davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-13
MOTHERS OF FAMOUS
 MEN
The Mother of John Dalton

Deborah" is a strong name, and it carries with it memories of great Bible stories. Deborah Dalton, however, was no Amazon to sing a song of triumph for a cruel victory in war that she herself had caused. Deborah Dal- ton, instead of being a wild He- brew prophecies and leader, was a patient. kindly, understanding English Quaker woman. Her son, John Dalton, was a very lively youngster. When he was twelve years old he nailed a sign on one of the doors of the house and an nounced that he was opening school. Into the house there trooped a company of small boys, and young John Dalton proceeded to try to teach them. The boys became noisy. and the Quaker boy forgot he was a Quaker and tried to restore order. The result was that there was very lively fight that utterly upset the Quaker house and all in it.
 Boys were boys, even in ITS, in England. Young John Dalton amused his patient mother be- cause ne was forever borrowing her tape-measure and measuring everything in sight. He wanted to know just how long the house was. and just how far the path extended, and just how big around all the trees were. As he began this when he was nine ,pr ten years old, he kept everyone guessing. Deborahs family had been Quakers for years, as had the family of her husband. They lived upon the hills of Cumber- land. in England, a place that at tracted the poet Wordsworth, and there the father carried on his work of weaving. That boy, whose mother was so "pestered" by his oddities, became one of the greatest of natural philosophers, and the founder of what we call the atomic theory, the basis of all our present natural philosophies. When a mother sees her son doing odd things. like measuring walls, or trying to organize schools, she might as well watch him with in- terest; she may be locking at the future!
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-13
INV ssTIcATINc COAL RATES

Report of the federal coal commis- sion is to the effect that, roughly speaking, the consumers dollar for an- thracite coal is divided as follows: "Half of it pays for the coal at the mines, a quarter pays the freight and a quarter goes to the retail dealer. The item of freight charge is so large that it urges upon the Interstate Con- merce Commission re-eXamlnatlon of anthracite rates.' Acting on this rec ommendation, the Interstate Com merce Commission has ordered an in- yestigation of the rates charged by carriers for transporting anthracite. The investigation is a timely one. Freight charges are a considerable bortion of the coal bill of the nation. Even the citizen of Birmingham, who Is in the midst of the fields, pays an average freight charge of one dollar, while places in Alabama more remote from the coal fields pay as high as two dollars and half. The freight is ire 1uently quarter of the entire bill for bituminous as well as anthracite coal, and the coal commission will doubtless make the same recommends lions in the case of bituminous coal.
 The investigation by the fuel com -s1ission is throwing light on the coal problem that it is well for the public to have. The generally hay concep- tion of the coal bill has been based on what the digger has received. That S only one of the items. The freight md the retail handling are two equally
 nportant factors in the total cost of
 he coal by the time it reaches the consumer. The fuel commission was appointed to bring out all the facts concerning the industry. In calling intention to the large percentage of
 he consumers dollar going to the railroads for bringing the coal from the mines, it has started legitimate field of inquiry.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-13

pean unrest is huge and farreaching. The roots of the unrest are deep and it's branches reach high into the air. It is not necessary &or us to try to undertake the whole task of economic betterment at once. That would be folly.
 Nevertheless, there are certain countries which, with slight encourage ment of the proper sort, would quickly respond with productive endeavor. The real source of national salvation is within tn nations themselves, but our influence would go far towards lending the psychological stimulus needed to help them help themselves. Once the leaven got to working, it would spread just as surely and with the same degree of acceleration as did the unrest it seeks to displace. Grad ually, as confidence grew, conditions would soon improve everywhere. Things are as bad as they can get. There is no need why they should stay that way, if human intelligence were to give it's powers free scope. Per haps if we could turn our government over to thinkers instead of to politi- clans, that would be the first step towards universal betterment.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-13
JOHN-A-DREAMS
Dreams of Finding a Wedding
 Ring

Unlike the dream I discussed yesterday, the vision in which the sleeper believes she is finding a wedding ring gives her the an swer to the most important ques- tfon that can be asked girl, Will you marry me?" When the slumberer finds a wedding ring in her own home, she should say Yes" to the next man who asks her to become his wife. If she finds wedding ring on the street. in the woods, or in strange sur roundings, then her answer must be No" if she cares for enduring happiness. Very often this dream comes to unmarried women who are desperately in love with a cer- tain man. Observe the rules of this interpretation: If you find the wedding ring in your own home. accept the man and you will be happy. If you find it else where, tear your passion for him out of your heart, reject him as though you loathed and not loved him, because should you become his wife you will shed more tears than you ever thought could flow from woman's eyes. It is need less to say that this dream refers to single girls only. In the case of married women. like so many other visions of this kind, they ap- ply to the nearest relative of marriag cable age.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-13
WHY sHIPBUILDING DECLINES

It is no wonder that shipbuilding .ecords throughout the world have been declining, except for certain easily explained examples, such as Germany, where there has long been B cessation of ship construction. With the worlds commerce very inactive here is small need for additional ton- age. Most maritime countries have more ships than they are using. Ships are but the medium transporting goods across seas and oceans. Be- fore there can be cargoes there must be production, and before there is production there must be industry. The people of the world must get to
 lQrk. Their restlessness is not the ,ause of their idleness, but their idle ness is the cause of their restlessness. Work is the only sovereign cure for ahose political ailments with which so any people are affected.
 United States is, of course, not
 ,onsible for world unrest and non
 Effectiveness, but the United States uffers from it, and the United States
 as not done what she logically could cure it. On the contrary, both by 1ur foreign policy and by our ridicu- lous tariff barrier, we have so con- ducted ourselves as to kill foreign confidence wherever it has raised its head There are many who try to ,ponsor the view that the only alter .lative to national aloofness is na- tional mixing in with European troubles. It is wrong not to perceive that there is a middle ground far more safe than either the extreme that we are following, or it's opposite. Euro
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-13
POOR BOYS WHO
 BECAM ME FAMOUS By Frederick Houk Law
George Innes
By Frederick

"Oh, it's that good-forn nothing boy! He'd forget anything! I'm sick of him. It's this way all the timew The grocer was thoroughly vexed. Again and again he had told George Innes. his errand boy, exactly what to do and where to go, only to learn from angry GUS toners that the boy had done It. tie or nothing. Hes no good!" said the grocer-and so he dis charged the boy. He won't amount to hill of beans" so said the grocer. Others said the same thing-for George 1nnes had to work and kept on disappointing people. In the short time he had gone to school he had troubled his teacher to the breaking point. He simply won't work" they told his relatives. Instead of studying In school. or delivering groceries to the right places and at the right times, or doing any thing that people wished him to do, the boy fooled" with paper and pencil, making sketches. Someone who saw what he was doing was intelligent enough to believe in the old proverb, AS the twig is bent, the tree is inclined" That person advised George Innes' parents to send the boy to an art school. They sent him-and he continued to waste time, to neg lect regular work, and to draw such pictures as he wished.
 George Innes kept on, reading about art, studying pictures, try ing to draw, and devoting himself to the one thing he liked, the making of pictures. He found his way to France and Italy, and there he learned more about drawing and painting. As a result of all this independence of thought that people called waywardnoiss- he made himself one of the most original of American painters. He initiated none. He painted pie lures of scenes in the United States, and so thoroughly caught the spirit, the inner feeling of these scenes that he became fla nous. Rich people paid great sums for his works, and he. was honored by membership in the most exclusive art societies. When he died in 1894, both Europe and America spoke of him as one of the leading artists of the day--one If he had followed rule and cus- tom he would have lost in origi- nality.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-13
STILL AFTER MALARIA

In strong appeal to the people of the Tennessee Valley the Albany-De- catur Daily urges active individual and organized cooperation with Col onel William D. Wrightson, the fed eral governments representative in that section for sanitary and health It is pointed out that Colonel Wrghtson has wide experience and has made an enviable record in his work; that he served in the tropics under the lamented Gorgas, and Knows whereof he speaks" Colonel Wrightson advises that physicians of that section keep the county health officer supplied with full data as to where malaria exists and who are suf- fering from it's ravages. He further advises householders to screen their homes properly and that Standard city ordinances" against malaria be adopted by the Twin City councils. Surveys are being made to facilitate the digging of needful ditches to draw off water where malaria mos quitoes rapidly breed.
 The Daily says that little will be accomplished if, after the surveys are made, the ditches are not dug and the standing water is permitted to re- main. It is comparatively easy and requires no large expenditures to con trol malaria in section like the Ten
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-13
WHY THIS oNEsIDEDNEss?

Through prompt acquiescence in the request of Theodore Brent, federal manager of the Mississippi Warrior barge line, the Illinois Central will at an early date install weekly fast package rail service to and from Chi cago in connection with the barge line craft now operating between Memphis and St. Louis. The freight will be handled at the customary differential of twenty per cent. below the all-rail rate. Presumably the through rate divisions are fair between the rail and water carriers, as is generally the case with freight handled on the Mississippi end of the barge line system, a fact which renders that section operative at profit, while the Warrior section has lost money because the rail car riers receive much more than their share of the through rates. The Wa terways Journal declares that the H. linois Central complied with MT. Brent's request promptly, fully and even graciously."
 Meanwhile, the case of the Warrior drags on. The Warrior asks only what has been accorded the Missis- sippi. Friends of the Warrior natur- ally demand the reason why the Mis- sissippi section, already favored far above the Warrior section, continues to receive additional consideration, while the matter of through rates on the Warrior hangs fire and the ut most encouragement received by the shippers on the Warrior is to the eff feet that progress is being made" It is almost half-year since the h. terstate Commerce Commission told the barge line officials and railroad executives to arrange fair division of the through rates. That has not yet been done. While patience is be- ing exhausted on the Warrior section the Mississippi section gets further concessions promptly, fully and even graciously." Warrior shippers wish the Mississippi section to thrive and wants it to have the rates that will make it thrive, but they do marvel that the already-favored section of the federal barge line continues to se- cure with ease that which the Warrior has not yet obtained after months and even years of persistent effort.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-13
PEOPLES FORUM e
Stories of "Poor Boys"

To the Editor of The Age-Herald:
 For several months l read each day the column, Poor Boys Who Became Famous" wish every one, especially young boys and girls. could read this column, as there Is an inspiration in each ar ticle, and 1t would encourage poor boys and girls who have no ad- vantages to try to make a place In the world for themselves. With but few exceptions, all the great men and women were born and reared in savage poverty and had countless numbers of obstacles to overcome.
 Now also a large percentage of the world at the present time de- bends on the daily papers for their information and education. Even If an article is written in a skele- ton form and written correctly in this form, still 1t would furnish better information if 1t were bet ter worded. Recently there was an article under the Poor Boys Who Became Famous" column on Gen eral Lewis Cass. This article liIS offices General Cass held; but about fifteen words more, or two lines, would have made the article look much better. The article said that Cass served as secretary of war, minister to France, United States senator, secretary of state and candidate for president. I would have written this article to read: General Cass served as secretary of war in President An drew Jackson's cabinet. Was min ister to France from 1S3e to 1S42. (Wrote beautiful book on Louis Philipe, Kings Court and Gov ernment of France.") Candidate for president In 1s4S; ran a close race, but was defeated by Zachary Taylor. Cass was secretary of state under James Buchanan from 1857 to 1S60." We can see what a splendid statesman and diplomat he was. to have been on good terms with such men with such different temperament as An drew Jackson, James Buchanan and the citizen king of France, Louis Philipe. As long as these are historical articles, I feel that they should be made as plain as possible. T. c. McNEAI4.
 Birmingham. Ala, July 10, 1923.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-13
THE PEOPLE DEMAND IT

The legislature cannot properly turn deaf ear to the public demand for abolition of the convict lease system, both state and county. This is no passing hysteria that has suddenly struck the people of Alabama. It is not a demand that people emphasize because it is the fashion of the day to denounce convict leasing. It is not question on which the people of this state will change their minds next week or next month or next year, or at any future time. On the contrary, the outcry against convict leasing is the climax of the growing conviction of years that the system is incredibly abhorrent and out of date in a state that pretends in other respects to en- lightenment. It is all a question of whether the legislature will hear and heed the voice of the great majority of the sovereign people of Alabama, or whether it will consider only the small and trivial claims of financial expediency. Few thoughtful persons give credence to the assertion that the great commonwealth of Alabama needs the pitiful sums that come into the treasury from this inhuman prac- tice, which even those who advocate it's continuance cannot defend. If, in stead of trying to take this easiest way, the legislators will utilize their intelligence in order to find another way out of any attendant financial difficulty, they will receive the state wide approval of their constituencies. They will also earn the unmixed ap- proval of their own consciences, which must surely be worth a great deal to them.
 There are other ways, far less ob- jectionable, and indeed salutary, in which the convicts may be employed. There are the state roads, for ex- ample, which afford at least tenn porary recourse pending more per manent arrangement. Indeed, many SCdISS nave IL pIOIlCdDlt u make road work a permanent part of convict administration. Alabama is sadly in need of roads, and any pri- mary work to this end which may be efficiently performed with convict la Dor would be of far more value to the state than sums at present received from leasing. If there are additional sums needed to meet penitentiary ex- penses, there are sources from which the revenue may be obtained. There is no sound and democratic basis on which the legislature may ignore the plain will and desire of the majority of the inhabitants of Alabama, who have elected them to carry out the public will insofar as it may be as certained.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-13

nessee Valley. It is a mosquito-dis- tributed disease. Get rid of the mos quito, and the malady is soon stamped out. It therefore becomes a matter of cooperation by the people, if they would enjoy protection from malaria, Where there are large areas badly drained and providing breeding grounds for mosquitoes, small cities with limited means and restricted forces can accomplish comparatively little without individual and commu- nity aid. The people can control the situation. The government sanitary agent can only inspect, ascertain the needs, make recommendation accord ingly, and carry out only general ac- tivities.
 The people of Albany-Decatur and many other places in the Tennessee Valley are enterprfsing and public spirited. They have an intelligent ap- preciation of the value of the public health, and have shown it. With so capable an adviser as Colonel Wright son, they have the opportunity to ac- complish much for their section in abolishing malaria and it's primary cause, the mosquito. They have man ifested resolute purpose to make the movement real community asset and blessing. There is many another community that would do well to take leaf from the Albany-Decatur book
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-13
THRIFT IS STILL WITH US

Report of the federal reserve board shows that savings deposits in the country at large have increased ten per cent in the past year. It IS to be noted that the greatest savings III pro- portion have been in the San Fran cisco, Dallas and Atlanta districts, the
 first two showing an increase of eigh- 5een per cent, and the Atlanta dls- trfct, in which are Birmingham and Alabama, showing one of sixteen per cent. Of the three leading districts two are Southern, one being the South eastern and the other the Southwest .rn. The record not only indicates he prosperity of the South, but it also points to the character Of the Southern people for frugality. Wages nave been good in the South in the past year and the average return on all activities has been good. It is evil lent that the Southern people have earned more than a livelihood and
 hat the saving habit is as well grounded in the South as in other parts of the country. The American people as whole make more of a showing of reckless spending than is really the case. The savings deposits nave always grown when there was a yurplus of earnings to place in savings and, to the credit of the American people, be it also said, they have fea- :ured each period of prosperity with marked increase in the building of homes.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-13
DOBBIN STAYS ON

Milwaukee JournaO
 With one person out of every ten, or Is nine or eight this wear. in possession of a motor car. it looks as though Dobbin ought to have a vacation. But Dobbin doesn't get 1t. For there simply aren't so many Dobbins; the birth rate Is decreasing. Yet Dobbin Is standing competition rather well. for In spite of tractors and trucks. with an increase of fifteen per cent. in cultivated areas, which ordinarily would have meant something like twenty per cent in the number of horses, there is a decrease of only nine per cent. since 1909 in the number of horses on Wisconsin farms. And this does not compare with the increase in motor vehicles. This is interest," Ing in view of the number of graduation essays a dozen years ago and more, entitled, usually. "The Passing of an Old Friend"
 Dobbin isn't passing; far from 1t. Though birth control has re- duced this number a little, he is still very much needed. But the horse Is registering great change in another way. Horses are bred better; 76 per cent. of them in- stead of 35 have pure bred sires. Competition Is wedding out the inefficient horse; his work and his keep have to stand comparison with the work and upkeep of un- feeling gasoline machines.
 It's good news that Dobbin isn't going to leave us for a while. for he is an old friend, and there is something about the care and the response of horses that not only stirs our affections. but helps bring out tho human quality of men,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-13
Out of Luck

(Punch, London)
 Old Gentleman( engaging a new chauffeur): "I suppose l can write to your last employer for your character"'
 Chauffeur: I'm sorry to say, sir. each of the last two gentle men I have been with died in py service"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-13
The Last Straw

(American Legion Weekly)
 Jones, who has just received a notice that the house he had rented had been sold from over his head and he would have to vacate at the end of the month. swore violently.
 Henry" exclaimed his aston ished wife. Why, l never heard such language!"
 "Madame" believed Jones, do you hear what that daughter of ours is playing?"
 They listened, and up the stair way came the strains of "Tenting Tonight"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-13
As to Convict Mortality

To the Editor of The Age-Herald;
 l notice in today's paper that the death rate among the convicts at Aldrich is excessive for convicts or free miners As chief mine in- spector for seven and one-half years, the death rate for coal miners was always above 100000 tons for each man killed. The death rate for convicts I do not now recollect, but 1t was very much smaller than that of the free miner. I am satisfied that the rec ord for the convicts at Flat Top. Banner and Wegra would show less than the fatalities among free labor. J. deR. HOOPER
 Birmingham, Ala, July II. 1923.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-13

MT. Bok's hundred thousand dollar offer may stir up an interesting little contest for a while, but what the American people need and crave is l. long-term peace bond.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-13
Give Him His Duo

Too little appreciation often is shown by people for the work of the local preacher. Much Is ex- pected of the preacher and 1t is only fair that the people who ex- pect much should be willing to help more. The local preacher oten Is poorly paid. Is expected to work in season and out, not only at his regular church duties, but in every kind of community up- lift work. He gives his life to service, and with little hope of earthly reward. He should be given the hearty support and ma terial aid of the people of his community.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-13
Not Mentioning Names

(Atlanta JournaO
 It was Donald's first experience in grownup church. though the little chap had attended Sunday school. When the collection was being taken his father placed the weekly family offering in Nthe plate. The pew was a short one and no other contribution was re- ceived from it. This aroused Don aids curiosity, and he blurted out, with all the eagerness of child hood, trying to understand:
 Pa. did you have to pay for the whole rowo"