The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1917-07-29

DO 1 know anything about the
newspapers and the newspaper men
Of the eighties? Sure 1 do, but only
from personal knowledge as far back
as 1885, for that was the year 1 first
came to Birmingham
Ny personal knowledge begins with
the Daily Age and with Frank v.
Evans and Walter L. Hawley; and
later with the Chronicle with George
NJ Cruikshank and David B. Grace.
Then came the Herald with Rufus
n. Rhodes as editor in chief; William
D. Jelks, business manager; and
Henry B. Gray, advertising solicitor.
After a bit General Rhodes withdrew
and started the News, and Maj. j. T.
Dupree and Ed C. Campbell were as
ISOLATED with him the editorial
staff, while Eli P. Smith. Richard f.
Johnston and Leon w. Friedman
hustled for news. 1 began my newspa-
per career with this bunch. Jim Smith
was in charge of the advertising.
New blood was brought into the
newspaper world in Birmingham when
the Herald acquired the Age and it
became the paper that it is today,
The Birmingham Age-Herald. Chap
pell Cory became managing editor and
on the staff were such well known
writer's as Lucien Julian Walker Mar
ion Stuart Calm, Roy McCardell and
Bob McDavid.
Then I began my wanderings and
remained away from Birmingham for
quite a number of years, but upon my
return | found that Edward w. Bar
rett had acquired it and that N. P. T.
Finch and William Ryan were on the
editorial staff. while Bozeman Bulger
Phil Cosminsky and Hill Ferguson
were the news gatherers. Ross C.
Smith was business manager and W.
H. Jeffries in charge of the adver-
Using.
1 came back here January 1, 1902.
but Mr.. Barrett had gotten control
of The Age-Herald August l, 1897.
know little of the gruelling five years
he had in putting it on it's feet, for
when arrived it was a going con-
Germ and has continued it's onward
march ever since until today it is a
leader in southern journalism.
Three of my old friends graduated
from the staff of The Age Herald and
made good in New York. First there
was Walter L. Hawley, the man who
~,
celebrated trial in which 1 made my
maiden speech as a lawyer I got to
see much of him during the exciting
days. Later he wrote a story about
Dicks confession and got $500 in real
money for 1t. When the panic hit Biz
mingham ! went to New York to live
and used to climb the stairs to the
quaint old editorial rooms of the Sun
to talk over old Birmingham days
with Walter. who was holding down
the job as political editor.
Birmingham, getting too tame for
Roy McCardeil or his gait getting too
fast to suit his employers, he lit out
for New York and it wasn't long be-
fore he was Illuminating the dailies,
weeklies and monthlies with his
sparkling poems, his special write
ups and his weird stories. He had the
greatest literary gift of any of the
men with whom L foregathered in the
happy old days when the town was
young and the future opened out
bright before us all.
Then Bozeman Bulger. the famous
baseball specialist, the great statis-
tician of the national game. went TO
bat for the last time in his own home
town and knocked a home run and
was drafted into the big league where
he properly belonged, for at once he
took his place in the front rank of
the sport writer's OF America, but is
about to be lost to balloon as he has
been mustered in as a major and is
going to get into the war game.
Just word about three of the wom-
en- whose pens frightened the pages
of this paper in the years gone by.
First there was Margaret O'Brien, as
charming socially as she was gift
ed as a writer. Then there was Mrs.
George c. Ball. one of the brainiest
women writers of the south. Last but
not least was Annie Kendrick Wal
kerr the girl from Eufaula, my home
town. who made good here in Bir-
mingham and later in New York.
The following retiring from the news
paper business have each served the
state: William D. Jelks made one of the
best business governors Alabama ever
had. Henry Gray made name for him
self as lieutenant governor. and Bob Nc
David was an ideal secretary Of state.
This trinity of newspaper men proved to
the people that a newspaper training