The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-03-23
An office Boy as Critic

An Office Boy ns Critic
 "rhe red-headed office boy in that Imaginable farce, A Pair of Sizes which comes to the Jefferson theatre Friday and Saturday, with matinee Saturday, is playing a part on the stage that he ac- tually played in real life said Brown Parks.
 Clarence Newcombe is his name, and before "A Pair of Sizes was produced by MT. II. II. Frazee, he was the office boy in MT. F'razee's office in the Long, acre theatre, New York With his boss he went to see a rehearsal of that farce one day before it was produced in New York and MT. F'razee asked him wha. he thought of the play.
 The play is all right, but that guy that plays the office boy is rotten,' said tho naughty red-headed crfric.
 "'What is the matter with him? re- nlembering that wisdom sometimes flowed from the mouth of babes.
 "'What ain't the matter with him.? asked the boy He ain't there with tho office boy stuff-that's all that's wrong with him.
 "It did not take Frazee long to realize tEa+ when it came to criticizing office boys he had the champion critic right in his own office. The actor playing the role was let go and another one sub stituted The office boy critic was called in again to pass judgment.
 That poor simp is worse than the other one,' said the critic.
 Well, I know what we'll do,' said F'razee You will have to play the role, and then we will have it right
 But. boss. I aint no'ham ratter,' said Red.
 "'You don't have to be- said Frazee.
 All you have to do is to play yourself. What we want is a fresh office boy, and heaven knows you are as fresh as they come.
 "That is how Clarence Newcombe jumped from office boy to a good paying job on the stage"
 Vegetables from the Gulf Markets
 Local gardens are not yet supplying us any vegetables said Charles D. Pantaze of the Metropolitan cafe, but we are getting a fine lot from New Or leans and the gulf markets
 spanish mackerel are plentiful. but shad are not coming abundantly to mar ket as yet The sea foods and fish SUD- Div have been abundant and of high quail ity all the season.
 "The price of meats has been req sonable and the quality excellent. Tho price of wheat squeezed the bread ques- ton for awhile, but the reaction has come and conditions are normal
 Protecting Farmers and Truckers
 "The new regulations for protecting farmers and truckers against the fraud ulent acts of interruptions dealers are good ones," said victim of misplaced confidence in the produce line.
 "These regulations will work no hard ship on the fair dealing, honest com mission merchant and produce broker They will put out of business those who have defrauded shippers; at least they offer some protection as against ire sponsibility, in recovering damages. on the price of goods converted and not &C., counted for. I was literally defrauded out of the value of a carload of water melons last season. found upon in- vestigation that the parties were not worth suing, for upon securing 5udg- ment, I could not recover, as they had nothing to levy upon.
 "These regulations will bring many shipments to Birmingham from men who heretofore have been bitten, and were sore over their experiences, but who will now see that they are pro tected by the law. Of course there are commission houses here of the very highest character, but unfortunately such were not always chosen as agents. while the other kind got in their work mad robbed the farmeres and shippers" When VIII the War Ends "The question of how long the war will last is proving great puzzle to the American business man," said J. w. Porter, assistant treasurer and gen. eral sales agent of the Alabama com pany, and I venture to say that the ability to solve it anything like cor rectly would prove an asset worth mill lions to certain financiers. Many large business concerns in this country began to take in sail so to speak, when the clouds of war began ! to gather on the European horizon and continued to do so until their affairs appeared to be tight and in ship shape'--in condition to weather any financial stroms that might arise. Busi- ness, however. is now on a sound finan- cial basis in this country, and receipts in most lines are proving adequate to meet all running expenses and to leave with a fair margin of profit. Sales of pig iron, suppose, are as large as any one had a right to expect under the circumstances. The iron business will hum when peace is declared, and the foreign trade will assume vast propor- | tions.
 Personally, would be willing to make a small wager that there will be an amicable adjustment of the Flu
 ropean conflict before the end of July
 of the present year. Tn that event the
 export demand for iron and structural steel for the purpose of rebuilding works destroyed By the hostile armies on the continent will prove greater than could be supplied with all the furnaces and steel plants running at double ca pacity for an indefinite period of time. '