The Tupelo journal., 1905-06-30
Letter From DR.. Hoyle.
Birmingham, Ala,
June %, 1905.

| am surprised at the magnitude
Of this city, | never thought it
was SO large. It's streets are
thronged from Monday morning
till Saturday night, you can
scarcely pass along it's sidewalks.
The most beautiful stores on every
hand it's windows adorned with
the most handsome garments
ever beheld, they look like habili-
ments fitted for angels to wear,
houses reaching six to ten stories
high are not uncommon, and there
are more large department stores
than | ever saw in any city and
the clerks are in run from MORN
ing till night. AS | look on these
things. | wondered where all the
money came from to buy such
things. | inyoluntarily reached
for my pocket book and realized
where part of it was from, and
/ realize the fact that it is not a
good thing to come here especially
if you have any ladies with you
unless their big purses are well
filled. We were shopping one
one day in one of these big
department stores, and l saw a
citylady buy two silk dresses
two are three fine skirts and a
white dress all at one time.
There are some six or eight
suburban towns around the city
that have a population of one to
ten thousand each, and every
iron and coal min has two or three
hundred people at it. To those
towns and mines the street cars
run and you may go five to ten
miles for five cents, and on some
lines more. On last Sunday ev-
ening we rode out to South high
lands, the most beautiful res
idence part of the city. AS its
name Indicates. it is situated in
the Highlands south of the busy
city, the electric cars make loop
and run around it some ten miles,
and such magnificent sight |
never saw before. The road wind
ing around the base and sides of
these hills, and on every lot, up
above us was a beautiful mansion
reaching as it were almost to the
clouds, with terraced walls, with
flowers in full bloom, shedding
their sweet fragrance aroma on
the air. On the verandahs were
beautiful ladies and playful chill
dren, who seemed the picture of
happiness.
1t almost makes man feel
like he had been translated to the
upper world, beyond the skies,
when the beautiful angels reside,
and where the worry and troubles
of this life are felt and feared no
more. On Monday evening we
made trip on electric cars to
East Lake, this is about eight
miles from the business part of
the city but a town all the way.
We carried our basket and had a
spread or picnic, quite a crowd
was there every day and night.
1t is a beautiful clear lake about
two miles long and half to three
fourths of a mile wide; there are
nice buildings on its banks, and
all kinds Of amusement for all
ages, sorts and sizes, merry go
aronnds with every kind of animls
and carriages to ride on, roller
coaster, an electric arrangement
to ride in. 1t rclls and tumbles
YOU up and down and around until
you don't know where you are
at, and a diminutive train of
small cars, with engine and all
complete that carries ten to
fifteen passengers entirely round
the lake. My wife rode around
it and was delighted with it, all
kinds of music is there, brass
and string bands, and every body
seems merry and happy. was
greatly impressed with the many
such places and things these city
people have to eujoy and relieve
the tedium of life. Why can't
we Of Tupel0, have some such at
least, for our relaxation and en-
lioyment. This beautiful world
with all tic Measures mac rrivor