The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-07-15
GREENSBORO IS
A THRIVING CITY
One Of AIabama's Most Pro-
greSsive County Sites
SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES
Noted Also for Its Brave Men and
Beautiful Women-A Story of
Governor Winston as a
Poker Player.
BY. cHAs. Il. ALLEN. JR.

BY. CHAS. n. ALLEN, JR.
Greensboro is situated on the Akron
branch of the Southern Railroad. ninety
six miles from Birmingham and eighteen
miles from Akron. The Warrior river is
only few miles distant and in the
better days of the republic before the
era of railroad building. all cotton and
merchandise was shipped to and from
Mobile by steamboats,. This was In the
days when Southern aristocracy was at
its zenith, and rich planters made their
annual visit to the Gulf City. carrying
their cotton and bringing back their sup
pies on floating palaces. such as the
Alice Vivian" ELIZA Battle" War
rlor," Reindeer" and Magnolia"
In those days everybody gambled, and
rich planters threw off the bridlee and
bet without limit. 1t is thruthfully re-
lated that on one OF these weekly trips
of the alice Vivian" away back in the
Sos, Governor Anthony Winston was a
passenger for Mobile, and a big game
OF draw poker was in progress in the
Texas" of the steamer. Thousand dol
lar bets were fast and furious and TWEEN
ty-dollar gold pieces as plentiful as
blackberries in July, but luck seemed
to run to one player only, professional
gambler who haunted the river steam
ers on the lookout for victims. The
Governor watched him closely and soon
discovered that the gambler was using
"a hold OUT and could rake in any
pot that he desired was already s20,-
OO0 winner, and a number of oursted
hunters were sitting mournfully around
Winston took seat and asked for "a
hand and the play went merrily along
Still the gambler won; about midnight
there came up the biggest pot" of the
evening and the Governor and the gam
bier faced each other on the last round.
all other players having 'Iaid down"
rive thousand better" said the gam
pler, as he counted out the cash | see
1t and go you $1,000 better said the
Governor, as he drew an immense wallet
from his breast pocket land dare you to
call it This was before the day of
royal Pushes and four aces was the
best that could be held Slowly the
gambler counted out the $4,000 and as he
pushed 1t to the center of the table said,
Governor, 1 win." mot So" Winston
replied, as he threw down four aces with
his left hand and with pistol in his
right covered the gamblers heart Pull
up your sleeves. you thiefT' and as the
gambler did so, disclosed "a hold OUT
filled with cards The Governor ordered |
the captain to stop the boat, and away |
down In a dark and dense canebrake the |
gambler was made to go ashore, and was
never seen in those parts again. Wins |
ton returned the money to its rightful |
owners and the voyage was resumed.
The Origin of Hale.
Hale county was carved out Of Greene, |
til.
session of the General Assembly after
Alabama was admitted as a state in 1919
Hale was organized in 1867 and named |
for Col. Stephen f. Hale. The Warrior
river is the dividing line from Greene
Its area is $40 square miles population |
Blob in 1900, of which about 5000 are
white. The cotton area is about $1,000 |
acres and the annual production ahost |
25 900 bales.
Greensboro is lovely little city of Oslo |
people, and is indeed a city of schools
and churches. In 1856 the Methodist con-
ference founded the Southern University |
in this city, but it was not ready for
students until 1853. Today ii is one of the
leading colleges in the state and an in
stitution that every Methodist in Ala
bama is proud of. Greensboro also has
a public graded school that is one of the
best in the state. All of the Protestant
denominations have fine churches here
that are well attended
The mayor of the town is William E.
w. Yerby, editor Of the Waterman and
president of the Alabs ma Press Associa-
ton, who is now with the state press on
the New York trip. lie is fine gentle
man and very popular. BY the way, he
is handsome widower and owns lovely
home. The Beacon is another splendid
weekly Iubli5led by II. G.. Benners. who
is giving the PEOPLE Of Hale a first-class
newspaper The Record, a weekly paper
soon tt appear. is to be edited by L. M
Otis, president of the Fist National
Bank and one f lIalcs leading citizens
and no doubt will be one of Alabama's |
leading woeIlies
Hobson's Home.
Greensboro is noted as being the home |
of Hero Hobson and his parents live
here now His father. Col. j. NJ Hob
son, was probate judge for many years,
and is now postmaster. Miss Martha |
Young, famous as a dialect writer and |
singer of '.old plantation" songs, also re-
sides here. This is the home of Col Wiley
c. Tunstall, a member of the state rail-
road commission. and his son. A. NJ Tun-
stall, the present spe alzer Of the House of
Representatives of the Alabama Legisla-
ture, and candidate to again represent
Hale County. Charles f. Walker who
was next to Governor SANFORD In the
race for Governor of the state four years
ago, is leading attorney here as is Ed
De Graffenreid, recently elected vice
pre- sident of the Alabama Bar Associa-
ton.
Among the younger members of the
Hale County bar, none rank higher than
]. Webb Cooke, who is one of the most
brilliant young men In the state He is
destined to reflect great credit on this
town in the near future. Prominent ply
sicians are: e. p. McCallum, J. Webb
McGehee, III. G. Perry S. C. Carson, II.
T. Young and Charles A Poellnitz. Prom
inent merchants are: Charles Lichtman,
r. H. Stickney e. Son, A. c. Jones 81
Bro, T. r. Ward, E. A. Powers, A.
Stcllenwercks Sons, w. w. Overstreet,
Gulley & Christian. Apsey & Co. Green's
boro Pharmacy. Northrup & Hanna, NJ.
Steinhart, p. Il. Osborn, Webb Bros, N
L. Castleman, Warren Christian j. A.
Neyill e Bro. Evans Bros. w. C. Pick