davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-01
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
 AND ELSEWHERE
Greatest ysollnist

'Niolinists may come and go, new discoveries are made every now and then as to technique, talent and abil- fly, but there is none who can equal in tone quality and exquisite interpre- tation Fritz kreisler whom Birming- ham music lovers will have the pleas ure of hearing in concert on next Wednesday evening under the auspices of the 'All-star' Concerts at the Jet- ferson,' said Henry $. Jones.
 q freely admit that have never heard anybody play like kreisler; there is something so wlstfui and so sweet about his playing; his tone Is SD entirely different even in the records he makes for the talking machines; the oompositions--th 'Humoresque and the Souvenir his own beautiful Caprice Viennois,' the Tartini 'varia- tions, which, by the way, he will play here on his concert programme-none of these has the same tone quality when heard in record form that Kreis- Ter gives. The best that future genera tfons can hope for in violin virtuosity Is just that some one may follow kreisler who is as good; nobody coui1 be better"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-01
ROMANCE

Amanda Benjamin Hall in Contem-
 porary Verse. Wherever there's bolted door My thoughts must enter to expAoras Whenever there's a windy sky I wach for romance to ride by! The moon conveys 3 hint to mo Of shadows shaping into men. Their dark, delicious villainy. And justice clamoring for snem- An angle of a lonely street. And I can sense approaching feet Steal through the labyrinths of rain A face shown, starlike, at a pane ( Before the night and darkness Meoe A garden with a cloistered sun
 Infers the cunning hand of FAeA The hidden heartbeats of g nun
 When love is rappinY at the 9A4o- Oh, tangled plots take root in uo Like branches of a banyan treA. I conjure tales eternally
 From color, setting or perfumA schooner slipping out to sec white horse spectral in the glo0m. Red roses on a marble stair, A spider web of Titan hair. A spangIed slipper at a ball.
 An envelope, a bar of laughter As silver as a waterfall
 violin, persuasive, after. Strange whispers come on every wind
 Of passion, gay intrigue or strife never know what I may find
 And stand on tiptoe all my lifsl
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-01
LUKE M'LUKE SAYS

The o. f. man who was praised for being frugal now has son who has the same traits as his father, but who is despised for being tightwad
 A man will cuss himself and call himself ding -b:tted, blithering idiot. But he'd get awfully mad if some other man said that about him.
 Tell faded-looking woman tha she looks as young as ever and shell be so pleased that she'll actually look 10 years younger.
 The mother of four small boys gets so she can't cut a pie any way except in four equal quarters.
 War correspondents and married men get so used to censorship that they do not mind it.
 When we hear man denouncine the Mormons we have an idea that ii he had enough money and wasn't afraid of the police, he'd have five or six wives of his own.
 Man are great buffers. Most of the signers of the Declaration of Indepen. dence were married men.
 There would not be many divorces if men were as anxious to please their own wives as they are to please othe, women.
 Don't knock the borrower. Whal would the lender do with all his money Eff it wasn't for the borrower?
 The average married man thinks hx has good memory But we'll bet hin that he can't Remember what he said as his part of the marriage ceremony
 (Copyright l910l
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-01

From the New York Herald.
 YIN an era of diaries and other self II revelatory documents the passing of SS New york's most experienced gun man suggests the frank book which he might have written if he had had the mind for it.
 Literary art would not have been necessary. Monk Eastman's diary, sht down in words of one or two syllables but contairing the candidness of Pepys and the merciless detail of Margot, would have added much to the lore of sociology.
 What did Mona roally think of his associates of the men who hired him to assault others, of the politicians who were willing to use his primitive energy to their own ends? Were there among the people of the underworld scandals which never drifted up through the crust?
 What were the thoughts of the gun man and former convict when he en- listed for the war? Was he actuated by patriotism, or by wish to hold his head higher amonog his acquaint- ances, or by a desire to blot out the past and start all over again
 What were Private Eastman's im- pressions of war? Was he able to diff ferentiate between lawful killing in a struggle of nations and law1ess kill ing in the private feuds of his own circle? Was there difference in the kinds Of courage required for killing in Chatham square and killing at the Hindenburg line?
 What were Eastman's thoughts on turning "square guy" and how sentt- mental was he over the restoration of
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-01
DIARY THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN

his citizenship? What did that citizen ship mean to him?
 Probably the best diary ever writ ten was one which the diartst tore up some remorseful morning. The diaries written nowadays for publication. such as Mrs. Asquith's and Colonel Reping tons, are never completely satisfying Much that is astonishing In them is put in to startle. They lack the flavor of the unconscious. Even the diaries pur porting to be written by ladies who are about to kill themselves or others have the same artificial color. But we can not imagine Monk Eastman trying to startle-with pen and ink.
 HoS Sever, as no literary executor has turned up for Eastman, the ad- mirers of violent autobiographics will have to 20 back to Benvenuto Cellini. He and Monk Eastman were probably very much alike in their view of the surrounding world. It was full of enemies, of men who conspired against them and would have played them false if they. had not acted first Neversdid the goldsmith run a foe through with out swearing to himself as well as to the world that this was scoundrel who deserved death. Never, probably, did Monk Eastman shoot 3 gangster of whose utter villainy he was not con- vinced. Both victims of the delusion of persecution, both bullies, neither was coward Adages do not always stand up.
 Somebody's revolver robbed Monk Eastnian of a contemplative old age which, like Cellini's, might have been well employed in writing.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-01
J. w. Mcqueen Rounds Out
 Thirty Year of Service
t

IT AYES WILLIAM M'QUEEN eW president of the Sloss-Sheffield company, has completed his thirtieth year with that concern. He began his service with the old Sloss Iron and Steel company in the transportation department in 1891.
 In 1892 he was elected auditor; in 1897 he became secretary and treas urer and in 1902 vice president For more than two years he has been president and during this time the company has made the greatest prog ress in its history. It is the largest producer of merchant foundry iron in the country and second only to the Tennessee company in the scope of its operations in the southern metal in- dustry.
 MT. Mcqueen did not bring techni-
  cal training into the iron business. He had been at work since a boy of 16 as telegrapher, and afterwards as train dispatcher and train agent for the Alabama Great Southern railroad at several points, including the Ala bama mining field. Once in the Sloss family, his rise was foreordained, be- cause what he lacked in technical training native ability, pertinacity, an enormous capacity for work, fidelity, patience and the capacity of tieing men to him more than supplied.
 He is an essentially southern prod uct. Descendant of that famous master of perseverance, Robert Bruce, his forebears, the McQueens and Pickens, were distinguished in the continental wars, his father was a Federal and Confederate congressman It was the sturdy Scotch and English blood in James William Mcqueen that counted in his conquest of early diff faculties and enabled him, unaided, to finally attain one of the most i'm portant posts in the entire southern industrial field.
 Birmingham is proud of the big Sloss company and its achievements and mighty proud of the man tc whose splendid capacity the major part of these achievements is due.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-01
Mixed Packages

T was amused at a recent local story in The Age Herald how on Mon day after Christmas the merchants were busy exchanging for Their cus- toners gifts which they had received. said Henry Howze.
 T think the most inappropriate gift that anyone got was that of an old ne- gro man who works for me and my neighbors.
 1t seems that all of his patrons remem bered him, but one offering non plussed him. It was neatly done up Tn a fancy package. He opened it to find fine silG garment. He puzzled over it for long time. but couldn't figure out it's use. Finally he consulted cook. She looked it over and began to laugh. saying: 'Nigger, dat ain't for you, it's wimmens fixin'. It is q teddy bear She kept it.
 Evidently some dear woman gave the old man the wrong package. hope she will see this and learn where her handiwork went"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-01
" Te T Present Status of Reading in America


 FT1IE nations librarians say the girl j. of today is essentially "lowbrow." She effects knee skirts, is pretty, wears tortoise shell spectacles and converses under high pressure, but the books she reads--if any--are light stuff.
 The young woman who IS said to have asked librarian for "The Four Horsemen With the Erysipelas" and something "jazzy' in the way of poetry reveals startling state of the feminine mind, if she is typical of her sex. Where are the young persons who dote on femini@n and digest weighty tonnes having to do with woman's larger sphere of usefulness and world politics? They must be somewhere, else where would the clubs recruit their new members? War books are no longer in demand say the librarians. They are gather ing dust on the shelves, and no won- der. The world is heartily sick of the war and everything appertaining to it. Besides, the war books worth reading could be numbered on the fingers of one hand. Works on spiritualism, occultism and new thought are being eagerly devoured. Bad cess to Sir Oliver Lodge and Sir Conan Doyle! They have been instrumental in de- throning the reason of many unfortu- nate persons who had barely enough brains as 1t was to get them through life in decent fashion.
 Fiction is not as much read as for merly. War veterans are still calling for useful books that will enable them to earn a living, but college students are not reading much of anything ex- cept their prescribed courses and the newspapers. College life is now so colorful, not to say complex, that the young man Or woman who occasionally contrives to look into a text book or to acquire a smattering of literature is doing reasonably well.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-01
Reaus and Carpenter

"He is one of these old irreconcil- ables," said A. H. Carpenter, speaking of Robert c. Redus with MT. Redus present and a mutual friend stand ing by.
 q have reason to stick to my po- litical predilections.' replied MT. Redus. Just as soon as the republicans elect cd their man the stock market took a tumble and has not recovered yet" To this Mir. Carpenter, who is re publican, rejoined: ''We republicans have to bear while the bad state of affairs brought on by you democrats. It will be all right after March A. MT. Redus rebutted: "Yes, if a bad begin- ming makes good ending, but it does not usually work that way
 The two lifelong friends were still at it when their mutual acquaintance passed on.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-01
Does Anybody Know
 What Harding Will Do?

A 7 R. HARDING is proving him. XVII self one of the most cautious men who was ever elected President of the United States. This is no sur- prise to those who know him we'll, but he is either showing a remarkable ability to keep his own counsel, ol else the persons in whom he confides are equally capable of keeping what they hear, from becoming public property.
 Marion has been a Mecca for poll. ticians, statesmen and newspaper cor respondents. The papers have beer filled with columns of reports, but nobody apparently knows yet just what MT. Harding will do. His pres ent attitude is quite as baffling as his speeches were during the campaign He is believed to have made tentative choice of men to fill some of the more important cabinet positions, but thereis no certainty that he has finally made up his mind. The statesmen men tioned today in news dispatches may De eliminated tomorrow. The "bes1 minds" have come and gone, but SC far as the general public is aware MT. Harding stands where he did when he was elected, keepng an open frame
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-01

Lawrence Gilman, in The North Amert-
 can Review.
 By sea or by land, I swear you will
 far go
 Before you can hit on double for Mar
 got.
 61HUS wrote the Hon. William Ewart | Gladstone in 1889 to Miss Margot
 S Tennant in her twenty-fifth year. It is not fantastic to suppose that there may be many in England today who would admit, with some hint of passion, the fact therein asserted. Five years be- fore Miss Tennant had won this very handsome posy from MT. Gladstone, she had compelled from Lord Tennyson stil more memorable attention. Miss Tenant was then g years old; but that did not estop the laureate from pulling her (theN verb is Miss Tennant's). on to his knee and reading Maud to her He began, relates Miss Tennant. "Birds in the high Hlh-Garden,' but. apparently relenting, he skipped the next four sec lions. and went on to: T have led her home, my love, my only friend.' when he had finished Ire remarked with au- mirable generosity that many written as we'll as that, but nothlhs siias ever sounded so we'll
 Miss Tennant could not speak. IL Was q fortunate inhibition; for Lord Tenny- son proceeded to tell her ofNthe uhiiapp' exnerence suffered by former occu- napt of his iilustrious knees. It appears t ..xo hean inc iaureate's habit to pull
 vomen upon his lap and read nr,,a to them until they became either speechless CT incautiously articuiate' Mice Tennah.'s predecessor it seems nao ns.r listening to reading by the poet of the lines:
 Birds in the high Hall-garden
 When twilight was falling
 Maud. Maud, Maud. Maud,
 They were crying and ealing. II asked her. said Tennyson' what bird she thought I meant. She said, nightingale. This made me so angry thai I nearly flung her to the ground' No. fool! . Rookv said ]" It was hardly kind. But at least the blundering damsel escaped the infliction that fell upon the speeches. Miss Ten nant in the form of an original poem writtens for her by Lord Tennyson-a tribute to Scott. It has never, we are as sured, been published. He it is; SIR WALTER To great and gallant Scot, True gentleman, heart, blood anu poh' | I would it had been my lot To have seen you, heard you, aho kfown! so'' (Theje is nothing in the manner of Mrs
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-01
Spanish Class

Members of the Spanish class class of the Business and Professional Women's club are delighted with the progress being made" said Miss Perna Robinson.
 we are learning conversational Spanish and not just to read the lam guage, and it is very easy. After only a few lessons the members of the class are able to engage in a little conversation which makes them more anxious to learn more.
 Our class is not limited to members Of the Business and Professional Wom- ems club, but any young woman or man Is invited to join. Prof. F. Flor ent of Birmingham Southern college is instructing and persons wishing to inn prove their knowledge of Spanish now have an opportunity to do so.''
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-01
BACKWARD PARIS
n the Montgomery Advertiser.

From the Montgomery Advertiser.
 Paris is usually first in all things fashionable. But in one instance at least it is very late, is not last. For the past 20 or 30 years it has been the custom of universities to bestow honor- ary degrees upon Eiihu Root. But not until few days ago did the University of Paris give him an LID. x
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-01
BRITISH EMPIRE PLEASE NOTE

Two Japanese were killed a number were injrred, and two Australian po- licemen were wounded in disorder in Broome, western Australia. caused by a Japanese seeking race equality with a revolver. The solidarity of the white people in the Pacific in their community of interests is revealed. When we ask the British to tell the Japanese to stop naval building there's a reason. We are sorry that the Australians had a yellow peril riot-yes. we are--not
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-01
Improving

"The work of the men in the city been especially good during the past month" says Carl Brown, "and as the result large number of crooks and other undesirables in the city have been rounded up.
 ''The men were criticized a bit no, long ago because they could not catch all the highwaymen in Birmingham immediately after a holdup had been staged. But when the police reports show many things have been accom- plished by both the uniformed men and the members of the detective depart ment"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-01
ISEELL Rn0K

From the Montgomery Advertiser.
 4 New York youth says he learned how to make bombs by reading dic- tionary. He could have learned how to do many other things by reading the same book. He should keep it up.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-01
President Wilson Attacked
 For Not Pardoninp Debs

TF7HE socialists are greatly incensed
 u by President Wilson's refusal to
 grant Christmas pardon to Eugene
 V. Debs. A statement recently is- sued from socialist headquarters in Chicago says, "We refuse to believe that President Wilson, who has par
 doned murderers, bank robbers, bur
 glars, adulterators of goods, German
 spies, dope dealers, bank wreckers and other choice criminals, speaks for the
 American people when he continues to
 keep in prison political opponent" !" On the contrary, President Wilson
 does speak for the American people
 and the explanation attributed to him that Debs is an ''unrepentant prisoner and it would be breach of faith with
 the American boys who went to France to pardon him, is sufficient justifica- ton.
 Granted that the President has par doned from time to time men who
 have broken the laws of the country with the exception possibly of Ger
 man spies, none of them could be classed as an enemy to the American
 government or desirous of overthrow ing it by violence. Ordinary criminals
 are menace to society, but their vic. tins in each case are comparatively few and their capacity for mischief is infinitely less than that of man like Debs, who poisons the minds of thou sands by propaganda directed against American institutions and the Ameri.
 can government.
 There were presumably reasons tc justify executive clemency in every pardon granted by the President
 There are none in. the case of Debs To class him as a political opponent of MT. Wilson and therefore kept ir prison, is the veriest buncombe. Debs was sent to the penitentiary because
 he was convicted of violating the law Since he has shown no disposition tt
 mend his ways, he will doubtless re
 main there until his sentence has ex Ipired.
 x #
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-01
Better Plant

'The raise in water rates will be somewhat offset by the many improve
 menss which will be added to the prop orty of the Birmingham Water Works company" said Commissioner John R. Hornady.
 "The improvements will put the Birmingham plant in the 100 per cent perfect class and are expected to inn prove the service to the public ma. terially.'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-01
roLsToI TRIBUTE To DICKENS

ToLsTOI TRIBUTE TO DICKENS From the Continental Edition of the
 London Mail
 Maxim Gorky has just published scme jottings from his notebooks of talks with Leon Tolstoi towards the end of the old mans life, and among tf em there is 8 curious appreciation or Charles Dickens.
 To1stoi said of him: Dickens has ex- pressed a remarkable thought. He says life was given to us to be valiantly defended to the last breath. He was on the whole sentimental and To- quacious writer of mediocre intelli- gence. But he knew better than any one how to pu. novel together. He certainly did it better than Balzac Both writers have left number of badly written books, and yet Balxac had genius" The talks cover a wide range of subjects.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-01
ADRTFT WITH THE TIMES
6Nr1MELY END

UNTIMELY END Did the genealoglst give Mrs. Gawker favorable report on her family tree?' No, One of her ancestors died from shortage of breath.' That's nothing to be ashamed oL" Tt was superinduced by moose"
 REQUIESCAT
 Here lies the dust
 Of Silas Blinu; He skated where
 The ice was thin.
 When he went out lie soon went in.
 ACUTE ISOLATION The Ancient Mariner knew what solr tude was'
 Even at that he probably wasn't any lonelier than the prominent republican statesman who hasn't been mentioned Tor place in the cabinet"- IT CAN'T BE DONE This fellow seems violent Hes one o1 our worst cases Poor chap! What drove him crazy He tried to figure out the present value of rouble ON THE JOB 50 you have movie star registered at your hotel2"
 yes, said the manager She's in- cognita."
 "Then how do you explain this process sion of people to see herr" T don't attempt to explain it. but the brisk young man in Broadway clothes who is buying package of cigarettes at the cigar stand may be able to offer plausible theory "whos her.
 Her press agent" PAUL COOK.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-01

MARY'S EAR Mary had little ear But nobody would know it; The fashion made 1t disappear And nov she doesn't show it.
 New York Herald Mary had a little ear That might bewitch prince; But that alas, was yesteryear, I haverft seen 1t since.
 -Age-Herald. Mary has 8 little ear, But to show it would be shocking; So she modestly gives the boys instead A high view of her stocking.
 Lien Botton.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-01
AS IF USED TO RE

AS IT USED TO BE When the world was somewhat younger Life, methinks was far more gay Fathers reared a flock of children, Kept, somehow, the wolf at bay. Had enough or food and wassail And could fi-ollic on the green, Though their annual incomes wouldn't Buy a Ford car gasoline. Doubtless living then was cheaper In that less exacting day, Long before the movies flickered And we had the cabaret Mayb there were many pleasures That small outlay would bring, Since paltry half a million
 Was 3 fortune for king.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-01
THE TENNYSONIAN KNEE

Asquiths production of this tribute to indicate that it is intended to be taken other than seriously,)
 The Tennyson family seem to have i'm pressed Miss Tennant as being insuffl- ciently maculate. Lord Tennyson was a magnificent creature to look at" (hay- ing also, as Meredith said of him to Miss Remnant, the feminine hint to perfec- tionn); but he accused Miss Tennant of thinking him ''untidy and dirty Miss Remnant countered ry saying she thought he was very handsome" She writes somewhat less cautiously of the poet 5 second son, Lionel Tennyson. who 'nad an untidy appearance, black beard, anu no manners. He sang German beer-songs in a lusty voice and wrote good verses
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-01

EMERGENCY CASE T cannot countenance your kissing one of your patients, nurse" But doctor, it was in my line of duty.f' How so?" This gentleman swore he'd die with out it."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-01

SUPERLATIVE PRAISE How was the play last night?' 'tt must have been good "Yes?"
 "A man who went in on a pass re- marked in the vernacular of the day that he'd say it was"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-01
A MORNING PRAYER

A MORNING PRAYER
 The old year is thine, Q God, bat this new year Is mins. Help me so to shape 1t tbat I shall not be ashamed to give it back tO you when 1t is ended. Amc3. I'M. :. HI.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-01

What Ships Mean to Birmingham and Alabama
 X s Birmingham turns into, the new AA year, Mobile advises the Magic City that five ocean freighters. booked