davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-14
Watching The Parade
By JOHN PILGRIM

the Pullman. Three of us were stodgy, com monplace men who go to work each morning and quit work each night. The fourth was a young marine. He almost filled the remain ing space. Not that he was so large, but he was so irresistible.
 "So 1 shot um," he said.
 We three sent glances of incredulity one to the other as he concluded his story. Per haps he detected them, for he produced the documents. Sure enough, this slim youngster,. with barely shaveable fuzz on his chin, had actually killed a man in the line of duty, and had been praised for it.
 Ever feel any remorseT one of us asked.
 The marine looked up with the first hint of seriousness he had displayed: Up to that moment he had been a slender, yellow-headed, blue-eyed kid, as full of mischief as a young pup, ready with ingenious tales of his life at sea and land with the corps that does the dirty work for Uncle Sam. ",.
 "Of eourse.' said he, 1T didn't want to shoot him. l didn't have anything against him. And I did all I could for him before he died. But I did not feel any remorse."
 We three slow-pOkes just sat there, look. ing at him, rolling our cigars from one cor ner of our mouths to, the other, our eyes large and white as eggs. It still seemed in- credible to us. This mere boy had killed a man and felt no remorse.
 Here's the idea" said the marine at last If had killed him by accident, or if had been drunk, or if I had lost my temper, I would have felt awful bad"
 His round boyish face grew sober.
 But it wasn't that way" said he. You see, I was on duty. I was doing my job.'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-14
BUILDING OFFICE STRUCTURES

One of the notable features of the active building industry in Birmingham iss the number of large structures under way and projected for the near future which represent investments on big scale. For several years the need for more office buildings has been argued. The rapid growth of the city brought many distributing headquarters here to take care of expanding market in this territory. This emphasized the need for more office space. Plans for three large office buildings, two on Third avenue, north, and the Southern Railway building at :. Twenty-second, First avenue and Twenty-second street, are on the point of being. carried out. The Jefferson County Building and Loan Association office building is we'll under way. Soon the Alabama Power Company is expected to begin the erection of skyscraper, while plans are nearing completion for the Redmont Hotel, to be twelve stories, at Twenty-first street and Fifth avenue. Three large apartment houses on the Southside are ready for occupancy, and the government is expected soon to erect on, its lot acquired for that purpose a home for the Birmingham branch of the Sixth Federal Reserve District Bank.
 The construction of these large build ings represents a total investment of ap- proximately eight million dollars, which, aside from the favorable effects upon business conditions and the labor situa- tion at time when many other com- munities are experiencing no little indus trial depression, indicates the confidence of investors in the continued and increas- ing development of the district Much of this capital is local, while considerable part comes from Eastern interests which have manifested steadily increasing faith in Birmingham as an important center of production.
 Some idea of the need for more office space in Birmingham may be obtained from the announcement that applica- tioas have been received for offices in buildings for which ground has not yet been broken. Evidences of Bifming- hams expansion are seen on every side. An especially reassuring aspect of the situation is that indications of an even greater development are constantly null tipIying.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-14
DEFENSE OF THE BUTTERFLY

How long are people going to speak of butterflies as the exemplars of frivolity, fu- tility and idleness, lacking in all the virtues that are credited to insects like bees and ants? >,eSs
 This sort of talk began nobody knows how many centuries ago, and it was pardonable enough when scientific observation was an unknown art, and everybody drew false con clusions from such data as they had or thought they had. Nowadays, there. is, no excuse for such proceedings, and it is high time that the ancient islanders about the but terfly should be abandoned. For the creatures so called are very far from being tdlers. All through their short lives they are as .busily, though differently, employed as are the bees or the ants. They do 'flit from flower to flower" in what to careless eyes looks like play, but they are at work all the time hunting for the only food they can eat and preparing for the one great task that any insect has-that of perpetuating it's race.
 The butterfly performs that task quite as efficiently as do the tribes credited with merits so superior, sticks to it quite 5as dili- gently, and though it does not store up food for winter use, the failure to do so results from the fact that for the butterfly there is no winter. That it does not care. for its children is true, but why should it; when the children are well able to take care Of them selves? '.''-i
 Viewed from the standpoint of utility to man, the butterfly stands as high as do its much praised rivals; for it, too, carries pollen from flower to flower as well as sips the nectar from each of them, and whole races of plants would perish miserably except for the help they get from these "idlers" and "improvidents.'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-14

climatic conditions, favorable labor sit uation and rapidly increasing nearby markets for the finished product. In- dustrfal leaders in New England appre- ciate the commanding position of the South for this industry, and have under taken means of checking the removal of mills to this section. Not many years ago New England had no serious com petitor in the textile industry. Now the South is bounding forward in this field as it's favorable position is more widely understood.
 It is source of qualification to the South that it's railroads are showing progress. Whatever they do in contrib uting to agricultural and industrial de- velopment is returned to them many fold in expanded tonnage. There is a mu- tuality of interest between carriers and productive agencies that cannot be di. vorced. Therefore, increased rail busi- ness is reflective of the Souths increas- ing activity, output and prosperity. -"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-14
REFLECTING sOUTH,s ADVANCE

The annual report of the president of the Southern Railway reflects encour- aging industrial and agricultural prog ress of the South, which is largely tra- versed by that system. The showing of the road itself, through marked increases in net income, current assets, and sur plus for 1923 over 1922 present gratify- ing evidence of the South's progress in terms of increased tonnage developed by this section.
 One aspect of the report is especially cheering. : It shows that there was net increase of -7s2,OOO spindles in the cot ton mills Of this territory last year as compared with a decrease of 92,000 in the rest of the country. The report says regarding farming: "The generally im- proved tendency continues. A better understanding of the problems of cotton raising under boll-weevil conditions, as we'll as crop diversification, is contrib uting to the improvement"
 The rapid increase in cotton manu- featuring in the South is a clear indi- cation of the more generally recognized advantage of this section for that indus try, because of saving in transportation,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-14
The Right Word
RIGHTFULLY SHOCKED
By CURTIS NICHOLSON
(Find the Error fin This Article


 "The Right Word" calls the attention of William w. Hinshaw of New York to the line above, which reads as follows "Find the error in this article" The error referred to in the following letter was made one day and corrected the next, as the deliberate error in tOday's article will be corrected in tomor- row's under Yesterdays Error" Mir. Hinshaw's letter is published as a warning to all who use don't when they had ought to use doesn't. It reads as follows: Permit me to call your attention to a sentence of yours in tonight's issue of your paper, which reads as follows If the infini. tive don't have subject, the pronoun follow ing is in the nOminative case as, How should you like to be we?
 ''If you are seriously trying to teach cor rect English, I suggest that you call the at. tention of your readers to the very common fault of using the word don't where the word doesn't should be used"
 Supplementing the foregoing letter, "The Right Word" offers the following examples for the benefit of its readers
 Wrong Don't she look well?
 Right Doesn't she look well?
 Wrong The book don't belong to me. Right The book doesn't belong to me- Right: They don't know the answer.
 Right: We q or you) don't think so.
 Rule: Never use don't with he, she, 1t, or with the name of any person, place or thing
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-14
Gershom
By DR. FRANK CRANE

Man is a stranger in the universe. 7 All creatures are more at home in the world than the human" creature. We have even no place to live Rats. snakes, muskrats, and all the fishes of the sea find in nHturc places suitable for their habitation; we must build houses of wood and brick. 'The birds of the air have nests and the foxes have holes, but the sons of men have nowhere to lay their heads" z
 There is suitable food for all but our race. The OK and the horse crop the grass, the giraffe nibbles the tree tops, and the rab- bit gnaws the understands, every animal ere ature sits at the board of mother nature and is served with food "nOw ready;" but men and women must build fires, grind grain, and cook, bake, boil and roast in order to live.
 The man-being is born into the world with. out even dog hair or sheep fleece to cover his shivering nakedness. Up to adulthood he is the most helpless of animals. A chick steps out of it's shell and proceeds at once to scratch for worms, the lizard leaps from its egg and scampers about as lively as its mother, while man, proud man, has to be fed on spoon victuals and carried fin peraR- bulator for some years.
 Go out into the wood and see how much of stranger you are. The birds fly away at your approach uttering terrified notes; the pear runs rom you or 1T ne comes toward you it is to kill you snakes, grasshoppers, toads, and rabbits flee in panic from your path the quirrels bound from you and eye you fearsomely from the tree. Who are you? At any rate you don't belong. You are an intruder. Only q few animals, the domesti4 cated, tolerate you. Only one, the dog, really cares for you.
 Look at the creatures of the sea- how strange, non-human they are. From all that vast life of water-creatures you are utterly shut out.
 Contemplate, through a microscope, the in- finite microbe-world. Even to the small things that enter your body and work in your blood you are an outsider. You watch them through lens as you watch the stars of heaven through lens; and the stars also are going about their own business, which is no busi. ness of yours. a
 Volcanoes destroy cities, earthquakes swallow them up, tidal waves engulf them. There is no heart in fire, no pity in the tor nado, no mercy in the ocean. The sun will burn you in the desert the snow and sleet will freeze you in the western plains, and all your cries and prayers to them fall upon deaf ears.
 The truest name ever given boy baby was that given to the son of Moses and Zipporah :, for they named the eIlild Gefshom, whielt means "a stranger here" for, said Moses, T ' have been q stranger in q strange land"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-14
GROWING AMERICAN THRIFT

Some idea of the tendency towards thrift on the part of the American peo- ,ple may be obtained from the increase in savings accounts for the year ending June 1, 1923, as compared with the pre- ,eeding year. On the first of last June savings deposits amounted to $7,321,- .175, 1000, an increase of $496, ,321 1000 for the year, or four dollars for every per son in the United States. The figures indicate that the American people are praeticing the habit of storing funds Against a possible rainy day. They show the foresight of the working man and the salaried employe in setting aside something over and above living ex- penses.
 The American people have been charged with being spendthrifts and wasters. Despite statements that they became abnormally extravagant imme- siiately after the World War, and have been slow to break away from a satur- nalia of spending, the fact that per cap sta savings steadily increased indicates khat those of small resources are think ing more of the future. It also in part reflects a downward tendency in prices of necessities, thereby affording more margin for, saving.
 It is interesting to note that the sav- ings deposits show substantial increase in face of a growing tendency by em- ployes in many industries to buy stock in the enterprises with which they are associated. If accurate figures were available in that field also, it would be
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-14
WORDS DE WISDOM

Stupidity belongs to no station in life; it is as often beneath silks and broadcloths as calico and homespun.-E. P. Day.
 I have met with women whom l really think would like to be married to poem, and to be given away by a nOvel-Keats.
 Maids are May when they are maids, but the sky changes when they are wives Shakespeare.
 To form an opinion of human nature from a perusal of history is like judging of a fine city by it's sewers and cesspools.-Chatfield
 Labor as we'll as wait; time ripens the corn but will not blow the field.-J. k. Cleeve.
 Pleasures, like the rose, are sweet but prickly; the honey doth not countervail the sting all the worlds delights are vanity, and end in vexation.-Bishop Henshaw.
 It is falling in love with our own mistaken ideas that makes fools and beggars of half mankind.-E. Young.
 Learning without thought is labor lost and thought without learning is perilous.- Confucius.
 One great reason why truth is stranger than fiction is because there is not half as much of it in the world.-Northcote.
 Shame is like the weaver's thread; if it breaks in the net it is wholly imperfect.- Bulwer.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-14
MINING 7PUBLTC COOPERATION

Appeals are sometimes made by the city commission for cooperation in ob- serving health measures, beautifying parkways along private property, clean ing up premises and adjacent alleys, fighting flies and mosquitoes and other things that improve community life. Much of this falls within the duties of the governing body, which usually calls for help from the people on the ground that the public treasury is empty.
 The high spirit of cooperation by the people in these matters has been the sub- ject of much favorable comment by visi- tors as well as by residents. The citi- zens have shown patience and generosity in doing for themselves and for the com munity much which they have the right to expect from the authorities in the per formance of their public duties. It is be- lieved that the people would do even more if the public affairs were handled in such manner as to invite confidence in the earnestness of purpose and adminis- tra!ive ability of the municipal authori- ties.
 The best way to get generous CO., operation of the people is first to gain their confidence.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-14
THEY ASK US TO ARBITRATE

England and France are asking the United States to mediate in the inter- pretation and application of the plan for separations settlement. The plan is plain enough. Evidently the dispute is over how much either side may read into 1t of that which is not there nor con- templated. As usual, politics, with its devious ways and covert purposes, is ob- scuring situation that should be as clear as day, and is complicating an is- sue that is itself of the utmost simplicity. Let France and England permit political jealousies to subside and they will be amazed how promptly their difficulties will disappear.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-14
.hN NaaONCE 4I1 OVER
Dunn and Drummer on the Convention

Dunin and Drummer on the Convention
 Senator O. Howe Dunn and Represents tive A Lott Drummer, who will run for pres ldent and vice president on fourth ticket and who succeeded in gaining entrance into the Democratic convention by simply an nouncing they were fight referees, declared the convention a great success. .a Tt was the kind of convention like" said Senator Dunn. You didn't have to stay on the scene. You could go away for few days any time you got tired of it and know that when you came back you would find the convention right where you left it.
 -, tES
 "I never saw so many men anxieAS to get one job. The Democrats must have some inside information about the presidency for the next four. years that nobody else has.
 From the way they fought fol, the posi-, tion judge the salary of the president had been raised or else he is to work on salary and commission basis, with a liberal allow ance for travelling expenses"
 "A big scandal is going to break in con- nection with the convention" put in, Repre- sentative Drummer. Have you heard about?'
 What is it?" demanded the senator.
 Tt has been discovered that the Demo- crats held it in. violation of the New York state laws" explained Drummer
 ''In what way?''~'
 They had no license from the State Box ing Commission :" snapped the representative. What did you think of the convention anyway" asked the senator.
 Tt was the best advertisement the Klan ever had," replied Dummer.- up to the time the chairman called the Democrats to- gether only few people were paying any attention to the Ku K1uckers and they seemed about, to go out of business for lack of pub Iicity The Democrats immediately put over a national advertising campaign for them.'
 "The high spots of the convention to my mind," put in Senator Dunn, ewere Anna Case, of the Metropolitan Opera Company Franklin Roosevelt, who was the only big personality there Mayor Quigley of Chelsea, Mass, who spent the entire two weeks regis. tering objections; Mir. Guinan, of Mahanoy City, Pa., who made a nominating speech, naming the entire Anglo-Saxon Race for the presidency, and Senator Walsh of Montana, who proved himself the only man. in the country capable of handling and duelling a dozen fights at once." ...a..<
 Senator Walsh made the big hit of all with me-" admitted Drummer. He is, more fearless umpire than they have in either of the big leagues. If the baseball magnates really want order they will use him during the worlds series and let all the other um- pires go." .. sust< .
 By the way, what influence did you find women had over the convention?" - 5 l Very little,", replied Representative Dunn mer. Women since their entrance into pol itics have proved but one thing" <; ;
 Name it" urged the senator. -al'
 That they can sit in hard, wooden chairs just as long as men can without revolting, '' concluded Drummer. ...-:.,;
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-14

found that the thrift tendency is in. creasing on an even larger scale. The growing praetice of saving by people of small meanSs in this country shows g healthier situation in the economic struc. ture, and promises improved industrial conditions and greater contentmeht
 The more widely distributed the pros perity of a country, the better the pros poets of improved government and in- creased productivity. Thrift in many countries is practiced at the expense of the living standards. With us, thrift means no such sacrifice. -.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-14
MdtindJ :
When the night her curtain parts,

When the night her curtain parts, :.
 And young day comes stealing in, Though the world is still asleep, x
 All the waking birds begin a. Salutations to the dawn, As it beckOns in the morn. -et @A From his green home in the trees
 First one winged spirit breaks Into music, till the wood
 With shrill harmony awakes, Next each lifts his heart in song, Passed from nest to nest along. And, 1 wonder, does not he
 (In the fields of Paradise), Kind St. Francis of the birds,
 Hear their morning anthems rise? Does he smile, while listening, Ast his feathered brothers sing?
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-14
THE POINT OF VIEW

When one thinks of the vast folly displayed in human history, it is easy to despise hu man nature but when one thinks of the vast number of individuals who, with little money little education, little ability, nevertheless put up brave front and meet the days work with accomplishing serenity, then it is i'm possible not to see that human nature is sublime.-William Lyon Phelps in Scribner's S
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-14
RECOGNIZING FATHER

The Pratt Tribune quotes Harvee Motter as saying he recently submitted a questiohnaire to thirty-two school boys asking each t6 name an ideal man. Four of them named their the Wichita baseball team.-Kansas City Star. ..r
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-14
Potent

'Tis not your scented tresses
 That rouse my strong desires, Nor breath of fragrant blossoma That fans the hidden fires. But still q vagrant odor & Has charmed me with its powers-'- Love, serve me that boiled cabbage I've smelled the last two hoursi
 -J. Lillian VandeveraH
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-14
THE LESSER EVIL.

It is. worth remembering at this particular time that while there is lot of foolishness and inefficiency in the two-party system, it is infinitely better than the bloc system, which gets nowhere except into the grip of the minority Chicago Daily News.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-14
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A Daughter of Eve

When little Dolly and her mother went to the grocery store,j the clerk, who liked Dolly, gave her a big apple. Dolly accepted it without word of thanks. '-N . Dolly's mother, somewhat embarrassed, asked: Dear, what are you going to say?"
 Peel itsg' replied Dolly briefly, holding up the apple-Thelma Couch.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-14

Communist leaders in Russia are re- ported to be opposed to boxing, on the ground that it is degrading. It probably involves too much physical energy to harmonize with the communist theory of abandoning all work.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-14

The mayor of Atlantic City has issued an edict prohibiting girls from parading the streets in their bathing suits. It seems that the boardwalk was being de- prived of some of it's drawing qualities.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-14

An English physician has been named as ambassador to soviet Russia. If he should isolate the germ which is threat ening to destroy that country, he would prove one of the worlds greatest states men
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-14

A magazine editor bewails the scarcity of poets in America. Perhaps going hungry so much of their time got on their nerves. .--
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-14
Is IT TOO LAVE TOR A PLANKa

The Eldorado Times goes on record in favor of q law prohibiting the Junebugs from holding their athletic events on same evening q band concert is held.--Kansas City Star, <
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-14

It appears that when they get inter ested in the process of enacting legisla tion members of the French Chamber of Deputies know how to advance sledge-hammer arguments.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-14

When man cheats in his golf score whom does he cheat?
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-14
Fitting!

So you landed a job with that plumbing supply house. How do you like it?"
 Its a pipe !"-Edward H. Drescbnack.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-14

If the choice were left to me, whether to have: free press or a free government, l would choose a free press.-Thomas Jefferson.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-14
ThesA Women Contributors of Onrs..

The best laid traps for mice gang aft agley i; those laid for men seem to work better Mrs. N. c. Speer.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-14

The Providence, legislature appears to include a number of Rhode Island reds.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-14
FORLORN HOPE

which Wall Street gets our lambs and con- gress gets our goats ?-Columbia Record.