The age-herald., 1900-12-26
SKETCHES FROM
 EVERYDAY LIFE

"All literary people are very sensitive to compliments" said Southern girl who is now society editor of Northern. paper. T suppose everybody is, for that matter, but people who have anything of the ar tisdc temperament are particularly so. When I first went to work on the Phla- delphia paper I was exceedingly anxious to please MT. Hepburn, the proprietor, and worked very hard. I am sure I did my work well in quiet way, and was very anxious to know what the proprietor thought of 1t compared to the work of my predecessor, who was a Vermont woman with loud voice and all thelpush and vim Of the Northern business woman. One day I went fishing for a compliment from the heavy editor of the paper. MT. Brown asked, why do you suppose MT. Hepburn happened to give me the position of society editor?' Because he said, you have a low voice and don't come in the room like the house was on fre.'"
 This was the only fish I caught.
 
 Immigration to Texas Is twenty-five per cent heavier this year than 1t has been in eight years" remarked a railroad official, speaking of the enormous crowds that thronged the Birmingham station during the holidays. People used to go to Texas In large numbers, just as they are going now, but year or two ago Texas got a black eye in some way; they had floods and bad crops and it checked immigration. Now, however, it has broken out afrcsh. You see, people are constantly striving to better their condition, they get restless staying at home and Texas is the only promising field. The lands there are bet ter. Here in Alabama, and in Georgia, they are worn out, and 1t Is less trouble to move to fresh soil than to buildrl up the old Force of habit, or rather imitation Of others example has more to do with it than you would suppose. People, when the spirit possesses them to move, usually go to place where some of their neigh bore have preceded them. If one hun dred people in any county in Alabama go to Texas others from that county are cer- tain to follow them. The same thing is true as to cities. People in one city will get into the habit of moving; they rarely move back, emigration being as a rule mostly in one direction. I suppose about twenty-five per cent of the people who ga to Texas return and the others stay there."
 
 "A queer thing about the Birmingham courts" remarked lawyer while sitting in the clerks office, waiting for his case to be reached, Ifs that there is never an audi epce in the court room to hear an argument, no matter how prominent the attorneys may be. Some times in the criminal courts, when there is a murder case being tried, the friends of the defendant will be on hand to watch the trial but there is rarely dis interested observer who comes just to hear the lawyers. In the civil courts 1t is still worse. No one is there but the jury and the witnesses who can't get away. This is probably due to the fact that there is so much to do in Birmingham and so many things to see that the court house is a sec ondary attraction. All this Is different in the country. There court week is a great attraction and everybody who can get off focks to the court house to hear the lawyers plead As a consequence country lawyers are accustomed not only to tadk to the judge and the jury but to make grandstand plays to the audience. This is perfectly natural for it is great thing for speaker to hava his audience with him.. and I am not crti- cising the country lawyer, but merely stat
 
 moved to Birmingham from the country, where he had quite local reputation as an orator. when he made his first speech in Birmingham, it was a complete failure. As long as he talked to the judge and the jury he got along fairly we'll, but when he turned to make grandstand play to the audience, which wasn't there, he became 'rattled. After one or two speeches he gave 1t up as a bad job and returned to his native town. He missed the stimulus of an audi ence, which was as necessary to him as a drink or strong coffee to others. He said he could not talk only to judge and jury. both of whom were paid to listen to him."
 "It is interesting to know how Birming- ham impresses strangers" said lady re- cently T happened to be on a car one day last week in which were two well dressed and handsome girls who were evil dently strangers, and as I sat close to them I could not help overhearing some of their It seems that they were go- ing to Atlanta and had missed the train. As it was too wet to walk they were spend- ing the time until the next train left, by riding around the city on the trolley cars. They had been on several of the lines and were riding on a Highland avenue car when I saw them. They seemed delighted with the city and were rather glad they had missed their train. I have often heard of said one, but had no idea it was such a beautiful city. What house is that on the hilltop? she asked a woman sitting by her, pointing to MT. Woods residence. Is that the Country Club?' She seemed disappointed that 1t was not for the location was just the thing she thought for country club. Highland ave- hue they said was beautiful. They intend- ed to go to East Lake if they had time, but it they took this trip they probably got left again, as it was late when I saw them. There was no dust that day and appeared to advantage. The moral of which Is that travellers who want to see Birmingham should chose a rainy day to get left