The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-29
THE HOTEL CLERK
 LOOKS BACK AT 1907
BY IRWIN S. COBB.

custom of kissing his seconds, and the gentleman who held his towel forahim after the referee had announced the decision. and fled for his life. It was great pity, too, Larry. Pm inclined to think the Tommy Burns kiss would deserve to have gone sliding down the moistened corridors of Time along with the Sappho Kiss, the James K. Hack ett Kiss, the Olga Nethersole Kiss, the Kid Broad Kiss, the Leopold of Bel gium Whiskers Kiss, and other nota- bie kisses of history, art and drama.
 You know, Larry, kings and prize fighters are about the only prominent classes that kiss in public any more. I could always understand about the kings-Alfonso of Spain has lower jaw that's just built for catching a misplaced kiss that's gone adrift, and is about to drip down on somebody's white waistcoat and make a damp spot; the Kaiser has gone to the trouble or furling his mustache back from his lips so when he kisses Edward of England 1t won't taste so much like an elderly tooth brush to his imperial uncle; and Judging from the pictures I've seen of him, I should say Menelik of Abyssinia has an open-face kiss up his sleeve that would make an awful hit for Kyrlie Bellew of Faversham if they could only use 1t in love scene with out obliterating from half to two- thirds of the leading ladys makeup.
 "As I say, I could understand about the kingly habit of kissing, but 1t took me some little time to dope 1t out on the prize fighter. Twas only lately that I happened on the reason. The puRilist Is by nature sympathetic and emotional There's something about the calling of altering other peoples features without removing same from the face that makes him sentimental. And except for Senator Tillman, he's the strongest bulwark of race sup1i- ority we've got.
 "A large husky coon fighter emerges from hotel dining room in Baltimore or Louisville and issues general defi. Is this here dinge a big, strong man% inquires the holder of the belt. He is,' says the man who's bringing him the oh alIenge, 'as strong as an OK Then I draw the color line,' says the peo- ple's idol I stand for Caucasian su- premacy in this as in all the learned professions. I will never meet this new black man save in the way Of kindness
 q predict, Larry. that the Hon. Joe Cans will continue to have much trouble finding suitable white adver- saries as long as he keeps his present excellent health.
 "A successful pugilist erupts into tears as easily as into kisses, or maybe more so. He's what you might call temperamentally moist We read in the papers:
 "In his dressing room the Horrible Hun regained his "r1ses: Am beaten! were his first i,. Those bending over him nodded assent. Then l get the short end of the purse and lose the side bets. murmured the defeated gladiator. and burst into fit Of un- controllable weeping.
 Tt was a stirring account that the paper had of the touching scene up at Hammerstein's the other night when old Fritz broke down and cried aloud. It must have been a moving spectacle to see the tears rolling down those corrugated cheeks and splashing from freckle to freckle in path etic cataracts. It occurred in the middle of the pro- gramme.
 "The four talented young gentlemen