The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-10-03

news that they read from these sections
and they expect us to be just as inter-
ested in it as they are" laughingly re-
piled the speaker. This is invariably
true when the news happens to be a
death or a marriage. For instance, a fell
low opened a Baltimore paper not long
ago and a few minutes after reading it
turned and said to me: We'll, l never
believed she'd marry that slab-sided fool
of a good-for-nothing.' and then launched
forth to tell me the family history of the
two contracting parties"
"And do you enjoy it?" asked.
"As long as / keep busy l don't care
how much they talk" was the answer
which bespoke the commercial instinct of
the news man. at does them good to
blow off, and it don't hurt me, you know.
For instance, not long ago a woman stop
ped at the wagon, and I noticed she was
pale and thin, and looked like she was
in trouble. She bought paper and with
trembling hands opened it and turned to
the death notices at once. She ran her
eager eyes down the column and final
ly resting them upon a line she gasped
and crumpled the sheet in her hand"
"Ah, poor creature!' 1 exclaimed land
did she faint?"
mo, but she came so near it that 1t
clanped my heart good and tight I
started to catch her as thought she was
about to fall, but she Strengthened up and
walked off as white as sheet and with
her eyes as big as saucers. And when
| picked up the paper where she had
cropped 1t, I saw sure enough 1t was
turned to the death notices. She clear
forgot to pay me, but a fellow couldn't
Kick about thing like that. The fellow
from home often stops and reads his
paper as soon as he buys 1t. and sees
accounts of accidents in which people he
knows are concerned, and we get the
penent or 1t from his expression as
wei as from what he tells us. Oh, it's
flne way to learn human nature''
II should think So" was my reply ''But
tell me about some of the good things
| that happen"
Sure said the news man. as he
leaned against the little wagon souaring
himself for a chat "A poor old guv
stopped here not long ago, dirty and
ragged and torn-'bout the worst looking
tramp you ever saw. He handed out 4
cents for western paper. told the guy
that he knew bally we'll I couldn't sell
paper under cents, but I'd let him
| read IT. only he couldn't take 1t away with
! him. He pocketed his four pennies ouicL
as lightning, and believe it was all the
money he had in the world He grabbed
the paper and opened it, spread it out
oefore him and began searching for some-
| lhihg. In about two minutes he jumped
| up In the air and waved his hat like he
| was at an anti-prohibtion meeting, and
| ! believe he would have Rugged me il
ia have let him. He pointed to an article
| IN the paper and cried: Look! Look,
For the Lords sake look, man.. And
| read that on some land out In Texas
/ they had struck oil. He didn't stop to
explain how he was connected with this
| ma, but his expression had been enough
| Tor that, and off he went, thanking me
Tor letting him read the paper In a
| couple of months afterward he came back
| all dressed up and real swell and asked
| me If ! remembered him. and let me tell
| you, he sure treated me white"
That was casting your bread upon the
, water and finding 1t after many days.
wasn't it?'' ! asked, moved by the gem
crosby of the news man. IT expect vol.
! make lot of friends by just such little
| deeds or kindness, don't your
! Fellows from out of town greet me
Ike long-lost friend, just because can
hand them home paper" he replied.
And have you become efficient enough
| In reading human nature to know where
people hail from-what part of the coun-
try, | mean?" l asked
"Oh, yes | can spot them almost every
time said the news man, smiling. "There
Is the New Yorker. The minute he gets
his paper, he begins talking about the
Elevated and the Subway, and that there
is no place like Little Old New York
During the baseball season he always
turns to the sporting news first, and gives
three cheers for his team nearly every
time he reads 1t. Mighty little to say has
the Philadelphian except to kick about
the price he has to pay for his paper
away from home. Then there's the
Frisco man. He always talks about bust
ness and trade. and how that city has
improved since the earthquake. The west
erncr Is more friendly than the easterner
and the Denver man will begin to talk