The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-08-08

from it and spread it out and scanned the headlines.
 l 'Anothuh yearthquake out yonduh in l Californy-little one this heah time, he 1 informed the wool-hatters outside the 1 counter To all caynt tell me that the 1 hull coast out yonduh hain't a-goin' t l tumble into the sea one O thse heah ] days. An knows 1t will 'aThat started one of the wool-hatters on the subject of earthquakes in general. His view that San Francisco never would he without it's regular daily earthquake precipitated an argument among all the rest of the one-galluses, in which the postmaster, leaning both hands on the counter and permitting the mail to kick around on the gummy noor, took his due part. I began to feel some Juinpy ana pulled out my watch.
 !" .LTar ha if from me, Mister Post | master said to him, not sarcastically, YOU know, to break in to this exceed ] inrlv interesting exchange of views, but I've got a letter lying there on the floor l in that bunch of mail and I we got to get a train four miles from here In Just 1 50 minutes, and I sure would De sreatiy | obliged to you if you'd
 "I ,ook a-heah, Mstuh Man cut in the l noe+naster right then, crushingly. 'Ah l wan+s vo' all tuh understan' that Ah'm l r,nnin' this heah eend O tn Eo-you- | ni+ed states gov ment an Ah'm a-runnin' | if on tn principle O tn greatest good TO | tb, greatest numbuh us yo'-alfs Ape Lincoln said somewheah' an tust come | f,,s+ s,,,ved suh Jes' yo'-all keep yo bree,,s on. an if theys any lettuh mean | fo, von,-all-an' I've on'y got yo wo fo, that yit-yo' all Il git It wen yo | turn comes ,.. shool
 The wool matters shouioers .s,' n, | a9ain as I could see out or the taii VI my eyes, over their postmaster TIC. repartee What was the usei S" again. . a,rsnan nor. o,a folders and catalogs and such mat ter and distributing them Tn the two ., 1 tb.oa tiers of boxes at the end or tne
 on,,n+er the postmaster picked up ths ,,oclet of letters and postcards wnici
 was tied arounud with coro. ae ., na. | a great search for his pocket kniie Miei | rrbiob to cut the cord. Then ne turhe' wil'In ,n+ta,s face downward and started il +o stamn all the envelopes on the pacf
 Y1+b the Punkville stamp before sortlns
 thern ou. Slow work that. He cant
 unon a number of picture postcaros' ane
 he commented upon them to the one
 galluses. .,.,,,r,
 in one of the picture postcards ant
 s+udvine the seashore picture in colori
 nrinted on 1t. We all sho' is gittin' styl
 ish down this heah way-heah's keaht
 from Feb Mankin's gal at Asbuhy Plank | addressed to her paw. An heres ont
 like 1t fo' her naw. An heah, picking
 up another picture postal card and gag
 ing at 1t intently, Is one from Jim Boyd''
 niece whut keeps house fo' him, iron
 Bosting. An sho' kayn't undustan' whut fo' annybody from down this-um-way 1 wants f 20 f amy sich Yankee deestric
 as Bosting. An sho' kayn't,' and the l postmaster gave me a shy, slating gaze. | ''It was plain that he was trying fol \ rise out of me in order to make an l other hit with the wool matters; but noth- | inp doing as to that with me. I was ir too much of a hurry to get my letter with the check and duck out of there.
 After he'd got all of the letters and cards date stamped and turned them over | recognized my letter in the bunch. Ii
 was the only official envelope in the
 bundle, and the corner flap was slightly
 turned up, showing part of the firm 1 name
 There's my letter. imprudent1y
 said to the postmaste4, pointing to the
 official envelope. If nothing stands in
 the way of such action now, would you
 mind letting me have it, so that can
 make some kind of stab at getting | that trainY
 "Ain't nobody keepin' yo' all from git
 tin no train. suh.' promptly replied the
 postmaster. to the manifest and intense
 delight of the one-galuses. 'Kayn't see
 that nobody's got no hawEuhs or chains
 on yo' all. suh,' and he began slowly to l distribute the bundle of letters in the
 pigeonhoies, walking ID t0 fhe front window every once in q while 10 get a