The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-12-05

loss to comprehend where the habit came
from. There is no reason fer 1t. But 1t
Is a fact that the Birmingham people
talk louder in private conversation than
any persons 1 have ever known. There
Is Tit lie excuse for taking loud in street
cars, but even that is very much over
done. But why loud talking is a habit
among Birmingham people where there
is no Noise of any consequence, is more
than a great many people can under
stand. I heard two men talking the
other day in a private office. They were
discussing a matter of business, and
when 1 make the statement THAT They
talked loud enough to be heard two hum
dred feea away. I am not indulgi in
e0aggeIaton. Women in Birmi ngham
talk too bud also. Entirely too loud.
The habit may haNs been FORMED with
them when Birmingham was SMALL and
the houses far apart. Visiting lists were
unknown, and the women folks found as
the only means of communication was
calling loudly to their neighbcrs from
.lhe back yard. In those days everybody
was so bent on getting mon-y perhaps
they did not realize they were then es-
tablishing a very bad hatdt, which fu-
ture generations would inhairh.- Loud
talking is a bad habit, and one that
ought to be broken up. The Indians can
teach some people good manners in his
respect. An Indian always talks in a
low tone of voice when there is no oc-
casion 10 speak otherwise.
ut wals a proud day fer Mother" Nc
Kindey when SHE came from her modest
little home ait Canton to Washington.
three days preceding atat of the inaugu-
ration of her SON as president of the
United States. 1 remember seeing her
as she stepped from the train in the sta
alton ait Washington in company with her
son and his wife, and fifty or more per-
sons who made up the party Mother
,A1oF<in was very much the central
figure ON that occasion, for the thous-
andss of people who assembled to well
come 1.-THE president-elect ito The capital
city. Wlhile very aged, her step Was
itlnat of "a woman of not more than forty.
She was all Smiles, and the world to her
was brighter, perhaps, than ever De
fore. In company with THE mempers
of the inaugural committee, l walked
by the side of Mother MCKINLEY from the
train ito the carriage, a distance, per-
haps, of "a Thousand feet. She conveIsed
with everyone who was near her. Had a
good word for ALL 1T was 1.-The first time
she had visited Washington. Though her
SON had been i'm congress a great many
years. the mother had NEVER gone to VISIT
him He visited her every few weeks.
It was "a BEAUTIFUL day. In fact "a perrtct
ONE She remarked ito Chairman Bell OF
ahe inaugural committee that everything
promised for Ib;autifu1 weather on the
day of Inauguration. l saw her seated
upon the platform net four Feet from
where her SON stood when he took Tine
oath of office and delivered his inaugural
address,. She watched innntDy his every
movement Every word the president
uttered was as interesting to her as 1t
was to the great cIoncourse or people
She held in her hap a small but we'll
worm Bible She had carried do from her
home in Canton and THAT was the book
used by her som when he took the oath
of office. I saw her latter i'm 1.-THE day as
she arrived ait the Write Hcmse, alter
the inaugural address had been deliv-
cred. ibu1 before the new PR Sldent mad
arrived a,t the executive mansion. SINE
came i'm company with the presidents
wife. and itihe two entered the Wn0oe
House together. Tt was not long BEFORE
the AGED lady went from the Wmte
House i'm company with a number OF
Younger ladies to the reviewing stand
Immediately in front of 1.-THE mansion, but
some distance away facing Pennsylvania
avenue. It was suggested by her other
son, Abner MCKINLEY, that the mother
be driven to the reviewing stand in a
carriage. To ahis SHE objected. The
distance was not great, and she said she
would walk, and THE result was that all
of THE PARTY 'w1allqsid over. In fact, the
president himself i'm about half an hour
later also walked owen from the White
House to the reviewing stand. Mother
MCKINLEY was the third woman to see
her son take the oath of office lals presi-
dent. The first was the mother of Gen.
Grant and the second THE mother of INF.
Garfield. Mother MCKINLEY has been a
remarkable woman. She came from that
sturdy race of people who were tine
pioneers i'm the settlement of Ohio.
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