The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-04-25
By Will T. Sheehan

| of North Alabama and are met in the
 professional classes of cities like From it's very inception down to the | present day Auburn has had a vital in- | huence in bringing about the splendid lights and electric power, an equipment | that is second to none in such a city | throughout the United States. From
 the ,,vy very inception of the first Mont. down to and after the entry of the | Citizens Light and Power Company in to the field of competition Auburn's in- | rupted through the various phases of the enterprises.
 The marvellous electric plant upon | fiuence. of the plans, and of the energy which made possible it's existence to Auburn than one could judge or we'll say.
 County, where Northern capital and Northern men are conquering the pine wilderness for fields and farms l came across the fresh tracks of a member of the Auburn faculty, who was there at I the request of the Northern capitalists to investigate and report upon the na-
 ture of certain of their farm products; | Nor was I out of the county before I again ran upon other Auburn tracks miles away, upon another separate but
 similar errand. Again the experience was repeated on the Florida line on the other side of the State near the Chattahoochee River.
 A Beautiful College Town. The college on the hill with its quiet,
 restful village, clinging and clustering to 1t could be fancied as some power
 plant, generating a force far flung for the outside world, a plant which each
 year takes. transforms. and infuses with spirit the unfailing stream which comes to its doors. And having pre-
 pared and electrihed the force. it is
 wheels or spend it's current where fate or fortune plans 1t. The work of no good college Is less than this. It is.
 perhaps. the good fortune of a tech- nical institution that its results are
 more apparent, more tangible than those which come from the distinctly
 academic institution. The claim could
 no doubt be supported that the gradu-
 ate of the technical institution could
 more visibly mark his advance through
 life, with such evidence of his ability
 difficult piece of railroad work, the
 successful accomplishment of a diffi-
 cult engineering feat. the building of
 a bridge or the erection of a power
 plant than could the lawyer, physician
 or minister point out the tangible &C.,
 complfshments of their years of work
 of heart or brain, although these same achievements might be at least equal in benefits to their people and to their State.
 A keen pride. a just pride. is peren- nially felt at Auburn for those of her graduates who have gone forth and by their life and example carried the gos- pei of her efficiency. Their names are recounted and their achievements told | Roman mother did to her children, | These are my jewels"
 The best college town, Is the col | lege town in which the college is the | The successful college is the one that has no rival interest. no rival attrac- ton in It's own town" said one of the most distinguished educators in the South There can be no more doubt as to the truth of this statement, than there can be of the assertion that small town is infinitely better for a college than is a city.
 Auburn is peculiarly fortunate in its location, Auburn meaning here the Alabama atsn Polytechnic Institute. For could hardly be found in all Alabama. With college in session the community numbers some 1,5HQ souls; In the sum numbers less than a thousand people.
 It is spread out upon a series of beautiful hills, little town of splen- The streets are lined and paralleled with water oaks, and the yards these April days are afiower with roses. The houses have that characteristic of where guests and families can sit upon the porch in the late afternoon or early evening and watch the moop- light upon the trees and lawns, and catch the perfume of half a hundred flowers. In the short hours before the lights disappear. for the lights go out from far and near and one fancies that a more restful or more quiet place could hardly be found in all the State.
 The town Is an adjunct an append lege Is the town and the town is the college. There are ante-bellum homes here, many of them. They have in boarding homes for students. There are many handsome and beautiful homes of modern architecture. for of and these. too. give. food and shelter to the young Alabamians who have left their own homes to come to Auburn and prepare themselves Tor the strug- gle with the outside world that lies | beyond the college gates.
 Physical Aspects of Auburn.
 The college although a military in- stltution. has no barracks. It may be are 5i5 youths and young men to md shelter, food and home comforts in so small town that great part of that town town is given to the 691iarding % of stu who, 1t Is said, take students, not for but at some sacrifice be- cause they hold 1t their patriotic duty
 The gray cadet uniform Is the most familiar part of the town, a part which Is even more characteristic than the | arched wateroaks or the scented flower yards. At first roll call as early as 7:45 a. m. when the students day be- gins, the streets are filled with cadet gray, whose hundreds of wearers are rushing to escape the inevitable de- merit for tardiness. Throughout the lay the gray is never missing from he streets of Auburn. This section or that section, this class or that class has m intermission in it's work and stu ients with or without books are cross ng and recrossing the streets until the inal roll call at 6 p. m. At which hour coated cadets line up for roll call, and hen pour out of the college gates like swarm of light garbed bees.
 The towns business interest depends distinctly and almost solely upon the college. To be sure, farmers from the country drive in. hitch heir wagons or vehicles in the streets | md transact whatever business they l nay have. Even the farmers in a way lepend upon the college or the college Ier of them selling milk. butter and arm products of various sorts for the demands of the hungry young Alabam- ans. There are two or three large 1 general stores. most of whose trade, 10 doubt. comes from those who board he students, but in the main the bus ness interests of the town are essen ially and distinctly the business in- crest demanded by college students. There are various places where soda pc purchased. And then there are | clothes cleaning and pressing estab- ishments. tailoring stores. furnishing goods places, shoe and hat stores, laun- fries and other things which reflect he sort of demand which students unOO bnsinags oF |