The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-05-07

Now Birmingham Is entertaining the
travelling men of Alabama.
They are here from all sections OF
the state and they are the pick OF
Alabama's optimistic manhood.
The commercial traveller of today is
not the drummer" of the olden days.
He is strictly business these days
the spirit of the times, hustling, aS-
eressive but conservative in his meth
DDS.
The drummer In the easy-going
olden days used to lead up to pros
pective sale with a string OF yarns
and bombastic bragadocio. He spent
tie whole day with his prospective
customer If he thought 1t was worth
while The drummer" was eXtrava-
gantly gay in his attire and had a
sweeth cart in every town he visited.
The travelling man Is different now.
He spends 10 or 80 minutes with his
customer and often makes several
towns in a day. He tells joke only
where it will fit in nicely and chooses
the psychological moment and occasion
He is not a brag but a plain bust
ness man, with a plain business suit
of clothes and has a wife and two
bright children at home.
He gets home once every week II
he can-twice a year, anyway. lie
loves his family and carries photo-
graphs of his wife and children In
his breast pocket close to his heart
Often when you think he may be
In, ha mr.
is In his bedroom gazing upon and
worshiping the pictured faces of his
loved ones at home.
| But next morning all sentiment is
gone and he hits the road bright and
early. He breaches optimism wherever
he goes. If bushes Is bad he goe
not lie about 1t, but he will not tell
YOU it Is bad. He is a bull and not
a bear. He is ever an optimist. If
prospective customer complains OF
slack business the travelling man prom
ises that it will be better tomorrow,
and If the merchant will believe him
| it will be better.
The twentieth century travelling man
| is all honor and gentleman, and
Alabama presents the highest type of
the order.
C. W. Dunlap. prominent mer-
chant of Eutaw, spent yesterday In
birmingham. He was registered at
the Morris hotel.
]. B. Merriwether of Demopolis spent
Yesterday in Birmingham. He was
registered at the Morris hotel.
Mr.. Merriwether is president of the
CITY Bank and Trust company of De-
mopolis and is one of the leading
business and public men of the thriv-
ing town of THE City of the Peo-
ple."
w. C. Davis of Jasper was In Biz
ningham yesterday on business. MI
ravis is one of the leading attorney ;
Of west Alabama and is well and fav-
orably known over the entire state.
c. r. Howell of Gadsden was In Biz
mingham yesterday. He stopped at the
Metropolitan hotel.
w. B. Nixon, a leading merchant of
Hackleburg in Marion county spent
yesterday in Birmingham. He was
registered at the Florence hotel.
"Hackleburg has taken on rapid
growth since the building of the IL
linois Central railroad" said Mr. Nixon,
| "When the line is completed into Biz
mngham, which We hope will be IN
O very short time, we Will be much
closer to the empire city of the south
and we will be glad of 1t. Birming-
ham Is a great city and is growing
| rapidly"
7. A. Blount of Greensboro was Il
prominent visitor in Birmingham yes
| .erday. He was registered at the Flor
ence hotel.
prominent delegates attending the an
| nual convention of the Alabama TRAY
elers' Protective association.
If you had witnessed little Incl
| dent that happened at the corner of
Twentieth street and Second avenue
yesterday afternoon you would have
promised yourself never to mistreat
| sane dog.
| A small canine was leading a blind
man across Twentieth street and was
nearing the curb at the corner of the
First National bank, building. The
street and avenue were crowded with
vehicles, cars and pedestrians but tn c
dog was surefooted and careful. His
masters life was completely at his
mercy and the dog seemed to fully
realize the responsibility that was i'm
posed In him.
| A buggy came briskly down Second
avenue and turned into Twentieth
street directly in front of the dog.
The driver was not looking at the
moment and did not see the dog or his
master.
| What did the dog do? II he had pro-
ceeded he and his master would have
| been run down.
| Now, of course, you will say the
| dog has sense enough to stop and save
himself. The average dog under the
circumstances would have turned and
run--the dog without responsibility.
But human life was In the care
| of this dog and he got busy. He
displayed sense like human beinS
He stopped stone still and set his eve
on the unh eedlng driver. The look
"A draw the attention of tna