davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-04-07
 WHAT MOBILE IS DOING

The steady increase of import and export business at Mobile is gratifying to all Ala bama, because its growth represents the progress of the entire state as producer and shipper It is as much gateway for export of cotton as for export of steel. 1t is as much an inward gateway for bananas and blaekstrap molasses as it is for man. ganese ore from Brazil, nitrates from Chile and bauxite from English and Dutch Guiana. It is the entrance for phosphat that have been coming from France this spring to enrich the soil of Alabama and make greater crops this year. All Ala bama, therefore, is glad to learn that there was an increase of 67,000 tons in business at the Port of Mobile in March and that if teen more ships entered the harbor. What Mobile does now is the foretaste of what can be accomplished with more harbor equip ment. New Orleans, under application of state aid in port equipment developed into the second port of the country, ranking next to New York. Mobile is also most advan- tageously situated with reference to the heart of the Mississippi Valley. More anu more of the commerce of this productive region will be directed to the Alabama sea- port as 1t puts itself in position to handle it. Port development is the safest bet that Alabama could make It is more than best bet; it is an absolute certainty.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-04-07

happenings to natural causes. They say that most of them would have happened sacrilege or no sacrilege. The priests, however, dis- dain to reply to such outlandish explanation. They have a reputation to sustain, as well as the doctors. Their theory of the curse fits anything that has happened or can hap pen, so why discard it, especially as it strengthens their own prestige? That such a protection mere curse pronounced in a dead and by-gone age in dead and by gone language is futile if it fails to prevent sacrilege and merely brings retrbution upon piferers of ancient royal tombs does not enter into the calculation. Curses were the fashion in those elder days, and that's that There is field for speculation, however, as to how sincerely the present-day Egyptians believe in the persistence for so many years of the power of kings to command death upon those of later remote generations who earned their displeasure, when those very kings lacked the power to avert death from themselves. Perhaps the Egyptians chief emotion is envy of those foreign scientists who happened upon the buried treasure that they themselves had been hunting for cen turtles. And if those old kings placed any confidence in the potency of the curses pro- nounced by their priesthood why did they take such pains to seal themselves in behind mountains of concrete masonry beneath winding corridors expressly constructed to mislead those who did not have the key? But then when we ask those who believe in curses, to be reasonable, forsooth, we are asking too muchl
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-04-07
THE CURSE OF THE PHAROAH

The Egyptian priests of the old-time re-
 gion have recently enjoyed fulfillment of prophecy that should lend them new au- thority among their followers. Several
 weeks ago, during the preliminary activity
 in connection with the ceremony of opening Tutankhamen's tomb, the priests recalled to the minds of the faithful that whosoever opened a royal tomb would come under the spell of potent curse, and would doubtless perish for their sacrilege. Then, when Lord Carnarvon became i'll from the effects of an insect bite, the priests declared that 1t was not the insect but the curse that was acting ,upon him. They declared that the British despoiler of sacred tombs would die. Lord Carnarvon then fell into a fever which ter minated in pneumonia and his death. Now the heralds of antiquity say that the curse has worked it's predestined effect, and the kings of old have preserved their dignity. Other calamites that have fallen upon other members of the archaeological party are cited in support of the theory of the malign influ- ence that has been turned loose upon them.
 Of course, the modern doctors and scien- tists rersst in ascribing all these portentous
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-04-07
PARENTS AND THE SCHOOLS

One of the speakers before the teachers in convention in Birmingham urged that the parents be taken into confidence as to school aims plans and methods. That is an emil nently wise suggestion, and where tried has proved of great benefit to the schools. Very often necessary funds or supplies are de- nied the schools because parents, not under standing the need, think it is all foolishness. It may be that there are some things re- quired that are not essential, but in the main the conduct of the public schools is based on sound policy. If it were not so, there would not be all this progress in education that Alabama has reason to be proud of. When parents are taken into a sympathetic part nerahip with the teachers, there not only re- suits more generous attitude on the part of the public but there is aroused spirit of parental cooperation that causes the children to give more serious attention to their work.
 It may be that often any indifference or o7-"" ''"stiity on the part of parents is trace able to sort of jealousy of the important part the teacher plays in the formation of the lives and character of their children. Parents really want to help in any way pos sible. This has always been true, as shown by the oid-fashioned father who always gave his child another whipping at home in order to supplement the one received at school. The father had the right attitude, but his capacity to help was limited through lack of knowledge of what sort of help was really needed by the teacher. If, through parent teacher associations and the like, there IS born a spirit of fellowship and mutual un- derstanding between parents and teachers, the result cannot fail to be perceived in better community temper on school questions, and more liberal results from school policies. The parents pay the bills and the parents deserve consideration as to purposes and methods
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-04-07

tary and hygienic rules is to be given the credit for mankind's increasing healthruI- ness.
 The chief dependence, after all is ir the recuperatve powers of the body. The wisest physician only helps nature to help herself. Hence the emphasis properly placed upon the maintenance of bodily v,gor through proper diet, exercise and general health regimen. The maintenance also of public health service with its authority over those conditions whereby the careless may infect the careful, and the general sanitary regula- tions for the community contribute moro than can easily be estimated to the general health. We are getting better and better
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-04-07
BEAUTIFY THE PREMISES

In the spring peoples minds naturally turn to the outdoors. One of the strong impulses noticeable at this season is the desire to clean up and beautify the premises. Nature is doing her part to make all the outdoors more attractive, and people are impelled to follow suit as regards their own yards and houses. Many communities observe regular cleanup and pant-up weeks, in which there is united endeavor to improve the commu- nity's whole appearance.
 Such effort is not wasted, for trim premises add to the actual value of property as we'll as minister to the natural human
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-04-07
BETTER AND BETTER

The wonders of surgery and therapeutics grow apace. Perhaps if all the marvellous discoveries that the scientific toilers have made or think they have mace were pup- lished, we should be excited beyond our power to marvel adequately. Only the other day man refused anaesthetics and remained conscious while the surgeon removed tu- nor from his brain Yet there was a time when brain operations were regarded as impossible. A few months ago a surgeon actually performed maj jor operation upon his own person. Now physician announces that by the injection of an adrenain prepa- ration directly into the heart within six or eight minutes after death the subject will come back to life, provided the cause of death has meanwhile been removed There are other wonders. Old men are made young, or so it is said. Severed members are grafted back onto the body; patches of skln taken from others are made to grow on body areas from which the original skin has been scorched off. By the transfusion of blood persons are restored to health who otherwise would have died. All sorts of operations novel and incredible, are performed and ir, many cases success is reported.
 Of course, there are some of these mar vels that one ceases to hear about after q while. Something or other goes wrong, or the exact conditions cannot be duplicated or some heretofore unobserved factor rather than the one emphasized has proved to be the real cause of recovery. Therefore, many of the remarkable trumphs of medical or surgical science live but day and perish because they have been founded on fancy or on enthusiasm and t,on the demonstra- ble fact which the test of time demands. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that there is solid, substantial, measurable advance along the lines of prolonging human life in spite of ailments that formerly were invariably fatal. Whether by the knife, by diet, by medicament, by manipulation or by mental suggestion, students, investigators, sc.en- tists and practitioners are finding out more and more about this body of ours, it's ills and the way to overcome them. No. tEe startling successes that stand out for their little day of amazement, but the silent, in- visible but relentless progress in the treat ment of disease and the observance of sani-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-04-07
Poor Boys Who
 Became Famous By FREDERICK HOUK LAW
Thomas Blanchard

Thomas Blanchard annoyed his teacher by not. studying, and the other pupils annoyed Thomas Blanchard because ne stammered. School was most unhappy place for the boy. Grown-ups and children alike told him he had no brains, and he realized also that he had nc tongue, at least not one that be- haved itself. The boy was glad enough to sit down by himself with his jack-knife and whittle out toys that he liked-and very clever he was in whiting. Then he found the country blacksmith shop an earthly paradise, envied "that mighty man." the smith, and tried to initiate him by working in iron. He had found his field-not books, but metal; not talking, but doing. He made an apple-parer that could pare apples almost as fast as young girls could hand them to him. His older brother made tacks, and Thomas went to visit him. He was amused to see men putting heads on tacks, and doing it by hand. He was only eighteen, but he set to work to make a machine that would head tacks better and faster than his brothers men could.
 Some time after this the farmers son visited place where they were making guns. He saw how difficult it was to make gun-stocks. and how long it took. Could he make ma chine that would do the work more quickly? That seemed absurd, but he accomplished the work, and made new kind of lathe that did mir acles. In fact, Thomas Blanchard seemed able to do the impossible always. He invented a device that bored square holes. Then he set to work and made lathe that turned out such odd and irregular shapes as shoe lasts!
 Away back in 1925 this farmers son whom the teachers thought dull, and who couldn't speak without stammering so that people laughed at him. foresaw the automobile, and made steam carriage by which he rode along the highways, frighten- ing all the New England horses into fits. He made machine that could bend wood into any shape without breaking or splitting it. He pro noted railroads and steamboats and earned SO much money that he was independent as prince. The dull est boy in the school, at whom both teachers and pupils laughed, had turned out great genius. His tongue stammered, but his brain worked so quickly and so smoothly that he could make machinery do anything he wished it to do.
 1t is better to think and to do than to talk.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-04-07
DESIRABLE IMMIGRANTS

There are bright lights in recent immi- grafton reports of Commissioner Husband. The class of immigrants most desired, but of which there has not been an inflow near up to the allowed quota, has begun coming into the country at satisfactory rate. Es- pecially pleasing Is the tide from Canada, from which this country has received in the seven months of the fiscal year 46,000 new corners as compared with like number dur ing the entire preceding year. It is also reported that the Canadians consist of fami- lies who have come into the land to make it their permanent home. Northern Eu- ropean countries are expected to reach seventy-five per cent. of their quota com pared with forty-seven per cent. last year, while Great Britain seems headed to use up her full quota of 77000. Sweden will ex- ercise it's full privilege of 10000 and Nor way that of 20,000.
 The country welcomes immigrants from these countries. Those from Great Britain are blood brothers and those from the Scan- dnavan countries are not far removed. In times gone by many Scandinavian viking wrested land from natives of the United Kingdom and founded his own, the blood of himself and his followers mixing with that of the native. The Scandinavians are essen- tially industrious and sober. They quickly learn English and identify themselves with the prevalent thought and activities of their communities. They have proved this in the West, where many men of Scandinavian blood now represent their states in congress as well as in high office in the states. More of these British and North European peo- ples will come over as they realize the ele- vation of the standard of living that has taken place in this country and from which there is to be no back-set. They will be of greater service to the country than the hordes of Slavs that have never become as- similated, do not wish to be assimilated and cannot be assimilated until an absolutely new generation has been born and bred here. English, Scotch, Irish, Welsh, Cana dians, Scandinavians and Teutons will bring with them no menace to industrial stability or orderly government. There is close con- nection between the higher standard of liv- ing and this new trend of desirable immi- ! grafton.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-04-07
A Timely Editorial
After Stock Swindlers
 (WashinRton Star)


 A vigorous campaign to run down and punish oil stock swindlers is one of the most useful activities in which the government is now en- gagged. The impunity with which these fraudulent promoters have op- erated has been scandal for num- Der of years, and it is estimated that since the war they have enriched themselves at the expense of gulli- ble public to the extent of consider ably more than a billion dollars. Estimates of their takings, in fact, run as high as half billion dollars a year.
 Selling of worthless stock to cred ulous Investors" always has been a profitable and not specially hazardous occupation, but it is only since the war and as result of the war that the business has attained its present gigantic proportions. Un- der the urge of patriotism millions of Americans who never before had been in the investing class, sacri- feed and saved and bought Liberty bonds. And it is upon these mil lions that an army of jackal pro- motors has since been preying. Their golden opportunity came during the period when Liberty bonds were selling below par. They offered to take bonds at their full face value in exchange for the stock which, instead of paying four and quar- ter per cent, they promised would pay ten per cent or more in divi- dends. And Liberty bond owners by the scores of thousands "fell' for it. They long ago parted with their bonds, but it is maxim of the stock swindlers that "a sucker once hooked will bite again." and they keep on sending good money after bad in effort to recoup their losses.
 Repeated exposure of the frauds seemingly have little or no effect in diminishing the number of victims. The story of laundry worker who becomes wealthy overnight stirs am- bition in the breasts of a thousand other laundry workers, and they send their hard-earned savings to fatten the bank accounts of the swindlers who invented the original story. Their literature, which an obliging government has carried through the mails, is persuasive and convincing to the uninformed, and knowledge that others have been plucked, or even a previous pluck ing, does not hold them back. Like the morphine addict, they seem will ing to pay the price for sake of the pleasant pipe dreams that come to them under the influence of the drug. Awakening in the cold gray dawn they feverishly set about to scrimp and save the price of another pipe.
 The government is no miracle worker. and it cannot help one be- ing born every minute, but it cer- tainly ought not to be party to these swindles by placing it's man facilities at the service of the swin, dlers, and where there is transgres- sion of its laws the transgressors should be punished. The cynical philosophy of the underworld that "some one else would get it" cannot justify the government in standing placidly by while the getting is go- ing on.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-04-07
TRAFFIC BUREAUS WORTH

Three hundred shippers comprise the mem- bership and enjoy the benefit of operations of the Birmingham Traffic Association. Each of these shippers has in this associa- tion, on payment of an annual fee, an ex- pert traffic manager guarding his interests every day in the year. He has in this CO., operative machinery at small cost what would be prohibitive except to the largest shippers. This association has just closed it's sixth year with 8 record of service of first water in each of the years gone by. It was founded by Birmingham shippers, has only shippers in its membership and has been conducted by and for shippers since it's organization. From very small beginning it has grown into one of the most efficient and wel-equipped traffic associations in the country.
 When this association began work in Br- mingham there were freight rate discrimi- nations of almost every character against the city and district. They have been 50 far removed that not a serious one remains, and the main work of the association now Is to maintain what has been won and iron out certain defects in alignments still re- mainng. The association has saved the shipper members a total of $s94,Oo0 in col lection of claims and the auditing of ex- pense bills. That alone would have justified its existence and has paid back the mem- bership fees several times, but that is only one department of the association's service. It is in the daily routine of quoting rates, taking up complaints and securing new rates and realignments, representing the shippers before the state and federal rate making tribunals and otherwise acting as , their traffic manager that the chief service is rendered. The traffic association is a necessity and an economy The local asso- citation has proven itself both in an eminent degree.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-04-07
"Is It IF"
By REV. H. C. oFFERMAN

The country is all upset-it's this ones fault, or that one's fault.
 Something is wrong in the busi- ness where you work-it is the managers fault, or some depart ment's.
 The neighbors have had an awful fall-out-it was the fault of the lady across the street.
 When will you say, "Is it r." When will you ever blame yourself
 And why beholdest then the mote that is in thy brothers eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?"
 Judge not, that ye be not judged"
 It is only the man who is not afraid to blame himself that is the really big man. '-'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-04-07
WISDOM

(Gorton Needer Csrruth. in New York
 Herald) When l had grown to twenty-one And looked on earth or sky l did not see the flowers or sun For grief that must die. 1 had no time, thought, to heed The things that were in vain. had thousand books to read To make the riddle plain. But now I've grown to fifty-one I have a wholesome mirth. l mark the moon, the golden sun And ali the living earth. Nor is it that understand, But now know it true That comfort bought at second hanl Is not so good as new.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-04-07

When one reads of the many persons who commit suicide immediately after committing murder, it appears at least . hopeful sign that the slayers have enough consideration left to include themselves in their diaboli- cal programs.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-04-07
A MATTER OF SPECULATION

TCTeVtTand TTaIn DeATerJ
 Dean of Northwestern Law School says Americans spent fifty per cent more for cosmetics last year than the total endowment of all colleges and universities in the country. He evidently. believes that these figures prove something or other.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-04-07

A scientist declares there are many hun dred languages in Europe. The people over there seem to have terrible time under standing one another. The situation recalls the fellow who couldn't understand why his house wasn't warm enough with four thermometers in it.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-04-07
And It's a Big Asset

After all has been said and done, including the criticism and petty political wrangling down at the city hall, Huntsville is enjoying the fin- est system of streets she has ever had, it now being possible to get out and drive for several miles without having to retrace the same terri tory, as against the old way of go- ing down one street and back an other,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-04-07
Who'll Be the Hero7

IJdspeF lIOuhtaIn EagIeJ
 The boil weevil problem, which has been so costly to the south, is be- ing attacked from many directions, and is attracting some of the best minds in the country. If anyone happens to discover practical way of controlling the boil weevil. the south ought to erect monument to him mile high. Who will be the south's hero?
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-04-07
Were Getting Results

The tax adjusters, who were de- signed to equalize taxes, have been dispensed with by an act of the early session of the legislature. These men may have made mistakes but they raised many an assessment that ought to have been raised.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-04-07
Employs Quick Action

Governor Brandon loses no time in~ making appointments. He has long since decided who of his friends deserves the honors and when vacancy occurs he isready to fill it.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-04-07
Sha ming the Slackers

The street cleaning squad cannot make clean town. But ninety per cent who agree to try and keep it clean will so shame the ten per cent who are dirty that we can have a clean town.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-04-07
Now Kind of Advice
(Dothan Ea Ele)

Dothan is on no building boom, either. It is just steady growth of a prosperous, thriving, busy city, and there is no telling when the building will slow up. Not till the demand is filled, at least. Another census of the city would tell of an interesting growth during the past three years.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-04-07
Alabama Press
To Supply Real Need
(Troy Messenger)

When a peach orchard, well cared for, will pay for farm demonstra- tor, why should Pike county be without the services of one?
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-04-07
All Getting Together Huntsville Tfn1eal

Take it from us-Tuscumbia and Sheffield are going together, AL bany and Decatur are going to- gether, and Huntsville and her en- terprising suburbs are going to- gether. The consultations are all necessary to the buoyant growth that is necessarily coming.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-04-07

No wonder 50 many forecasters are rush ing to the defense of the weather, consider ing what people are saying about it.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-04-07

That British soap magnate who's winning racing honors ought to be able to play thu game clean.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-04-07

The trouble with Senator Brookhart, as with so many officeholders, is that he seems to take himself too seriously.