The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-08-29

|
Was introduced to Gen. Ruekar few
days ago. That's mighty good mime. Gen.
Rucker used to be good poker player
The Yankee army ruined him. Lost his
poker arm in the war. III bet Rucker
has been "cussing" Yankees from that
| day to this But he did the next best
thing. He went to banking. Not faro
banking, but national banking There's
some difference. Not much-but some.
Principles just the sam. The banker
| gets the best of it all the time. Gen.
Rucker does his own dealing. He stands
behind the counter all the time and Billy
| Porter keeps tab on the checks. Of
course, 1 don't blame the general He
Went to banking in Birmingham when
banks were needed. He made the peo-
| pl+ come UP to his methods of doing
things. I expect you could get from
Gen. Fuckers bank as much as $3.50 4
you puE up $250.000 worth of collateral.
He protects the money of the deposito4s.
Went over to sse my old friend Bar
ker. Barksr he used to be in Chatta-
nooga. I feel sorry for any man that
every lived in Chattanooga. Bankers an
enterprising citizen, tell you. He left
there and came to Birmingham. He's
got bank herr now Got a big bank.
Money stuck everywhere around it. OF
course I couldn't get my hands on it,
though I didn't try, for I knew it
wouldn't do me any good if did. Bar
ker looked at my check, and looked at
me--looked at me twice; turnsd the
check over and looked at me again.
rs this your writing on this check?"
said, "Only the signature"
This is your signature ?''
I said Eyes; what did you expect SIM
| ply my mark?"
Barker can tell an honest man wh=n
he sees him. I don't know how. often he
| sees them, anyhow he cashed 1t for me
| just like a gentleman. Flashed 1t out in
gold. OF course, Bankers a gold man.
He believes in carrying his political prin-
cfples right into his business Tt was
easier to pay me in gold than anything
else because there was stack of gold
lying on his desk Barksrs hot stuff,
he is. I likd him. I'll bet he'll be rich
man some day. hope he will. I want
to see all good men prosper Some people
don't like Barker, but that's because
they da1'5 know him. He cashed my
not come back. 1t happened to be good.
Tn going away tomorrow. Bought my
ticket yesterday. Bought 1t from Jack
Johnston himself. Don't buy tickets
from clerks Bui5 Jack wouldn't give me-
a cut rate. He's too s.rict. He's losing
business for his roads, he is I can ten
him how he can sell a great many mora
tickeltsthan he does. Did you ever see
Jack Johnston sell a railroad ticket? Lots
of people travel over his roads, no matter
whether they have business on them or
not, simply for the pleasure of buying
from Jack. He can talk more about
scenery, tell you about the steel rails,
STONE ballast, shade all the way on both
sides, fast trains, etc.. that's what gets
The business. Heard him talk to man
the other day who wanted to ship some
freight. Jacks melt in the freight busi-
mess, but he's booking out for the interest
of the roads. The fellow wanted TO ship
a carload of watermeIons
Jack said: We've get 1872 tunnels on
the line, a distance of 201 miles. Water
melons underground all Ghe way. Per-
fectly cool when they reach market. Get
better prices for them" Man thought
Jack a genius and shipped over his road
Melons persisted before they got fifty
miles from depot. Weather was go hct.
Jack hadrft kept himself posted. Tops
had been taken off the tunnels and car
ried away, leaving only plain cuts, and
when the sum shines down in them tall
you ITS powerful hos Jacks better up on
passenger travel DonTh make any differ
ence to Jack over which road you go. He
ge,s a rake off all the same. He's dead
sore on Pullman. Pullman won't pay him
anything for selling mis- tickets. q don't
blame him for being sore on Pullman.
Pullmam he's having a pretty hard time
of it. He has two sons-in-law on lis
hands now. and it takes a great deal to
support Them. Young George he's agent
for wine house, and is drinking hard.
Everybody kicks on Pullman's rates. I
don't blame L1lem- suppose the reason
they are so high is because Pullman needs
the money. Jacks a good fellow if he
does draw his salary from several cor
porations,