The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-02-03
A DEAL THAT c. B. MCCORMACK
 FAILED TO PUT THROUGH
General Clark Proves Adept Auconeer But Failed at the Finish-G. B. Proved True to His Trust
 and Held to the Rope
By CHARLES H. HANDY

This is a tale of tho sale of a COW. Of course every COW has a tail, or should have. but this tale is different.
 "Particeps criminis' to the sale were Gen. Louis V. Clark, G. B. Mccormack. the well known financier; a lean and lank countryman. and a COW of uncer- tain age and doubtful pedigree.
 The time and place was Twentieth street, about noon.
 The boasted friendship of Damon and Pythias and of Jonathan and David was not any closer than that which exist between the general and "G. B." and almost every day they can be seen together at the noon hour going to lunch. The rotundity of the warrior and the meagre proportions of the financier have earned for them the sobriquet of before and after talk ing"
 The other day as they were going to lunch they observed a countryman and COW standing near the corner of Fourth avenue. MT. Mccormack was attracted by the COW as he was think ing of buying one, so he stopped and made few inquiries to the country man as to the milk giving qualities of the animal and her monetary value on the hoof.
 While he was talking a wagon driven by an individual who was the very counterpart of the man with the COW drove along Fourth avenue and hastily thrusting the rope attached to the COW into the hand of G. B., the country man said:
 'Thars ole Bill Simmons, I've jest got to see him a mint. Hold the cow till I come back" And he ran out to meet his old friend Bill. The rope was in the hands of G. B. before he re- alized it.
 B Now it's a matter of common knowl- ,edge that G. B. rarely turns loose a good thing once it is in his hands, SC he held on to theHrope."
 When General Clark saw G. B. hold ing the COW he chuckled; then he grinned. G. B. grinned also. but his was of the "dry" variety. But he was game and remained true to his trust. Then as a crowd began to assemble an idea struck the doughty general and he proceeded to put it in execution.
 Striking an attitude approved of by all street corner auctioneers he unbur- dened himself thus:
 Friends, you see before you a poor but honest man, compelled by stress of cir cumstances, to sell the family COW. He has a wife and children at home and they need the money. The COW will be sold to the highest bidder How much am offered?''
 What kind of COW is it?" asked a bystander.
 "Why, 1t is -er -er regular cow-one of those new breeds-just introduced. In fact, 1t is more breed than cow-it is what is known as a Jersey -Duroc.''
 De Central thinks dat bovine are a hawg," said a negro.
 That COW is anything I say 1t is and don't you forget it. Come, gentlemen, bid up. I will guarantee the animal at the end of the rope, sound both in body and wind"
 "Whi1T end of the roper
 T have no time to answer foolish ques- tions. How much am I bid? I might say this COW gives three gallons of milk daily and an extra gallon on Christmas day and Fourth of July"
 T will give s10, and six-bits extra if the man will lead 1t to my home in Avondale" said a man In overalls.
 This offer seemed to stump the general for hH had difficulty in suppressing his disabilities and he muttered, '.I would give $50 myself to see him do it.' By this time a large crowd had gathered and