The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-11-13
THE CLEVELAND HATS


 of them, I presume. None, did you say? By St. PauPs finger bones
 THE CLEVELAND HATS
 I left the fellow I was tempted to tell him at one time that Wilson had kept the peace and had given us pros perity. But I knew he had some other argument up his sleeve. And he was too big to fight.
 Wandering about I found a man in the Pullman who was telling the story of his life. He had got aboard at Tallapoosa, Ga He was in charge of a gang laying crossties. He was saying:
 History is repeating itself That's all! Back in 'S4 I was a student then in Iowa and among the entire lot there were but eight democratsl As I was saying, there were but eight democrats. But we were faithful devils. Each of us bought Cleveland hat, a tall, dove-colored beaver, properly labeled with the name of our candidates, and capable of attracting at- tel,tion anywhere.
 We wore those beavers-the eight of us-for two weeks preceding the cleo tion The following morning, we wisely took them off. For everybody had been informed that Cleveland was beaten.
 ON AGAIN, OFF AGAIN
 But the next morning we learned that Cleveland was ahead. All of us ran back to barracks and donned again our beav- CTS. That night we took them off again. The following morning we didn't know what to do. But that night the news came Cleveland had won. We got our hats on again and wore them with great delight until Christmas.
 Those were great old days. And his tory is repeating itself" He stretched out his legs pulled his hat over his eyes and in a moment was sound asleep.
 gentleman from Cornelia spoke up.
 I've got a sawniill down the way a piece. We use dynamite in blowing up stumps. Tuesday afternoon so certain were the patriotic citizens that Wilson would win that they came asking me to give them some dynamite and furnish them man expert in it's handling and explosion.
 FROST IN CORNELIA
 Now, I'm a red-hot democrat, and thought Wilson would win. And I wanted to hear little noise and participate in a slittle celebration myself So I gave the people all the dynamite they could use and instructed my man to go into town and give them service.
 "So we got everything ready. We or ganized for a giant parade. We had brass band, leather-lunged orator, the school children to sing and scatter roses and everything else you could think of. We were simply awaiting returns to give the signal to start the fun
 And then came news that New York had gone for Hughes. That's a lie,' spoke up the mayor of the town. Why New York has 20OOO000 men affiliated with labor. Do you suppose those men for whom Wilson played a wonderful game of politics would let Hughes carry New York? There aint a chance.
 And then came reports from all New England and Indiana and Illinois in the west. The parade leader came to me. l reckon we'd better call her off, he whispered. l agreed. Very quietly. one by one, the crowd melted away. l found my dynamite expert and instructed him to return to camp. It was a sad, sad night in Cornelia."
 GERMAN FOR WILSON
 In the day coach, I found a man eat ing bologna sausage. He was telling meek-eyed farmer that Captain Koenig was wonder.
 "Ach. dot boat Deutschlandn' I heard him repeat a score of times. I wanted to know how that fellow felt about the election. I asked him.
 Wilson, he calculated. I was sur prised. And then he told me:
 In the beginning he had favored Hughes. He had been told up in Milwau keefors that was where he lived-that the President was English not only by blood but through choice and inclination; that Wilson would defeat Germany by hook or crook, even if it became neces- sary to send our battleships across the pond. And then came to New London, U-53. It tarried moment and then just off our coast, hammered into pulp half dozen English and French vessels.
 No longer could the Germans believe Wilson unfair. My friend told me the story shrugging like Frenchman-be- tween shrugs and bites of sausage. He told me further that Wilson would get half the German vote. And, as we all know now, he did.
 And then came the surprise of the day. Across the aisle was seated a pale-faced youth. One, looking at him. would have guessed right off the bat that he was a clerk. In one sense, he was. He was station agent in little town of South Carolina. He joined in the conversation as the German took the last bite of his Bologna.
 q am for Hughes" he said. very de- liberately
 southerner for Hughes. An employe of the railroads for Hughes! Yes" he continued, q am the first of my line to vote republican ticket. You see, I have been working for the railroad for several years at $60 month. WI 1OIlSIeSS cdoSo lHc Wd5eS Ol 1 firemen and engineers and conductors, already too well paid, asked for raise. What do you reckon the boss told me? Listen. Here it is:
 My Boy he sadly replied with his hand on my shoulder, I would like to. I have watched you for several years. You deserve a raise because your work is good and your pay too small. It distresses me that I am forced to refuse.'
 "Of course. I wanted to know the req son. He told me.
 THE BOSS REASON
 You sec it is this way. The best maid mon in the eervice are the cOu(iuc-