The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-06-04

'trenchant pen' stalked to glcry through libel suits and shooting scrapes, and when most American towns were beset by newspaper row as by f1end- ish mania. t'.
 But those fine old homicidal days of the newspaper business are past, or are reIegated to the less civilized parts of the land. The colonel and the major have gone gallently to dreams of glory. perhaps carrying more buckshot with them to glory than was needed for bal last on their journey; but still they are gone, and their race has died with them. The newspaper man of today is of another breed. How the colonel or the major would snort in derision at the youth who pervades the country news paper office today. For this young man is first of all manufacturers! The shirt tail full of type and the cheese press which in times past were held as em- blems of the loathed contemporary $ plant have now grown even in country villages to little factories. The smallest offices now have their typesetting ma chimes. The lean sad-visaged country printer, who had tried and burned his wings in the editorial flight, is no more Instead we have a keen-eyed, dressy young man who makes eyes at the girls in the front office. and can talk shows with the drummer at the best hotel or books with the high school teacher in the boarding house.
 This young gentleman operates the type setting machine. Generally he is exotic Frequently. he is traveller from far countries, but he rides in the Pullman and the clay of no highway ever stains his dainty feet. In the country town, in the factory that makes even the humblest or our country dailies the little six and elght-page affairs, all unknown, unhon- ored and unsung, three or four and sometimes half a dozen of the smart we'll fed, nattily dressed machine opera tors are hired, and the foreman-the dear old pipe smoking, unshaven foreman who prided himself in a long line of appren- tice printers, the foreman. who edited copy. who wrote the telegraph heads and ruled the reporters in the front office With an iron rod of terror, the foreman who had the power of life and death over every one around the building but the advertising man, the foreman who spent ms prlncely salary of $15 a week buying meals for old friends drifting through with the lazy tide of traffic be- tween the great cities, the foreman who could boast that he once held cases on the Sun and knew old Dana-that fore man IS gone; in his place we know the superintendent. And, alas. the superinten- dent is not interested in preserving the romance or day that is past. He is not bothered by the touch of vanished hand. When the vanished hand tries to touch the superintendent of the country newspaper Foffice today, ticket to the Associated Charities woodward is his uull response. The superintendent is interested largely in efficiency. The day or romance is past in the back room of Of the country newspaper
 But In the front room, In the editorial offices, in the business office, even there abides the spirit of high adventure that IS 1ncarnate in these marvellous modern times. Never before were there such grand doings in the world as we are see ing today. Screen the great war from us, and tsill we have a world full of romance. full of poetry, full of an unfold