The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-31
HOW THE LIGHT BRIGADE' CHARGED IN
The SPANLSH-AMERICAN WAR For CUBA
Or How a Mock Hero Put
Famous Fake. "Over On
a Local RepOrter-News-
paper Story Acquired
Nationwide Fame

NRACTICALLY everybody recalls
- the Spanish-American war 1t
1 would be difficult to forget how
the fatted Shafter reelined in his tent,
and permitted Joe Wheeler to win the
only signal land engagement of that
struggle. Perhaps no man who now
lives will ever forget the destruction
of the good ship Maine" The victory
of schley will endure through the in
dulgence of the public until man re-
members not.
But had none of these epochap events
occurred, residents of Birmingham
would recall throughout all the years
had there been no war between the
good iron men, of Uncle Sam and
the bull fighters of old CASTLE, the
most humorous and therefore one of
the most famous stories ever published
in Birmingham would never have
known the smell of ink.
The struggle between modern Gull
liver and the Lilliputians had pro-
gressed for only several weeks, and
the people of America, in view of the
difference in the strength of the two
beligerents. We're more deeply interest
ed than they probably should have
been. IL was in this psychological mo-
ment that the story appeared 1t Gre
ated a sensation, and naturally
cough was followed by a series of ex-
panatory articles. Each explanation,
however, served only to increase the
mirth, and soon the smile which orig
mated in Birmingham became a bois
ferrous explosion of uncomfortable
laughter in New York and San Fran
cisco. Like the sprite of Shakespeare,
it "engirdled the globe in 40 seconds
1t all came about through the wit of
we'll known resident of this county
whom all the newspaper reporters
knew. In 1898, he sustained such
painful injury to his right arm, that
it was necessary that he bear it in a
sling strapped across his breast. In
that predicament he came to Birming-
ham after having been absent for sew
eral months No sooner had he touched
local soil than "old eagle eye" one of
the shrewdest of the present colony of
newsgatherers, grabbed him.
"Where'd you get it?" demanded the
reporter, for he had scented story.
And the man replied: why, aren't
YOU aware tnat a desperate conlllCt is
raging between the United States and
Spain? / have been in that little
scrap, and having sustained a painful
wound i'm one of the most sanguinary
of the engagements. have secured
furiough You see that I am here
This was enough for the reporter.
He instslitly had his pencil and paper
in operation-for the man in question
was and and is Still one of the few
reporters who tally with the descrip-
ton of the moving picture star
And he began to ply questions.
What battle was it?' he asked
His friend looked him over carefully.
And then, probably Because he could
recall none of the struggles which had
actually occurred, or perhaps because
he wished to give the reporter an
inkling of the crime about to be com
mitted, he replied:
aBalaklavai'
The reporter stood his ground. He
did not yield an inch. He did not bat
an eye. His next question was:
How do you speel it
The friend, thereupon, perceiving
that he had no other course to pursue
save that which led to the conclusion
of his joke carefully called the letters.