davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-01

face, T see you've broken ground for starting that trestle work"
 That over the gulf, you mean" I replied.
 None other, o Horatio," he re- joined. But say, mani-that thing has started a lot of buZzing around here. Seems that all the dogs of war-war tf criticism-have been turned loose."
 "What part is it that disturbs them most?" l inquired.
 Brown began to load his old pipe.
 Where you explained the impor- tance of keeping youthful first of lenders entirely away from these old hardened and dyed-in- the-wotl criminals; that doesn't set well with that particular type of our brothers here. Then your reference to the weak-kneed fellows-weak- -willed, you call it-who determine to keep straight after going out, yet are not able to stand alone and do it; that ruffled their feelings quite a bit"
 That ought tC be. enough" laughed.
 "Yes,"-and there he became seri- ous-"just enough to prove the worth of what you wrote. You just as well to learn now that whether your readers be of the inside, the outside please all of them."
 While that first article of mine contributed gratis to the "uplift" magazine-brought me great deal of harsh criticism with a minimum of commendation from the other prisoners, from those of the outside world who took any notice of 1t came little criticism, but quite a bit of praise.
 managed to get fifteen copies of the Sunday paper in which the article had been reprinted. From the warden I secured permission to mail to some of my friends the clippings contain ing that article, and with each one there went a brief letter setting forth that I was doing my best for self improvement, which was true to my pledge made years before. I heard from all of them.
 Yenr Of Failure.
 kept up the good work for full year without getting to see another single line of mine printed. I was openly ridiculed-always, however, in a friendly manner. With the guard force I was losing prestige But I was in the fight to stay.
 All that time I had been submit ting my work done just with pen and ink. As to what I had attempted 1t had been mostly fiction based on fact-that is, facts with which was thoroughly conversapt-also my output had included some verse mat ter Most of the time one of those little printed rejection slips would accompany the returned manuscripts but occasionally some editor CT as-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-01

watch the maneuvers of a spider on the ceiling. Burton's round brain was working in his round head. He was evolving a scheme. It might net work; 1t might work; 1t must work
 "If 1t takes 10 years" he told the spider, I'm going to put that Idea through that dumbbell Greens head" The fat man was like that. His loyalty to Green was second only to his loyalty to the firm of which Green was chief. It would never have entered his head to take his pet idea to some other advertising agency. The Green company was his company-and his company and his idea must somehow be got together.
 The spider on the ceiling had com pleted her web and retired into ob- scurity. Her trap was seg. Presently fly Ono! Burton's sagging cheeks stiffened. He even smiled.
 Timothy Green, the chief, passed his desk a few minutes later. Well. Rufus, have you forgotten that fool scheme of yours and got back to honest work?"
 But the fat man was his old self again. He grinned. T haven't for gotten the scheme. but I've got back to work I'm after some one to write the ladies' speciality copy. since Miss Simpson Is to get mar ried. What do you think of Miss Dorothy Hall, who writes the style column in the News?"
 Now, Burton happened to know very well what Green thought of the good looking Dorothy Hall. This, in fact, was why he asked. Green thought of her very much as Burton himself thought of her, which was pretty complimentary thinking, to say the least.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-01

Rufus Burton, he of the glaring red hair and the incredibly optimis- tic disposition, was not a man to be discouraged by trifles. Where mod ern Casslus, with his lean and hun gry lGok, would have shot up the boss and then gone home and pickled his meager lungs In gas, Rufus Bur ton merely leaned back in his over burdened chair and let his jello- belly roll with laughter. He sat upon life complacently, and squashed the trou- bles out of 1t, as a fat man should.
 Yet today the impossible had hap pened Rufus Burton's huge girth did not roll. His mighty "HC-ho!" did not rock the office walls. The fact is, Burton-the whole 300 pounds of him-was glum.
 For Burton had conceived a great idea, and the chief had pooh-pooh'd it. This, of course, had happened be- fore, often enough, with no such un- pleasant results. Burton was full of ideas. Perhaps that's what made him so fat. Many of these tideas were the bunk and drew down on their heads ridicule, as was proper. But this was his big idea, the culmina- tion of 10 years of work. It would double one branch of the business, maybe triple 1t. And here was that skinny bonehead, Timothy Green. the chief, with his "poGh-pooh tut-tut, nonsense!"
 So Rufus sat sagging in his chair, glum as last weeks cream-pull. But glum as last weeks cream-puff. But not for nothing did the bowl of his pipe grow hot. and his round eyes
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-01

sistant editor would give me word of encouragement. ta.
 And one day there came from an editor a brief letter that proved to be the turning point. That letter read as follows:
 Dear MT. Kane:
 q am herewith returning your story entitled "A Log and Promise.
 "If I may tell you so, you seem to have 1t In you to do creative work. This story contains material that could be worked into a readable tale, but the thing Is as far from being properly constructed as would be house that 1 had tried tC build-and I know nothing whatsoever about the carpenter business.
 'It would be well for you to learn something about the technique of story writing before submitting any thing more to editors. Get The Yer balist'' by Alfred Ayres, also The ShCrt Story-How To Build It. And you ought to have a typewriter" 34 Cents For Capital.
 My first feeling was one of re- sentiment. Then. said I to myself: Now here-dont be like the other fellows in here, and like most people everywhere; get irritated, if not nownright angry, when someone tells them the truth about them selves, particularly about their de- fects."
 More than two years before I had quit the manufacturing of souvenirs that is, the capitalizing of that business-and had withdrawn all my money. My partners would run to me so much about first one insigni ficant matter and then another that my hours for study were often made valueless. Afterward all my money had been spent. I had to have quite a bit Of dental work done-the state did not furnish 1t at that time-had to secure number of reference books, tec., which the prison library did not carry, and then later on I bought a good mattress, having se- cured permisson to get one. After that I had bought shoes-we could either buy our own shoes or wear the brogan-like product of the prison also a feather pillow from another man and many articles from the commissary.
 My account as shown by the bal ance sheet from the outside office was exactly thirty-four cents. That would not go far toward the pur- chase of either of the works sug- gested by that editor, to say nothing about a typewriter, even if one would be allowed-and up to that time there had never yet been such a machine behind those walls.
 My situation just then was per haps something like that of a man who told be about very nearly starv- ing to death once in New York city. He had worn off his shoe soles try ing to get employment. then after getting weak from lack of food he
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-01
By J. R. Mccarthy

can sign them up. easily. And can write the copy. MT. Green really must be made to see it!"
 No" said Burton emphatica Better not say word to him about it. It makes him mad"
 Seeing the fire In the desirable Miss Dorothy's eyes, Burton moved away, quite hopeful in his head, but elsewhere somewhat sad. Green; handsome and dapper. was well ahead of him, he knew, In the race for Miss Dorothy's approval. '
 Three weeks later Rufus Burton returned, fatter and funnier than ever, from his vacation. When he went to the office, Miss Dorothy was not at her desk. But presently the door to Greens office opened, and the young lady in question came out. She was dressed for the street.
 "Oh. Miss Dorothy, I'm glad to see you again" said the round man.
 The young lady smiled and held rected him, archly.
 Burton watched her disappear through the outer door. He was still standing, open-mouthed, when Green appeared and stepped up to him jauntily.
 fat man, weakly.
 Thank you! And say. Burton, Eve decided to try out that idea of yours. I-I-er-Mrs. Green thinks it's great"
 Two minutes later Rufus Burton. alone, leaned back dangerously in his overburdened chair. His jello- belly rolled with the laughter of an incurable optimist.
 A new spider was on the ceiling. Nobody loves a fat man." Burton told the new spider, butt takes a lot more than one thin man to hest him!"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-01
BURN FLAUBERT LETTER
Announced Intention Of Paris Edi.
 tor ArOuses Indignation

Announced Intention Of Paris Edi-
 tor ArOuses Indignation
 Living Age.
 Paris was agog a few weeks ago over the announcement by Arthur Mayer. editor of Le Gaulois, that no matter what 1t cost he intended to purchase and burn an autograph let ter of Gustave Flaubert in the collec- tion of Robert de Montesquiou.
 The letter was. included in a first edition of Salammbo. It contained three or four sentences of extremely erotic character which M. Mayer con- siders damaging to Flaubert's mem cry. Twenty years ago M. Mayer purchased and burned on similar grounds a letter written by Alfred de Vigny to Marie Dorval.
 All is not smooth sailing, however for the puritanic Parisian news paper owner. Several eminent critics with Paul Souday at their head. have raised an outcry over the proposed destruction. M. Souday complains that the document in question con- tains Flaubert's views of the theatre which ought not to be lost merely to protect the morals of the Parisiens. He declares that if he were suffi- ciently wealthy he would outbid M
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-01
Molly Molly"

When Kate Ogilvie heard privately that 1t was the pretty girl in the Rev. MT. HaywC od's choir who had thrown over an admirer on the strength of advice from Molly Mol Joy" of the "Hearts-eas page of the Montreal Weekly Meteor, she ex- perienced a sudden distaste for her job. For she herself was Molly Mol Joy, and had hereto fore given coun- sel on affairs of the heart with a zest' that the subsequent enthusiasm of the recipients invariably whetted, and which was rarely dampened by untoward happenings.
 In this particular case, on the testified diffiderence and lack of resolution of a needy sutor, she had advised bringing an unsatisfactory Understanding" to an end, and the accepting of a wealthy, if elderly. admirer. And the passionate cry of the discarded one: "To Hell With Nelly Molloy! You might have given me a white mans chance to mak e good" borne through strange chan nels to her ears. made her so sick at heart that she threw up a good position and went to visit an old col loge chum in Los Angeles. Later, liking the new environment, she
 
 world, but finding conditions diffi- cult in the Pacific Coast city, went pro tenn into the receiving depart ment of a drygoods store as a book Ike eper And there, in the course of the following year. she made the ac- ouaintance of Charlotte Boshyshell and Richard Appleton.
 Charlotte BCshyshell (known as 'BobbyD was twenty-two years of age and reasonably attractive, but having no steady beau was obsessed by the bleakness of the outlook. She had been In the receiving department for two years. Appleton, who had drifted down from Seattle or scme- where in the north, was understood to be aiming at the movies. He was nearer thirty than twenty and was of a studious turn. Bobby decided that he would suit her and strove to captivate him. even seeking advice from Washington, the married head of the department, as to how man might be 'vamped.' Washington had replied. with the emotion be- gotten of experience, that it was done "by a certain kind of look."
 But you need to have bright eyes to do that" said Bobby. And mine are as dull as anything"
 Well, I cant help you then," said
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-01

stood upon a corner thinking, Now there are hundreds of thousands of persons in this city who could and would give me a meal-maybe fifty in sight right now-if I only knew who they are; but here I am on the verge of starvation"
 Give Up My Shoes.
 So, while I was not suffering from lack of physical nourishment, the odds against my getting what was necessary for carrying on the writing business loomed so great, that l sat there thinking of how many thousands of good people would be willing tC help one who was trying so hard in face of enor5 nous odds to work out his salvation. If one but knew who and where they were. I could not think of trying to get money from my home people, they had been put to a straining ex- pense for me while my case was in the courts. The type of prisoners who had anything would merely tell me, if I tried to borrow from them, that as I was in 8 soft job that was on the side of the "screws"-the guards--I could look to them. But strict rules forbade the lending by any officer of money or anything, for me, that would be the merest fools play even to try.
 Several times I had to fight hard against that most weakening thing. self pity. Always though I re- membered the words of Marcus Aure- Illus: Self pity is the nearest ap- proach to cowardicG." I knew that the tnly way I might ever hope to meet with any success there was through continued struggle in the face of whatever adverse circum- stances might arise.
 My sleep was much broken on that first night after getting the letter from that friendly editor. About o'clock the following morning [ awoke. Suddenly. as if curtain had been drawn back, plan of action was unfolded before my minds eye. I would sell my mattress and feather pillow and use the old straw articles furnished by the state. My nice shoes would be traded for pair made in the prison shop, and could get at least two dollars more in that way. Then, instead of drawing tooth powder and soap as my monthly all lowance cf fifty cents worth of mer- chandise from the state, I would draw stamps-and I would use table salt secured from the dining room instead of tooth powder, and the prison-made lye soap instead Of a better kind. In that way l would be able to get the books and rent typewriter-provided I should be all lowed to have the latter.
 Not another wink did I sleep that night. I was anxious for try later In the day at selling and trading, and all looking to the hoped-for later success at writing.
 (Continued Next Sunday)
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-01
By J. B.. M. Clark.

thing on Molly Molloy. She hoped the details of her scheme would soften him. They didn't; they hard ened him. And he learned the identity of Molly Molloy.
 The trouble with you. Kate,s said Appleton soon after. taking hold of her chin and turning her face up to his, "Is that with all your knowledge of affairs of the heart, and your supposed deep understand ing of their workings, yCu have missed one very fundamental prin- ciple, namely that a man can very rarely be wished" off from one wom- an to another. Why didn't you tell me you were Molly Molloy-especial-A ly as you had a clear case?-"
 'I didn't know how you might take it," she said, her eyes dropping. "The clear case might have been diff ficult to establish. I didn't want to lose your respect-and SOL
 And so you did the foolish thingT he suggested, kissing her.
 Yes" she replied, with wonder full meekness for so self-confident and erudite a person.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-01

Mayer. but of this there is no pros- pect.
 The whole controversy is rather amusing in American eyes in view of the prCneness of Europeans to accuse everyone on this side of the Atlantic of hypocrisy" especially where affairs of this kind are con- cerned. Destroying evidence in this fashion Is at best dubious and cer- tainly anything but an honest way Of bolstering up the regulations of Flaubert and De Vigny-which rest on literary grounds anyhow.
 It is painful to think of the clamor that the Parisian press would raise were an American millionaire to in- dulge in such display of the power or the purse as M. Mayors.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-01

demonstrated a few of the peculiari ties of prison inmates little known to the world at large.
 CHAPTER 20
 In Crder that the reader may the better understand how that article of mine was accepted inside the prison, 1t will be necessary for me to say something about the various classes Cf prisoners. There are perhaps contrary to belief among some persons-several distinct types of men in a penitentiary.
 A great many persons are, I think, inclined to think of the total num- Der of prison inmates as certain type or class, and that they are in practically all ways different from the average human being. Such is not true in either instance; instead of one type CT class there are about six; and irPtead of their being Sar different Sm the average person, most of them are just a little bit different, namely, that their weak ness Is such that they were tempted beyond their powers of resistance and, in yielding to the temptation, they were caught by the law; where as those persons who never get into the penitentiary are not tempted tt commit the kind of offenses that call for a penitentiary sentence, or else if they be tempted they are strong enough not to yield. CT if not suffi- ciently strong to resist the tempta- tion, they haven't as yet been caught
 Once caught and convicted, one class is divided into three classes, as follows: First, those that have the sense, determination and strength to go out after first sentence in prison and go straight afterward; second, those that determine to go straight after getting out, but they fall again; third, the class that, believing it was mere chance or accident that they got caught, leaves the prison after that first term fully intending to try crime again.
 Such was in general the makeup of the personnel tf that prison at the time 1 wrote that first article for publication.
 My friend Brown, the ex-reporter and editor, who had suggested that I might help to bridge over that gulf of misunderstanding between the "outside" and the Mnside,' was there on his second term, and he had served a sentence in a middle-west prison also. His weakness was liquor and after prolonged drunk he would commit forgery.
 Brown was the first prisoner who spoke to me about the article. He had read 1t In one of about twenty copies that had been sent there di- rect from the place of publication.
 0 O O
 The Trestle Work.
 Well, Jack," said he, a smile overspreading his booze lighters
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-01
THEY WE'RE ORGANIZED

T TdT1IIET.
 Sam, the colored driver of an or team, saw a little lizard crawling up tree. He flourished his long whip and deftly slapped off the lizards head. Farther along the road, with skillful precision he picked a horse- fly eff the fence with the same weapon. His skill as marksman was next exhibited on a chipmunk that showed it's head above the ground
 A white companion finally said: Sam, take a crack at that hornets nest" Sam grinned and replied: No. suh; no. suh, boss; them fellahs b awganized."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-01
SYNOPSIS


 This is the true story of an ad- venturous youth. Curly Kane, once cowboy and Philippine campaigner. In western state he kills two street carmen while trying to hold them up, Is betrayed by an older criminal, and escapes lynching by being hur- ried from jail in disguise. His first step toward regeneration is a confes- sion. He is convicted of murder and sentenced to die on June 24, 1904. being given his choice of hanging or shooting. During IT months in Murderers' Row in. the peniteniary he hears the shots that legally end the life of another condemned. He wins a new trial, is sentenced to life imprisonment, and returns to the penitentiary as Convict No. 1866. He determines to redeem his life, wins advancement, and studies law. He manages not tC see a dining room riot so he need not testify at the in VeStigation.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-01

The resolve that I would learn how to write was made at the beginning of the year of 1911, when I was en- tering upon my eighth year of prison life. Although not yet thirty four years old, my hair, which had begun to turn gray while I was in the jail, was almost white. But for most part my health had been good and perhaps my facial expression was yet that of a man in his first youth.
 thought much-my reading included history, all kinds of fiction, essays, works Lf science, law, moral phil osophy. the Bible, current magazines and all available newspapers--I was far from being that type of person that rolls off the end of the tongue such expressions as write a book" as if 1t were something as easy to do as to walk a block. I knew that writing was kind lf science-art that had to be learned.
 Yet, irrespective of that knowledge and my ideas in general about the matter when I firmly resolved that even while there in prison l was go- ing to write things for the public at large to read. I little dreamed what an uphill fight l was entering.
 For a week or more I put in most of my spare time just sitting at my desk in thought or in walking back and forth Cn a kind of strip of car pet across that end of the cement floored inner office. The day man in charge of the cellhouse noted my conduct. and seemilgly tried various ways of helping me to drive away the blues-that being what he thought ailed me. Little the man knew of the many quirks and quirves incident to the activities of that writing bug"
 One day I told the cellhCuse cus- todian that if he wanted me for any
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-01

demonstrated a few of the peculiari- ties of prison inmates little known to the world at large.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-01

| Am An
 In the very next months issue of that little Ohio magazine, my article occupied the seat of honor. At this writing I do not remember my open ing paragraph, but the second para graph began with the following sem tence: Much has been written and said about prisons and prison in mates and the better plan of man. agement of and for them. That seems tC be an eternal question, or at least like Banquos ghost-it will not down."
 Of course a peculiar thrill of Jay attended my reading of that. my first attempt at writing for publication l had no fault to find with the thought of the thing; but the more read that article, the more errors of construction I found in it. And right there I learned one worth while rule concerning the business of writing, namely, never to be in haste about writing anything for publication.
 It seemed, however, that others paid more attention to the thoughts as expressed than they did to the construction. That article was re- printed in the Sunday issue tf local paper and I received a number of letters about it.
 But whoever imagines that the rank and file of my fellow prisoners hailed me as a Moses to lead them out of the wilderness, that person will have to turn his imagination in an op- posite direction
 The manner in which that article was accepted by the other prisoners
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-01

As to prison guards in general they are about like the average pC- liceman. That however, is not classi- flying them; for there are as many different types among prison guards and policemen as there are--in pro- portion to the number-different types among prison inmates or free people at large. In so many ways found out things concerning the characteristics of prison guards and officers in general at that place.
 Practically all were, I believe, hon est; a few, though-perhaps per cent--were just as crooked as the