davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-12
MORE TRUTH THAN POETRY

MORE TRUTH THAN POETRY : If you are one of those who lag in ruts From which the daring only chamber
 out, Have not too many puny "ifs" and
 "buts'' =a--... . Assailed your heart and filled your
 mind with doubt? 7 -rg ~ Perhaps you have not sought chance
 outside, a& @.I -.%e- For fear that you might find the
 going rough;
 It may be that you've never struck
 your stride Step out, old kid, and do your stuff 1! If Lincoln, splitting rails, had been
 afraid & To try his hand at greater things
 than that
 He might have followed on where
 easy trails
 Led into woodlands that were low and flat;. .. .., He could, perhaps, have earned his daily bread And lived his life untroubled and unknown, If, lacking heart to venture, he had said:
 'The wise let well enough alone" The man who putters, listless, through
 the days
 Is like a lazy, winding rivulet That finds an easy course, and calmly
 strays
 Along until Instructions must be
 met. Forced from its placid way, the stream A worthy purpose, otherwise denied, And men, compelled from. deep-worn
 ruts to swerve, May cease to plod, and learn to
 guide. It is no easy thing to leave behind The habits that have claimed and
 cramped us long; ~~ When changes must be made we are
 inclined 'i--< To be afraid the world is going
 wrong!
 So, men who find themselves in ruts,
 too oft
 Unduly fearful of steep ways and
 rough,
 Drag slowly on, in mind and muscle soft
 Come out, young man, and do your
 stuff! -S. E. Riser. Do Tell
 You can't judge the length of a mans bank account by the length of his cigarette >holder-Jason. Feminine Logic When blizzards whizz around the flat It's time to buy new straw hat. -Artemus. Milking COW is Magnus Johpson's quaint way of throwing the bull.
 Vae hear much about the Hot Stove League these days, but what we need is Hot Steampipe League.
 No doubt you are all het up about 1 the Shenandoah's trip to the Nortf Pole. Neither are we.
 Wasn't it coincidence that, on the coldest day of winter, there was re. 'vival of talk about the Thaw case?
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-12
Negroes Returnins. ssn&k
(Anniston Star

NAHIIIstUII 1tdI . 1l77 '
 The Northern movement o4 Southern negroes has been e1ksc& tually checked. It probably wilt not be renewed next sunaEn<K3 There has been too much dt@&p4 pointment for those who left khet4 Southern homes, and tho ncSro4i who remained in the Sonth hav4 learned from those who have re{ turned that the best piace for thS' Southern negro is in the South.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-12
Fashionable Pride
(ozark Southern Sta .

IUzark Southern StNfD W
 Something to be proud of e that Dale county can show crime rec ords for the past six months with any county in the state and not feel ashamed of her showing. Reading the news reports from other sections of the state and country of crimes and distur- bances, we feel thankful that we have such an excellent class of citizenship.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-12
THE PARAGRAPHERS
In Proper Order (Gauonnob Nnx.,cN

NOoN 4NcWSJ The President has the right or der in allusion to the stock-takinr time of the year-'spiritual, moral and material"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-12

An architect says that sound-proof apartments are close at hand. It would be cheaper to muzzle the pho riograph.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-12

It is said that Chicago and New York egg-specuIators dropped large fortunes in the recent slump. It must nave been shell game, after all.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-12
Something Lacking

tDetrolt Free PreSS) None of the stories about Am
 bassador Kellogg's arrival in Lon
 don say whether he has tried osi his short pants yet.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-12
[CFELIeHT3 SE. A1a]
 k\NATIoNAI q n
 8]

War pensioners on the rolls or the pension bureau of tho depart ment of tho interior have de- creased during the past ten years at an annual rate of 27,039.
 The smallest decrease was dur ing the last fiscal year when the number of pensions was reduced 7,206. In 1929, the reductions to- ta1ed 19,037; in 1921, 26,137.
 Although the reduction for ten years has averaged 27,0Ss, the amount of money paid in pepsions is heavier now than ever beforA This fact Is due to the increase in payments allowed by the increase in age and helplessness of the pen- sioner.
 At the same time, there is be- lief that if ever the pension rolls are purged. a great scandal will be developed! But politicians, if history repeats itself. will not at- tempt an undertaking so dAnger- ous to their own fortunes.
 The heaviest reduction in the rolls of the pension bureau dur ing the last ten years was in 1s16.. when 8S,675 were dropped. In, 1917 the reduction amounted to 36.461. The next largest reduction was in 1914. when s4,ss1 were cut off.
 The number, of pensioners on the rolls the-fast fiscal year was 63s.76s. The largest number ever on the rolls was 999,448 in 1902.
 Ohio has more pensioners than any other state, 61.20s, who re- ceivsd from the government last year $24.4s8,460. Pennsylvania and New York followed. T
 Other states with moro than, 10000 pensioners are Illinois, In-' diana, California. Missouri, Michi- gan, Massachusetts and Kansas.
 Comparatively speaking, the South gets; none of this money. But the South pays its share of the apparently ever-increasing bill.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-12

The weakest feature of the average Mexican revolution is that it circles around the idea of revenue only.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-12

The trouble with some self-made men is that they need remodeling to bring them up to date. ..
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-12

many people read the lengthy win ming peace plan, and still another to ascertain how many of those who did
 understood what it was about.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-12

A writer says that some day there will be only one religion on earth. But there will be many adherents who will quarrel over who has the most
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-12

It might not be a bad idea to have another referendum to determine how
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-12

Vae hear much about the Hot Stove League these days, but what we need is Hot Steampipe League.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-12

No doubt you are all het up about the Shenandoahs trip to the North Pole. Neither are we.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-12

Wasn't it coincidence that, on the coldest day of winter, there was a re- vival of talk about the Thaw case?
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-12

Milking COW is Magnus Johpson's quaint way of throwing the bull.
Evening star., 1924-04-20
The Blockaded Tourists.

An extraordinary situation has just
been resolved into orderly procedure
on the California-Arizona border, near
Yuma, where several hundred motor
lists were held in check in the former
state, prohibited from entering the lat
ter on account of an embargo against
the foot-and-mouth disease, which pre-
are mainly winter tourists who have
gone to the coast to avoid the cold
weather of the east and north, and are
now on their way back home. They
and many of them are reported to be
in a deplorable situation, with failing
funds and no prospect of replenish-
ment The President conveyed to
suggesting that some method be adopt
ed whereby the quarantine could be
lifted sufficiently to allow these tour
lists to pass quickly through the state
on their way home, and the governor,
after replying that Arizona would be
"courting disaster" by any modifica.
ton of the ban against California
products and vehicular traffic decided
to open the gates and relieve the con-
gestion at the boundary.
This situation illustrates the large
volume OF winter motor tourist traffic,
and the peculiar condition OF large
numbers of those who thus travel long
distances in search OF more clement
weather. They start out with barely
enough 10 meet their expenses on a
moderate scale while travelling and
sojourning. They count upon avoid
ance Of rents and upon rigid economy
in food provision. Many OF them seek
work on the way or at the places of
winter rest. They are Of all trades and
occupations, and some find employ
ment at good wages. But their disposi-
tion to flock to certain points of tourist
camping tends to congest the labor
market. and often they are unable 10
find engagements.
Evening star., 1924-04-20

facturers are constantly adding to the
carrying capacity.
In one respect the motor transport
business has been in a singular evolu-
ton. 1t has had to adapt itself to the
change in conditions which has been
wrought by the development Of the
motor itself. Delivery trucks have had
to be devised that will fit into the
scheme of the crowded streets, the
congestion of which is due in great
measure to the enormous increase Of
the use of gas-engine vehicles. Short
bodied. but powerful, 'lorries," as they
are called in England, are required to
work their way through the densely
occupied thoroughfares.
Motor manufacturers are constantly
studying solutions for the problem of
getting the greatest possible use out of
the least compass of machinery and
body. Lawmakers, state and munich
pal, are studying solutions for the
problem of getting the greatest pos
sible number of vehicles through a
given area of street surfaces with a
minimum of accident.
And all this wonderful change has
come about in short span of years,
all from those first crude, noisy, slow,
complicated and veritably frail wheeled
toys that went chugging and coughing
through the streets and over the roads
for short distances we'll within the
lively memory of the younger middle
aged people of today. VIII an equal
space of time bring changes as great?
Evening star., 1924-04-20
The Democratic Convention.

A report from New York states that
the local Democratic leaders charged
with the responsibility for managing
the Democratic national convention to
be held there in June are gravely con-
cerned over the question of how to ac-
commodate the crowds. Madison
Square Garden, already chosen as the
scene of the big meeting, will hold
about $4,000 people, and it has been
estimated that already at least ten
times that number are clamoring for
tickets. Consequently serious con-
sideration has been given to the pro-
posal already advanced to hold some
of the sessions in one of the big ball
parks, where from 10000 to 10000
spectators might be accommodated.
If the convention is to be run as a
show certainly larger accommodations
Square Garden to prevent heart burn
ing on the part OF disappointed appli-
cants. But primarily the convention
is not 1 show. 1t is a serious business
affair. conducted for the purpose Of
nominating q Democratic ticket and
framing a Democratic platform. Ex-
perience has proved that a tremendous
convention crowd does not mean a pre-
ponderant public support at the polls
in November. The chances are that il
20, 900 people were admitted to one Of
the sessions Of the New York meeting
at least a third of them would be Re-
publicans. even in a place SO largely
Democratic as New York. Not all Of
those who attend campaign rallies ad
dressed by famous speakers are of the
political persuasion of the spellbinders
There would be no advantage TO the
Democratic party TO hold its nominal.
ing meeting in the presence OF an inn
mense multitude. The election is not
going to be determined by the size Of
the crowds at the matchmaking as
sembla ges. or by the volume of cheer
ing evoked by the spe11bindins on those
occasions. 1t is long, long way from
June to November, and the echoes Of
the crowds at the nominating meet
lHSS ult away even DtlOFe tHt IOTHlAI
notification of the candidates.
The Democratic managers would be
well advised to go slowly in this mat
ter OF turning the nominating meeting
into q great public spectacle compare
BILE to a ball game or a prize fight A
ticket named on the ground of world
series match or of fistic encounter
might suffer in the public mind by the
suggestion of the environment.
Evening star., 1924-04-20

jong, or pung chow, is so essentially
a Chinese game that it was, indeed, a
grave risk for the captives in the in
stance just noted to stake their lives
virtually on the outcome Of a match at
this pastime.
1t may be that this incident will
stimulate the practice OF mah- -jong in
this country. While not all Americans
expect to visit China, yet a thorough
acquaintance with the game would be
quite likely to come in handy for those
who do go to that strange land. Apart
from the possibility OF meeting up
with brigandage and having to play
for life and liberty, skill in the han
ding of the tiles could not fail to be
a useful accomplishment. Certainly a
Chinaman will be likely to have pro-
found respect for a westerner capable
Of beating him at his own game, just
as an American cannot fail to have a
high regard for the celestial who can
hold his own in a western pastime.
Evening star., 1924-04-20
And he looked wistfully about the
room.

And he looked wistfully about the
room.
X X X
It was a peculiarly fitting thing that
Senator Borah of Idaho should have been
chosen chairman of the special Senate
| committee which is making an investi
CATION of the Indictment returned
against Senator Wheeler. the "prosecu-,
tor of the Daugherty COMMITTEES, in his
home state Of Montana Senator Borah
himself was once under indictment at a
time of public hysteria, and had to ezif-
Ter tne inconYenlence OK a public trial
which the federal prosecutors tried 10
stretch out over several weeks. and
which resulted in a verdict Of not guilty
as quickly as the jury could leave the
box and return again.
This was away back in 1907: Just
after Mr.. Borah had been elected to
the Senate for the first time, and
also when he was acting as chief
prosecutor of big Bill" Haywood. on
trial for conspiracy in connection
of Idaho, as a part of the reign OF
terror started by the miners during
the Cripple Greek strikes.
President Roosevelt had been max
ing a great drive on the land frauds
prosecutions. Billy Burns, who has
been a storm center of the Daugherty
Investigations and who sent agents
out to Montana TO help in the indict-
ment of Senator Wheeler, conducted
most of the land fraud cases as
special agent in the Department OF
the Interior. He was not in on the
Borah case, however. Mr.. Borah was
the attorney for a big lumber com
pany in Idaho and on the fiimsiest
sort of pretext an Indictment was
obtained against him. IT always was
claimed that political enemies were
responsible. In any event, when the
trial came off, and the writer was
there as a reporter. the evidence was
almost criminally insufficient. so much
So in fact. that after listening TO IL
for ten days or more the presiding
Judge announced that nothing had
been shown in any way to connect
Senator Borah with the alleged
frauds.
Thus if it should prove that polit-
ical enmity is behind the Wheeler
indictments, as friends claim. Senator
Borah, of all persons, will have
sympathy with the accused man.
Senator Moses of New Hampshire
says the Investigations at Washing
ton remind him of his old friend
Henry Hayward back home. Every
spring, it see ms, old Henry gets out
and looks at Mount Washington.
Then he prognosticates the weather
thus:
We'll, they amt going to be no
warm weather till the snow Inelts
on the mountain; and the snow amt
going to melt on the mountain till
il gets to be warm weather.
In other words. the senator believes
the Investigations won't stop until
| they get something" and If they
get something" they won't stop.
Evening star., 1924-04-20
MEN AND AFFAIRS
BY ROBERT T. SMALL

The American friends of the Prince
of Wales have read with delight the
last few days of his refusal to leave
Paris and go back to the more or less
drab existence of London, where he is
always under the watchful eye of a
somewhat mid-Victorian mother and
a more or less dispirited father. The
little prince is not a chip of the old
block; he goes back an entire genera
who in his younger days as Prince
of Wales led much the same sort of
helter-skelter. care-free life that the
prince is living today.
Paris was the favorite playground
of Edward and whenever he turned up
missing at Windsor, at Buckingham
or at St James, it always was a case
of "Cherchez lie Paris" There are
many memories of Edward VII to be
encountered in Paris. Among them one
OF the larger hotels which bears his
name is called by the Parisians
"Edouar'settee," to give the pro-
King George has been rather sol
emn soul as a monarch, very much
married and all that sort of thing,
but, nevertheless, there is twinkle in
his eye at times which suggests some
thing of his pleasure-lovfng father
and which has been handed on in
greater degree to his princeling son.
r
The stories coming from Paris Of late
hours and dancing and parties recall an
incident of the Prince of Wales visit to
Washington in 1920. At that time he
was under much restraint, travelling Of
ficially in his proper person" and not
incognito, as he happily has been in
Paris. So it was arranged that the
prince should call upon President VIII
son. Mr. Wilson was confined to his bed
at the time. and so the heir to the Brit
ish throne was shown directly into the
sickroom.
There was no trace Of embarrassment
on either side, and soon the conversa-
ton between the President and the heir
apparent drifted into semi-personal
and humorous vein. Finally the Presi-
dent turned to the prince and said:
DO you know that the room in which
you are at this moment was the one oc-
cupied by your grandfather when he
visited Washington as Prince of Wales"'
The prince seemed much impressed
The President went on:
And there is q legend here at the
White House that on one night your dis
tinguiShed grandparent. who had been
quite fed up with all the official atten-
ton and official guarding bestowed upon
him, escaped by one of the windows of
this room. went downtown and had a
real night of it."
The prince grinned with evident salts
faction. Then he gave Mr.. Wilson a real
surprise:
Please. Mr.. President" he said with
that tIdwardiSh twinkle in his eye, may
/ ask just which window it was?"
Evening star., 1924-04-20
Motor Car Development.

When the first motor cars were de-
vised they were considered as a new
mechanical toy, interesting, but not
especially important. Men rode in
them as adventures. They were barely
as speedy as horse-drawn vehicles,
especially on runs of several miles.
Much good natured fun was given ex.
preston at their expense. Little did
the scoffers think how far the develop
ments of a few years would carry the
red devils" that were propelled by
gasoline, then a new fuel.
Today the motor car, in its manifold
forms, is the supreme mode of trans.
port for this country. 1t has become a
serious rival of the railroad for pas
enger and even for freight carriage.
Its compass is limitless. Families
cross the continent in cars of a cheap
ness of initial cost that is in itself one
OF the marvels of the great develop
ment. Entire households are shipped
across many hundreds of miles to es-
cape the rigors of northern winters
and to enjoy the balmy airs of the
southland. Rural life is transformed
and urban life is greatly changed by
the gas-engine carriage.
In business transport the motor car
has become a factor of first impor-
tance. In city deliveries it has vir-
tually displaced the horse-drawn truck
or wagon. It has claimed a large and
increasing share of the commodity
freight business. Each year finds this
phase of the motor vehicle reaching
a higher stage of -dexelopment> Manu-,
Evening star., 1924-04-20
Americans and Mah-Jong.

A story that comes out of the west,
which may be restated as out of the
east, for it really comes from China
via the Pacific coast, may be viewed as
a vindication OF the new American
habit of playing mah-jong, or pung
chow, or by whatever other name the
celestial game with the pictureSquely
marked tiles may be called. 1t appears
that an American. one OF those cap
tured by bandits ON the occasion of a
wreck of an express train and held for
ransom, saved the lives of his entire
party by playing this ancient game
with the brigand chieftain. He and
the other captives played in relays for
many hours at stretch, and so in
terested the leader of the gang that he
forgot all about punishments and re-
prisals. And they played him skill
fully, too, and practically broke even
with him at the end of the long bout.
So protracted was the match that time
was allowed for friends of the captives
to negotiate for a ransom, which was
effected.
This is something new in tradition.
1t has always been regarded as unwise
to meet a Chinaman at his own game.
Bret Harte has celebrated the celestial
as one who is peculiar for ways that
are dark and tricks that are vain.''
The Chinaman is instinctively a gam
bier. He plays every game for all it is
worth. His impassive face never re.
fleets his 'hand." He. is by nature
qualified to be a super poker player.
But Americans can usually hold their
own with him at that sport Nah
Evening star., 1924-04-20
Germany and Reparations.

ESluenceS appear that the German
government is disposed to accept the
reparations plan and to carry it out in
good faith. At least, judging from ex-
pressions by leading German official
personages and from the action of the
parliamentary bodies. the project of
the expert body has been regarded in
Germany as the ultimate decision
which must be obeyed.
A recent dispatch from Paris states
that the reparation commission has
virtually told Germany to get down
10 work preparatory to a blanket ac-
Ceptance of the expert reports. Time
for delaying dickering has passed
There will be no advantage to Ger
many to prolong the procedure. On
the contrary, it will be greatly to Ger
many's advantage to hasten.
The death of SHINES has apparently
aided the situation. That remarkable
man was Il factor in the ease, and no
body knows precisely which way his
influence swung. But it was known
that he stood for industrial control. If
he could have maneNered SO us TO ef
feet Il settlement through the leading
inuustrialists of England and France
regardless of the political require
lnents of the government at Berlin. he
would probably have worked out that
solution. if solution it would have
been, of the problem. But SHINES is
gone, at the height of his power, and
apparently there is no one of his
magnitude to replace him. The govern
ment seems to be free to act as it will.
Nobody has really doubted Ger
many's ability to meet her war obliga-
tions if the spirit prevailed at Berlin.
Despite the collapse of the currency
system. due to deliberate nanipula.
tions. there is a substantial industrial
foundation in that country. Nothing
was really destroyed by the war. No
lands were ravaged. no great plants
were wrecked. no mines were flooded,
no soil was polluted. The shops and
mills and farms are as productive
ever. The people, despite some slacken-
ing due to undertaking, are practi-
ca1ly as capable of production as ever.
There are not so many of them. just
as there are not so many Frenchnen,
or Englishmen, or Italians. or Bel
gians, Of the able-bodied productive
ages. But if Germany works as the
world well knows Germany can work
II can produce a surplus wherewith to
pay its debts, incurred by the failure
of its ill,adyised, wanton attack upon
other lands.
Now comes the test. A practical,
equitable plan has been framed by
disinterested economic experts, who
have taken every factor into con-
sideration. It has met with general ap-
proval as workable and bearable. Any
sign of sidestepping or delay, any
token of dsinClinatinu to accept the
project in good faith and to carry out
its requirements will be understood by
the world as a confession by Germany
that there is no sincerity in the pro
testations of willingness to abide by
the just determinations of an impair
ti3l commission.
Evening star., 1924-04-20

Much news space has been devoted
to the lingering illness of Pingy,
Paderewski's Pekingese pup. The en-
inent pianist is described as having re-
fused to make a sound that would dis
turb the last moments Of his pet. Then
when doggie fingered rather too long
for dramatic proportion in artistic
grief Paderewski is said to have ex-
claimed, why can he not die heroical.
~, as the pet of an artist shouldr' One
Of the penalties great artist seems
obliged to meet is that Of giving carte
blanche to publicity agents in render
ing him personally ridiculous.