The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-19
OPEL|KA IS CITY
 OF FINE CHURCHES Beautiful Residences Make It Attractive Place to Live HAS FINE SCHOOL SYSTEM Built on Series of Rolling Hills and Has Fine Natural Drainage So
 That the Health of com-
 munlty ls Fine.
By WALTER HARPER.

Opelika, December 1s-(Special. .)-They ing.
 We'll, all other styles change and I guess 1t is well enough to change this one.
 The good old style, "Yes, sir, NO, sir" Yes. ma'am," and "No, ma am,' is no longer proper. To be in style you must say. ''No, father" "Yes, MT. Smith, !" etc.
 I am told that this new style of parlor less children in the schools and Tn the kindergartens.
 do not know what we older people who have become set in our ways will do. It is hard for us to change style even in the shape of our cravats With the women 1t is easier. God bless their darling hearts, I am glad they have time to look after the reforms Of the world. l am glad my children are being drilled in these new forms of politeness. want them to be cultured. But there is a difference between culture and true po- liteness. The true gentleman and lady are born, not made You cannot cul- tivate manners into anybody.
 Gentility of the genuine variety is like define it. You can cultivate 1t but you must have the mysterious fluid as a foundation.
 The most cultured people are some times the rudest and most i.npolits. They know the rules Of po1iteness and keep up with all the styles in manners but they are vulgar and mean.
 Some of the finest gentlemen I ever saw were without culture and education. The true gentleman needs no rules of department. He knows good manners intuitively and knows how to handle them.
 Opeiika is the capital of Lee county.
 It has a population of something like 1000 people and is one of the most pro- gressive and prosperous towns in east Alabama
 It is noted for its inc churches and the biggest Sunday school in the state, if not in the country. This school was described in a former letter.
 hTe Methodists of Opelika have two magnificent churches. The Trinity Methodist church is just now being completed at a cost of $75,000. The First Methodist church, an .,ld but large building, has just been overhauled and enlarged at cost of something like $3o, 900. The total cost of this church is something more than s1oo.o0o.
 No city in Alabama has more nnagnifi- cent churches or more enthusiastic church people. The Baptists also have d farre and handsome building as also have the Presbyterians.
 Opeiika is built on Q series of rolling hills and the natural drainage is fine. The health of the community is ex- cellent. The residence sections of the town are beautiful, well shaded and kept in first-class condition. There are many residences of magnificent propor- tion sand architectural beauty. The business section Is dirty and unattrac- tive. The streets are generally mar row and crowded. The people are too busy to spend much time in cultiyat- ing their civic pride.
 But Opelika Is one of the best towns i nthe state. It will be more attrac- tive when the citizens read this ar ttcle and brush up little. The town systems as well as all other public usually rounf in cities of the same size.
 The public school system Is one of the best 1 nthe state. L w.. Hill. ex- state superintendent of education. is of the sch ools and since his induction into the office he has built up very fine system.
 Opelika has three railroad lines, the Central of Georgia. the Atlanta and West Point and . short line running from Oeplika to Roanoke under the control of tho Central of Georgia
 There are a number of small indus tries that add to the importance of the town, such as oil and cotton mills. lumber plants and machine shops. The wh olesaie businesss is quite an i'm portant feature of the business com munity. Several large wholesale gro cery concerns send travelling men over the eastern part of the state and the business is growing in importance.
 [. E. Dickson is mayor of tho town and his administration is progressive and popular. He is business man of ability and he conducts tho affairs of the municipality in . business-like manner that is very acceptable to the people.
 The oeplika Daily Times is one of the best and most progressive small daily newspapers in the state. It is popular with the people and is a fix ture in tho community.
 Lee county has one of the largest and best arranged county court build ings in the state