davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-04-13
EARLY DAY OIL WELLS
Quick Wealth Game To PennsyIyan.
 ians Who Little Expected It

Everybody thought Colonel Drake had gone clean crazy" when one day, in 1859, he set forth to what later be- came known as the Oil Creek region in Pennsylvania on his absiifd quest of oil, of which he knew nothing except that it was the basis of liniment made by a New York firm of druggists.
 With "Tinecum Bill" salt we'll borer, as assistant, he put down his first drill on the first of July; and the morning of August 30, having left the work the night before with the drill down nearly 70 fet and still no oil in sight, he found, to his delight. that the well was full of oil
 < Not long after Drakes sensational discovery, the Funk" well was gush- ing forth at the rate of 900 barrels a day, and Farmer Funk found himself millionaire within a month. Soon the Phillips" well on the Tarr farm was spouting at the rate of 2,000 bar rels daily, and gold was pouring into Jim Tarr's coffers at an amazing rate. And still more romantic was the ex- perience of the famous Coal Oil John ny" and of Jim Sherman, who bought a lease of the Foster farm for $500. struck oil almost immediately, and within a few years saw his $500 con verted into millions.
 Such are few of the romantic stories of the cradling of this gigantic in- dustry. which in the United States alone was to yield millions of gallons a day, and make multi-millionaires of dozens of men.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-04-13
BESSEMER SOCIETY

Mrs. Bentley Hostess-The Matrons club was delightfully."- entertained Fri day afternoon at the home of Mrs. Charles Bentley. The house was dec orated with roses, hyacinths, carna- tions and dogwood, and HOS" was fea- tured during the afternoon. Luncheon was served at i o'clock and after the games prizes were awarded to Mrs. c. w. Mcdonald and Mrs. H. S. Salmon. Those enjoying this hospitality were Mrs. George Waller, Mrs. l.. l.. Vann, Mrs. Bryan Waller, Mrs. George Rut- ledge, Mrs. E. l.. Read, Mrs. N. B. Parker, Mrs. John Neal, Mrs. Lee Moody, Mrs. E. K. Miller, Mrs. How ard McEniry. Mrs. c. w. Mcdonald, Mrs. w. w. Hollingsworth, Mrs. E. P. Lacey, Mrs. G. B. Hollingsworth, Mrs. Gordon Jones, Mrs. c. A. Harris, Mrs. T. C. Donald, Mrs. Tom Benton, Mrs. W. r. Golson, Mrs. W. E. Suratt, Mrs. George Ross, Mrs. Herbert, Mrs. Eugene Honeycutt, Mrs. N. D. Bentley, Mrs. S. We Corckle, Mrs. J. c. B. Gwin, Mrs. H. s., Salmon, Mrs. B. L.. Huey, Mrs. T. c McElreath, Mrs. H. l.. Rains, Mrs. Julian Erlick and Mrs. w. E. Walker.
 Birthday Party Given-Mrs. T. R. Mitchell entertained Friday afternoon at her home for her son, Tom, Jr., there being a large number of young people present. The house was attractive in Easter decorations, and several games were enjoyed. The prize, a large egg filled with bon bons, was won by Robert Rarden, and later the hostess served punch with individual cakes, Miss Jack Porter assisting.
 Entertains at Nah Jong-The Nah Jong club was delightfully."- entertained Friday afternoon by Mrs. Julian Erlick at her home on Clarendon avenue. Pink hyacinths and spring blossoms were used in the decorations with pleasing effect. The prize, handcarved beads, was drawn by Mrs. Joe Little, and sf- ter the games the hostess served salad and ice course. Those present were 1: Mrs. Bruce Snider, Mrs. Little, Mrs. Guy Wilson, Mrs. J. c. Pope, Mrs. Mac Batson. Mrs. J. c. Wilson, Mrs. M. c. Ragsdale and Miss Clara Eugenia Donald.
 MuscOda Club MeetS-Mrs. Ewing Carter was hostess to the Muscoda club Friday evening. The house was at- tractive in spring blossoms and ferns, and after a series of games Mrs. Milton Baird won the ladies' prize, wax pastel
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-04-13
SMITHS SALARY
 HIGHEST OF ALL
New York Central Presi. dent Paid $1OO,OOO
 Per Year

Fate tried to conceal him by naming him Smith"
 But Alfred H. Smith, 14-year-old, $4-a-week office boy in the office of the purchasing agent of the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern tAiiroad, at Cleve- land, forty-six years ago paid no atten- ton to what Fate was trying to do. He had plans of his own. And when he was. killed recently by a fall from his own horse in Central Park, New York, he was president of the New York Cen tral Lines and the highest paid railroad president in the United States, says the New York World.
 Forced To Give Up College -
 Mir. Smith was born April 26, 1863, in Cleveland, the youngest of five chil- dren. He was hoping to go to college when the death of his father made it necessary for him to go to work. He was a good messenger boy and ran er- rands, filled inkwells and wrapped par cells so diligently that in time he was made clerk. At 19 he was getting $50 a month.
 Then he gave up his job and went to work as laboror in construction gang at $1.50 a. day and no pay if it rained or the gang was laid off.
 He made the change deliberately, he explained afterward, feeling that his flu ture lay in railroad work of the kind whose A B c is pick and shovel and the moving cars. He was pale and soft from office work and weighed only 130 pounds. His first job was at one end of cross-cut saw.
 Health And Knowledge
 The experience laid the foundation of his success. As his muscles hardened and his palm grew tough. he developed the extraordinary physical strength which enabled him as an executive to outwork all his employees. He gained the knowledge of details of railroad construction and operation, of the men on> engines and in construction gangs, roundhouses and switch towers.
 He became foreman of his gang, then general forman of construction gangs, then superintendent of the Kalamazoo division-a long jump upward.
 In 1901 he was promoted to assistant general superintendent of the Lake Shore. The same year he advanced to general superintendent In 1902 he was transferred to the New Fork Cen tral and Hudson River; in 1903, pro noted to general manager in January, 1914, elected president of the New York Central lines
 Salary $lOO.OO A Year
 Those lines now have a main line trackage of 12,428 miles, and employ 175,O00 people. Mir. Smiths salary has been said on good authority to have been in the neighborhood of $100, 900.
 A favorite saying of his was: A man can only succeed when he>likes his work" He also said :'In running railroad or any other kind of business, 95 per cent depends on the human be- ings in it. Success comes from the hu- man heart, not from machinery"
 When the railroads were put under government control during the war, Mir. Smith was made regional director for the eastern part of the United States, including some eighty thousand miles of railroad serving fifty million persons. or a little less than half the population of the country.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-04-13
QUEENS SECRET CODE

English history cites many examples of secret code writing. Mary Stuart, queen of Scots, for instance, used a grill" that is, a piece of ordinary sized notepaper from which several ob. long pieces had been cut. The recipient of the letter placed the ''grillv over the writing and read through the cut-out spaces the secret message. The grill is, of course, good only for short com munications, writes John A. Crone in the New York Tribune.
 One of the earliest known military dispatches of the Indians was a picture of bird, buck and the moon. It was sent by the Mohawks, allies of the French, to the latter in the war with England in Canada. It meant that ''they" (the warriors departed from Canada) were represented by bird just taking wing from the tops of mountain. The moon and the buck show, the time to have been on the first quar- ter of the buck moon (July). N
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-04-13

1 Hayes. The hostess served a salad and ice course, only club members being present.
 Has Interesting Pr0gram-The Gull fture club will meet Thursday afternoon with Mrs. Bert Lytle, when program on Music, the Universal Language, will be carried out. Mrs. Wilson will be associate hostess. A paper on the subject will be read by Mrs Eugene Rarden, and the work of Wagner will be discussed by Mrs. w. H. Lewis. Auber, Verdi and Herbert will be dis cussed respectively by Mrs, J. o. Sturdi- want, Mrs. Bert Lytle and Mrs. J. A. Snider. B..
 Entertains MusIcIans-Miss Lucille Lytle will be hostess to the Wednesday Music club Wednesday afternoon at 8 o'clock. This meeting was postponed from last week, and many interesting plans will be discussed. The following will take part in the musical program Mrs. Julian Erlick, Mrs. E. l.. Huey, Mrs. R. E. Rarden. Mrs. l.. l.. Vann, Mrs. Macon Williams and Mrs. T. G. Johnston.
 Hilary of Trinity Episcopal church will | O with Mrs. w. l.. Rush.
 The Woman's Auxiliary of the First Presbyterian church will conduct a missionary program at the church Mon day afternoon at 3 o'clock.
 All bands of the Woman's Mission ary Union will meet at the First Bap- tist church Monday afternoon at 3 o'clock.
 The Woman's Missionary society of the First Methodist church will hold meetings with the following hostesses Monday afternoon Circle 1, Mrs. H. L.. Bains Circle 2, at the church, with Mrs. E. H. Trussell. 4.
 There will be meeting of the Fed eration of Auxiliaries at the Carnegie library Wednesday afternoon at 5 o'clock.
 Mrs. W. c. Chase will be hostess to the Dolomite Bridge club at her home Thursday afternoon at 3 o'clock.
 The Southside Bridge club will meet Tuesday afternoon at 3:30 o'clock with Mrs. Guy Wilson.
 Mrs. J. E. Naftal will be hostess to the Quest club Friday afternoon at 80 o'clock, t
 Personals Mrs. George Waller re- turned Friday from Montevallo, where she attended the federation conference.
 Miss Willie Lee Smith left the past week for visit to pointsa an Kentucky.
 w. 0. Mason has moved to Bessemer from LaVania, Ga,,and will make his home with his sister, Mrs. Lois Long,
 Mrs. J. H. Blue is ill at the Fairfield hospital.
 Nj. A. Blake is i'll with pneumonia at his home here.
 Mrs. Herbert Smith and Mrs. J. R. Pow have returned from MontevallO, where they attended the federation con ference.
 Mrs. E. R. Taylor is able to be out after recent illness.
 Mir. and Mrs. w. w. Rainer of Union Springs are the guests of their daughter, Mrs. Hix FrRzier.
 Miss Etta Nye Malone and Miss Elizabeth Knight represented Bessemer at the Christian Endeavor conference at Montgomery this week.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-04-13
PRATT CITY KEEPS
 RAILROAD SHOPS
Birmingham Southern Re mOval Runor Found To
 Be GrOundless
Fairfield Bureau)

The Birmingham- Southern shops al Pratt City will not be moved to Fair field. Information to this effect was obtained Saturday and will perhaps set at rest the reports that have been cir cnlated for several days in this city. The shops. it was explained, are con veniently located and there seems to be no good reason why any change should be made. The question at this time is not being considered by the Tennes-, see Coal, Iron and Railroad officials, owners of the Birmingham-Southern.
 Medical Delesate--Dr. H. Erie Con we'll, assistant chief of the medical staff at the 'Employes hospital, will ap- pear before the Aiabama Medical as sociation in Montgomery Tuesday and read paper on "Industrial Surgery" The selection of Dr. Conwell, who is of the younger school of surgeons, was taken as a distinct compliment to him. As principal assistant to Dr., Lloyd Noland, the widest opportunities have been available to Dr. Conwelf for complete mastery of surgery. Several physicians from the hospital will at tend the meeting. M
 Observe Holy Weell--A special seriel of meetings will be held at the Fair field Methodist @ church during Holy week, it was announced Saturday. Be ginning with services on Palm Sunday and concluding on Easter night, the services will include a sermon Monday night by Rev. NJ. E. Lazenby, editor Young People Over the Kingdom" night by Rev.. ". R. Hendrix, pastor ~ kLA Ic nl. Wednesday the pulpit will be occupied by J. B. Ramsay, head of the class by that name at the Methodist church of Birmingham. The services Thurs day night will be for the children, with Rev. K. M Phifer in charge.
 Good Friday will be observed and it was announced that Bishop Hoyt NJ. Dobbs has been invited to be present, It is expected that he will be in charge of the services. Everyone is invited to this series of services by Rev. Thnd Mcdonald, pastor of the church.
 Personals c. w.. Shaekeiford is expected home/ Sunday after attending a special clinic in Chicago. Cards re- ceived here are to the effect that the clinic was attended by some of the most noted physicians in the country.
 Mayor Melford ". Pratt and Mrs. Pratt and the latters mother, Mrs. Robbins, are ill at the home of the mayor. tf
 Mrs. ". N. Carmichael will enter tain the Women's Bible class of the Presbyterian church at her home, 706 Parkway, Monday afternoon at 2 80 o'clock.
 The regular monthly meeting of the Parent-Teacher association will be held next Friday at the Gate Lodge school A program of interest will be arranged and the meeting will mark the end ot a contest that has been waged by op- posing sides of the association.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-04-13
OuarrIed Since Wedding Day

'My stomach and liver trouble made a regular grouch oftme. I was sore at evefYone, including my wife, and we quarneled every day since the we'd ding. She is 2 dear little girl. and know it was my fault. Mayr's Won derful Remedy was recommended for my stomach trouble, and since taking it I have felt like new man. My wife and now get along beautifully" It is a simple, harmless preparation that re- moves the caatrrhal mueus from the intestinal tract and allays the inflam- nation which causes practically all stomach, liver and intestinal ailments, including appendicitis. One dose will convince or mdhey refunded. At all druggists.--Adv,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-04-13

prolific vines have been taken hun dreds of thousands of sweet peas and they also pass by the many varieties of tulip beds to admire the Easter flow CTS.
 E J. B. Patterson, manager of Parkers, stated that this season would not find the market cluttered with an inferior lilly nor would the prices be unrea- sonable. He said that the new bulbs coming as they did from Japan, were the best he had been able to secure for many seasons, that few were lost, and that the crop would be sufficient. to fill the needs of Birmingham He said this would prove true, although Bir- mingham buys a greater number of flowers at Easter than any season of the year. ,..F-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-04-13

thataBirmingham has seen in many sea sons.
 The fact that Birmingham sends to Japan its steel rails and the Flowery Kingdom returns Easter lilies, is an tained hundreds, the report having gone out that his lilies were clothed in all the fabled glory of Solomon.
 During the past year, the Parker green houses have been doubled in ca- pacity, there having been added four new houses each 60 feet by .125 of solid pipe and glass.
 The lilly beds are the aristocrats just now of the entire plant. Visitors pass by huge lines of sweet peas from whose
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-04-13
LEG SORES

ARE CURABLE-If you suffer from Leg absolutely FREE a copy of my famous book that tells how to be rid of these troubles for all time by using my remark able painless treatment. It Is different from anything you ever 'ieard of and the result of over 35 years specializing. Simply send your name and address to DR. II. J. Street. Kansas City. Mo.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-04-13
A REGGAR,s REPRn0F

Chauncey Depew relates that he was accosted by street beggar one day and feeling rather out of sorts he said to the man. "You can't hold me upr'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-04-13
ROYAL TWIN ON AMERICAN TOUR < - - - --- :. One Of Few Examples Of Dual Royal Birth
 On Record

Twins are so rare among the reigning and ex-sovereign dynasties of Europe as to lend color to the popular belief of ancient times, according to which, when twins were born to royal or imperial house one of the two was always put out of the way in order to avoid any trouble about the succession, writes Frederick Cuneliffe-0 Owen, in the New York Times. History extending back even to the most remote times may be searched in vain for any authentic case of birth of twins to any royal or inn periai family until the closing years of the last century when one family is found to have two sets of them.
 It is this that lends exceptional in- terest to the presence in New York of young Prince 'Wolfgang of Hesse, who recently arrived from Germany, under the incognito name of "Wolfgang Wild hof'' of Frankfort. The prince, who is 2S years old, unmarried and enormously rich, and served as lieutenant of the Sixth Prussian lancers throughout the war, is the younger of the. older set of twin sons of Princess Frederick Charles of Hesse, the youngest, most pleasant and best liked of the sisters of the ex- kaiser. 4
 Descended From Charlemagne
 Prince Wolfgang comes from a branch of the House of Hesse, the an- nals of which are particularly rich in romance. Indeed it is not a branch, but rather the parent stem of dynasty that can boast of descent from the Elm peror Lothair, who reigned in the ninth century-and through him from Lo- thair's grandfather, Charlemagne-and is now headed by the blind landgrave of Hesse, celebrated, as composer and as a philanthropist, an uncle of Prince Wolfgang.
 Aided The RothschiIds
 It was one of the sovereign prince electors of Hesse, that is to say, the great-great-grandfath of Prince Wolf gang of Hesse, who helped to found the fortune of the greatest Hebrew banking house of modern times, namely, that of the Rothschilds. The action of the then reigning elector of Hesse Cassel at the commencement of the Napoleonic wars in confiding the whole of his large for tune to Meyer. Rothschild of Frankfurt, enabled the latter not only to. create the nucleus of his own vast wealth, but also to still further enormously enrich the Hesses of Cassel.
 How great is their wealth may be gathered from the fact that when Prince Wolfgang's father married Princess Margaret of Prussia in 1893, he was credited with the possession of a for tune of more than 30 million dollars And since that time his wife has in herited the bulk of the wealth of her mother, Empress Frederick, and when the blind Landgraye-who is unmarried dies, all his property will come to Wolfgang and to his brothers, so that Wolfgang cannot by any manner or means be looked upon as foreign for tune hunter.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-04-13

. Easter lilies, whose bulbs came from Japan, will grace the chancel of in numerable churches in this district, next Sunday as we'll as many hundreds of homes. The Parker greenhouses look as though there were a blossom for every person in Birmingham. David Hope, the man in, charge, says the crop this year is one of the most beautiful that has ever been produced here. The coming of Easter this year is twenty days later than in 1923 so that by planting the bulbs Friday before Christmas under glass, they have come forth into the most perfect blossoms
The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1924-05-08

River Fur-trade Activities" by Pro-4
fessor John P. Prichett of Manchester
College, published in the Minnesota
History Bulletin" for May. Independ-
ent traders early bartered with the In
dian for furs and entered into rela-
lions. with American traders. In
1843, when Norman w. Kittson was
stationed at Pembina as the represent
tative of the American Fur Company,
a sharp trade war began; but six
years later the independents won free
dom of trade.
From the Minnesota point of view
one of the most interesting features
of this fur trade was the Red River
cart traffic between the nurynern SET
Elements and st. Paul. The Red River
cart-one of the most picturesque of
frontier vehicles-"was two-wheeled
concern, of somewhat rude work.
manship, constructed of wood and
leather, without particle of iron, and
would carry 600 or 700 pounds"
Each cart was drawn by an OK or a
pony; gayly-attired driver managed
three or four carts.
During the forties, fifties and early
sixties, caravan, sometimes includ-
ing as many as five or six hundred
carts, arrived each summer in St..
Paul. The journey from Pembina, a
distance of about five hundred miles,
occupied thirty or forty days. The
arrival of Red River train was her
aided, for "the axles were innocent
of grease, and their creaking was hor-
rid; caravan in motion could be
heard for miles, almost, in still
weather" Only two or three Red Riv-
er carts are known to be in existence
today and one of these is preserved
in the museum of the Minnesota His
torical society.
The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1924-05-08

Templar in uniform. A parade will
take place in the evening at 1880.
At 10 o'clock in the morning of the
21st, automobiles will be provided to
take the visiting ladies on sight
seeing tour around the Twin Cities,
visiting all the points of interest, par
ticularly the Shrine Hospital for Grip
pied Children, the new FORD Plant
and the Minnesota Masonic Home
Lunch will be served at the Masonic
Home and the return trip will be ar
ranged to arrive at the parade
grounds in time for the exhibition
drills. Reserved seats in the Grand
Stand will be provided for all the Wis
iting ladies. The ladies will also be
provided with reserved seats from
which to view the paradesin the eve
ming. The day will end with a grand
ball in the Armory at 900 P. M,
proceeded by an exhibition drill by
Mankato Commandery drill corps.
May 22nd, the second day of the
Grand Conclave, will be devoted en-
tirely to the business of the Grand
Commandery.
The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1924-05-08
Fifty-Ninth Annual Con-
clave Of Knights Templar
Minneapolis Masons Making Elabor-
ate Plans for Gathering in Flour
City May 21-22

One of the big events of the year
in the Masonic fraternity will take
place in Minneapolis, May FL and 22,
when the 59th annual conclave of the
Grand Commandery of Knights Temp
lar of Minnesota will be held.
f. A joint committee Of the three
Minneapolis Communicates, Zion,
Darius, and Mounted, is making elab-
crate plans for the entertainment of
the visiting Knights and their ladies.
| It is the intention to emphasize the
social side of the Grand Commandery
conclave and to provide special en-
tertainment for the wives and famil-
/ les of the members.
The Grand Commandery headquart-
Eers will be at the West Hotel and the
headquarters for the ladies and
Knights will be at the Masonic Temp
lie. The Grand Commandery will be
open at 1000 A. M. May 81 in the
Asylum of Zion Commandery. The
exemplification of the opening cere-
monies will be performed by Duluth
Commandery No. 10. The important
features of the first morning session
will be the address by the Grand
Commander and the election of the
Grand Commander for the ensuing
year.
At one o'clock the Order of the
Temple will be exemplifed by the Of
fcers of the Grand Commandery un-
der the direction of the Board of In
structors. At three o'clock there will
be exhibition drills by the drill corps
of the various Communicates on the
parade grounds. From $3.50 to $50
dinner will be served for all Knights