The age-herald., 1898-09-10
THE GOOD WOMEN
 OF BIRMINGHAM Are Called on to Assist in the Re-
 C0ption TO THE FIRST ALABAMA
Their Cooperation InsureS the Success
 of the Undertaking.
WILL BE FEAsTED IN AUDITORIUM
With Hundred or More of Birming- hams Fairest Girls to Wait on Their Bronzed Heroes Commercial
 Club Committee at Work.

The plans for the reception of the First | Alabama volunteers when they arrive in l Birmingham from Jacksonville, now | assuming a definite shape. l Yesterday morning the committee ap- pointed by the Commercial club to make l arrangements for the reception. met to | form their plans. There were present: Chairman Rufus N. Rhodes, J. A Roun- tree, John w. Tomlinson and Captain F. L. Demere.
 The whole matter thoroughly dis cussed, and the general idea arrived at was that each battalion of the regiment as it came in on different train should be met at the depot by committee appointed for the purpose.
 From there they would be escorted to the auditorium where homemade feast is to be prepared for them. It is proposed to let the good women of Birmingham have charge of this department and 1t is safe to say that there is not a maid or matron in the whole district who will not do more than her share if called upon.
 Committee on Details
 The working out of the details of this plan was left to a. subcommittee which, on motion, was appointed followsl F. L. Demere, chairman; J. A. Rountree and D. A. deFuniak.
 The first thing this subcommittee did was to seek the ladies' aid, for they know they are helpless without such valuable assist, ance. The following Is their official call
 ''We, the subcommittee appointed by the Birmingham Commercial club to
 make suitable arrangements for the re-
 ception and entertainment of the First
 Alabama infantry upon its return
 home to be mustered out, request the
 ladies of Birmingham, Bessemer, Pratt
 City, East Lake and Woodlawn, who
 are interested in the plans of the com mittee to meet with us Monday af- ternoon next at o'clock in the Com merclal club rooms, in the city of Bir-~s mingham, for the purpose of organizing reception committee and adopting a plan for receiving and giving refresh-
 ments to the troops upon their arrival
 home"
 The committee will have no trouble in gathering an enthusiastic crowd at the depot, for it is estimated that there will be even a bigger crowd than there was on that bright May morning when the soldier boys went away.
 Nothing But Smiles
 There will be nothing but smiles on tho glad day when the First comes home, and if there are any tears shed they will be tears of joy shed by some fond mother over the safe return of her bronzed soldier boy
 The lunch, dinner or feast, or whatever it is called, which is to be given to the boys will be served on the main floor of the Auditorium, with @ hundred or so of Br. minghams fairest flowers as waitresses.
 The galleries of the big structure will bt thrown open to as many of the public as can be accommodated therein. The thous- ands on the outside will have nothing to do but cheer.
 One difficulty that the committee will try to obviate will be the arrival of the trains. Usually it takes at least four trains to haul a regiment of infantry, including the bag gage and in travelling the distance between Jacksonville and Birmingham, the last sec- tion always gets from eight to twelve hours behind the front section. The committee will endeavor to get the railroads to bring the sections in as near together as possible, and also at a reasonable hour of the day instead of the dead of night.