The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-20

far into the system as to bring on blood poison, still at the same time 1t was all most impossible to be a successful lead ing man with a complexion like the back of shooting gallery. He got knocked out and began writing on in regard to face lotions the same week. I don't know what's become of John L.; I don't read the Clipper.
 And just let us contemplate the scene that Is presented, Larry when two of the leading opponents of the manly art of self-pretense as the poet puts it, get to- gether these times to complete the neces- sary preliminaries for a battle for the championship to take place at some suita- Die date, 10 or 20 years from now unless postponed on account of the weather be- Ing unfavorable to the picture films. Let us just contemplate that scene I ask you, and then burst into muffed sobs.
 When Sullivan was In his prime they could frame all the details while the fighter was getting his undershirt over his head and have the papers ready as he was spittin gon his hands before drawing on the gloves. But now it's in the nature of rites and ceremonies. It may take weeks or months; it's bound to take days.
 Each principal is accompanied to the place of consultation by his official household staff, including managers, as- sistant managers, deputy assistant man. agers librettists, several kinds of agents, including press, purchasing, booking and wine, private secretaries, nearest friends, financial packers, diamond brokers, chauf- feurs, dressers, valets gem polishers and stuff and things and truck One of the valiant battlers can readily be recognized by reason of him wearing portions of his makeup. a high hat with nap on 1t like Persian kitty cat, and a pair of buck-s11in gloves with the fingers sticking out of the upper breast pocket so as to look like a bunch of bananas
 The other is equally distinctive in a green velvet waistcoat with ice water, towels and porter, designed by the Pullman Sleeping Car company; cigar about as big around as a little colored boys leg, and diamond horseshoe pin that makes
 his chest look like the entrance to the Fairy Grotto in the third act.
 Tt is customary for the principals to spend the first few hours calling each other hard names and speaking we'll of themselves. After these opening devo- tional exercises the two interested parties
 settle back in dignity, one stroking his high hat to hear 1t purr and the other occasionally taking out a silk handker- chief and rubbing off the front of his showcase, while the lesser satellites at tend to the rough stuff. Has your man ever licked anybody since his younger brother moved west on account of his lungs?' inquired one manager. 'No, says the other manager, but he has 55 weeks booked solid In vaudeville at a thousand week. What can your man show?' Three divorces, four supplementary pro-
 ceedings, one knockout of a Swiss waiter
 and a signed letter from Theodore Roose- welt says the first manager, with pride
 and promptness.
 "But they don't waste much time with
 past performances. It's present bank ac- counts that figure most prominently in
 their deliberations-tha and cutting up the purse and making the side bet which
 Is mostly mental arithmetic, and dividing l the gate receipts and figuring out the ' gross and net on the picture privilege: | By this time autumn has passed and l winter has come and it's time to go to | Palm Beach, and so they postpone the 1 other minor details until next summer. And then wot?" asked the House De- | tective, Tor Is that all?''
 "Oh, by no means,' said the Hotel Clerk. land then the match falls through because one of the brawny brutes dis covers that the other has deceived him regarding his rating in Bradstreets