The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-22
M E N w o M E N
 A N D T HIN c $

Some speakers dread to face college audience, but I just love it. I'll admit that they are about as hardened spite of their indifference and noncha- lance it's good fun to try and wake~them up.
 / The old-timers viii remember Col. E. T. Talaferro, the tall sycamore from Tennessee, who for number Of years was one of the picturesque figures on our streets, a prominent member of the bar and one of the greatest orators in the state, making for himself reputation all over the south in his defense of Dick Hawes.
 He, like some of the other lawyers, decided to change their residence when the "boom" busted here He made for New York, and came into the public eye as a forceful speaker in an address he made at Tammany hall at Fourth of July celebration. I happened to be in the city at the time and, of course, was present to hear him. He was down for
 
 him to make long one
 l was sitting one day in his office in the Equitable building when he told me that he had been invited to talk to the student body of the Columbia university at an uptown theatre. and that in men tioning to member of the New York bar, he had asked him to sit with him on the platform,st to be taken up at once with the remark. 'I wouldn't miss it for $l00, as I want to see what these college boys are going to do to you" What they did was a plenty, but he soon caught their fancy, and got by with flying colors.
 I believe taken as whole, however, are not given to as much heckling and noisy demonstrations as those in the east and the west. Wanting to get on the good side of the senior class after being introduced by President Dowell, made them a proposition. It was this: the perfect right to arise and move that quit. If the motion carried, I was to take my seat, but if it lost, then no one was to leave the room until I had fin ished
 I wouldn't have made such a proposi- tion if I had not known that I was looking into the faces of a bunch of good sports. I knew the kind of stuff they were made of, for they had chosen Cap tain Sizemore of the football team for class president. I'll confess that for a while I was expecting some one to make the motion, but it was not made, and I got to finish my talk without in- terruption. If they enjoyed it one-half as much as I did in getting the chance to speak to them. they had a good time.
 I was bit squeamish about talking to the student body the next morning, as I was only given 15 minutes, and in spite of my training and much practice as a four-minute man, I was afraid I could not get hold of them in such a limited time. I have learned enough to know that when the watch is held on you it's better to get down to business than to waste too much time in playing for position by telling jokes. A short speech, like an editorial, is best when it is confined to driving home one idea
 I was only invited for two talks, but evidently the faculty was aware of my chances to get before the students do not know to this hour whether pr. Petrie, the professor of history, asked me through politeness or was just curi- ous to see how far my penchant for talking would carry me, when he re- quested me to speak to his class of near ly 300 men on American history. I &C., cepted with such pleasure and alacrity as to almost take his breath away. I wasn't going to miss chance to ride one of my hobbies.
 Having complied with his first request, daresay he was experimenting as to just how far my nerve would carry me, when he said Having spoken on Amer ican history. won't you address my class on European history?" I answered that
 
 and so in few minutes I was on my feet again facing an alert crowd of young men. with just fringe of young ladies on the front row in an effort to make them visualize the Balkan prob lem by telling the story of trip I made through them just when Prince Ferd- nand was put on the Bulgarian throne.
 
 It was bit risky to try and talk for. an hour or more on American and Eu- ropean history without a moments mo- tice for reading up and making notes and preparing an outline. Yet. come to think of it. I believe that I was en- abled just because of speaking on the spur of the moment to put more life into the talks than if they had been cut and dried All of my life I have been a fiend for history, and the fact that had visited so many places of historic interest, both in America and Europe, made it possible for me to use personal experience which added some zest to the topics upon which I was speaking.
 
 I think that the experiment made by pr. Petrie was a worth while one. Not because he called me into service. but from the fact that he realized that it might prove worth while to have an out. s;der bring into the classroom a breath which was not tainted with academic thought He knows full we'll that his trrx bo or1x fu.,s l~