davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-12
A GRAM OF RADIUM

From the Philadelphia Public Ledger. N1 oME women want one thing from N the world and some another When Madame Marie Curie. discoverer of radium, was asked some time ago what she most wanted, her answer was, "A gram of radium." A gram is only abom one fiye-hundredth part of a pound, and yet gram of radium at present costs about $10o,000.
 Madame Curie wants that gram of radium for but one purpose: She wants it for the healing of humanity. She is not seeking it for her own fame or fortune She has already received at the hands of scientific bodies such honors as are in their gift. and the Nobel prize in chem istry was awarded her. She is the only person whose name appears twice in the list of Nobel prize winners, for in lyUg she divided the physics prize with her husband and with Becquerel. But even such capital distinction is to her a trumpery thing as compared with the passion and the sacrifice for truth. Her mind on the matter is in accord with her husbands saying, T don't like decora- tions;" and she would have agreed with Agassiz who declared. T have no time to make money"
 Labouchere once said that the ram shackle, improvised laboratory in which the Curies worked ought to be looked on as scientific Bethlehem When Pierre Curie was killed in a street accident Madame Curie took his place as lecturer at the Sorbonne. and her desk became shrine of pilgrimage and homage. But never would she pose as a high priestess
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-12

She remains the modest, hard-working, she was when pitchblende was first com pelled to yield the secret of it's radio activity to her persistent request.
 Madame Curie is coming to this coun- try in May, because several of our leading institutions of learning have persuaded her and because there is promise of aid
 in her effort to obtain the gram of rad- ium- A committee of representative American women has been formed to aid her in the attempt, which in all likelihood will be crowned with success if the Amer ican public is made cognizant of the meaning and the importance of Madame Curie's mission. The woman who gave finitesimal amount the French govern ment has placed under her control is too precious for laboratory research; 1t is solely employed in hospitals. The aim or the Madame Curie fund. for which the Equitable Trust company of New York is receiving contributions, is to make the fund the gift not of few rich women practlcal put or many persons contE1puLnB according to their means toward this tan gible and practicable evidence of grati- tude for the life and the service of one of the noblest benefactors A girt of rad ium to Madame Curie is gift not for her advantage but for the common bere- fit. for she can do more with it than any one else is able to accomplish. In this hour of importantly for every kind of cause, here is one that is merely ask ing humanity to subscribe for it's own good and to help itself.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-12
LUKE M'LUKE SAYS

Many man who won't eat between meals is mighty glad of chance to get drink between drinks.
 Have you ever noticed the fact that most fat women are good cooks?
 Of all the things that are good for you, fresh air is the cheapest and does you the most good.
 And you can't blame husband for kicking when his wife is always at his heels.
 We are all strong for economy when we are broke But it is different when we have the money.
 Some women have such grand ideas that we'll bet they'll refuse to serve on jury unlesls it's q grand jury
 Mother never heard much about the high cost of living when there was a chicken house where the garage now stands.
 few girls are as pretty as a pic ture. But a girl is seldom as pretty as a picture of herself.
 The only time some men put their best foot forward is when they want to register a kick.
 Another Damli: once upon time there was a man who was as polite to his folks at home as he was to stran- gers outside.
 You can't always tell. Sometimes the poorest show has the best parade
 There are many causes for divorce applications. But you never heard oi man wanting divorce because his vile wouldn't go to church with him.
 scientist has discovered some thing that is 200 times sweeter than sugar. We'll bet that the name of il contains four letters--the first letter being K and the last two being double ~S''
 (Copyright 1921.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-12
THE SEAT OF TROUBLE
From the Cincinnati Enquirer.

From the Cincinnati Enuuirer.
 6f1HE seat of trouble for the Cau-
 casian nations is at Tokyo. It is
 9<e not that Japan now could, or would. attempt the inauguration of her military dream of Asian empire-that vast movement may be century or two away but it is because Japan is Japan that the world should make ready to meet an inevitable issue. White supremacy on this earth will depend upon the extent to which the pale races are able to restrict Japanese exploitation of Asia,.I the nat ural direction in which she must ex- pand.
 Just at present it is proper to call at teEtion to the arrogant assurance of the Japanese government with reference to certain postwar contentious.
 Senator Spencer, in raeort recently submitted to the Senate. showed an es- innate of the net loss suffered by the nations of the world in the European war, including loans and credits extend- ed. This estimate is $14o,0Oo, ,0oO0Oo
 The United States entered the war to break the power of militarism. We sought none of the "spoils'' of war. We have refused to participate in the German in- demnities, refusal which. it is figured, entails loss for this nation of s4l.S74,- 00o, ,0O0 Japan's net losses are the lowest, totaling about $232 10000
 Japan's contribution to the success or the allied arms chiefly was moral sup port But at the peace table she was conspicuously insistent upon being award ed attractive bits of territory.
 This statement shows that if all the nations paid their debts France would have to charge off the largest loss, with Great Britain second and the United
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-12
Antarctic Hero Rescues
 Victims of Shipwreck

A LTHOUGH many acts of heroism AA go unrewarded, none should be unnoticed Thanks to modern meth ods of communication, which send an item of news around the world with the speed of thought, many hero and heroine have enjoyed at least temporary fame because they risked their lives for others.
 There is the case of Captain Evans, commander of the British cruiser Car lisle, who saved hundred lives when the steamer, Hongmough, bearing more than 1000 Chinese coolies from Singapore, sank with the loss of 800
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-12
ADRIFT WITH THE TIMES

| OTHER THINGS WE'RE AvAlLABL4t-
 Now. before I support your candidate ,- said the conscientious citizen. T want to know if there Is anything in his past that he might be ashamed off"
 Well" replied the campaign manager. His picture and testimonial were once published in patent medicine advertise ment"
 How long agoT'
 About 10 years"
 T don't hold that against him. Ten years ago patent medicines were not con- sidered beverages"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-12
Y F 2 Wilson Establishes Anohter Precedent

X MONO the, other remarkable rec A ords made by Woodrow Wilson as President of the United States is that of economy in the use of public funds entrusted to him. He not only
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-12
Start to Build

Building activities of the last two months have been remarkable" said I. E. Spencer, city building inspector. Every day l number of permits are being issued for the construction of residences or business buildings.
 Warm weather and the opinion that building materials are about as low in price as they will go for some time, are promoting this building movement, in my opinion.
 Most of the residences are of frame construction, and their type indicates additions to the home building class.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-12
League of Nations Bobs
 Up in Latin-America

7T7HE League of Nations, from
 J which Senator Lodge all during the administration of President Will son, sought to save this country and from which the tremendous repub- lican majority appeared to have finally saved it.
 Little Panama rejecting the award of the United States in the territo- rial controversy with Costa Rica, has appealed it's case to the league. Both Costa Rica and Panama are mem- bers. The United States is not a member. The situation is unique and complex.
 Members of the league have right to refer their disputes to the organi- zation of which they are a part and to whose rules of arbitrament they have agreed. The United States has no right to demand that Latin-Amer- jeans refrain from referring their diff ferences to their common court of arbitration. However, not being a member of that court, this country is unable to make use of it.
 How far America can act in Latin America is the mooted question. How far it can go without coming in con- flict with the league, in case the league acts on the controversies sub mitted for arbitration?
 There is lot of work ahead of Senator Lodge like that which he per- formed during the Wilson adminis- tration, and apparently there are some back steps to be taken by that astute diplomat and statesman.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-12
Scandinavian Scholar Foretells
 the Downfall of White Race

Scandinavian Scholar ForeteIlS
 the Downfall of White Race
 A REMARKABLE prediction is EA made by George Brandes, the noted Scandinavian man of letters, in the current issue of the Forum.
 In an article entitled "The Passing of the White Race" he says, After having ruined herself and bled her. self to death by war, Europe has sealed her doom. It may take 50 years, perhaps century, to realize this, but not more. The danger that threatens Europe is not military. It is industrial. And as far as I can see, it is unavoidable. The danger comes from the east, from Japan, but to a much greater extent from China. In much too short a time Europe will succumb industrially in competition with the far east. Victory in indus trial competition lies with the side that can work hardest, most effect ively, most economically and wisely. The Chinese far surpass any Euro pean people iI this respect"
 Other factors will help to cause the downfall of Europe, Brandes thinks, such as the limitations climate sets to the development of the white race, the greater rapidity with which so-called inferior races multiply and the cen- turies during which the white race wasted it's strength on militarism while the Chinese have remained an industrial people for many thousands of years.
 In California we have seen an il- lustration of the white mans inabil- ity to compete with the Japanese. We boast that our standard of living will not permit us to do what the Jap- anese and Chinese do, but they work and get ahead. Nothing but restrict i've legislation can stop them. The Chinese have been skilled artisans from the dawn of history. It is a common saying that the Chinese have done everything first. Japan is awake and China is waking. 'Tmag- inc what Chinese advance, similar to the Japanese, would mean!" ex- claims Brandes. ''The progression of a country with a population of be- tween 400 and 500 millions to begin with! Even the Japanese admit that the Chinese are their superiors in in dustry, commercial ability and finan- cial perspicacity." They also admit that the Chinese excel them in honesty.
 The prospect of world dominated industrially by the Chinese may seem incomprehensible to western minds, yet it is perhaps a possibility that must be faced, and in the not distant future. The Chinaman, as Brandes points out, asks little of life. There in he differs from other races, who ask much. Anyone who has ever studied the Chinese laboring class will acknowledge the truth of this state ment. They can live on almost noth- ing and perform prodigies of toll, and they can work seven days week.
 The editor of the Forum recalls that in 1881 George Brandes, in his "Foreboding," predicted the World war with startling accuracy and he has since predicted the course of events in Europe with uncanny precision. What he sees in the far east may not be mirage.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-12
THE BELLS OF JAPAN


 Temple Manning. in the Cleveland
 Plain Dealer.
 Perhaps there is no other country in the world where there are so many beautiful. bells, or where bells are so venerated, as in Japan. To many Jap anese, it is said, the sound of bell hung in some shrine is the voice of Buddha. This is the reason so many legends cluster about the bells of Japan. Indeed. there is no bell of that interesting land which has not its spe- cial story, told to visitors with hushed voices of belief.
 There is, for instance the famous bell of Mii-dera and the story of the giant Benkei. Benkei was fighting priest He set up headquarters on the forest heights of Hiei-zan. This was in the long ago. when in Japan--as in Europe knights journeyed through the land on missions or seeking adven- lures. Benkei lay in wait for the travelling knights and challenged each to combat. His ambition was to col lect the swords of 1000 knights.
 During the time Benkei however. had liesure for another exploit. One day he stole the bell from Mii-dera. Carrying it on his back, he plodded through the woods and up the hills until he came to temple where Bud- dhist priests lived. As is the custom still. they gladly offered their hospi- tality to Benkei When he had finished his dinner. he was in such kindly hu- nor that he offered to permit each priest the honor of sounding the bell once.
 The first priest approached the bell. He raised his ,-rm to strike it. Sud- denly the bell spoke with human voice:
 'I want to go back to Miidera."
 The other priests and even Benkei himself tried to draw from the bell a sound less astonishing. But none suc- ceeded. In a rage, Benkei kicked the bell and it rolled down the hill, shout irg it's wish to the trees it struck as it tumbled.
 Benkei reali- d the only thing he could do was to restore the bell to the temple from which he stole 1t. As soon SIS it was back at Mii-dera 1t lapsed once more into bell language. Those who show you this bell and tell this story point to the scratches to prove its truth. Yes. indeed. the scratches are there bit mellowed by time.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-12
PERSONA NON GRATA.

T see Wapeigh has arrived" said MT. Clipping, and as usual he is making more noise than anybody else on the premises. His favorite remark is. I'm around here"
 'so it is" said Mir. Grumpson, but 1T had to pass on his qualifications for admittance he wouldn't be around here long"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-12
THE WAY WITH US.

T do not mind the filings of fato.-
 Remarked Augustus Blair. He found his train an hour late
 And wildly tore his hair. A man will face disaster grim
 And never quit the deck, But small vexations make of him
 Almost a mental wreck
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-12
FEARLESS COLORADO STUDENTS

From the Kansas City Star.
 A number of college students al Fort Collins, Col. turned out the other night and captured a bard-boiled old cowboy from up in Wyoming. and re- moved his six-inch mustache- Perhaps the boys should not be encouraged in hazardous pursuits ef this kind, but a, any rate, it is joy to md now and then a bunch of college boys who aren't hopeless tea hounds.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-12
ALMOST A MENAGERIE

ALMOST A MENAGERIE
 q wish you wouldn't call me old hoss, said the dignlhed man.
 Why, Sam,' protested his friend. i've known you intimately for 20 years. Why should you and stand on ceremony"
 "All right. I guess Pll have to put up with it. but my wife calls me an old bear;' and my business competitors an old fox Sometimes l think I must be queer biological specimen"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-12
TRUE MAN OF SCIENCE.

TRUE MAN OF SCIENCE. How many degrees has Professor Dop- pei the celebrated entomologist2" T don't know, and he doesn't know. either. Professor Doppel doesn't get haIt as much excited when an honorary de- gree is conferred on him as he does when colleague of his reports by cable from Bombay. Cape Town or Honolulu that he has discovered new bug"
 PAIJL. COOK
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-12
THE UNENvIABLE KIND.

'Blithersby achieved prominence yes terday' How so7" "He had a police escort Where to-" The wagon"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-12
THE ANNUAL SPRING DEBATE

From the Washington Post. Pretty soon we'll hear a lot of de-
 batting over which is the better buy.
 A new straw hat or enough gasoline to clean the old one.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-12

W the doomed vessel. Captain Evans who was second in command of the ill-fated Scott expedition to the Ant arctic 10 years ago, approached the Hongmoh in a motor boat and jumped into the sea with a lifeline. For six hours he fought the waves and is credited with having personally saved 100 people.
 Presumably those for whom Cap tain Evans imperiled his own life were humble Chinese coolies, who die like flies sometimes, of disease and in disasters, and nobody seems to care particularly, but they were human be- ings to this gallant British sailor and he saved as many as he could.
 T. x % After being held up in a store a Min fVhROAAo SllOE CitAh IOlAOWCu d Drallulb NNtf knocked him senseless and turned hIm over to the police. You can't always tell what a young man is going to do by the way he brushes his hair.
 < < #
 Kerensky is said to be leading the coun- ter revolt against bolshevism in Russia. If that's true, he's making himself far more useful than he did when he was loafing in London.
 Herbert Hoover says the department of commerce will give service. This will be something new in a government de- partment, but it's a novelty worth trying.
 # # #
 The New York World fears MT. Hard- ing is preparing for war. Secretary Denby believeN in preparedness and makes no bonesSabout it.
 # * T The story persists that Jack Johnson agreed to let Willard whip him at Ha- vana Some of the sports writers have mania for ancient history.
 * < & The White House now has an unofficial master of the hounds This being a gaso- line age, there is no necessity for a mas ter of the horse.
 A New Jersey pastor will be arraigned for carrying off a choir singer. Nobody gives him any credit for bringing her back.
 A Washington dispatch says the job hunters will have to wait their turn. Gosh, how they'll suffer in the interim!
 * # < By appealing to the League of Nations it looks very much as if Panama were trying to go over Uncle Sams head. All America got out of the World war was moral leadership and, thanks to the '.bitter enders," we have lost that
 * * # Alexander Berkman denies that he wants to return to America Umph! What does he care for the truth?
 # * < The late Premier Dato of Spain might have lived longer If he had not been such a dyed-in-the-wool reactionary.
 # < F Europe's starving millions cry out for food, but the little ivory ball clicks mer- rily at Monte Carlo.
 x # E Germany is beginning to realize how it feels to have a flock of bill collectors camping on her doorstep.
 # # $ The crack of the bat is surer har- binger of spring than tons of poetry
 Hs ss < German cities occupied by the allies re- port Business as usual"
 < < * The slogan of the colored politicians is. "OI to Washington"
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The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-12

did not spend the amount allotted and ask for more, as is the custom of the average official and department, but he retired from office with a neat balance on hand.
 He was allotted $150,O0O, ,00O for war purposes to be expended as he saw fit. The account of that steward ship submitted to Congress on his re- tirement from office shows that he spent $114,742,915.
 This record should be framed and posted in every department at Wash ington. It shows the possibility of making some appropriations cover the needs for which they are made. It suggests to government officials that it is not necessary to spend all the public money in hand just because it is on hand.
 Woodrow Wilson spent as much of the money placed at his disposal as he deemed proper, and for the pur- poses which he thought should be served, then quit spending.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-12

States third, and with Japan having the smallest loss of all the nations involved
 The senator in presenting his report took occasion to use plain English words relative to Japan's insistence, in the cir cumstances, on retaining former German islands in the north Pacific, including Tap. which it is the desire of this coun- try to nationalize. It will be nationalized but no without trouble, perhaps. with the trouble-makers at Tokyo
 Japan is full of the seeds of trouble for the rest of the world.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-12
THE DAYS

THE DAYS From the Chicago Tribune T shall be glad to go,' she said. The days are gray and thin; The days are like dark wood
 That must wander in. The days are like an old song
 have forgot to sing. Plucked at the fall of twilight
 On lone haunting string. The days are like a chill wind
 All folded full of snow. The days are dumb as frost" she said T shall be glad to go."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-12
Brings Them Together

Employers of Birmingham are strongly urged to take advantage of eral employment bureau. located on the third floor of the city hall,' said H. E. Oliver, manager of the bureau.
 This department is maintained for the purpose of bringing together the man and the job with the minimum loss of time to the unemployed and the least inconvenience and delay to the employer in obtaining help of all kinds.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-12

John R. Copeland, the veteran brick manufacturer and paving contractor. tells this of dull town in Texas: q was in certain Texas town and asked one of the leading citizens of that place how times were. His reply ran something like this: Things here are the rottenest of any place on earth Why, man. our gamblers have had to quit gambling and gone to playing solitaire"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-12
Traffic Observance

Just about one third of the people in Birmingham are observing the stop and go signal at street corners says w. L. Snow, city traffic policeman. Al though as yet not very large per centage of drivers and pedestrians are paying much attention to the signals, a big difference can be noted.
 T think most of the traffic violations were caused by thonghtlessness, but now that we are using the new uni forms, and attract more attention, the number of violations decreases. When people get accustomed to the new laws there will be mighty little trouble, l think"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-12
A sLACKER.

What was MT. Wadleigh's attitude during the warr'
 He cheered the soldiers and always stood up when The Star-Spangled Ban ner' was played"
 "How about his check book7'
 That went into retirement"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-12
INSECTS IN AMBER

From the Sclentlflc American.
 The proverbial fly in amber" is strikingly exemplified in a collection of red amber from Burma recently presented to the British museum by R. q. J. Swinhoe of Mandalay. The amber Is unusually rich in insects including according to Prof. T. D. A. Cockerell. who has examined the material, 31 new species of which five are types of new genera Most of these are found in a block of amber rather larger than a mans fist. This has been cut into slices about half an inch thick. Nearly every large order of insect is repre- sented with the exception of ants.