davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-02-04
REVOLUTIONS HAVE FLOODED MARKETS
 WITH DIAMONDS
Frank Carpenter Tells How Rough Stones Are Split in Amsterdam Like
 StoVeWood
CARPENTERS WORLD TRAVELS Copyright, 1923, Frank G. Carpenter)


 AMSTERDAM. Holland, Feb. B. Have you bought that engagement ring yet? I mean the one you were pricing last week for the most won derful girl in the world If not, you had better get busy Diamonds are rising and the prospects are they will never again be as cheap as just now.
 The World war, which sent the prices of everything else to the heavens, flooded the market with precious stones. It impoverished the stable old families of Paris, Berlin and Vienna and their heirlooms have found the way to the pawnshops. It threw kings, queens and princes out of job, and they have been hawk ing their crown jewels to keep soul and body together. More than all else, the Bolsheyiks have stolen the great store of diamonds from the pal aces and churches of Russia and sur reptitiously scattered them far and wide over the earth. I am told the flood from these various fountains has now run it's course, and that the demand again exceeds the supply. Moreover, there is serious talk of mbination of the cut diamond deal CTS Into trust, like the great rough diamond syndicate, which, for de- cades, has controlled the output of the mines of South Africa and other diamond fields of the world. This information comes to me from the diamond magnates of Amsterdam and Antwerp, the two great centers where the finest and most costly stones are cut for the principal markets.
 Diamonds and the World War.
 Few industries have been more ef- fected by the World war than those relating to pearls. diamonds and other precious stones. Before the trouble began all mankind seemed to be buying. Antwerp and Amsterdam were taking all the rough stones they could get from Kimberley and the Transvaal and the Germans were exploiting the new diamond territory of their southwest African colony. At that time the British mines were producing about 5.000.000 carats per annum, and the German mines had already reached one-fourth of this production. The Germans were sell ing most of their product to the Ant werp syndicate, which was compet- ing with the London syndicate In the
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-02-04

rough diamond market; but they were also planning a German syndi- cate to be operated with German money and to have it's stones cut by German 1apidares so that the whole business would come to Ham, burg or Berlin. They had even is- sued circulars advertising for bids on that years output of the German Southwest African mines, allowing only such firms to complete as could deposit $250, 900 with their bids More than one million carats of diamonds were involved in the auction, and all told they were then worth in the neighborhood of S7,600,000.
 The German colonial government 1t Berlin had already sent out pro- paganda to advertise these south west African diamonds, and the mar ket created was such that the sup ply was exhausted before the end of each season. The diamonds were popular also with the cutters and polishers, because, although small. they possessed beautiful water and were easily worked. In 1922 nine teen shipments of these German dia monds, amounting to just under $5,000, 900 in value, were put on the market, of which about ninety-five
 
 John Bulls Diamond Mandate
 Then the war broke and the new diamond territory was fought over by the British and Germans, and at it's close was taken over by the British,-a small part of the great assets England obtained from the war. which she does not seem to con- slider in the debt she owes Uncle Sam. She has already begun to work these diamond fields, and in 1920 their output was more than six hundred thousand carats valued at S15, 100000. During the year 1919 she took from her mines in Kimber- ley and the Transvaal diamonds to the amount of more than S175,000,- 900. There was a slump in the out put of those mnies in 1920 but the supply of diamonds there is such that the London Syndicate can in crease or decrease 1t at will. I have visited both fields and gone down into the huge pipes from where the stones come, and it seems to me that they will be taking out gems there when we have the millennium. The Union of South Africa is the region where diamonds are found embedded in rock so that they can be mined. They exist there in great pipes of blue clay which some convulsion of nature has driven up through other and harder rock to the surface of the earth. These pipes are of enormous size and depth. The Kimberley mine which I visited is an ellipse about half a mile in circumference and now more than half mile deep The stuff taken out was solid mass of blue rock or blue clay, as it is
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-02-04
NEGROES ARE BEING ENTICED FROM SOUTH,
 IS CHARGE OF HARRIS
WASHINGTON BUREAU l
 THE AGE-HERALD ! WashfnQtou ID c Eeh 2

A remarkable movement of un- skilled negro laborers from southern to northern industrial fields, regard ed as extraordinary for winter and declared to be the first since the war, was noted officially by J. J. Davis, Secretary of Labor. today.
 That the movement is inspired in part by an advertisement of the rail- way bureau, East St. Louis, H., and others, alleged to be deceptive, was charged by Senator William J. Har- ris of Georgia tonight.
 According to Senator Harris, the advertisements appearing in south ern newspapers follows: "Firemen, brakemen. baggagemen, train port CTS (colored); $140-$200; experience unnecessary"
 The Georgia senator made public communication from Mayor M M. Stephens of East St. Louis, stating that the railway bureau required money from parties seeking employ ment, then recommended a course in the bureaus school to be followed by payment of certain portions of monthly wages. The mayor added that he had information that agents of the bureau had been hailed into court but had been able to secure vindication of charges of law viola tions.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-02-04
FAT PEOPLE CAN <
 REDUCE QUICKLY
New Discovery Makes It Possible t' Reduce Pound Day Without
 Dieting or Exercise.

Any fat man or woman can quickly and easily reduce to normal weight without dieting or exercise through the remarkable discovery of Rid-o-Fat by H. c. Haist, a Kansas City chemist.
 Ytu can eat what you please and as much as you wish, yet quickly reduce to the weight you desire. All you need do is to take one Rid-O-Fat tablet after each meal for short time. and the fat will vanish ss though by magic. Rid-O- Fat is a scientific product, has practically no odor or&taste and can be taken by any one with perfect safety, it is recom- mended and indorsed by the highest med.- cal authority.
 So confident is Mir. Haist that Rid-o- Fat will delight everyone that he generously offers to send free trial treatment to any reader who will write for it. This trial treatment is sufficient to reduce you from three to five pounds and will prove that you can be as slender as you wish without dieting or exercise.
 Simply send your name and address to H. c. Haist, 1880 Coca Cola Bldg, Kansas City Mo-, and the free trial treatment, will be sent immediately under plainswrap- per.-Adv.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-02-04
When Rundown or Recovering from the Crip--or if It Left You in "a Weakened Condition,
 Here's Good Advice

Atlanta, Car became ac- quainted with pr. Pierce's Golden Medical Discovery some years ago. I had contracted malaria and the Golden Medical Discovery cured me and then kept me in good health.
 My husband had the flu and it left him weak and scarcely able to be around. He took the Golden Medical Discovery and it helped him wonderfully. We find it is a great tonic for the blood" Mrs. J. D. Thompson, 209 Dalvigny St.
 Dr. Pierce's Golden Medical Dis covery is we'll known tonic and builder that can be procured in tab lets or liquid from your neighbor- hood druggist or send 10c to Dr. Pierce's Invalids' Hotel in Buffalo, N. Y, for trial pkg. of the tablets and write for free medical advice. Adv.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-02-04

called; it was peppered with dia- monds all the way down.
 There are number of other dia- mond pipes about Kimberley, all of which have produced vast quantities of these precious stones, but the greatest pipe of all is one near Pre- torie several hundred miles north ward. That pipe has an area of more than eighty acres, and drills sunk to a depth of more than one thou sand feet have shown it to be spotted with diamonds throughout. It was in this latter field that the mighty Cu1lman stone. the greatest diamond ever discovered, was found. How Biggest Diamond Was Found
 It was early in 1907 that I went to the Pretoria mine and had talk with Wells, the Irish laborer who dis covered the Cullinan diamond. I met also MT. Gullinan, the owner of the mine. The event took place shortly before my visit. The miners were just ending their work for the day and the last rays of the sun were shining on the side of one of the ex- cavations when Wells saw a ball of fire as big as his fist in the midst of the stones. He rushed across the great hole where he was standing, climbed up and grabbed the huge crystal in his two hands. He then
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-02-04

on the plans of the work but he stated that in all probability the specifications of the engineer would be ready for the meeting of the commission Tuesday week.
 That the contracts for the work would be let to prove separate bid ders seemed the manner in Which the building would be erected, they being; excavation and foundations; steel work, brick and finishing ana the mechanical features.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-02-04

takes two hundred of them to equal one carat.
 Marketing the Stones.
 After the stones are cut and poll ished they must be marketed This brings buyers from all parts of the world to Amsterdam. They come to look over the stock of gems, and con suit experts in making their pur- chases. Some of the experts tell me that diamonds are as different as ap- ples. potatoes or even human beings; there are no two alike. Each stone has it's own value, it's own character istics. it's own color and it's own points of excellence. The experts are like the tea tasters, who can tell at a sip just where the tea comes from and what it is worth. They know diamonds as the tea men know tea. They are called in by both buyers and sellers and one of them presides at every transaction. He is supposed to protect both buyer and seller and answer any questions either may ask. He gets one per cent cofnmis- sion from each party, or two per cent of all the money that passes.
 Uncle sam the Chief Buyer
 Within the past few years the United States has purchased more uidhioiuS thaH any otliSA SouheiS VI, ahu the probability is we shall be the chief buyer for years to come. Prior to the war we bought from twenty to thirty million dollars worth of dia- monds per year, this sum covering the two markets, Antwerp and Amster- dam. In 1919. before the business de- pression, we purchased more than at any time in our history. In that year, the declared value of our diamond imports from Amsterdam alone was s65 900. 900, or more than three dol lars for every family under the American flag. It was six times the average value of the years before the war, and three times that of any year
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-02-04
NOT READY FOR BIDS. ON NEW AUDITORIUM

It was expected through the city hall Saturday that. an effort would be made by E. Van Keuren, city con- sulting engineer to have the spec ifications for the excavation and foundation work on the new munich pal auditorium ready for the Tues day meeting of tine commission. This will require some time and it is hardly robable they will be ready for asking bids at that time, but they win oe ready by the next com- mission meeting it was assured.
 Commissioner Dickson was re- ticent in regard to any new move
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-02-04
LASKER REPLIES Te
 REQUEST OF SENATE

WASHINGTON. Feb. S.-operation of government vessels in tramp serv- ice is inadvisable and would be "un- business-like and an unwarranted waste of public funds," Chairman Lasker of the shipping board today advised the Senate in response to resolution of inquiry.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-02-04

Parents safe in allowing their children drink the milk the luncheons of the Birmingham City Schools Only milk served Board of Health and Education taking this precaution
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-02-04

Dr. Humphreys "Seventy-seven" is for La Grippe, Influenza, Ca- tarrh and for all kinds of Colds.
 One dose at the beginning is worth a dozen later on, keep it handy, in your pocket, take at the first chill.
 Medical Book, tells all, free.
 sOc and s1.OO at Drug Stores. or sent on remittance or c. 0. D. Parcel Post Humphreys Homeo. Medicine Co.,, 156 William St, New York.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-02-04
1 ONE KILLED AND FIVE
 HURT BY EXPLOSION

HAMPTON, Va. Feb. 3.-Benjamin NJ Johnson was killed and Earl Snyder seriously injured and four other civilian employees of the helium plant at Langley field were hurt when liquid air tank exploded shortly before noon today. The cause of the explosion has not been determined. Virtually all machinery in the plant which was used in the qualification of helium was totally wrecked.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-02-04

Why Science Believes That
to>Be Extinct for Millions of VI
of Argentina-The Expedition
cage Which Has Started GU
Siege, to Prove or Dispro
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-02-04
q 4


or
HIDING [.
By Erncs, Bzennecke.
Wv WILL Prof Riggs of Chicago succeed In iassoing
M a living pleiosaurus!
Wv The question is pregnant with fantastic
and romantic possibilities, for never was
stranger Quest undertaken by modern explorer than tnat
nm which this scientist has just set out
From time to time during the past few months brief
cvn, messages have triced of the widest portions
of South America and found their into the educa-
tonal and scientific of the civilized world telling
of strange giimss which travellers have received of
curious monster utterly unlike any kind of reptile, fish
fowl known to be alive within the memory of man. First
il was reported walowng in the mud of the Andean
Lake reon recently it has been said to be roaming
over the territory Chubut in the unexpored interior of
the Argentine Republic
1t been described giant soth as an enormous
Griffin as a tremendous, terrible variety of snakes again
as turtle swishing TAIL flappers fins for legs,
an prouding neck long again its body at
the end of wags comparatively small head chief
Nv mouth well fitted out with double row of sharply
pointed teeth From mouth to tall the monster was
said to be perhaps twenty feet long
Small wonder that the few wayfarers who claim to
have caught sight animal did not fit to arry
long in its vicinity but decided to seek immediate safety
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-02-04
nc, rr1fe,. rrr N1TT( DDruTcrODTr DEA cr

VA1V 11O Il 1W1
Y THE SOU1
Santa Cruz After gathering such ancient fossils
may be found in this region in which they plan to remain
during the entire southern summer Prof Riggs and his
companions will proceed norhward and into the interior in
search of pestocene specimens and the living peosauru
itself They expect remain in Argentina for least
year and half
Before embarkng the American scientist called Prof
Clemene One Director of the Buenos Ayres Geological
Garden, and received from him the latest word of the
ancient monster Prof Onel told him that reports of
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-02-04

living plelOSduIuS were SLlll D6lIR
ritory of Chubut, despite the failure
tine explorers to find the prehistori
This party, however, had confined il
lake region and, although fully equi
beast, had been forced to return with
slightest glimpse of it, or of any
have left.
II ROF. RIGGS was fascinated b
hoped he would be able to subj
report on his return. His chic
the finding of fossils of extinct Great
asserted, were still too indefinite t
any assurance of success. Jus
rations for the pleiosaurus hunt we
apparatus he took along with him,
knowing. But when he took his lee
courageously declared, 'If l meet tn
l.x;o& oro,nI l,.c ,aolr o,J loaJ b;r
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-02-04

AMERICAN .JUNGL
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-02-04

1 Huge Pleiosaurus, Thought
ars, Secretly Roams the Wilds
Under Prof. Riggs of Chi
Fully Prepared for a Long
re the Astounding Rumor.
the swampy forests and the great horned poacanhus crep
among giant rocks and shrubs Chief of ALL perhaps, the
dinosaur queer pearshaped BRUTE with its immense hind
limbs compromising somewhat for its short fore limbs mar
row chest and tiny head led in the for survival All
these strange species waged mpacabe against each
other killing and devoung whatever they could But few
like the peiosaurus survived than three million
years-which after all, is fairly long time.
One of the most engaging descriptions of this latter
beast is to be found in Henry Knpes "Nebula to Man,
an attempt to recount in rymg the early history of
our planet although imaginative writers, including Jack
ticr1or oofta
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-10-15
AS
NECESSITY
IN HOME
Doctor Tells How Current Can
Guard Against and
Cure Disease.

DR.. s. Dana Hubbard, director
of public health education and in
dustrial hygiene, New York City
Department of Health, believes that
electricity is as necessary in the
homes as it is in industry. He
considers that it plays a. very i'm
portant part in curing and relleV-
ing many diseases. and that 1t
actually prevents colds.
From the point of view of a
physician and welfare worker the
two electrical appliances most essen.
tial to every home are the electric
heating pad and the radiant heat
err" said DR.. Hubbard, when asked
his opinion. Before the arrival OF
electricity ] used to recommend
always having, on hand a water
bottle and q gas or an oil heater,
but to my mind, these no longer
fill the bill. Why they don't, any
one who has tried both can tell you.
Bottle Is Trouble.
First, because the hot water
bottle is a lot of trouble to refill.
and what is more 10 the point, can
not maintain constant tempera-
ture. Both gas and oil heaters
create odors, and therefore are un-
sanitary.
Personally l don't believe there
is another heating device that can
be more effectively used for SO
many different diseases-such as
overtired nerves, insomnia, pound
ing headaches, neuralgia, neuritis or
any other pain caused by inflsn'-
mation-than the electric heating
pad.
1T is particularly good in the
case of neuritis. an ailment thai
often settles in shoulders and arms
at this time of the year. 1t may be
interesting to know, that statistics
show that one out of every. three
or four persons of middle age, and
sometimes younger, suffer from
chronic neuritis. For this maladS
there is no better or more effective
relief than the steady Try heat
of the electric pad.
Heating Pad Is Good.
I'm the case of insomnia, neu
ralgia, pounding headaches and
overtired nerves, by placing a heat
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-10-15
TABLE
APPLIANCES
PLEASE
Family Returning From coun-
try No Longer Has to En-
dure Cherries Meal.

The day the family packs up bag.
and-baggage and moves into the
country and, similarly, the day of
its return to town no longer holds
gastronomic longings and culinary
dlsappointments. In the old days, II
cooking fuel was, for any reason,
non existent, cherries meal,
cooked possibly over a spirit lamp,
was your welcome upon arrival
home.
Nowadays, with transmission lines
criss-crossing the country, and cleo.
tricity waiting the pressure OF a
finger, the percoIator, electric grill
and toaster (all conveniently port
able) become part and parcel of your
personal luggage and assure your
having tasty, hot meal within a
few moments of your having set foot
across the threshold of your abode.
When the family includes small
children and there is milk to be
warmed or a special diet to be pre-.
pared this is q matter Of considerable
Importance If never before, your
electric table cooking appliances and
your immersion heater are now
worth their weight in gold.
Bacon and eggs is almost a stand
ara American breakfast dish and
this, with coffee and crisp, golden
brown toast, prepared electrically,
constitutes q morning meal which is
as ambrosia to the gods. Thus, the
First day in from the country may
start as smoothly as if the family
had not been rusticating in the
mountains or at the shore.
Further, when the trunks are de.
layed and the limited supply of clean
clothing carried in and-bags begins
to get low the motor-driven washing
machine and ELECTRIC iron or electro
ironer with their ease OF operation
will come to your rescue and in a
comparatively short time turn the
soiled clothing into clean, thus max
ing delay of the trunks a matter OF
comparatively little concern.
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-10-15
ELECTRIC FAN CAN KEEP
COAL DUST FROM HOUSE

Housewives will be glad to know
that by the adroit use of an electric
fan they can prevent coal dust
from so completely penetrating the
house at the time the winters fuel
supply is being delivered.
The fan, to do this, should be
placed upon chair or box faced
toward an open cellar window or
outside door in such a manner that
it will send a curren Of air across
the descending coal.
Be sure, however, to close all
other windows and, perhaps, keep
them closed a little while after
the fuel has been delivered. Thus
the coal dust in the outside air will
be kept out.
This same method can also be
employed when the furnace is being
shaken and the coal ashes shoVeleo
into waiting cans. If this is done
the tell-tale white dust will not
settle upon the furniture upstairs.
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-10-15
IMP ROV|SED PAD
MAKES HER
!. WARM
Electrical Continuance Con-
quers Chill of Early
Autumn Days.

All her life she had suffered with
cold feet and on this first chilly
day of fall she felt as If they
would never be warm again.
If she had had work to do that
would have kept her moving about
briskly she might have quickened
her circulation, but awaiting her
was big basket of stockings that
must be darned or the children
would not be decent for school,
There was nothing to do but slip
on heavy sweater, tuck her feet
up on a stool and endure be-
nurnbed and aching toes as best she
might.
Needed a Heater.
If only, she thought, if only there
were some kind of a small heating
apparatus in the house to use be-
fore the furnace was started! She
yearned for something that would
make her feet as warm now as the
electric pad had made them last
night in bed!
And then a sudden thought came
to her. If she could use the pad
at night to toast her feet. why not
avail herself of it to win comfort
Ill LHO OdyLA why SilC
have an appliance of this sort at
hand and still sit and SILVER?
Made Pleasant.
Action followed promptly on
thought. In two minutes she had
spread the heating pad on the has
sock that had supported her feet.
plugged the end into the nearby
convenience outlet and snapped on
the fullest heat. She exchanged
her shoes for felt slippers and as
soon as the chill had gone from tie
surface Of the stool put her feet
on 1t again.
over them she laid the warm
pad and on top of that a shawl,
tuckIng it in under the hassock so
as to keep in all the heat. In five
minutes her feet and ankles were
in delicious glow; in less thar a
quarter of an hour she was able
to snap off the current and sew in
entire comfort until her work was
done, her feet remaining delightful
~ warm under the shawl all the
time.