The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-04-16

I never met the ADie Douicu Lhoi Andalusia. As a matter of fact l never heard of him but once. but he comes up so interestingly, so pertinent ly in a days newspaper work. l have felt a keen regret that his path ana mine never crossed when Covington County was being done" for The Advertiser
 This biting regret at my lack or good fortune is shot with a keen doupt of that mystreious personage's being I fear me that like the fictitious Missus Harris that Sairey Camp knew so well. there aint no sich a pusson.' Stiii his reputed appearance, timed to the minute came up as I was questioning Mayor Henry Opp of the lusty town or Andalusia- This same Mir. opp was the approved wit of the recent convention which framed the States new and pre- sent Constitution. It was this same Andalusia gentleman who on the hoor of the convention described the Honora- ble John Burns, known to all Alabama "as that rare combination of Justinian and Josh Billings" and who con- tributed many occasions for grateful laughs in that sometimes ponderous body He Is a large portly gentleman, is this MT. Opp with face like bishops and he says witty thing in a dry unctuous sort of way that would upset the gravity of even a man with a blackberry seed between his front teeth, pair of shoes that hurt his feet. and an overdue note in the bank against him.
 What is the population of your town? I asked Mayor Opp, the same being a question to get information for an Advertiser article on Andalusia and Covington County. An ex- pression of pain fitted over the benign features of Andaiusias Mayor. He looked regretfuily out of the window of his office-we were in the court house of Covington County.
 You see," he said slowly. "our most able bodied liar Is out of town today. He is the man to answer that question. Why" he continued admiringly. that athletic prevaricator is a marvel. I've seen him tell a man we have 5000 peo- pie in Andalusia without batting an eye lash or turning a hair. l hate to confess 1t. but in gymnastic fbbing I'm not in that mans class. The in- fluence of an early and pious training IS yet strong on me and I can't tell any thing but the truth, even about Anda- lusia's population. We've got 2,5OO people and there isn't preacher In town but what will tell you that m giving you the truth. It's great mis- fortune to Andalusia that the Able Bodied Liar is not here to do his duty.
 When you came here In lsSS. MT opp, what were the conditions in Covington County" was another line thrown out to pull in information.
 Well, when a farmer made a social caall on his next-door neighbor, he took half a day off and rode some three
 or four miles through the woods. There wasn't a brick building in the county and mighty few brick chimneys, al- though you had better not put that down. The man with brick chimney
 was a marked man among his neigh bors. His brick chimney laid him open to the suspicion that he was clinging to the effete civilization of the city. He
 was open to suspicion, by his neighbors that he was trying to assume arlsto- cratic and plutocratic. With that brick chimney in his house a mans daily
 walk and bearing was very closely
 scrutinized for the first overt act" The Opp interview, brightened by | flashes of humor. was as full Of infor- nation as an egg is of meat. I learned | how Covington County, according to her population, had increased at a fas' | ter rate than any other county in Ala bama. The causes that transformed the | wide expanse of pine trees and wire- grass into one of the States brag coun- | ties were recited to me. And the won- derful growth and development of An dalusia was made clear.
 At the conclusion of the interview | the Mayor took me to the door of the court house and said, confidentially: There's smoothing I'd better tell you. See this court house? Well, it stands
 on a ridge. The water which rolls of one side of 1t flows into the Conecuh
 River The water which falls off the AL- V01I tNra n This was the first thing l was told
 when I came to Andalusia. Every time | a stranger comes in it's the first thing | he hears And everytime he stops on | a corner some patriotic citizen will tell | him about the water, the ridge and the
 two rivers. I'm telling you now as a
 warning and for your own good" Being a stranger. unless you are
 cautions, you will have it sprung on | you every time you stop for conver- sation You see that gentleman in the
 diIapidated wool hat coming across the square? If you should get a rear view of him you would probably notice that
 that gable end of his trousers Is worn slick and thin from sitting in other peoples chairs and other peoples dry | goods boxes. He is a prominent mem Der of the Sons of Rest, for, like all prosperous as well as dead towns, we l here. If you should meet him, he would consider 1t his duty as patri-
 otic citizen. to tell you about the court house and the falling water.
 The old gentleman with the chinchilla whiskers worn in the Mormon style. Is also strong on the court house and fall in gwater proposition. If you should
 start a talk with him on inc amount of cotton being held in Covington County, he would be certain to spring the fall ing water proposition. If you should your true Andalusia man feels that he
 would not be doing his full duty unless
 he told you how the water ran off the court house. But I'll go along with you and steer the conversation away from
 the true but ancient peculiarity of our
 corrt house."
 Early Wiregrass Conditions.
 ''They fished a little, hunted a lit- tie and farmed a little when the dogs