The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-02


w they listless, Indifferent to busi-
ness and, figuratively speaking, dozing?
They are.
There are exceptions, several notable
ones. But speaking Of the rule and not
OF the exception, what is to follow will
show conclusively that some of the busi-
ness men of Birmingham lack that en-
ergy, that hustle, that live-awa1e-get-
;trd-push quality that is so pronounced
in the eastern, northern and western
cities of the United States.
Among the many remarks apparently
made ndifferently by that eminent author
and city builder, DR.. Jacob A. Riis, while
in Birmingham for a few hours several
days ago. but which at the same time
brstled with the philosophy and sense
OF the man. was one to the effect that
conscientious review and study of city's
faults is far more important to the prog
ress and prosperity of that city than the
idle habit of boosting, always and at all
times, just because II sounds better. Dr.
1,iis by way of illustration, stated that
il was better to keep your head out of
the sand and see the real conditions about
YOU than to hide your head and leave
Your body exposed to the things you re-
fused to see. as is known to be a ludic-
rous habit of that in many ways pecuiiar
biped known as an ostrich. And SO, what
ever is said here is not intended as a
knock" but as an effort to get away
from the head-in- the-sand habit and see
what we really are.
20 wad some power the gftie gle us
To see oursels as 1 there see us.''
Some five years ago young man grad
uated from college in the state of New
York; he was a resident of that state.
but he had always desired to come south
and grow up with the great undeveoped
natural resources of this section. He
came to Birmingham and secured posi-
ton with one of the large corporations
of this district. Four years later he had
made good, had become the head of the
department in which he was employed
had fallen in love with southern girl
and was planning to get married. In
spite of all statements or arguments to
the contrary plans to get married in most
cases involve the expenditure of consid-
erable cash, and this young fellow, being
practical, started out to do so. He tells
his Story somewhat as follows:
II am not rich now and wasn't then.
However, was drawing very sub
stantial. salary. had saved up a little
money and we calculated that it would
be easy for us to buy a little cottage,
furnish it and start housekeeping and by
sensible mana cement find 1t an easy mat
ter to-sjnake both ends meet. We de-
oided on $4,000 for home and not more
agents.
with the exception of one or two they
asked me several Indifferent questions,
sort Of in the manner as IL they didn't
give hang whether wanted to buy
a house and lot or not, took me out to
see couple places and let it drop. With
the exception of two of these firms not
one took my name and address and L
never heard from them afterwards. They
We're perfectly willing to sell me house
if l found it and decided on its good
points and brought them the money and
deed to be signed, but they didn't seem
to care to make the effort towards in
ducing me to buy from them AS to
whether or not they believed ! didn't
intend to buy, didn't have the money to
buy, or what else, / don't know. I do
know didn't buy from any of them.
zone of the two firms who kept after
me finally closed up deal. These two
firms took my name and address, they
wrote me frequently, constantly kept in
touch with me, kept making new features
to their propositions, took me two or three
times a week to see some new place and
whenever one of their men was with me
. he talked a blue streak The members
and employees of both firms became ac-
quainted with me. spoke to me whenever
they saw me on the street, became my
friends in a certain way and they are.
now numbered among my acquaintances.
"These are two firms out of dozen
Z that went to see. The others l never
heard from afterwards. 1 know enough
OF business and salesmanship to know
that these others had just as good propo-
sitons to show as the one from which
bought fiEally, ana if they had gone
about the. matter in the same way the
chances are large that l would have
closed deal with one of them.
THE next thing we decided was thar
we would spend about $500 and not more
than $500 for furniture. We wanted the
ben We could set for the money; We