The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-11-23

@ FREQUENT attention has been TO called to what is styled American
 newspaper humor. It is distinct from literary humor. h fact, there is wide gap between the two, but the pro- gress of the former has been so great in recent years that 1t has come to take a place alone and independent of the latter. Perhaps the most striking characteristic of American newspaper humor Is It's ir- reverence and lack of dignity. No public man. no public or private undertaking and no foible of the day that is worthy his efforts escapes the dart of the pert paragrapher The President of the United States Is often a target, especially If he be an executive whose personality has those distinctive knobs and angles, as 1t were, on which satire can best find lodge- ment There is nothing dignified about American newspaper humor. The broadest burlesque alternates with sparkling wit and keen satire, but the writer seldom hesitates in choosing his subjects If there
 is inspiration for a shaft in the charac- ter of the greatest man in the world the dart will be let loose. Another character istic of American newspaper humor is its quantity. Tons of 1t are ground out day after day with no apparent dimine- ton in quantity or quality until the reader
 is amazed at the resources of the writers. Thousands of jokes find their way into print every month, but the supply seems inexhaustible. and 1t Is gratifying to note that as the months go by the newspaper humorist shows improvement. The more humor American people get the more they seem to want, and there Is no telling what will be the end of the jokesmiths.
 So great has become the demand for rapid transit that neither trains beneath the surface of the earth, trains on the surface of the earth. nor trains above the surface of the earth can suffice to trans port the busy thousands who live the strenuous life. It was thought that when the subway was built in New York the problem of rapid transportation would be solved, but this great work has hardly been completed when there Is hue and cry for "double-deck'' elevated railroads. Instead of having one line of elevated road on a trestle why not have two or even three, built one above the other so that the scurrying trains will be twice or thrice as numerous? It is believed that in the long run surface cars or elevated cars will prove more popular than an under ground roadway. But when the "double- deck" or .'triple-deek" lines come into use In our large cities the old demand will rise again and what then? The sky alone remains and therefore 1t behoves our as- piring but unlucky inventors to bestir themselves ere traffic congestion in large cities becomes more than we can bear.
 Even Tom Watson has contracted the magazine habit, and announces that he will shortly begin the publication of a monthly magazine that shall be known as "Watsons Magazine" and will be used to fight the battles of the peoples party. MT. Watson Is getting more like Mir. Bryan every day. although MT, Bryan has still few laps the lead in the matter of greatness. 'The Com moner" was the solace of Nebraska's un- fortunate son; "watson's Magazine will comfort Georgia's equally unfortunate Moses. However, 1t is rumored that the