The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-06-11
MORE TROUBLES ENDURED
BY THE "PRETTY MAN"

nodded and his complexion Is such as to
excite envy among those members of the
fair sex who must, perforce resort to
rouge, powder, and other troublesome ar
ticles when they are to appear to the best
advantage. Add to this large blue eyes
and brown hair that curls just little at
the temples and you have the complete
article, a pretty man.
"As a speciment of the matinee article
this man would be the proper thing and
there would be much excitement in the
hearts of the young fair ones who paid
money to see him. But he is not. On the
contrary, he has no inclination toward
the stage, and he has a real, man-sized
contempt for the matinee actor and his
| ways. Effeminate he is not in any sense
of the W ord but it is hard to look at his
face and curls and believe 1t.
HE started out in life as collector
for a wholesale grocery house, a posi-
ton secured for him through the nfiu-
ence of his father. 1t was his first posi-
tion, and hitherto he had never supposed
that his beauty, which had ever been
a source of joking at home and at school,
would hinder him in a business way.
But it did. The storekeepers from whom
he was to collect looked at him. and after
he was gone telephoned his firm: Why
don't you have man to do your collect
got out now and spank him and take his
money away
"At first this was not noticed by the
employers, but after half a dozen such
calls and few letters had been received
the head of the house looked up the new
collector. The head was of the gruff,
old type of business man, and the pretty
fellow was taken off the collection route.
He was offered a position in the office,
1,,f f. io ha
resigned.
That was only the beginning, but that
is a f1rst-class example of the way peo-
pie regarded me before became known,
says he. / was pretty" that was all;
that was enough. l applied for positions
as insurance solicitor, collector, sales
man, freight claim agent and solicitor,
even as a street car conductor, and was
turned down because of my misfortune.
I might have landed the conductors
job If l agreed to grow a beard, but [
don't have to cover my face with hair
for anybody. I've got a mustache now,
and that helps to lend an air of fereeness
to my aspect, but that's as far as | will
go.
"'Before raised the mustache, and
before I got to be known anywhere, l
certainly had a time making a living in
the way I wanted to make it. /. could
have got work as a salesman in men s
furnishing stores or in the big department
stores, but I didn't feel like working for
a boys wages. so didn't take those jobs.
In most other places I was told they
didn't want any one just then.
81 finally had to whip a man to get a
job. This is how 1t was: / had answered
ads until 1 had got sick of being turned
down, and finally one day, when I saw
that a large cigar manufacturer was adj
vertising for a salesman, experience I'M
necessary, / determined 10 make play
strong enough to land the job
Il made my play all right, confessed
that my being good looking was against
me, but the cigarmaker didn warm to
me at ALL 1 told him I wasn't as pretty
as / looked. He insnuated that 1t
wouldn't do any good to fit me out with
a case of samples, because, even If l
could sell cigars. 1t wouldn'e be long be-
fore somebody stole me. I called him a
liar He said, Who's liar?" Then we
clnched, as is usual under those circum-
stances. and before we got through | had
made the man, who is now my employer,
see the error of his judgment.
I've tried to keep fighting ever since.
because people will try to presume on the
pretty man. I'm not particularly stuck
on my present job, but I'm dead scared
to throw it up and try for something else,
because / remember the time l had be-
fore / landed this one. So, If your face
begins to show any signs of growing
pretty" begin patronizing barber
schools. It'll be less trouble in the end F"