The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-22
HELM REUNION
is GREAT AS EVER
Head of Family Celebrates 10Th
Birthday
PROMINENT MEN PRESENT
The Guest of Honor Makes a Touching
Speech-short Talks Made BY
Several Vlsltors-About a
Hundred Invited.
PROMINENT MEN PRESENT


their father.
DR.. Helm looks and feels as hale and
hearty as man Of go. and was the SUBJ
ject for congratulations from all his old
friends and from those who, for the first
time, were present at the annual celebra-
tion.
About 100 invited guests were present
in addition to the sons of DR.. Hedin. The
menu was particularly choice and every
thing contributed to make the occasion
enjoyable.
The Rev. Frank Culver asked blessing
in words most appropriate to the oc-
casion, and afterwards spoke in terms
very congratulatory of the honored guest
and his sons.
The following delivered short speeches,
manysof them highly humorous, and all
paying high tribute to the noble charac-
ter of the guest and wishing him many
happy returns of the day: The Rev.
Frank P. Culver, ]. Rivers Carter, Henry
b. Gray, Judge S. L. Weaver, the Rev.
Il. w. Jones, ]. D. Moore. A. A. Ben
ners, R. D. Johnston, Judge C. C. Me-
smith, DIR. Collins, the Rev. Hoyt Dobbs.
w. H. Kettlg. z. Il. Rudolph, DR.. Wy
man, Frank s. White, Jr, Col. o. P.
Cant. Joseph H. Parsons, Dr.. T. L. Rob-
ertson, DR.. George Stubs. solon Jacobs
and DR.. Wyatt L. Hefiin.
DR.. HefIin's Speech.
At the conclusion CT the addresses, DR..
Wilson L. Helm returned thanks to his
friends and said:
MY friends, twelve months have come
and gone since last we met here to cele-
brate the anniversary of my birthday but
few present know how to appreciate my
feelings on this occasion (most of you are
too young. My heart is full of gratitude
to God for His goodness and mercy,
which in large measure have been mine
along the journey of life. l am grateful
that have been permitted to reach this,
the 10th mile post, in the years allotted
me, and 1 am happy to have around me
all the members of my immediate family,
who were here a year ago, and happy to
have you all, their friends and mine, join
in the festivities of this occasion.
Somehow, on these anniversary &C.
casions my mind falls into a retrospective
mood, and l love to think of the past
the contact with obstacles. the thrill of
triumphs, the planning and working. the
sowing and t.he reaping. the friends that
l have had, and all that l have ex-
perenced in my day.
my wife died when my children were
young, and / have had the responsibility
of both mother and father in rearing
them. l taught my boys to work, and
when they were growing up they ate no
idle bread. They did all manner of work
about the gin, the mill and the farm, and
| am glad to be able to say tonight that
all of them are doing fairly well in the
world, and 1 trust are useful citizens.
when L contrast the opportunities and
adventures that were offered young
man when L was young with those that
crowd about the young man of today, L
confess that / crave to be young again.
| long to feel the thrill and stimulus that
calls and inspires in the busy walks of
men, | would love to be among the men
and among the things of this new genera
ton How richly blessed is the young
man, who, grounded in right principles,
faces the future in this age Of moral in
telectual and material development This
is the most marvellous age in the history
of the world, and the young man of in
telligence and integrity, with mind to
plan and a will to work, can be the archi-
tect of whatever fortune he may desire.
1t has been my experience that the men
of logged determination, the men who
think and the men who work, are the ones
my mind one of the grandest things is
to be a young man in the south today,
surrounded by all these marvellous advan-
tages and resources. There are conditions
and possibilities here that exist nowhere
else in the world.
"Here we have the purest American
stock, and God grant that 1T may always
he thus. do not want to see the south
filed with a low and indiscriminate class
of foreigners. | had rather see 1t pre-
served as an everlasting habitation for
our children, and our childrens children,
through all the generations that are to
come. In the very nature of things in
few more years | shall be very old
man. and some one has said that an old
man lives in his children. What re-
sponsibility this thought Involves, and
what a consolation 1t brings, If ones chill
dren conduct themselves as they should
and strive to make the world better and
brighter than they found 1t.
1.-The mother of my children, my sweet
and beautiful wife, how / have missed
her all these years. Even now her image
is ever present with me. In the mysteri-
GUS silence of midnight when the streams
are glowing in the light of the many
stars, her image comes floating upon the
beam that fingers around my pillow. and
stands before me in its pale, dim lowell
ness till its quiet spirit sinks like a spell
from heaven lflbon my thoughts and the
grief of years is turned to dreams of
blessedness and peace. Bright creature of
my dreams, beautiful and lovely wife, /
shall see.thee again!
Bliss Filled to Overlooking.
Beloved sons, If ever mortal lived to
see the measures of his own bliss filled
to OVERLOOKING, | am that mortal What
could I desire more? All of you are
doing fairly well, and not one of your
number of whom ] need feel ashamed.
Were my life still to be spared until an
other birthday anniversary, could l then
expect to meet you all here as you are
now. 1t would be unwise to mar our
present joy by prying into the future,
by imagining what may and probably will
take place before the close of another
year. While life is continued to us 1t is
our sanctioneds privileges to enjoy its
every blessing, and we should devote the
talents granted to us to the end for which
they are designed.
II love my state and / love my coun-
try, and If on this occasion / were called
upon to leave a parting injunction to
nv bows it would be this: BE sober, be
honest and Industrious, faithful to friends
and false to no man.
..For myself, / feel like living and wait
ing in patience till my appointed change
shall come, knowing as did the apostle:
If good to live, ii is better If prepared to
die +"
y Congressman Helm Arrives.
Congressman j. Thomas Helm arrived
,,st before the guests departed, having
80 aataiuad an latA train. Hfa ar.