The age-herald., 1898-09-15
THE FIRST WILL
 ARRIVE SATURDAY In the News Photographed by Colonel
 HiSdOn. WILL COME IN FOUR TRAINS Each Battalion Will Travel Separately
 Supply Train First.
FEAST WILL BE AT EAST LAKE
Plan of Having It at the Auditorium Abandoned on Account of the Many Inconvenience Will Leave
 Jacksonville Tomorrow.

Jacksonville, Fla, September 14-"The First Alabama will arrive in Birmingham Saturday morning over the Louisville and Nashville railroad in four sections. The first section will be the supply train con- taining all the baggage and equipment of the regiment The second train will bear the First, or Birmingham battalion, con- taining the Birmingham Rifles, the Jeffer- son Volunteers, the Huey Guards and the Woodlawn light infantry.
 "The Second battalion will come on the third train. It is composed of the Besse- mer Rifles, the Talladega-Pratt City com pany, the Anniston Rifles and the Wood- stock Guards.
 "The Third battalion will come on the fourth train consisting of the companies from Gadsden, Florence, Decatur and Scottsboro.
 Cannot give you the exact hour of ar rival yet"
 This dispatch was received by The Age Herald last night from Colonel Higdon, of the First Alabama. If no accident hap pens, the regiment will leave Jacksonville tomorrow and will arrive here the fol Low ing morning.
 letter was also received by The Age Herald from Colonel Higdon saying that the regiment was coming Saturday. He said that he would make every effort to have the sections run as close together as possible, in order that the regiment might arrive in Birmingham practically at the same time. He said that the officers were working night and day to get their books in shape for their departure.
 He said that the health of the regiment continues very good and that the sick men were improving since they have heard that the regiment is going to Birmingham. On Monday, he writes, there was a wild ru- in the camps of both the First and Second regiments to the effect that Ala bama had quarantined against Florida, and that the regiments would not be per mitted to come home. Excitement ran high for while, but when the rumor was found to be untrue the men all quieted down again.
 Preparations in Birmingham
 In the meantime, the noble women of Bir- mingham and the special committee ap- pointed by the Commercial club to arrange for suitable reception for Birmingham's regiment are working like beavers prepar- ing the big dinner that is to be given to the boys soon after their arrival.
 Every committee reports most encourag- ly, and hardly house can be found that does not promise to contribute a nice set ,f who was appointed to get up the coffee, sugar and pickles from the Morris avenue merchants, says that nearly every firm on the avenue responded generously, and that they would have given readily twice the amount that the committee asked for.
 Dinner Served at East Lake
 The committee yesterday decided that they would serve the dinner, feast, collation. or whatever other name it may be called in the regimental mess hall at East Lake instead of in the Auditorium, was orig inally intended.
 The feeding of twelve hundred hungry men is no light job, and the good ladies thought that it was about as much as they could do in three days to get up the dinner itself, without having to provide tables, crockery, etc., at the Auditorium. Besides, it would cause all kinds of confusion to take the men up to the Auditorium while they are heavily loaded with their accou- trements, and afterward pile them On the cars out to East Lake.
 tccording to the plan they have adopted, . freight car in charge of Captain Demere and Sergeant Collins will be stationed in Eighteeth street and Second avenue by the postoffice, early Saturday morning, and to 1t all contributions are to be sent. They will be received until o'clock, when the car will be rushed out to East Lake. On the way it will take up the baskets at Av- wagons will be provided to transfer the provisions over to the mess hail.
 In the meantime, all the battalions will have arrived and will have unpacked their their own knives and forks, so that the ladies will not be troubled to provide eat ing utensils. number of the ladies who will go out from the city, propose to serve the dinenr themselves with the assistance of the commissary department of the reg- ment.
 Captain Demere urges that all provisions be sent in old baskets, so that they will not have to be returned. It would be inn possible to keep track of all the baskets that will be sent in.
 Other details will be announced later.