The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-10-30
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

' AAAN D Al IA '-f h) Can't stou remember in your poyhQod some one in your home town who ap- pealed to your. boyish fancy as the type of man you wanted to be when you got grown? It is always some flashily- dressed and sporty fellow who catches a boys fancy.
 have in mind such character who used to thrill me with his loud clothes. as he swaggered down the streets with cigar stuck in his mouth. l can hear his loud and jocular greetings.
 At our baseball matches he was always the center of an enthusiastic crowd, for he always had a roll of bills with him to bet on the boys. At election time it was he who always had money to put up on the democratic nominees.
 
 He was the type of man who, when he entered a pool room and took up cue, the other players stopped and gath
 
 cred around his table, for they knew that he was going to play for high stakes if he could get them. If he stood up at the bar every loafer took notice, for he was sure of a drink.
 
 At the county fair he always had a bunch of sports at his heels or a throng of curious ones, for every one knew that he had the gambling instinct and was ready to put up his money on the races or tackle any of the skin games being operated under cover, but winked at by the officers.
 He was known as good fellow" the kind who always tipped the barber who shaved him, who always gave the boot black a dime, who always gave the Pull man porter half dollar. He liked to hear the thanks of those who waited upon him, and he was willing to pay for it. It was music in his ears to hear peo- pie say of him, "Oh he is a liberal man."
 His social status was not such that he had the entry to the best homes, but he never lacked for female society as he affected actresses and was sure to be giving some fast girl or sporty widow g good time by taking them to all tho shows which came along or out behind his fast steppers.
 He seemed to have good head for business and for awhile he prospered and every one pointed him out as a coming man in the commercial world. and then all of a sudden the town was startled by the biggest failure of the season and then he started down the incline. and not having the moral stamina to pull himself together, he began to be heavy night thinker, and it wasn't long before he was unashamed to be seen publicly drunk. I left town and did not see him for many years. and then, when came to Birmingham 17 years ago I met him, looking seedy,s but not down and out. He was having hard time to hold his | jobs, although he was first-class ac- countaht I found this out by his tell Ing me nearly every time we met that he was working for another firm. He got place out of town with . friend of mine and was giving fine sat- isfaction, although he was looked upon as being queer. for it was in the winter and he always had a pot of coffee on the fire and drank it almost boiling hot, | cup after cupful, all the day long. His 1 employer couldn't understand it, and several years after told me of it. b I knew then that he was fighting g habit worse than drink-for he had got | ten on the water wagon-but at last dope got him and he drifted back te Birmingham. got onto 1t that he was askins his old friends for little loans, but although saw him frequently. he nevel txtAd ts borrow anything. He had g