The Birmingham age-herald. [volume], July 20, 1913, EDITORIAL SECTION, Page 30, Image 30

About The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950

Image provided by: University of Alabama Libraries, Tuscaloosa, AL

                
f SUMMER NEWS AND GOSSIP OF BIRMINGHAM SOCIETY I
iContinued from Pagr Twrntv.wli)
August 1 for a western trip. In River
side, Cal., they will be guests of Mr.
and Mrs. O. F. Gregory, the latter for
g j merly Rosalind Jones of this city, and
returning will spend two weeks in Colo
rado. They will return in September.
• • •
Mrs. M. Landau and her daughters,
Miss Josephine Landau and Miss Isabell
Landau, will leave Tuesday for New
York, Boston and points in Maine. They
will return home in September.
• * •
Mrs. Rose "Wellington Owen and two
c ' children have returned to Florence, after
L a visit to Mrs. Ned McDavid, Mrs. Grover
'i Thaxton and other relatives.
• • •
Miss Dolly Madison Owen and Miss
Helen Bowie of California, who have been
guests of Mrs. Ned Me David, are now
With Mrs. E. I’. Rosamond. Miss Bowie
Will leave tomorrow for a visit to New
I York.
* • •
Air. and Mrs. Fred Winslow have gone
to New York by boat.
* * •
Miss Lucy Lyman Powell and Miss Lil
i lian Powell left yesterday to visit Mrs.
i • Polk at the Alabama Power company’s
dam on Lock 1. In Clanton they were
Joined by Miss Jettaileen Farley, Miss
BV Florence Harris and Miss Julia Morgan
, of Montgomery.
• • •
Mr. Pharels Coleman, Jr., Mr. .Tack
Thore, Mr. Robert Thach, Jr., and Mr.
Leroy Percy are spending the w'eek end
| at Lock 32, where they are members of a
; house party. .
• * •
Miss Sara Collins has returned to this
country after a year’s study abroad, and
is at present visiting in Seneca, N. Y.
She visited friends in Newcastle, Brighton
and other points in England and was also
with friends in Scotland, besides touring
Jtaly and Holland before returning to
America. She will he in Birmingham the
latter part of the summer.
* * *
Miss Virginia Dowdell of Montgomery,
who is visiting friends in Birmingham,
will sing this morning at the (’hurch of
the Advent. Her selection is ‘’Oh, Thon
My Redeemer.”
• • •
Judge Alvin M. Douglass Is spending
the week end at his country home in Dal
las county.
• • •
Miss Pearl Ratterman’s friends will ho
glad to learn that she is improving, after
her recent illness.
• • •
Mrs. G. W. Reid of Albany, Ga., is the
guest of her mother, Mrs. J. M. Mason,
Sr. They returned Wednesday from
Montgomery, where they attended the
Mason-Steiner wedding.
• * •
Dr. and Mrs. Courtney Shropshire plan
to begin building at Milner Heights next
month.
• • •
Mr. and Mrs. Tidwell, Miss Russell Tid
well and Marlon Tidwell are occupying! a
cottage at Cook Springs.
* * '.
Mrs. Charles keeper expects to go to
Shelby Springs the last of the month to
Btay some time.
• • •
Henry Francis Beaumont TV., son of
Mr. and Mrs. Henry F. Reaumont. of
TYest Knd, left yesterday for Oak Moun
tain, Ga., where he will spend the rest
of the summer as the guest of Mr. and
Mrs. W. C. Woodall of Columbus, Ga..
at their summer home at Oak Mountain.
* * •
Mr. H. K. Milner and his daughter. Miss
Gustrine Miler, expect to move into theii
new home at Milner Heights September i.
• * *
Mr. and Mrs. J. IT. Cruse have taken u.
cottage at Cook Springs for the summer.
• * ■
Mr. and Mrs. George Wise of this city
are among the cottagers at Cook Spring*
for the season.
• • •
Mr. H. M. Robertson, president of Ala
bama Home Building and Ix>an associa
tion, is on a pleasure trip through north
ern Michigan, including Mackanac Island
Petosky, and othei* points of interest.
SIR RUFUS ISAACS
The Law Journal Says He “Has the
Sympathy of the Country"
London. July 19.— Special.)—Legal opln
ion on the Marconi committee's repor
and the debate In the house of com
mons is reflected in the !Law Journal
from which we take the following ex
tract:
“Judically regarded, the one thin*
which counts In the findings of the Mar
coni select committee is that which i
common to all the three reports—thi
finding that:
” ‘No minister, offical, or member c
parliment has been influenced in the db
charge of public duties by reason of an
interest he may have had in any of th
Marconi or other undertakings connecte
with wireless telegraphy, or has utilized
information coming to him from official
sources for the purpose of investment
or speculation in any such undertak
ing.’ ’’
With the political bearings of the in
quiry we have here no concern. ‘But
there Is another aspect which does touch
us—the professional one involved in the
original gross attacks on the attorney
general's actions, and the suggestions of
“impropriety’’ or “indlscreation’’ to
which those attacks were later on at
tenuated.
It is now universally admitted that
there was no foundation for the personal
charges to which nobody in the profes
sion ever gave a moment’s credence, and
the mover of what was practically the
vote of censure on the report was care
ful, w’hen challenged by Sir Rufus
Isaacs, to exclude even “indlscreation”
from the category of his complaints.
The frank and courageous statement
of the attorney general in the debate
lias won him the sympathy of the whole
country, and there must be few Indeed
now who, in the significant words of the
tribute recently rendered to Sir Rufus
Isaacs by Sir Edward Clarke, the doyen
of the bar, “would, for personal or po
litical motives, make use of an error of
Judgment to check or to deflect from its
natural course a long career of private
honor and of public service.”
Getting an Early Start
From Judge.
Grandmother-elect—“Well, doctor?”
Physician—“A girl”
Grandmother-elect (to servant)—“Mary
hang a “Votes for Women” card at the
window.”
CHOOSE ANY
HAT AT HIRSCH’S
|-$5.00
An unrestricted choice of our finest hats—
hats you’d willingly pay more for, but
Hirsch’s want to make the latter end of
their removal sale a big success. How bet
ter can we make it a success than by this
exceptional offering.
<1 A A For a big choice of any of those hats
t|/JL»vVin our stock which ^old up to $6.00.
Supremacy in Panamas
Hirsch’s Panamas reflect the very best in $2.50
hats of this muchly desired material. We _-m
make no charge at this time for trimming IQ
them $3.98
-HIRSCH’S
1910 Second Ave.
When We Move, 213-15 19tl Street
-j. ■ v
hr
“The Alabama Home”
MIn the election of a wife, as in a project of war, to err but
once is to be undone forever,’’
While this is a true saying, we are glad that
the idea does not also apply to the financial side
of life; for although you err many times, suffer
many reverses and are endlessly submerged,
you may still lift your head above the surf of
financial failure and strike boldly out towards
the coveted goal.
And in the struggle you may have the strong helping
hand of an institution like “The Alabama Home," which is
glad to lend money if you need it. or to assist you In saving
the money you have already made.
Whether your earnings are small and you are able to
pay $7 per month and receive $1000 at maturity, or whether
they are large and you are able to pay $700 per month
and receive $100,000 at maturity, there is no better medium
of saving than our monthly stock.
Come, talk to ns and you, like many of your friends,
may be able to mark down that day as the beginning of a
■uccessful* career.
-
. .. ' ' "»■"' -1 ..—nan.
KELLY CREEK AT CALCIS -
On which the Outing club is situated, and where the fishing, swimming and boating afford lively enter
tainment for the parties which are there at intervals throughout the summer.
WMWMMMMtlMtMMStttHMSStMtMMaMflMMMttCtMMMMMMtfttMHMMttMCaMMIMMIMMatMaMMMItMMtUMIMttMtMMMHMacttMtttMMMMM
HOUSEKEEPERS HAVE MANY PROBLEMS
By MRS. J. B. REID
“Housekeepers have now several very
serious problems confronting them, but
probably the one most affecting the
manipulation of home affairs is the
servant problem. There are plenty for
hire, but few competent, and fewer still
who are willing to be trained into the
methods of the individual system,” said
a woman who tells us she has tried and
been tried by luckless numbers. And
we assure you she is not alone, In every
gathering you will hear discussions of
the cook problem.
Not long ago we were waiting for a
car, and nearby stood two old negro
men, bent with age, and scarcely able
to carry their burden of garden im
plements, but they were talking of how
things were with them, one said he did
his own cooking, and the other asked
why he did not marry—stating he had
his fourth wife—and the disgruntled
partner said, “Oh, no, I done tried dat,
and dese niggers dey just move out and
take everything I got; no wife for me
any more.” He had suffered like some
of the housekeepers, and he had profited
by his experience, but we are still vic
tims of a roving, grasping class of ser
vants W’ho would just as soon leave and
take everything you possess w'ith them.
Of course there are exceptions to the
rule, in this Instance as in all others.
There are many good servants yet, who
are interested in their work and their
homes, but the vast majority that call
at your door and ask, “Does you want
to hire a lady?” are not worth their
bread, and could hardly eat it, if they
made it themselves. Yet when you ask
for w’hom they have cooked before, they
always give you the names of the cele
brities among*the housekeepers. The
question confronting us Is what are we
going to do—are we willing to “bear
the ills we have” rather than by 'some
mutual housewives co-operation formu
late some system whereby the worth
less specimens we bring into our ser
vice are not going to continue to prey
upon our premises and w’e remain vic
tims of their treachery and indolence.
We believe there Is a solution to this
question, and we believe there are
enough good negroes in this community
wrho would willingly come to our res
cue and thrash out this low’ class that
is destroying the kindly feeling between
the races.
This specie has done more to make se
rious the race problem than anything
else in the south, because as we en
counter this type of negro so frequently—
we feel the mothers are raising them to
be a burden and annoyance to the com
munity, rather than an industdlous, use
ful citizen. If they are worthless through
ignorance, why not demand a training
in domestic service, and refuse to hire
them until they can bring you written
evidence of their worthiness to undertake
the service of your home? We recall
that Booker Washington told us once,
several years ago, in a public addresft
that we would never have a better ne
gro until we demanded more of him—
that we would indiscriminately employ
our neighbor’s cook, even if she had
dismissed her 15 minutes before, and otten
without asking of her reasons for leaving
or dismissal. Again, he said most ol’
the cooks and nurses in this city lived in
"Buzzard Roost or Scratch Ankle’’—these
two important centers have, we believe,
been marked off the maps of Birmingham
today, but their influences remain among
many of the servants who are looking
lor work.
If we would demand a higher standard
for our servant girl or do without
awhile we would soon see a difference
in their desire to render better service.
There was never a time more opportune
than now. While the cost of high living
is being talked and written about all
over the country. There is a much
greater danger to the financial condi
tions in waste, than in the high cost—with
the one, somebody is being benefitted, but
with the other it is a shame.
We speak from experience, a family of
six can almost live on the waste of a poor
and careless servant. WTe have figures
to prove what we say. Another phase
of the situation—j'ou cannot keep a cook
if you "lock up"—she "did not have that
with Mrs. Jones, and she never stole
nothing," and yet you know you can see
the materials carried off in buckets al
ways cooked—when we employ one unre
iable servant we know little of how many
we are feeding.
However, we cannot lay all the blame
of poor housekeeping on the negro. There
are many housekeepers who have no idea
of quantities needed of each material for
the week or month. We asked one about
that not long since, and she indifferently
said she "just knew when she wfas out
and just told the cook to order s$me
more." The bills were payed at the of
fice, and she could not tell just how
much it cost her to live. She had no idea
of how to cook a meal herself, and just
let the "hired girl" look after that, but
she said right pitifully, "Sometimes she
cooks mighty bad; the other day she made
a lemon pie with a merangue, and in
serving it put it upside down on the plate.”
And then she had the nerve to ask us if
we would not "think a cook would know
better than that?”
We can conscientiously say housekeeping
needs more business like attention, from
both the mistress of the house and the
maid, that the problems of home may
become less harrowing and aggravating.
There are so many tricks in every trade,
and these tricks played on us every day
by stupid looking hired help are a menace
to the family purse. We give them too
much latitude, and they are more cun
ning than competent to do our service.
Yet we so abhor domestic service that we
often would rather engage the aid of
a "jail bird” than wait until we could
find something better.
The intelligent negroes know we are
being "flim-flammed” by this class of their
race; they will not be bothered with
them, and they can’t see why the white
people tolerate such disreputable help as
they find in our homes; and they will not
work with them if we should happen to
make the effort to combine the two.
There is a solution to the problem of
the servant; it cannot be worked ig a
day or the month, but it can be a suc
cess If the Civic league of Birmingham
will formulate a system of securing a
better class of negroes for domestic ser
vice. W'hen we get Intelligent, compe
tent, interested help we begin at the very
foundation of best housekeeping—best in
point of comfort and cost. It is worth
while to watcli the leaks and the market
at the same time. Many of the wastes
emlnate from the lack of knowledge In
buying. We are going to begin at the
fair in October to train the housekeeper
to buy her meats with more care. We
have arranged with a local dealer to
have an expert "butcher" at the fair.
He will devote several hours each day in
instructing housekeepers in prices and
cuts of meats, and in dissecting the
parts, telling of the proper conditions of
meats, designating the best methods of
keeping and preparing. We noticed the
argument brought to Mr. Exum in ref
erence to the city market at a central
place, against the expense of car fare
10 cents extra each day. We wish to
educate the housekeeper to going to
market twice or three times eacli week.
We realize while the negro help must be
better trained the housekeeper needs to
be awakened to a more lively interest to
her responsibilities. When she begins to
compare prices and learns the savings
of cash and credit system and is in touch
with the methods of her kitchen and the
out-go as the cook leaves her premises*
then will the problems grow less. Often
"The eye of a master will do more
work than his hand.'
TEMPTATION OF
OFFICIALS AT COURT
Those Who Serve Royalty Frequently
Offered Bribes to Aid Some Pri
vate Person or Firm
London, July 19.—(Special.)—Only those
who have had the privilege to serve in |
the king's household can realize the
temptation that is thrown in the way of
those who are known to be connected
officially with the court. To the credit
of the members of the royal staff, it
has to be said at once that these temp
tations are nearly always treated with
contempt. A recent incident, in which
two officials of the lord chamberlain's
department were implicated, shows, how
ever, that sometimes the temptations
held out are more than can be resisted.
Punishment in such a case Is swift and
severe. So soon as anyone joins the
royal household it Is made perfectly clear
to him or her that any attempt to gain
personal profit by reason of their posi
tion means instant dismissal, and this
rule Is never departed from, no matter
how important their post may be. No
mitigating circumstances are taken into
consideration in such a case, and the
mere fact that the confidence of the
soverign has been betrayed is regard
ed us sufficient to have the culprit re
moved from court.
It is safe to say that scarcely a day
passes but what anyone known to be
connected in any way with the royal
household, or possessed of any influence
there, is approached with suggestions
that he might benefit his own pocket
by falling in with schemes propounded
to him. It is not many months sifooe
one of the best known officials of the
lord chamberlain's department was of
fered a cheque for £600 if he could get
a royal warrant stating that the firm
in question had been specially appointed
to supply a certain article to the king.
It was known, of course, to those who
made this offer that tl^e official in ques
tion had access to the blank forms upon
which these warrants are drawn up, and
that it would not have been a matter
of the least difficulty to get one of these
signed by the then lord chamberlain
among his daily pile of documents. The
offer was Indignantly rejected, and the
whole matter reported to Viscount Knol
lys, his majesty's principal private secr
tary, with the result that the firm who
made the proposal is still without the
royal patronage and Is probably won
dering why no orders from Buckingham
palace comes Its way.
It is not always money that Is the
bribe offered to court officials. Social
advancement is often the halt dangled
before them. A case in point may be
quoted. One of the principal subordi
nates of the master of the horse was
approached two or three years ago by
a lady of title with the suggestion that
she cauld obtain hundsome fees for pre
senting young ladles at court if he would
undertake that they should receive the
necessary “commands.’' The lady in
question possessed great influence in the
political world, and openly promised the
official a baronetcy if he would do this
for her. When he declined to take part
in this scheme he was then threatened
with the lady’s grave displeasure, and
was bluntly told that she would make
it her business to see that he was re
moved from his position. His retort was
prompt and surprising. He went direct
to his official chief and laid the whole
incident before him, with the result that
he continues to hold his position in the
household and the lady in question no
longer receives invitations to court.
Lord Stamfordham once remarked that
“one never knows how' popular one is
until one is appointed to a position at
court.” This is certainly true, since in
vitations from people of whom one has
had no previous knowledge simply pour
in from all quarters upon those whose
good fortune it is to serve either the
king or queen. An amusing story may
be told In connection. About the time
last year an extremely well-dressed lady
BORA-ALBA
TALCUM
Prevents f
/ and
Relieves \r
Excessive ft
PerspirationV
Use Bora-Alba for exces
sive perspiration and the
discomfort of heating ex
ercise. It is mildly anti
septic and daintily per
fumed.
In large can 25c at all
Druggists
Prepared By
! Doster-iYorthington
Drug Co.
Birmingham. Ala.
went up to an official of the lord cham
berlain’s department in Piccadilly one
morning, addressed him by name, shook
him warmly by the hand, reproached
him for having '‘neglected her so long,”
and made him promise he would call
upon her on the following Thursday.
This done she tripped away, leaving the
courtier gazing after her in amazement,
since he had not, and has not to this
day, the slightest idea of her identity.
It is not often that an official of the
court is so directly approached with an
offer of monetary reward for his ser
vices in getting a royal warrant as was
tiie case a few' months ago. He was
written to by a firm of cigarette mer
chants hailing, it is almost unnecessary
to add, from the other side of the At
lantic, forw’arding him samples of their
goods, together with the cool intima
tion “that they were well aware that
the cigarettes were just the thing the
king could smoke and enjoy,” and that
for every 1,000 that his majesty ordered
the official approached could have 60
per- cent, of the account as paid. The
reply was curt, but deserved. It was
to the effect that the samples had been
handed by the courtier to his chauffeur
who pronounced them rubbish, and that
in those circumstances he did not feel
justified in pressing- them upon his
sovereign.
It was due to the late King Edward
one of the finest connoisseurs of wine
who ever lived, being served with a very
indifferent brand of champagne one
morning that tlie gravest case of cor
ruption that lias ever been proved
against the officials of the British eourt
was brought to light. He asked the
name of the firm who supplied it and
what on earth it was doing in his cellars.
He pursued this matter to some length,
and ultimately found that one of his
most trusted servitors had been sub
stantially bribed to introduce this wine
into the bins of the then Prince of Wales
preliminary to an application for the
royal warrant in the ordinary course.
It is on record that the offender in this
case was continued in his position just
under half an hour after King Edward
was informed of his Identity.
Weird Relics
Very often the hero worshipper treas
ures the most extraordinary relics of the
object of his worship, says Tit-Bits. Per
haps one of the weirdest relics on record
is that guarded w’lth care by an English
man of note. It consists of a part of the
charred skull of Shelley, which he wears
in a small locket attached to a chain
round his neck.
It is not very often that one finds such
an article as a tooth used as a precious
stone, but then according to some the
molar of a great man is more precious
than diamonds—at least. such is the
view' taken by a prominent nobleman,
w’ho had a handsome diamond taken
out from his ring in order that it might
give space to a tooth which once grew in
the jaw of Sir Isaac Newton. He pur
chased this quaint relic at an auction in
1846.
A tooth which once gave toothache to
Victor Hugo has been carefully preserved
*7-—-Sfli&sta'S __1
1
I
BSach’s Closes Every Summer Thursday 1 P. M.
We never fail of a promise, especially one so pleasant as this one to
fulfill.
At Blach’s Sale of
tMBBnm wmmm
Boys’ Wear
at this Sale—
This is the great
est of twice-a
y ear juvenile
events. We’re go
ing to do some
record breaking
in the price line
which hasn’t a
parallel to date.
Now for instance
Boys’ Wool
Suits
$4 Suit $2.95
$5 Suit $3.95
$6.50 Suit $4.95
$7.50 Suit $5.95
$8.50 Suit $6.95
$10 Suit $7.95
$12.50 Suit $8.95
$15.00 and $18.00
Suits $10.95
50c Knickers 39c
75c Knickers 59c
Boys’ Wash Suits
$1 Wash Suits 79c
$1.50 Wash Suits $1.19
$2 Wash Suits $1.48
$2.50 Wash Suits $1.89
$3 Wash Suits $2.29
$3.50 & $4 Wash Suits $2.89
$5, $6, $7 Wash Suits $3.89
White and colors. Wide and
Bloomer Pants.
25c Wash Pants 19c
35c Wash Pants 29c
50c Wash Pants 39c
75c Wash Pants 59c
50c Shirts 39c
75c Shirts 59c
$1 Shirts 79c
And so on
-Any Pair Oxfords
For Any $1.98
Age Boy A
Prices were $2.50, $3 and
$3.50 and they were good
values at regular prices,
too. Broken lines NOW!
July
Issue
Your s Still Free
Bov Scouts of America
(we’re official outfitters
here) issue “Boys’ Life’’
—a clever magazine, we’ll
give you a sample copy if
you’ll ask for it (needn’t
buy anything) at Second
Floor Monday.
50c Blouses 35c
75c Blouses 59c
$1 Blouses 79c
$1.50 Blouses $1.19
(No white, Intt neat pat
terns.)
50c Wa.~.h Hats 39c
$1 Straw & Wash Hats 79c
$1.50 Straw & Wash Hats
$1.19
$2 Straw and Wash Hats
$1.48
$2.50 Straw and Wash
Hats $1.89
$3.00 Straw and Wash
Hats $2.29
25c Red or Black Belt 19c
25c Caps and Ties 19c
(No serge).
50c Caps and Ties 39c
(No Serge).
Underwear and Sleeping
Garments same prices.
15c Sox 10c, 3 pair 25c
25c Sox 19c a pair
Yes—Blach’s still send Birthday
Clifts to boys every year, as
usual.
Women’s Cut Price, Too
$1 Grade 79c
$1.50 Grade $1.19
$2 Grade $1.29
Muktl} With Coll him to Match
Mannish
CA li’n rYe8-tllose Silk “Boots.” Tan,
ft—ft O JTOr white or black, that mean more sav
I| TQ„ ins to women who wear them be
ds\, yond the mere lie a pair.
t
\ BIRMINGHAM
Cash Mail Orders ($1 Up) Delivered Free
' . V. . i
3
h>
since the date of its extraction in 1871. It
is kept at his former house in a glass
case, where it is displayed for the bene
fit of the great writer’s admirers.
In Belgium and other countries it has
been from time immemorial a custom to
preserve the heart of a man renowned
for his sanctity, and on the anniversary
of the death of its possessor this relic re
ceives a large share of veneration from
hundreds of people. Wigs of great liter- j
ary men are also cherished by the hero
worshipper, and it is on record that the
wig which Sterne wore writing “Tris
tram Shandy” was sold soon after his
death for $200.
Boycotting a Parliament
The Russian government is boycotting
the duma, Just at the time when those
in this country are doing their best to
direct the stream of English goM to Rus
sia assure us of the excellent progress
which constitutionalism is making there,
says the London Daily News. The ex
cuse for the boycott is tlie broad hint of
Mr. Markoff one of the leaders of the re
actionaries, tiiat stealing is going on In
all the public departments. True or
false, that was not a polite or a pleasant
thing to say, but the government puts
itself hopelessly In the wrong when it re
quired the duma to apologize for 1U.
Markoff before it will resume business i-G
lations. Tt is the duty Of the cabinet,
unless the constitution be the merest
phantom, to co-operate with parliament,
and if the present cabinet thinks co-op
eration incompatible with its honor, its
constitutional duty is to resign and make
room for another, not to hold up the
work of the government.
However, it is generally recognized that
Mr Markoff's outburst is the excuse for.
not Uie cause of the boycott. The duma
passed a vote of censure on the govern
ment for persisting in substituting the
arbitrary caprice of the official for law.
and withholding the promised and long
overdue reforms. Under that vote, only
too well deserved, the cabinet is smart
ing, and it is considering various modes
of retaliation. Home ministers favor a
dissolution,- but most recognize that new
elections would certainly return a more
hostile duina. After M. Stolypin's ex
ercises In that art. the limits of gerry
mandering have bof*n reached: so that
other ministers suggest that the powers
of the duma, already of the scantiest de
scription, should be still further cut
down. Those w*ho know how anxious the
Russian government is to draw still more
heavily upon English capital will wait
with curiosity to see whether it will ven
ture yet another coup d'etat.