The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-08-22
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

Isn't it funny how story will set ones memories going.
 l have just finished Julian Streets ao- count of his visit to Vicksburg. I lived there for about year after leaving Vanderbilt university and it was a full twelvemonth of pleasure and excitement.
 At Eufaula during my boyhood I had had little taste of river town because in the old days the Chattahoochie bore on it's swift bosom many steamboats; but at Vicksburg some 30 years ago I saw d sure enough. real river town with all the trimmings.
 I lived there in the early days when this was some hot old town and things were mighty raw. I have seen scrap after scrap with fist, fights with knives, and shootings galore, but believe me, it never was as rough or as tough as the vicksburg levee used to be when the great packets used the Mississippi for a highway.
 JulldH GllGeL lSllS d IGW OL the luCl- dents of the old times, but he merely skirts the fringes of the great drama that was acted when life was cheap and money flowed like water. III give few:
 
 I remember hearing two shots in rapid succession and looking up the street from the veranda where I was sitting l saw the man he had shot. It was election day. and as l got near by heard some one ask What made you shoot him. Al?" T shot him because he said he could lick any man in the Third ward, and I live in Third ward" That was all there was to it. Al Strauss had shot Cat fish Sam because the latter had taken in too much territory in boasting about his prowress. Oh, yes. they annoyed Al with litigation, but he got off with light sen tence.'
 Sitting on the, same veranda one night I heard single pistol shot in the build ing below, next to the one where I was sitting. I ran down and through the saloon, but saw no one, and started back to the front when a man, walking behind the counter found the proprietor crum- pied up like a closed jack-knife with bullet hole in his head. He was an Ital- ian, and soon his young wife, a beautiful woman, came and found him, and to this day can hear her awful shrieks as she went into mysteries. I had never seen such grief before. and never have wit paSsad 1ilya sip
 
 Just across the street a gentleman gam bier named Jim Marshall had his rooms, which were more like club rooms than the usual place where professionals hang out. About F o'clock one night while sit ting on the veranda just opposite heard his clear, cold voice say, Throw up your hands," Then heard him tell servant to go down and see if he had gun on him, and if he has, I'll kill him. l stepped across, for I recognized a friend coming out of the stairway to find out the trouble. It seems my friend and the gambler had had fuss and had threat ened to kill one another on sight. My friends excuse for going up was he was
  Jim was out of town and took a chance, He didn't seem very much excited, but quietly remarked that luck was with him, as he had thoughtlessly left his pis- tol at home.
 Another incident about this gambler. After the New Orleans exposition he opened a theatre, kind of a vaude- vile; and brought from New Orleans tho better class used to go to hear them play. It was his ambition to get society to patronize his place, so one week he put the lid on and notified his patrons that no one was to pull any rough stuff. They needed it for several weeks, but one Saturday night the gall lery got boiserous and the police were in despair Jim was notified and hur ried from his gambling rooms, entered the front door and walked leisurely down the aisle to athe orchestra and back out into the street, never opening his mouth but looking casually up into the gallery, and there was the silence of death They knew that Jim Marshall would empty his guns, for he carried two, into them. It was the greatest bit of bowling mob lowing to it's mas ter that ever witnessed.
 Now this man Jim Marshall was one of the quietest, most gentlemanly and best dressed men I have ever known. He had sense and plenty of it. He had a personal difficulty with the cap tain of one of the crack military conn panies, a game man. They were sep arated and vowed they would kill one another on sight. Friends got them to- gether. The captain said: Jim, the cards are stacked against you. If you kill me you will be lynched, but if kill you the town will build me monu- ment." Turning and holding out his hand the gambler said to the officer: lsI know what you say Is true, and thank you for giving me a gentle mans chance I am glad to count you my friend. It's all off"
 A crowd had been out late one night at dance and started home to find all of the uptown saloons closed. Some one suggested going to the levee. Down focked a bunch of half dozen or more in dress suits, which in itself was an affront to the river rats It was foolhardy thing to do, but when was ever youth cautious? So into one