The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-12

How true 1t is, that nothing succeeds like success" This applies to every walk of life or of human endeavor. As to what constitutes success is an open question The common acceptance of the successful man is one who rises to fame and for tune, one or both. To these may be ad- ded the acquisition of friends, but if he has the fame and fortune the friends | will add themselves.
 | AS to which is the most desirable, friends or fortune, is also open for dis cussion, for while tho value of a true friend is incalculable. it takes money to buy gasoline, as Hoke Perkins remarked when a party of friends invited them selves to joy ride in his "benzine buggy
 The measure of praise for those who have attained the summit of the ladder Of success varies to great. extent, for some individuals rise to prominence or wealth apparently on the "fiowery beds of ease, others only by close application, untiring effort and personal sacrifice. Then again luck plays many part in the successful life. for some seem to be possessed or the touch of Midas. Everything they handle turns into gold or. as Harry Bross expresses it, If they fell in the river they would come up with pocket full of fish But in the main the man who makes his mark does it by his own ability, energy | and ambition.
 Of the latter class is the distfn- guished individual who inspired this article, namely, pr. Oscar R. Berney' | the handsome manager of the sweilest drug store in the Birmingham district, Averyts Pharmacy at Ensley.
 | pr. Berney, or Oscar as he is more familiarly known, came to Ensley about II years ago. He blew in from Al bertville but his friends don't hold that against him now. His assets at that time were S9 cents in sure enough money, a handbag, a stout heart, and an unbounded ambition to succeed And succeed he did, for by sheer force of ability and energy he climbed round after round of the ladder. and he has not yet attained the utmost round. . He can point with pride to those early days ard say in the classic words of a distinguished fellow citizen. Look at me now"
 He was born of a fine old family
 in the beautiful and historic city Of
 Talladega, the home of culture and refinement, place whose environments | inspire those lofty ideals of the per feet type of womanhood, that exalted
 conception of true chivalry that has ever been the characteristic of south
 ern life. He was also born to be a
 millionaire. but there were none need | ed at the time so he became a. pill roll
 CT, or to be more correct, that adjunct
 to the doctor and hope of the under
 taker, a pharmacist.
 Of this trinity 1t may be truly said
 that in the auction of life they play
 the part of going, going, gone,' foi the pharmacist finishes what the doctor
 starts and when the undertaken gets through there Is goneness that Is un- equivocal and absolute
 Oscar is. a chemist of rare ability and can compound the most delightful, deli
 cate connections with the same ease tha' he mixes villainous dose that tastes worse than the smell of a Mexican tan yard His knowledge of pharmacopoeis
 Is so extensive that he can, compound ar elixir said to cure ''the thousand ills tha mortal flesh Is heir to-" or the ten thou sand ills that are imaginary.
 Combining these qualities with carefu business methods, never failing courtesy | and desire to please and accommodate he has made himself extremely popular
 with the patrons of the store and large
 circle of personal acquaintances ant
 friends. He adnlires the gentler sex witt the persistent devotion of all true south
 erners and has time and again throwr
 down his gauntlet and entered the list il the tourmanet of love, and though jus
 as many times he has met defeat at thu hands of the elusive little deity, he find.
 consolation in the words of the poet thai t''Tis better to have loved and lost thai Inever to have loved at all," and bravely
 and boldly re-enters the lists.
 The other night he had an engagenen
 to escort young lady to the show. H.
 entertains. for her that regard so neal akin to love that though it takes littl longer, the final results are much thu same On the night in question he wal detained in the store a little longer thai
 usual and despite a hurried toilet, h. found the time almost up to catch tn l necessary car for town. It had als commenced raining, and was raininI hard. In fact 1t fairly poured. sOsca saw he had no time to lose and starte' Ito telephone for a. carriage. Just then , one-horse vehicle, driven by an ancien r negro, drove along the street and Osca | hailed 1t with joy,
 There was something venerable in tn appearances of tho entire turnout. Tn coach was of antique design, and oor' . marked resemblanco to a sedan chal on wheels; the horse resembled an ani