The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-01
J. R. McWane Tells Story of
 Author of That Son1ethine'

Some few weeks ago considerable stir
 was caused in literary and book-reading
 circles. especially in Birmingham, by the
 appearance of a book under the title,
 That Something"
 The author of the little book, w. W. Woodbridge, formerly lived in Birming
 ham, and was very well known here.
 It has but recently developed that MT. Woodb ridge in his younger days, was
 connected with local coal company
 under the management of J. R. McWane
 now the well known president of the
 American Cast Iron Pipe company at
 Acipco, and in discussing MT. Wood
 bridge and his book recently. MT. Mo Wane tells very interesting story him self
 That Something" Is & story of the | authors own experience in being out of employment. In order to obtain shelter
 he goes to Jail and sleeps on the floor of the prison. After he Is released he one day meets man on the street whom he
 asks for work and the man does not give him any encouragement, but in his con versation with him refers 10 that some | thing" in him which will solve his prob lens. It develops later in the story that that something" Is his own will The story tells how the hero finally "willed to go to work" and passing place goes
 in and goes to work, pretending he has been formally employed. Each man of authority in the place assumes that one of the others has employed the fellow and la fhic | finally he gets on the pay roll, is pro- | noted. and at last comes to hold very | responsible position. It is a story of what | a man can do through will power Such Is the review of the book. Here Is what
 MT. McWane has to say about it:
 Once a Coal Peddler"
 T had been hearing a good deal about One evening recently my wife handed me
 copy of it and said I would find it in- teresting reading. Ordinarily in reading book 1 look at the name of the author first, read the title page and preface, if there Is one In this case. however, simply waded into the book and read it through. After reading it 1 turned back to see who the author was, and the name, W. w. Woodbridge, caught my attention instantly. About eight years ago when l was in the coal selling business young
 man by that name travelled for me. l have, since reading the book, made some inquiries, and have been informed that the author and my erstwhile coal peddler are one and the same.
 'T remember distinctly the first time I ever saw Woodbridge It was in the of flee of friend in the Woodward build Inf orlyi eta
 nographer, and as I happened to be on the lookout for man for my office, l | asked few questions about him, being impressed with his appearance. He had a good face and appeared unusually intel ligent. I learned subsequently that he belonged to the celebrated Woodbridge family of Presbyterian preachers. His father was pastor of the Presbyterian church at Avondale, and this young Woodbridge was the first one of the name In his family for generations that did not enter the ministry.
 Tt was my idea when he came with me l to put him on the road as salesman if | he showed fitness for that work. After several months I started him out and , lie did very well. It was in the winter
 of 1906, when peculiar conditions obtained l in the coal business. For several weeks | there was a coal famine, and Instead of 1 the coal operators having to beg for or 1 ders the consumer had to beg for coal. l In these days, when coal salesmen are | hot footing it around over the country l importunlng buyers for a carload order, l the above story might sound little fishy, but as someone has said, facts Is facts. l I always found 1t a good policy to send
 my coal salesmen out when other people were calling theirs in. In times of peace prepare for war applies not only to the German situation, but it also applies in l the commercial world I started Wood
 bridge out with instructions to sell only | to prospective yearly contractors. He
 was to make friends of this class of trade 1 by furnishing them coal in a time of
 need, and his instructions were to scat
 ter the coal among a number or such