The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-09-09
HE professional barker" or as
he is more generally known, the
nsnieler." is peculiarly a latter

II HE professional barker" or as
kCp he is more generally known, the
"spieler" is peculiarly latter
day product, although he has been
feature of circus and sideshow life for
many years. OF late, however, the bar
kerr has matured and now fiourishes as
a valuable, if humble, member of society.
One of the most recent developments OF
this voeiferous class is the man who
officiates on sightseeing tours in the
larger cities and is known as an auto
barker" He directs the itinerary of So
called ''yap wagons" which are nothing
more than automobiles employed for haul
ing visitors about. The auto barker" is,
however, only one example of an extern
sive class of men who now make a liv-
ing by wagging their tongues. In nearly
all undertakings where it is necessary to
attract the attention of the public in
stantly and compellingly these vocal press
agents are to be found. At fairs they -four
ish. and the man who boasts a "choice
line of conversation" will have no trouble
in getting a job. In We olden times
"spieler" was considered capable If he
possessed continuous flow of language;
if he could talk all the time without stop
ping he could hold his job, but nowadays
the business of barking has been ele-
waited to a higher plane. The successful
"spieler' is required to have a pretty
wit. If he is a college graduate, the bet
ter pay he will receive and the more en-
gagements there will be open to him. The
30, dotf CT he al artistic
talker, a man of parts and proficient in
the art of entertaining a crowd. The work
looks easy but is rather hard. Yet, spiel
ers" may console themselves with the
thought that a female invasion of their
field of activity is not yet imminent.
A wave of magazine enthusiasm seems
to be sweeping over the south. John
Trotwood Moore has begun the publica-
ton of "Trotwood's Monthly" which has
had an suspicious beginning; Thomas E.
Watson seems to be making success
of tom Watson's Magazine" and Bob
Taylor's Magazine" has already been no.
ticed. These three men are representative
literary figures of the south and If they
had as much cash as they have brains
there would be no possibility of any one
OF their magazines coming to grief.
The Kaiser notes with regret that
Theodore Roosevelt is first in war, first
in peace and first at the bottom of the
ocean.
Commander Peary is reported to have
encountered bad weather in the far north.
He probably expected that it would be
a trifle cold.
The first woman mayor, who was
Mrs. Clara Curtis of Cimorron Kas, has
passed away at the age of IA. If Mrs.
Curtis was true to her sex it is a safe
bet that she kept the streets of Cimor-
ron clean.
A learned doctor AYERS that the chase
for the, almighty dollar is responsible
for the prevalence of appendicitis in this
country. AS we are not going to 'cut
OUT the dollar, it is probable that the
doctors will have to continue cutting out
our appendices.
HE DIDN'T DARE.
Old Differs led gay career
And lived wicked life,
But while he had a lot of faults
He never spanked his wife.
The evil tendencies of the postal card
fad are being rapidly developed and some
steps should be taken to curtail the out