The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-06-23

Time was when New Yorker was
 much surprised to run upon a fellow | from the home town. And when you did
 run upon him it was usually a buyer
 or other attache of the commercial
 world. But nowadays it is almost im- possible, big as New York is to spend l several hours shopping or otherwise meandering about, that you don't come
 in contact with people from home whom you'd never expect to see on Broadway 1 just by chance
 One day this week, TOT instance-such
 shifting is the war bringinng about | l encountered three well known Bir-
 mingham folks. ran across Ben Gross
 in the Pennsylvania station, frantically I searching for a Long Island train. Ben has been. across, and, by the way, has l some thrilling "reminiscences of No Mans Land,'' having been in the intel 1 ligence department at the front for about l2 months He was discharged,
 and after having visited his home in 1 Birmingham, returned to Camp Mills to
 get data for a booklet which he is pre-
 pairing as official historian of his di- vision. Ben is a facile writer, and | doubtless his labors will result in a 1 most creditable little volume.
 Blanks Everett next 1oomed into vis- | ion. Blanks is now residing out in mid- channel of the Hudson river, his boat | being more or less permanently located there. Blanks has developed very sea manlike bearing and looks almost as much at home in his naval attire as he did while at his old post in the Chamber of Commere.
 On the same day encountered Ed Torgerson. who is here on a brief busi- ness trip. Through him I learned of the almost phenomenal success of another Birmingham product who has anchored in New York-Sidney Lazarus. Birming- ham knows how Sid Lazarus reversed the precept of the Biblical character who took up his bed and walked. Sid ney lay down his mattresses--to the manufacture of which he had devoted his business life--and hied him to New York Since he changed from the pro- fession -ministering to the physical comfort of mankind by providing bet l ter sleeping places for their weary bodies to the most etheral undertak- l ing of providing solace for the soul | through the medium of song and lyric, | Sidney Lazarus has accomplished won ders. True, he had somewhat of a start before he got here, having disposed of a number of sketches and songs. But after only few months in the big city he has acquired such reputation among theatrical producers that he has contracted for sufficient brain work to keep him busy for year! He has writ | ten a good bit of stuff for Zeigfeld and others quite as much the criterion of good stun. just can't refrain from ex- pressing the deepest admiration for MT Lazarus, for I know what struggle 1t is here to get to the top, and you surely have to hand 1t to the man who lands with jump as has this Birmirg- ham man.
 While am on the subject of Bir- mtngham genius, let me tell you that Roy Cohen is not one of those prophets who Is without honor. Of course, Bir-
 mingham is proud of MT. Cohen, but his fame does not end in Jefferson coun- l ty, nor does Alabama alone sing his praises. I don't know of a young story writer of today who, being an absentee, lis more talked of in New York than is Roy Cohen of Birmingham. Honestly, sometimes I wish had never met Roy Cohen, so frequently am greeted with Do you know Octavus Roy Cohen?"
 when it is learned whence I hail. It
 happens I just met MT. Cohen once, and
 that's all. But so often have I proudly
 said "Yeh. know him very we'll" that
 have almost persuaded myself that
 Mir. Cohen and I went to school to-
 gether when we were kids. understand
 that MT. Cohen will have a play on
 Broadway this fall. and if New York
 likes his dramatic efforts as well as she
 apparently does his stories of the
 southern negro. his success among the
 big successes is assured
 Just how many people will take ad-
 vantage of the uprooting of old stakes
 which the war has brought about, and
 give in to that old desire which vir-
 tuallys everyone has had at sometime
 CT other, to take tryout in the big
 gest town, it is impossible to say. But
 rfofv { i- ho< AAR
 there been so many bent New York
 wards as there are today. It seems to
 me that almost every returned soldier
 have seen whom knew in other
 cities. declares his intention of remain fing in New York If he can locate"
 One publisher told me the other day
 that he had at least 10 men on the
 waiting list for every job in his es-
 tablishment-and they were men of
 merit too. he said. any one of whom
 was entirely qualified for the job he
 sought. Doubtless many who do locate
 will soon yearn for the home town. and
 doubtless when they do return they will appreciate all the more just what