The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-09-28


he might be able to be one of these
smart young men and write some of the
wonderful stories for these newspapers.
He had no idea of how he would ever be
able to accomplish these great things, but
he had 1t in his bones to do it and 90 Vt
he would or die trying.
He had been told and had REID that
all great men come from the country;
had split rails and plowed an OK as he
had done and he saw no reason why lie
should not climb up as they had done.
Boy Is Dreamer.
Driving his stubborn yoke of steers
back home along the muddy dusty
road he was oblivous of the discomforts
while he dreamed of the wonderful future
that was already thing of reality in his
ambitious imagination. That boy had
ambition. 1t was literally burning him up.
I had distinct visions of that boy when
I got off the train at Hanceville today.
There were piles of crossties along the
right-of-way just as they appeared 70
years ago. There were the same stores,
some of them operated by the same peo-
pie. There was the old hotel just as
1t stood a score of years ago, only 1t did
not appear so large and magnificent. The
town is many times bigger but 1t appears
smaller far smaller than 1t appeared to
that boy.
l recognized some of the same faces
that used to fascinate the imagination
of the boy In the old days they were
great men who lived in the great city.
Now they are store clerks, tie checkers,
section men and carpenters
Other cross-Tie Boys.
There are other boys hauling crossties
to town, some with OK teams and others
x.,tkI VI.
ties along the right-of-way and then
gathering about the depot to see the
trains go by and gaze in awe upon the
town man with store clothes on on a week
day.
I wondered If these boys have the same
burning ambitions that stirred the breast
of that other cross-tie boy of 20 years
ago. Then my heart went out in SYM
pathy for that particular boy of long
ago, who was now about to enjoy one
of the supreme ambitions of his life He
would write a story about the Great
City of Hanceville" for one Of those great
papers that is published every day in the
wonderful city beyond the blue hills to
the south.
Town of HancevilIe.
Hanceville is the balance wheel to Gull
man countys business and political ma
chinery. When Cullman City is not right
good Hancev1lle uses the lash and equity
is restored Hancevlle made a good fight
for the location of the county high school
and has once or twice threatened to take
the court house. The town is near the
center of a large agricultural territory
and draws large trade from every d.
rection. The competition between the
two cities is very strong and insures a
good market for the people in both ends
of the county.
Hancevile has population of about
1000. principally all white There ale
great many Germans, who make excellent
citizens. The most important industry
is a large box factory and planning mill.
There are three large ginneries and two
saw mills. The town buys about 1000
bales of cotton annually
Truck Growing.
Truck growing is being largely devel-
oped and promises to be quite as impor-
tant as that at Cullman. About 100
acres have been set to Strawberries, and
1t Is demonstrated that this soil is even
better adapted to their culture than the
soil further north. 1t is said that the
flavor of the Hanceville berry is unsur-
passed anywhere. The fruit is very
large and on account of 1t reaching the
market about one week earlier than the