The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-28

marks. George W. Perkins was forty years of age last January. He began his business life in an humble way as gro- cer's clerk in Chicago. and drifted into l life insurance in 1877. He was one of the l New York Life Insurance company's best 1 agents. By successive stages he became l clerk book-keeper, cashier, and inspector of agencies. What he did, he did well. l His energy was untiring, his ability with out bounds. When the Beer administra- 1 ton of his company led to its reorgani- zation, Perkins as the most capable man in the service was induced to show the way under the able management of John A Mccall. It was Perkins, then vice. president, who painted to young men in alluring colors that the prim rose path to opulenee led through the agency de- partment under his guidance. He turn | ed them out by droves to sell insurance. He insisted upon their having the best and most attractive policies. He fought down actual prejudices and compelled the issue of insurance policies with up-to-date contriyances, even to an automatic, self paying, back action premium paying at- tachment to policies over three years old He inspired men with hope stim- uated energy, and won the victory. He crushed down the prejudice Beers had created, and gave the New York a front seat on the insurance bench. After time he became the financial man in the company. Pierpont Morgan was attract ed by his genius and made him a partner. He is now actively engaged in affairs which have made his name world known. The other man, Max Pam, is a lawyer, | who has risen to the most conspicuous l place-as brilliant counsel, man could attain. He, too comes from Chicago. and is close friend, as well as legal adviser | to Perkins. These men work together. | They are conquering the same fields. They are both rich, young. forceful and actually, though celebrated, standing on | the threshold of attainment. Two see them on Wall street, they appear as two clever young men about town, while, in fact, millions and millions of property are affected by their thoughts, sayings and actions.
 Considerable concern has been created in the sugar market by the determination of c. A. Spreckles to contest with the trust the manufacture of refined sugars. Spreckles Is at the head of the Federal Sugar Refinery company, and associated with him are men thoroughly versed in the business also capitalists equally de- termined to force the competition. Re- fineries are being erected in many im- portant places Spreckles is himself re- finer, who it may be said was born to the business, and he possesses great exc cutive and financial ability. It is self evident that as Spreckles is working to carr dividends on the actual capital in- vested and not on watered stock, he en- ters the competition under very favorable auspices The sugar was is one that is of interest to 80, 100000 consumers and to the students on trusts"
 Nothing could be more deplorable than the tragic circumstances which surround ed the death of Nicholas Fish. The facts as stated when the announcement was first made, gave an entirely false idea Of the conditions surrounding his murder. MT. Fish went into the place, which is an ordinary little German saloon and restau- rant and not place with dsreputable name," for refreshment Officers of the bank In the vicinity and the leading busi- ness men in the neighborhood lunch there daily Among his other properties MT. Fish had real estate in the neighborhood, which he personally looked after. While seated at the table two women entered, who he recognized as his tenants. Being democratic in his ways and hospitable by nature he invited them to sit down. It was then local tough" came in. It ap- pears he was jealous and assaulted Fish, MT Fish realizing that row in a saloon would provoke scandal, sought to leave the premises when he was struck down by the man Sharkey. His prominence in finance and society at once stimulated the "coor'' writers to picture the scene in vivid and turing colors. As matter of fact the place MT. Fish was in was just the sort of a place thousands of men of family and responsibility enter daily. man less courteous than MT. Fish would have been "offsh' with the woman ten ants and would have, in consequence, not provoked the assault of the brute Sharkey.
 Speaking about gold. there is a little bit of an iron trackway running from | Kro1I cf7. a ma SG between the sub-treasury and the assay office in this city, over which more mill lions of gold and silver have been trans ported than perhaps over any other road in the world. It leads to the counting rooms and vaults of the two establish ments under the eyes of the statue of George Washington. which stands on the treasury steps-the place where he was inaugurated president so many years ago, when Uncle Sam set up in the business of government without a dime In his pocket until congress came along and be- gan the work of taxation which 1t has ever since kept up in a style to beat the band Gold and silver bullion by the ton runs over this little road week after week throughout the year, and the men who do the pulling and hauling for wage of couple of dollars a day seem to pay no more attention to it than if 1t were so much scrap-iron junk. Across the way is J. Exchange, and a little way down the street the Custom House. The whole re- zion Is the greatest gold mine, or mines on the continent.
 An ingenious system of swindling has just come to light of which the confiding druggist is the victim This is how it works: The "grafter'' provides himself with the printed prescription blanks of well-known physicians and takes one of them, carefully filled out to drug store. With it is presented a check for payment of the amount of the prescription, al- ways, of course, above the sum due. The surplus change vanishes into the pocket of the swindler, and the patient to whom the medicine is ordered to be sent, proves to be a myth Memorandum for druggists everywhere-ring up your physician and see if his check is good.
 New York is becoming one of the most unsafe cities-unsafe against personal vio- 1 lence-in the world. This Is the deliber- ate judgment of a great morning news paper not given to sensationalism of any kind, and 1t cites facts that cannot be re- | futed to back its opinion. Footpads have recently been holding up sober citizens in the City Hall park, under the glare of l the electric lights of the publication 1 offices along Newspaper Row, rightunder the statues of Nathan Hale Honest old Ben Franklin, Horace Greeley, sitting in the vestibule of the Tribune building, and
 of Justice crowning the cupola of the
 municipal building Only the other day an eminent banker bearing a historic
 name was done to death in broad day Ii..l,t xx,tt fa,, mi x1ya1lr of