The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-04-03
AeJ1,,xe-
NOTES AND COMMENTS

 Allen Sangree. alleged baseball authority
 of the New York Globe and Commercial
 Advertiser, paid a visit to Birmingham re- gently with the New York National league
 baseball team, and while here proceeded
 to give his views of the south as it ap-
 peared to his superior optics. but lately
 removed from the free lunch resorts and
 the Tenderloin haunts of bad Gotham.
 Sangree's baseball stories were not bril-
 liant, so he, perhaps, felt justified in
 turning his attention to southern women
 and the status of civilization in this be-
 nighted district of the country. It was
 mp certain amount of space In his paper
 every day, but he made a woeful mis-
 take when he attempted to write of sub
 ject about which he knows nothing at
 all. When Sangree and hisefriends were
 in Birmingham they were shown every i courtesy by the local newspaper men and
 the citizens. Yet he plays the Judas by
 writing, purely from imagination, the
 most incredible drivel about the people
 here attending lynchings and local hang
 ings with the greatest gusto. carrying
 huge pistols around all the time, wearing
 sombrero hats, and conducting themselves
 in manner close akin to savagery. But
 more than this, he takes it upon himself
 to criticise southern women and tells of
 young girl of the smart set relating
 with the most astonishing naivete how
 she set fire to a negro one time. Accord
 ing to this ass from Gotham the society
 belles of Birmingham will stand in front
 of saloon and fan" member of the
 New York baseball team or anybody else
 after an introduction and will call half
 across theatre at hun" when she catches a glimpse of his smirking face This is only part of what Sangree has to say about southern society. The resr is no better and perhaps worse. If this self-infiated dope" artist was really for
 tunate enough to get an introduction to
 the best people of Birmingham 1t is to
 be sincerely regretted. The class he is
 writing about may be found In his famil- far retreats in New York and Is charac-
 teristic of the Tenderloin dives in all cities. The truth is that having become acquainted with the backdoor, Sanhree confuses 1t with the front door, where he would have a hard time in obtaining en-
 trance should he ever return to Brming- ham.
 Prophet Dowie is having an active cam paign to convert the benighted heather lu Australia. Evidently large majority Of the heather are inclined to look upon "Elijahs" claim to sanctity with a great deal of ridicule. They have even gone 50 far as to chase the doctor to his hotel in a most undignifed fashion. Strange to relate. he did not wither h:s tormentors with an invective like unto those which he found so ready at hand when carrying on his crusade against niost strenuous time in Australia, 1t 10 not believed that he is making large numbers of converts. The popuIace is too easy to take offense when he makes reference to King Edward that Is not complimentary. In the meantime the pro- rhet continues to rule Zion at a distance. and the people are getting along as best they may without his divine presence. Dowie has led picturesque career, and is enc of the most interesting figUres m the public life today. despite the Jocuiar remarks constantly made about him by 1 the press.
 The Alphonse and Gaston in real fife is | not so unusual as we commonly sup 1 posed until Mir. Opper took 1t upon him. self to show just how ridiculous too much politeness may become. However, re- | cent case of two Americanixed French l men who stod on railroad track and | argued as to which should cross first un- | til train came along and knocked them l off. may be considered the limit. Polite | ness paves the way for pleasant exis- l tence in this vale of tears but when l carried to such extremes 1t Is time for | the insurance adjustors to take . hand. l It will soon be time for Grover Cleve- | land to go fishing and what will become | of the presidency then is problematical. l As yet no piscatorial reports have been l received from the Sage of Princeton. but l 1t is believed that he is examining his | rods and tackle while the bait is reaching | a proper stage of juicy development Bad | times are in store for the fish but to be angled after Is principally what they l swim the streams for and 1t Is some dis l tinction to be caught on the hook of an
 ex-president any way. ?. C.