 1 ifs have been provided. In some in
 would be material George w. Jones, district counsel for the Louisville and Nashville railroad, who represented the petitioners. insisted that the proposal was only for the purpose of putting all rates on the same basis. He also maintained that the rates would apply only in case- where there was no regular movement of commodities. In other words, if a per- son had only one shipment of certain commodity he would pay the higher rate but if he foresaw a material movement he might apply for specific rates which would be lower than those granted for the one movement.
 The commission also heard the petition of the same parties for the establish ment of the same carload minimum weights on grain and grain products and rules and regulations established by the interstate commerce commission on inter- state shipments during December.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-05
FRANCE CONCERNED
View With Apprehension Report of
 Red Concentration

Paris. January 4.-The French gov ernment is concerned over unofficial dispatches telling of the concentration of six new divisios of the Russian bol- sheviki army on the frontier of Bes- sarabia and all along the Dniester river The reports indicate that Moscow is preparing an attack for the purpose oi trying to regain the province of Bes- sarabia.
 The Associated Press is informed al the Rumanian legation in Paris that the bolshevik menace, while always al the door of Rumania, is no more acute today than for several months past. The legation had no confirmation of the dis patches announcing that all Rumaniar railway men had been mobilized and tha the King was reported to have signed a decree calling several classes to the colors.
 dispatch received today from the Rumanian foreign minister. M. Jonescu said that all was quiet in Rumania, ano made no mention of military prepara- tions or the reported bolsheviki menace
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-05
NUMEROUS CONNECTS
 ASK LIBERTY--- WOMAN
 BANDIT AMONG LIST

i, Montgomery, January 4-(Special.)-- Records are being broken monthly in the number of petitions for executive cle- mency filed with the state board of par dons. Indications now are that more than 100 appeals will be made at the monthly meeting next Tuesday.
 Among those urging executive clemency
 is Mrs. Roy Dickerson, convicted of complicity in the robbery of the Phoenix Girard bank, whose husband, Roy Dick erson, is alleged to have been the ring leader Dickerson escaped from jail at Los Angeles, where he and wife were held after their arrest. Mrs. Dickerson claims a combination Of circumstances forced her into the robbery after she had pleaded with her husband to forget the scheme and to Ego straight" She also insists that she was completely under the domination of her husband, but that she now desires to return to her home in Arkansas and prepare for the future of her small son by a husband preceding Dickerson.
 Governor Charles H. Brough of Ar kansas and other state officials have filed letters vouching for the character of Mrs Dickerson before she became in yolyed in the bank robbery.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-05
MOBILE ELECTRIC
 HAS NEW METHOD
Company Does Not Ask for Increased Rate, But Dis
 count" and Monthly Fee

Montgomery. January 4.--(SpeciaL )--An increase of between 10 and 20 per cent in the general electric lighting rates in Mo- bile is proposed by the Mobile Electric company by a change in the discount rate and the addition or 50 cents a month on all bills as a readiness to serve charge
 in petition which has ben set by the public service commission for hearing February [. The company proposed that the new rates should become effective February 1. but the commission promptly suspended the rate after a short calcu- lation and set the case for hearing.
 The company does not propose to change the electric rates, but it does propose to change the discount system and to add the readiness to serve cnargo whether electricity be consumed or not At present, according to the petition, the discount for prompt payment is 2 cents per kilowatt hour. It is proposed to make the discount rate 10 per cent of the amount of the bill. The increase may , be seen when the rate for electricity is known. At present the rate for the first 90 kilowat hours is 10 cents. The present discount rate is cents per klowatt hour. Under the proposed system the discount would be 1 cent The second 100 kilowatt hours costs cents per kilo- watt hour, the next 15o llilowatt hours, $
 
 watt hours cents per kilowatt hour and the next 800 kilowatt hours 6l1 cents per kilowatt hour. The decrease in discount may be figured without effort.
 In addition to the decrease in discount, every bill would carry the additional So cents as a readiness to serve charge. It is also proposed that the minimum bill monthly shall be S1.25. less discount of 25 cents for prompt payment.
 Commissioner S. r. Gaillard of Mobile, as soon as the petition reached his at tenton, requested that no action be taken until a thorough investigation had been made. Under the new law a public ser vice, corporation may file schedule of rates and unless it is suspended by ac- ton or the commission it becomes effec- five
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-05

Montgomery, January 4-(SpeciaI) Identification of the body of Jesse Benton, an escaped convict by C. R. Davis, warden of Belle Ellen convict camp. in Birmingham. Monday fur nishes a story which reads like a dime novel. Benton met his death in coal mine in Idaho the week before. and his body was brought to Birmingham for interment.
 He had been convicted of manslaugh- ter in Shelby county and sentenced to four years in the penitentiary in con nection with the death of a man named Kramer, engineer of the Southern Coal and Coke company at Boothton. While being transferred to prison, Benton escaped from a guard. Later he don ned the uniform of a soldier and went to Ensley where he was arrested on
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-05
BABE RUTH TO TAKE
 OFF SURPLUS FLESH

New York, January 4-If Babe Ruth does not get at least SO home runs Tn the 1921 season, he will be greatly dis appointed, he said today. The nome run king plans to go into intensive training at once. As he is many pounds overweight. due to his extended vacation in Cuba, he will go to his farm in Massachusetts and put in about six weeks at woodchopping. Then he will join the Yankees pitch ing staff in Arkansas late next month.
 Ruth believes his throwing arm will be in good shape next Summer. and he is counting on doing some twirling for the team
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-05
CENTRAL OF GEORGIA WILL SPEND MILLION
 UPON ROLLING STOCK

Montgomery, January 4-New equip ment. valued at $1 ,06e, 123. will be added to the rolling stock of the Central of Georgia railway, if it's petition filed with the interstate commerce commission ask ing authority for the expenditure Is granted, the Alabama public service com mission was advised today. The equip ment would include seven locomotives, four steel sleeping cars, four steel part- tion coaches and four express cars. The Alabama commission was also advised by the Illinois Central Railroad com pany that it had filed a petition with the interstate commerce commission seeking authority to issue retundihs bonds of $S,245 coo the proceeds to be used in retiring certain bonds soon to fall due.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-05
STATE SUES FOR S4,0OO
Sheffield Steel and Iron Company Are
 Defendants

Montgomery, January 4.-(Special)- A difference in the construction of one paragraph of the states convict lease contract with the Sloss-S Sheffield Steel and Iron company caused the state to file suit against the company for ap- proximately s4,444 in the circuit court Tuesday, The suit resulted from the inability of the state and company to reach an understanding. It is alleged that the company is depriving the state of approximately $500 a month as re- suit of it's construction of the lease. Harwell G. Davis, assistant attorney general. who prepared the bill for the state, said the state would offer wit nesses in support of its construction of the contract when the case is called.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-05
FELL CITY HIGH QUINTET
 BEATS TALLADEGA COUNTY

Pell City, January 4-(Special)-The fast Pell City High basketball quintet defeated Talladega County High. from Lincoln, here by a score of 16 to A. The game was close throughout, but it was apparent Pell City had an edge from the beginning.
 The line-ups and summary follow:
 Talladega-Watson forward; Schmidt forward; Hollingsworth, center; Mcrkle guard Kirksey guard.
 Pell City--Gray, forward; Herring. for- ward; Stines, center; eParson, guard; Barreker, guard.
 Substitution: Deason for Herring.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-05
Jesse Benton Dodged Prison,
 But Grim Death Takes Toll

suspicion of being the one who killed a policeman in Missouri. After being held in jail 10 days. officials of the town where the officer was killed failed to identify Benton and he was released.
 In the meantime finger prints were made of the convict and his photo graphs and finger prints were turned over to the state convict department. After his release, Benton left for Idaho, where his brothers and sisters resided. He obtained employment in a coal mine and after he had worked two or three days, was killed by a falling rock.
 Benton's father notified officials of the convict department of his death, anad Mir. Davis met the body at the station, where it was identified as that of Benton,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-05
TO IMPROVE STATION
Express Company Must Maintain Of
 fices at Neenah

Montgomery. January 4.-(Special)- Plans for the improvement of the sta ton at Sheffield, which will be used jointly by the Southern and Louisville and Nashville railroads, were approved by the public service commission today
 Specifications were not filed with the plans, and no estimate of the cost has yet been made. The plans were prepared under order of the com mission The commission denied the petition of the American Railway Ex- press company for permission to close it's agency at Neenah and granted the petition of the Western railway for per mission to close the station at Franklin.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-05
MANS HEAD SEVERED.
 TANGLED IN MACHINERY

Tuscaloosa. January 4-(SpecialD- Late today while oilinE machinery at his sawmiII at Peterson, near here. Frank Boyd, a well known sawmiIl man, became entangled in gear and had his head partly severed, dying aI- most instantly. Mr. Boyd leaves n wife md seven children. Funeral services will he held tomorrow at Peterson.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-05
Allied Premiers to Confer

Paris, January At is officially an- nounced that a conference of the all lied premiers will be held in Paris to- ward the end of Jaanuary, when Marshal Fochs report on disarmament and the question of German repara- tions will be considered. The Greek situation also will be discussed.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-05
\ PROCLAMATION
STATE OF ALABAMA
 EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT.
Montgomery, Alabama.
 November 22, 1920.
A PROCLAMATION.

~ FnOOG<<MNi b0Ns
 WHEREAS, The Legislature of Ala. bama, at Special Session held in the year 1920, proposed certain amend ment to the Constitution of Alabama. which is herein set forth, to be sub. mitted to the qualified electors of the State, at . Special Election ordered by the Legislature to be held on Tues day. February 8, 1921;
 AND. WHEREAS, Notice of such elcction. together with the proposed amendment. is required by law to be given by proclamation of the Cover nor;
 NOW, THEREFORE,, I, Thos E. Kilby, Governor of the State of Ala. bana. do hereby give notice. direct and proclaim that Special Election will be held on February 8. 1921, for the vote of the qualified electors ot Alabama. in the manner. form and places required by law. upon the fol- lowing proposed amendment to the Constitution of Alabama, viz:
 The Highway Bond Commission is authorized to issue. and sell, with the approval of the Governor, not over five million dollars of the State Bonds heretofore authorized by the Amend ment to the Constitution. known as Article xxx, to bear such rate of interest. not exceeding six per centum per annum. payable annually or semi annually. as the Highway Bond Com mission may find necessary to secure the sale thereof"
 IN WITNESS WHEREOF. I have aereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State to be affixed It the Capitol in the City of Mont. gomery. on this the 22nd day of No vember. One Thousand Nine Hundred and Twenty.
 THOS. E. KILBY. Governor. |6y the Governor:
 VIM. P. COBB.
 Secretary of stats.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-05
1PLESTMA'S FIGHT
 FOR TITULAR BOUT
 APPEARS USELESS
Big Four" Managed By Cur E ley, Refuse to Let
 Outsider In
RY lAMEs J. coRnErr


 .e. Another wrestling season is upon
 us-and the warning factions are still
 at sword points. All of which IS re- ]. grettable from the sporting viewpoint. s- Marin Plestina, the giant Slav, is . still on the outside looking in-and z .Strangler Lewis, Joe Stecher, Earl ,aCaddocks and Valdez zbysko are on the inside. looking out. Plesti Ia wants to get in and rough it with any '' one of the crowd-and each and every
 one of the four seem rather bashful
 about it.
 Joe c. Marsh, manager of Plestiaa, { has fought nearly three years to get ! any one of the four on the mat with {. Plestina. But each coyly refused : Marsh has made all sorts of offers and : wig wagged inducemnets of various : kinds. He agreed to give each one a bonus the minute he stepped onto the i, mat with Plestina. He has agreed to 1, donate sums ranging up to s10,090 to i any worthy charity if Plestina fails to defeat any one of the four.
 :. REFUSE TO MEET MARIN ,. But all the while the four wres-lers : who have alternated for several years i as Champions" have refused to meet !. him. They have ignored all his chal- :. lenges and have been wrestling among ! themselves. Just how often the four . have grappled with each other IS
 2 mystery, but the fast available rec < ords have it that Stecher, Lewis, Cad- {. dock and Zbyszko have met one or the :. other at least 54 times.
 |, Jaik Curley, who promotes the !. shows in which the so-called "big 7 four" participate. has flatly refused :. to permit any of the men to meet \ Plestina. He gives as his reason. !; "Plestina is overrated. He .sn't !, much of a wrestler. It would not he l; a match to stick him against Lewis, < Zbysko, Stecher or Caddock. If I att ! tempted to promote such a bout which :: sent Plestina against one of those four {. fellows it would be a farce." !: MARSH SAYS
 { Marsh, in rebuttal, says:
 'Curley won't let any of the four ]. wrestle Plestina because he knows :. exactly what will happen. There isn't
 one man in his group who would last
 so minutes on any mat with Plestina
 s-and Curley knows it full well. He
 has been ducking match with P1es-
 tina simply because. he knows that
 Plestina would show up his men as
 poke grapplers and hppodronsrs.
 If Curley is sincere in his thought
 that Plestina is a joke wrestler; all he
 needs to do is to give Plestina a match
 with any one of the four. Then, if Cur
 ley wants to show the courage of his
 publicly voiced convictions, he can take
 the short end of a s5o.0o0 bet at 3 to l
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-05
Buy Into Firn,

Tuscaloosa, January 4.- Especial. )-The Weisel Clothing company has taken an important step forward when Sam Wei sel, manager. took into the company his brother Louis Weisel, and Abe Schweit- ger MT. Wesel left today for Chicag go, where he will purchase his spring stock
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-05
BILLY MlSKEs MATCHED
 WITH EDDIE M'G0ORTY

Bepton Harbor. Mich, Jan. A. Floyd FftHsimmOns, fight promoter, announced tonight that he had ar- ranged . bout between Billy Miske of st. Paul and Eddie McGoorty of Oshkesh, to be held the night of Jan- uary lS at Grand Rapids.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-05

that Plestina can defeat any one of the quartet"
 Curley's statement that Plestina is a "ioke wrestler is not borne out by facts. Plestina's record through the lass four or five years is infinitely better than that of any of the Big Four :" Plestina has won every match in which he has participated in the last several years, and not in one of them has ne lost a fall He is man of mighty strength and has surprising speed TOT one so huge. He bulks around Zio pounds in first-class conditions, got ms early tutoring from Frank Gotch, and in the later years he was schooled py the crafty, wonderful Farmer Burns.
 PERSONAL FEELINGS
 The public long has been cognizant of the war that exists in wrestling. It has come to feel that the battle IS larseiy due to personal feeling between Curiey and Marsh Neither has liked the otner' and the feud is of long standing. A grappling enthusiast, commenting on the situation, says.
 .It doesn't seem sportsmanlike Tor members of the Big Four to refuse to meet Plestina If he isn't any gooo' why don't they take him on and sho" him up? If he is good, why aren they square enough and fair enough to siVe him a chance The WrestiHS SaS' all other sports. needs the infusion ol new blood and spirited competition. me caddock-Lew is-Zbyszko-Stetcher bouts have been interesting for the last two years but they are beginning to pal upon the public. and unless Plestina or some other outsider gets chance one of these days, wrestling is going to have a sudden upset.
 Plestina wants to wrestle the punic wants to sec him in action against 4sstne e s.3ig Four {" All of which seems to put lit suuareiy up to Jack Curley and hls quartet, which works under his promo tion and advice.
 (Copyright, 1921, by King Features Syndicate. Inc.)
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-05
For Good of
 the Community

MOT to Texas Georgia Florida, Mis- W sissippi, Louisiana in the south and southwest, nor to Ohio, Missouri, Mime sota Wisconsin, Indiana, New York and Massachusetts in the north and west is the Birmingham district sending out the products of it's mills and foundries Were these mills and foundries de- pendent on domestic trade, they would not now be in operation, or, if going at all, they would be hopping along on one leg.
 If ever there was on earth a place where men should think in terms of ships as representative of their industrial salva- ton the Birmingham district is that place. So, it is nice to read in the list of vessels clearing the port of Mobile on December 31 these two items:
 Steamship Cape Romain, San Pedro, Cal, Page & Jones, full car go of Birmingham cast iron pipe and pig iron.
 Steamship Lake Capenas, Pres ton, Cuba, via Banes, United Fruit Company; cast iron pipe and fittings from Birmingham.
 The cargo for San Pedro, the port of Los Angeles, consists of 3 3,200 tons of Bir- mingham water and gas pipe with 500 tons of Sloss-Sheffield pig iron for Cali fornia distribution. This cargo will take freight rate more than S15 per ton under the all-rail transcontinental haul.
 The other ship is carrying 400 tons of U. S. Pipe company $ product to an inland Cuban city.
 There are other interesting shipping items listed on the same day at Mobile port. They read:
 Over 2,500 tons of steel rail and accessories made at the mills of the Birmingham district, go out on the Munson Steamship Ossining today for rSouth America. Of the shipment 533 tons go to Rio de Janeiro, 816 tons to Santos and 1, ,160 tons to Rio :. Grande do Sul.
 The United Fruit company steam CT Brantland will load cargo of steel rails and accessories for Cuba, these rails also coming from Bir- mingham
 In one day and out of one port $500,000 worth of Birmingham rails, pig iron and gas and water pipe left for the faraway fields and another ship was loading with more rails for export Four ocean liners
 
 products to other peoples.
 There are no doubt lots of folk in Bir- mingham and Alabama who do not know where Rio Grande do Sul is, but Rio Grande do Sul evidently knows where Birmingham is and the character of the steel rails that are made at Fairfield by the T. c. l.
 Mobile is not the only port out of which Birmingham steel moves New Orleans with it's splendid shipping facilities de- veloped by state aid, handles more than Mobile. Out of Pensacola coal is moving all the time. Birmingham pipe has moved to Japan out of Savannah and to Cuba out of port of Brunswick Much of the sugar house machinery made here for Cuba goes all rail to Key West and is thence ferried over to Havana. Records of half dozen southern ports would have to be gone over for complete account of Bir- mingham's export movements.
 Export business has kept furnaces fired and steel mills aglow when, but for that,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-05
WITHTHE SCRIBES OF OTHER CITIES
MANY EX-BOXERS ARE FIT
 FOR THE RUGHOUSE ONLY

Jim Savage says that after a man has taken wallops on the button over a term of years he is only fit for a job with Barnum & Bailey. The Battling Kan garoo, according to Savage, is rational animal compared with the average ex- fighter. He knows an od-timer down in Wall street who Is a messenger for a firm of brokers
 i've seen him lay down a bundle of Liberty bonds on the curb" says Jim.
 and square away at an imaginary op- ponent for time."
 He acted out the scene, showing the fighter drop the bonds, put up his hands. dance about, lead, shift and cross-coun- ter-and then pick up the bonds and go oi his way. There is another of the old timers.
 He'll be in a saloon now" said Saw age, and all of q sudden the old oug gets him. He'll come tearing out through the swinging doors. put up his hands, do lively round with a ghost and thep clamp his elbows to his side and tear off down the street just as he used to do m his training days. Come to the door or another saloon and hell square away be- fore it, do his little ghost dance and then burst through the doors talking to him self There's Young Griffo on the streets now Never a cleverer man with ms hands, but he looks like mop TalSlns to himself. going through his old foot- work, putting up his hands to phantoms.
 Savage speaks from the inside There was time when he was counted as good heavyweight material. But he was too smart to keep on after he found him- self slipping. For a week or so after ms fight with Dillon he kept talking to him self and re-enacting the scenes of ths fight Since then he has quit the ring and gone to work He was telling all this to Father Murphy. There are ten Father Murphys in New York. This Father Murphy is nicknamed Harp"
 "An ex-fighter now would be a good sexton for church," said Father Mur- phy.
 Fine" said Savage. You'd find that sort of a sexton shadow boxing with the statues "-New Orleans Item.
The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-08-29
RICHMOND RESIDENTS
ARRIVE IN berlin

Miss Emma Messing, of Indianapo-
lis. who sailed in July for Berlin.
where she is an attache of the Amer
lean commission, in letter telling OF
her experiences, says:
''Mr. and Mrs. Homer Morris OF
Richmond, and Mrs. Agnes Knollen-
berg, also of Richmond, were passen-
gers on the Manchuria. Mr.. Morris
is to have charge of the American
Friends service commission, and he
and Mrs Morris will no doubt remain
in Berlin for year. Mrs. Knollen-
berg was on her way to Dresden to
remain with her daughter, who is also
in the Friends service there