The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-28

DAVID HOLT
Former famous editor of the Snap
Shot
an artistic talent with a boundless
amount of sympathetic human nature
Why the Outburst
But we have come neither to bury
Holt nor to praise him. As a matter
of fact, it is so seldom that one news
paper man has written of another, that
it might be difficult for the public to
find the reason for this outburst of
sweet charity But when it is remem-
bered that Holt has lived and worked
and made merry in every cline, has
barred his breast against the Greasers
where sweeps the murmuring FRio
Grande, has trod the tepid plains of
Timbuctoo-and has everywhere written
a yarn, told story, delivered with De-
mosthenesian eloquence speech to calm
a savage soul, feasted and made merry
with those gods of modern Olympus
and split hairs with the argumentative
demagogues of a political rogues gal
: Very: has everywhere received a pitiable
lfeward, breasted the terrors of outrage
Gus fortune, come up smiling. with a
God bless you, my countryInen, and
made the world better simply for bois-
ferrous bit of laughter-is it strange that
we would inscrbe for preservation some
of the interesting chapters of a life most
unique?
And then there is so much of which
i'll might be said, so many people to
whom one might point the scrawny
finger of scorn. that an occasional re-
cess in the daily grind of fault finding
offers such alufing attractions that we
yeild, vel Won. And Furthermore it is re-
freshing after dealing exclusively with the
rich in the goods Of the world, to write
plainly of plain man who has not
even a stone on which to lay his head.
The Corset Drummer
1t is unnecessary to delve deeply int
details. And were we to do So in the
consumption of white paper we would
bring the just charge of prodigality
against us. But we desire to tell a
little story which tends to give an in
sight into the character of the man un-
der discussion.
One evening during the 1911 session of
the Legislature when Mistress Alcohol
WIS u6dnllS klnulN WIFI her NCldf1oS. a
number of newspaper men encountered
an nglishman-one of that type which
carries on his face the map of Great
Britain ndelibly inscribed His name
but the name is of little importance
Suffice it to say, therefore, that he was
a voluble and gullible Englishman, and
that he dealt in powders eorsets and
ether varieties-sof female 'delcatessen.'
1t might be mentioned also that his pc
p1I1jor a La IA MT
in regard to entering conversation. and
his mannerisms did not cause him to
shun the center of the popular stage.
lie was discussing the literature of
England and comparing the scholars of
Britain with American men of letters.
He mentioned Charles Dickens and
paused for effect Holt then inquired
But who is this person, Charles @.
Dickinson, of whom you talk so well?'
Not Dickinson, expostulated the
Englishman, ~but Dickens, Charles Dick
ems, the man who wrote Martin Chuz-
zlewit,' Dombey & Son. the Tale of
Two Cities and .Pickwick Papers +"
Not Picwick Papers, surely" serious
" objected Holt Il was in New Orleans
recently, and in the Pickwick club there
one may behold a photograph of old man
Pickwick in the very act of writing
those letters
The Englishman was crazy. Holt con-
tinued
why you might as we'll tell me that
Charles @. Dickinson wrote the sdeclara-
ton of independence. the letters OF
Junius. the confessions of an opium eat
er, anything. as to tell me that he wrote
the papers of Piolxwick. Why I car
prove that you are wrong"
B0deker Gives Evidence
Thereupon, George II. Bodeker, Birnl.
inghans chief of police was introduced
Fuzzy Woodruff leading him upon the
scene. Bodeker in answering the ques-
tions Of Holt. declared his firm con-
viction that Pickwick, wrote. his owr
papers.
81 know So" continued the chief, "for
have proved that fact. And further
more. in all my career as detective
! have never heard Of this person
HCEares O. Dickinson"
The Englishman was wild. AS a result
of his efforts to correct the impression
that he had mentioned Dickens and not
Dickinson, and TO prove the fact thai
Charles Dickens was the author oi
"Pickwick Papers, his voice reached
such a pitch, that a large crowd gather
ed would have gathered even had ht
RETAINED from a continued and almost
automatic programme of wildly excited
gesticulation.
Pressing his advantage, Holt introduced
a fellow newspaper man to the corset
drummer as DIR. John w. Abererombie
president of the university. The English
man every formally and with marked
cordialitv went through the process oi
introduction Holt then inquired of the
pseudo college president concerning the
identity of an Englishman named Dick
ems. The president thoughtfully. SHOOK
his fhead, and inquired: 4
Who Is Dickens
Perhaps you mean Charles a. Dick
inson p
In 1.-The burst OF laughter which fol
lowed. the Englishman with hands in the
air. endeavored to escape. He was
checked.
There followed another hour of debate
in which other witnesses were brought
forward to .substantiate, the. contention
that Mr.. Pickwick wrote his own papers
And finally on the brain Of the English
man, great light broke.
"Why.ns he exclaimed with remarkable
gusto. 'you fellahs are .spoofing' me
/ see, the drinks are on me-"
After purchasing the drinks, he agrees
to tell story. 1t was concerning the
love affair of an English lackey and ar
Irish Bridget. Bridget it seems was
very cold and unresponsive to the ag,
gressive tactics of the man. Finally she
apologized for turning her head with
the statement that she had eaten onions
The lackey, IN en- pnrnistakable brogue
exclain}ed ~ g,1' ~.
why, judging from you manner to.
night, you have evidently been eating