The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-12-26
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS


 scjourn in New England, is once more in our midst.
 1 Until Jeff heard the call of the east and answered it, none or us knew just what an institution he had become in Birmingham, but on his departure there was an awakening to the fact that some thing of real cheer was missing out of our daily life
 There was gloom about the newspaper offices for the day went haltingly by without "Jeff's" strolling in to sit aside of a desk and make himself comfortable in spinning the latest yarn which he picked up in his rounds. Eo miss his stories was like getting by the hour for a "dope" without going out and quench- ing the thirst
 And who is this man, Thomas Jeffer- son Bailey, you may ask? The mere ad- mission that you do not know the gen tleman shows that you do not know the newspaper boys, or run with the Xii wanians, or frequent the lobby of the Tutwiler, for he is always the center of ar animated and interested group when ever the best fellows about town happen to congregate. Surely you must have seen him in action during the various war drives for he was always at bat
 
 Now, if I happened to be a man of | means, I would endow "Jeff'' and just let him wander around as a jollier. for when 1t comes to "lSfdding'' he is some little "kidder." But if you gather from | this that he is lazy or does not know how to take care of himself you will be nightly mistaken. When he wants to be serious, or get down to business he be- comes transformed into steady and re- liable work horse.
 If you think I am overestimating his ability I simply ask you to point me out another newspaper man who has saved enough out of his earnings to build and own lovely home in Placid Norwood," to use John Sparrow's famous adver- Using phrase about Groom" Beatty's pet residence section. It takes both grit and grace sprinkled with thrift for a sal aried man in the newspaper game to become a home owner.
 
 first knew Bailey a few years back when he floated over from Mississippi to work for the Ledger. I took to him at once, because at that time his father was the editor of the Baptist Record at Jackson, Miss, and being editor of the Alabama Baptist, we had foregathered at many conventions, and then kept up with one another each week through our respective publications. This in itself was bond to unite me to his son who was adventuring into the secular newspaper world in Birmingham.
 
 l I'll not attempt to give his iournalistio career only in sketchy way. He knows the religious paper inside and out, l for he cut his eye teeth on his fathers, and that apprenticeship I am sure is where he got his canniness and ability to save and make both corners meet, for when man graduates from religious l journalism into the secular field he knows few short cuts in economy that are not to be learned on great daily 1 I next ran across the versatile Mis- sissippian in Jasper. It was during the meeting of the Alabama Baptist state convention and Jeff was in charge of one of the Walker county weeklles. also have faint idea that he tried out the newspaper game in the city of Besse- mer; but both the religious and the weeK- iy end of newspaperdom was too slow for man with his speed, ability and temperament, for he has an abundance of the latter, and it was but natural for him to drift into daily journalism. 1
 1 I think he got his first taste of re- porting on the Ledger, and after get ting on to the ropes, he. like many other gifted young fellows, began to make the rounds from one city to another not so much on account of salary or any need to quit. but more from desire to see life and get the inside view of the big metropolitan newspaper offices. It is hard to keep young cub reporter at his grind without his flying the coop" There is something both in the business and the men who fall for repertorial work which seems to call for change
 
 l But5~Jeff' surprised his friends, lust 1 as he got the reputation of being an all I'round, first-class newspaper man, with ability to handle the street end or cover 1 any desk assignment by, resigning from The Age-Heraid to do some temporary l organization work for the Kiwanians The story of his fitting from town to town organizing clubs in Alabama will long remain as one of the bright spots 1 in the history of the organization, for everywhere he went up sprang flourishing centers of braves.
 It looked like he had struck his stride for he was going strong, and I am sure that if he had so wished it that it would 1 have been only a short time until he l would have been high upin the direct ling circles of the kiwanians. Some one remarked at the rapid growth of the Xii wanis club in Birmingham, only to bring I forth the remark from member of an- other organization. What else-could you expect with a jollier like Jeff Bailey as | secretary and bull thrower' like Mer- Icer Barnett as president? It was some Fcombination.
 I But with an eye to business, Jeff has always been on the lookout to make a 1 landing in the commercial world where Inc could cash in on his enthusiasm, en- ergy and personality I use the last word /, advisedly for he has personality" plus. Having decided to go into life insurance ipromoton he made n fayoraha connec-