davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-08-07
JOHN-A-DREAMS
Dreams of the Torn Card

A torn playing card seen by a woman in her dream Is considered a certain sign of a grave disap- polntment in connection with ma
 terial matters. Let use assume that the dreamer expects to make a purchase for which she has saved money by denying herself little luxuries and conveniences What will invariably happen is that the money thus gathered will have to be spent In an unexpected and most unpleasant way and that this disappointment will be fol- lowed by period of discourage ment and dissatisfaction. The dream is rather vague one, in asmuch as it rarely indicates just of what nature the disappointmen will be, its only definite feature lying in the fact that 1t never refers to matters of the heart. but always to purely material things. If you should dream that you are picking up a torn card you will make valiant and perhaps sue cessful effort to ward off the dis appointment. But If you pass 1t by. or find yourself unable to take 1t, the interpretation given above will invariably hold good.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-08-07
BIG MEN NEEDED FOR BIG WORK

Efforts to secure the services of two men of ability in the constructive field to be at the head of two great enterprises in Alabama indicate a se- rious purpose to make these projects permanently successful. Whether or not the state can get General Goethals to head the port development at Mo bile, and General Sibert to be in charge of the big road construction program, mention of such men in this connection shows a realization of the importance of the projects, and a de- sire to carry them out in business like way. Aiming high at the outset is notable part of the lattle.
 Millions of dollars are to be in vested in these two great enterprises within the next few years. The cost of port development may run as high as ten millions. The cost of public highways may be twenty-five millions or more. These are investments which will contribute largely to the progress and prosperity of the state in years to come. Their benefits will be shared by every citizen of Alabama. They are permanent in character, basic in their effects upon the states develop ment in every field of worthy en- deavor. The best available talent and experience for carrying out enter prises of such moment would be cheap at any reasonable cost. Compensa- ton required for the right kind of men would be saved many times in econo- mics of costs and character of work obtained.
 The state cannot afford to bubble or hesitate over the expenditure of few thousands of dollars in connec- ton with the choice of the men who head the construction of these prof ects. Time and again large amounts of money have been wasted by putting cheap and incompetent men at the head of big enterprises. Port devel- opment at Mobile and properly con- structed highways are too costly and too important to be placed in hands of any but men of ability, experience and character. Such men cannot be secured on niggardly pay. Alabama is able, and should be willing, to pay any fair and reasonable amount to the right kind of men for these responsi- ble and far-reaching services.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-08-07
FOR THE PUBLIC SAFETY

War on the speeder, the Joy-rlder, the careless truck-driver and all oper- ators of motor vehicles who persist in disregarding traffic ordinances and safety regulations is increasing in its purpose and force as the list of killed and injured steadily mounts. During the last week or so the situation has become so serious that the Birming- ham Motor Club has become active in it's efforts to stop the evil, and has appealed to all law-abiding and self respecting citizens to cooperate in the interests of the public safety. Ac cidents are on the increase. It is be- coming dangerous for the pedestrian to cross the streets in certain dis tricts. Passengers alighting. from street cars frequently take their lives in their hands when stepping to the streets and trying to dodge reckless motorists who flagrantly disregard the safety regulations. Many of the vio- lations are from boys cutting corners or rushing over crossings with no re- gard for the speed limits. Driving on the wrong side of the street is ire quently witnessed, while racing to get ahead of someone else is a common offense.
 The motor club is to be commended for it's efforts, and is entitled to the cooperation of all who respect the laws and feel concern for the public safety. Every citizen who assists in this movement by reporting offenses to the authorities with proper data on which to base action is friend of Birmingham and is entitled to the public gratitude. When violations are proven, light fines have little effect. The punishment should be sufficiently serious to make the first offender stop and think. Sometimes jail or even penitentiary sentences are needed.
 Birmingham streets, especially in the business district, are becoming dangerous for pedestrians. This is partially because of thoughtlessness of motor car drivers. Many of them do not seem to realize the danger of a motor car carelessly handled. A vigorous campaign of education with a wedding out of speeders and reck- less drivers through cooperative eff forts and influences by all who have at heart the interests of the commu- nity, will go a long way towards inn proving the situation and protecting the public from senseless and mex cusable disregard of the rights of others
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-08-07
THE PUBLIC SERVICE
Clos Angeles Times)


 The head of the worlds greatest mail order industry, who has been travelling extensively, says that unless we can develop more re- spect for our public men we can not hope to remain in an advanced position on the honor roll of civ ilization. There are thousands upon thousands of citizens who have accustomed themselves to looking upon their public ser wants as incompetent and corrupt not some of them, but all. How can those who wish to serve with honor and zeal hope to accomplish anything when their motives and ability are being ceaselessly as sailed from all quarters? This great merchant insists that there is an unusually high average of probity and competence in the public life of America, and he holds that the people and press should be patriotic enough to ap- preciate the fact. It is pleasant to find an optimist In the con- temptation of our officeholders. We hope he is right, and we rather think he is. We take pleas ure in the assumption that a ma jority of those in the public serv- ice honestly aspire to serve the public.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-08-07

survey and determination of what should be first done for port improve ment. People of Alabama feel no un- easiness in that quarter, nor is there cause for any.
 Alabama cannot get about this job too soon. The port of New Orleans is not the only profert of the splendid results of port improvement. There are Los Angeles, San Francisco and Houston, all of which have increased their port commerce by leaps and bounds since public funds backed these various improvements. Financial re- turns have more than justified the investment in each instance. New Or leans has become the second port of strategically with reference to the heart of the Mississippi Valley and the great Middle West, whose largest pro- ducing centers are practically on a direct north and south line with it. Alabama needs export facilities as much as, if not more than, any state in the Union, and the sooner we have them at Mobile the sooner will we reap the prosperity incident to traffic with the world in our surplus products Farms need export facilities as much as factories and vice versa. In this instance Alabama interests are a unit
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-08-07
MOTHERS OF FAMOUS
 MEN


MOther OI JHheS nusSel LOWeIl
 Far to the north of Scotland lie the Orkney Islands, set in fog ridden, stormy ocean. There, in ancient times, pirates found their homes. The great castle of one of the wild lords still stands there, it's chimney place deep enough to hold a team of oxen and a load of huge logs. On that same island are mounds that shelter the bones of prehistoric men who lived in the far north in still wilder days. From Orkney people came the an cestors of the mother of James Russell Lowell, one of the most cultured of all American essay ists, poets and statesmen-a man who not only wrote great poetry, but who also served the United States well as it's representative to Great Britain.
 Harriett Bracket Spence was a great-niece of the grandmother of Charles Lowell, the father of the great poet. Her home was in that "city of the sea" of which Longfellow wrote-Portland, Me. Charles Lowell, as a boy, often went to visit his grandmother who had gone to live in Portland There he found a lively little girl Harriet Spence-whose company delighted him. He romped and played with her. for she, too, had the delight of visiting in the home of her great aunt, for whom she had great respect. She knew and cared very little about her Orkney ancestors, but in her blood there was the song of the sea, the strain of adventure.
 When Charles Lowell grew older he did not forget that early play mate, whose acquaintance he treasured. He married her. There were six children, of whom James Russell Lowell was the youngest. In his energy, his personality, his power over men, and even in his viking like appearance, there Is more than trace of those old Ordney people, from whom his mother sprang.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-08-07
A BETTER MILK PROSPECT

Jefferson county dairymen have reached the goal of economical assem- bling and retail distribution of milk
 and dairy products aimed at in the past two years. On completion of the milk station near the Terminal station they see the saving of hours of time anl labor per diem and the abandon ment of more than hundred trucks and teams. The former over-burden of time and labor is now transferred to exclusive care of the herds, the pastures and farm by-products. The milk is to be brought to the city sta tion in trucks serving all the dairymen, and retail distribution is to be from the station. There will be no duplica- ton of routes. The plant covers spaca one hundred by twenty feet, and the building is a two-story permanent brick structure equipped with modern
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-08-07

appliances with an expert milk handler in charge. This station will handle the entire product of one hundred and fourteen dairies.
 Every process from the time the milk reaches the station until it Is delivered in bottles to the consumer protects the milk from the open air and contact with germs. Whatever residue of milk there is will be con- verted into butter and other by products. The milk will be uniform in quality, and consumers will be pro- tected by the high standards of mod ern treatment in an up-to-date milk preparing plant. The Jefferson County Dairymen's Association is to be com mended on this businesslike arrange ment for the economical and standard ized assemblage and distribution of their product. The people of Birming- ham face wEat seems an apparent as- suredness of more convenient, regu- lar and stable supply of high-class milk of a guaranteed standard.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-08-07
Co-Operation From Italy


 Premier Mussolini has shown his common sense by seeking to cooperate with the United States in the hand ling of immigrants, in so far as Italy is concerned. Instead of resenting the American restriction, he has suggested that the Italian government assist in selecting the immigrants, promising to send the best available and the classes that will be of most benefit to the United States. The immigration law is very likely to be revised at the next session of congress. Under some such agreement as the Italian premier sug- gests, it may be possible to increase the Italian quota, with profit both to America and Italy. Indeed, if other governments of Europe were willing to subscribe to some such agreement, whereby we would receive a higher class of immigrant than have been coming, it might be possible to modify .he law.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-08-07
POOR BOYS WHO
 BECAME FAMOUS
Richard Henry stoddard
By Frederick Houk Law


 In New York City, about 1s40 young blacksmith hammered away at his anvil and made the sparks fly. To all appearances he was an ordinary blacksmith, ex- perienced, strong and willing to work long and hard. In one way or another he worked in iron un- til he was twenty-four years old Then, suddenly, he gave up his grimy work and became a writer for a magazine, a poet.
 The change was not as sudden as 1t seemed. "Dick" Stoddard, the blacksmith. had had to work for a living. He had been ten years old when his father, the New Eng land sea captain, died and left him and his mother to make their own way in the world. The two had come to New York City, and the boy had gone to school. When he grew old enough to work he had become a blacksmith. People saw him working at the anvil; they did not see him in the evenings read ing the best books he could find and trying to write down the thoughts that filled his mind. In the daytime he worked so we'll that he made himself good blacksmith and a good iron mould CT; in the evenings he worked so well that he made himself a good writer.
 At twenty-four the young black smith published book of original poems, and definitely turned to lit- erature. He lived fifty-four years after that. and wrote and edited so many books that his works, brought together, would fill sev- eral shelves. He gained recogni- tion as one of the best of Ameri- can poets, a lover of beauty and of gentleness, a master of the art of versification and a profound teacher. The life of such a man shows what any man with real ability can accomplish If he will only make the effort.
 The material that the young blacksmith sent to magazines won him the friendship of Nathaniel Hawthorne, who aided him to be- come a customs house inspector in New York. In that employment. and in other public positions, he worked faithfully for twenty-five years. In his later years he was editor of various publications. He made himself great because he was Willing to work both long and hard.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-08-07
PROMPT ACTION ON PORT AID

The legislature will doubtless carry out the will of the people with regard to port aid with promptness. The ex- pression at the polls on the submission of the amendment was so nearly unan- imous and reflected such a universal approval of the project that the legis- lature need feel no qualms either about passing the enactment bill or in voting liberal appropriations for beginning the work. The state har- Dor board has proven it's ability to
 handle this matter. It is composed of business men of boise and vision.
 They have not been dilatory or nasty in the preparations made for expert
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-08-07
The "Selective" Plan Washington Star)

Secretary Davis of the department of Labor is now in Europe, where he has been visiting many nations in his study of the immigration problem. The secretary believes that the immi- grafton law should be amended so as to provide for "selective" immigration for the benefit of the United States. He believes, too, that rigid examina- tions should be given in the foreign countries before the immigrants ever start for the shores of the United States. In this way many tragedies enacted at Ellis Island and other inn migration stations could be avoided. Aliens who had spent their all with steamship companies to reach the land of promise would not so frequently have to be deported.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-08-07
Some Helpful Suggestions (Washington Post)

Secretary Davis has definite ideas which he hopes to apply to the situa- ton. He would sift out aliens at the country of departure; those admitted would be required to go on to their ultimate destination; and he would require all admitted aliens to register, in order that the government may keep track of them. These are good suggestions, and if adopted would work a great reform. The deeper problem would remain unsolved, but at least the manner of administering the immigration laws would be greatly improved, and there would be less injustice to aliens through the rapacity of steamship lines and otherwise.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-08-07
Children Born at Sea
(Columbia Statel

Immigration Commissioner Curran, so far as immigrants are concerned, has now promulgated the ruling that child born at sea, when its mother is coming to the United States, is an American citizen, regardless of the na- tionality of the ship on which it is born. This ruling is made because, under our wise law, baby of three days old, if it exceeds the quota of the country to which it is accredited, must be deported. The mother of the baby is kindly given the privilege of also being deported if she objects to sepa- ration. The immigration commits sioner is given no discretion. But he may make some rulings and this one will stand unless or until overruled by the United States congress in sol emn session.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-08-07
A Good Measure


 The state senate has passed the Poster bill reducing the size of the state highway commission to three members, and that these members shall devote their entire time to the job. This is a good measure, and should be adopted by the house. There has been a great deal of dissatisfaction with the present system. and much crit icism of the expense of building Alabama's roads. If the new law is adopted. and commissioners are named who are practical road builders and business men, and men not engaged in the political game, it will be a great forward step for Alabama. Another good feature of the bill as passed by the senate is the provision that the feature of the bill as passed by the state aid roads connecting the va rious county sites must be laid out by the shortest. most direct route. This should save money and should be benefit to the peo- pie.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-08-07
PRESS COMMENT
 ON IMMIGRATION
Restriction Necessary
(New York Herald)

Even the employers of the United States are beginning to realize that some immigration restriction is neces- sary and wise, fact demonstrated by such statements as that of Edward A.. Filene in the Saturday Evening Post. Unrestricted immigration would mean, soon or late, as MT. Filene says, acute labor troubles such as we have not so far experienced. A country pays in times of depression for the importa- ton of cheap labor in good times. But that the existing immigration law solves the problem of restriction in a manner in any way compatible with the dignity of great nation nobody believes.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-08-07
CIRCULATING ABOUT COOLIDGE

Already there are many reports and any amount of comment about the new presidents foreign and domestic pol icies. Americans, who are chiefly concerned about the governments at titude towards and relations with home affairs, are manifesting little less interest than are the people of Europe whose future is largely de- pendent on America. In England France, Italy, Russia, and many of the smaller and newly created nations, the people are intensely interestd in the Washington government under the re- cent change of head. Millions of peo- pie in America whose material welfare is at least partially dependent on Eu- ropean conditions as they may be af- fected by American policies, are ask ing and wondering what to expect.
 All of this is largely speculation. President Coolidge has stated that he will have nothing definite to say until after the funeral of the late President Harding, and President Coolidge has a will of his own and is a man of his word, when he talks at all While he has doubtless given some thought to foreign and domestic problems since he became president, the death and funeral of his predecessor have been a strain upon him, and not for an- other week or more could he be req sonably expected to determine any thing definite on matters of govern mental policies. Both America and Europe will have to be content to wait for some specific announcements. I'm patience, criticism, pressure, all con- tribute to additional worry and strain on the president, and this country al ready has an illustration of what such situations do even to a man of com paratively strong physique.
 President Coolidge is to certain extent an unknown quantity as re- spects the duties of the chief execu- tive. He is as one untried. That he has an enormous burden to carry. in- numerable complications to face, great responsibility to shoulder, is about all that can be definitely said of him. He needs the sympathy and co-opera- tion of every American citizen. He is honest, patriotic and firm. He wants to do the right thing. To find out what that is will heavily tax his intel lect, his industry and his character. He assumes his duties under exceed ingly difficult conditions. Few presi- dents have been called upon to at tack more arduous tasks. While he will doubtless undertake to carry out the policies of his predecessor, it re- mains to be seen whether that is within the bounds of possibility under the ever-shifting character of political and economic conditions. Until he makes definite statement of what he will try to do forecasts and rumors on the subject are but guess work.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-08-07
JEWISH LAUGHS By Jacob Richman
IIis Cruthce. Dircarded. But--

HIS CEutnCeA DlHCdTueus out---
 A group of "chassidim" were celebrating a festival in the house of a colleague. Naturally the pre- dominant topic of conversation was the super-human attributes of their respective "rebbis." Each was telling a story or two to Illus trate what a miracle man his spir- itual leader was.
 A "misnaggid" Gone who does not believe In rebbis) who was in ! their midst said he, too. witnessed the performance of a miracle by a rebbi
 Moo, moo, tell us what you saw" chorused the "chassidim," " "surely, if a 'misnaggid' admits that he saw a miracle 1t must be something astounding"
 "Once, while I was visiting the rebbi of Kotchke," began the scep- tic, "a lame man entered his house and pleaded to have the use of his legs restored. The unfortunate missed his legs from his knees down and was walking on crutches. The holy man took pity on the cripple and told him that before leaving the house he would have two perfectly good legs.
 "'Do whatever I tell you. eau toned the goodly man. First throw away your right crutch.'
 The lame man did what he was told.
 Now, throw away the other crutch,' said the wonder worker.
 The patient did so.
 Moo, moo, what happened them" shouted the enthusiasts.
 Then" said the "misnaggid." slowly and deliberately, then the poor fellow fell with a thump to the ground"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-08-07
Many From England
(St. Louis Globe-Democrat)

(St. Louis Globe-Democrat)
 Advices from Southampton offer striking evidence of the pressure of hard times in England in reports of heavy movement from that port of immigrants to the United States, wanting to be counted in the August quota. Such figures are conclusive as to a pronounced movement. It is a reasonable assumption that by far the larger part of these immigrants are English, not only because of the much greater population of the country, but more because times are not hard in Ireland, oLce our greatest source of Anglo-Celtic supply, and they are not nearly so hard either in Scotland or Wales as in England, which is bearing the brunt of eadjustment."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-08-07
As tO SnIarfeS
Hs NO SdtHTICS (Ga q sd Q n Iii NarrraA

NUdUSutII T IINItS-NtWSJ
 The present bill for reducing the salaries of the state officials was introduced by Representative Stewart of Bibb county. It pro- vides for a general reduction of state salaries. which were raised in 1919 to meet the increased cost of living. The cost of living has been reduced very little, if any, since-that time, but this bill fails to consider that. Economy Is to be greatly desired, but it would appear that such program as is proposed in the Stewart bill would nave strong tendency to lower the standard of the personnel of the state government and thus prove economyi