The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-07-18

pices of the Alabama Coal Operators as- socation for the discussion of mine acci- dents, first-aid to the injured and kindred subjects, took place at East Lake yes terday. It had it's social as well as it's practical side, and was regarded by op- orators, surgeons, superintendents and mine foremen as a decided success from every point of view.
 G. B. Mccormack, president of the Pratt Consolidated Coal company and also pres ident of the Alabama Coal Operators as- sociation, was on hand and was to have presided but he was busy looking after certain arrangements, and Jones G. Moore, general superintendent of the Sloss-Shefffeld company's coal mining de- partment, presided in his stead. J. V. AL len, secretary of the association, was on the grounds early distributing badges and seeing to the comfort of invited guests.
 While the different branches of the min ing industry were represented the major ity of the 1000 or more men in attend ance were mine bosses, generally known ROW as mine foremen. It was a sturdy, intelligent. earnest body of breadw win- ners, and when the barbecue dinner was announced mine bosses and prominent op- orators touched elbows and broke bread together. J. w. Mcqueen, vice president of the SlossSheffield company, acted as head waiter. and E. H. Crockard, vice president and general manager of the Tennessee company, assisted Secretary Allen as master of ceremonies. Among operating officials present other than those already mentiones were: Edward H. Coxe, Erskine Ramsay, James Bonnyman, Priestly ToulInin and c. c. Terrell.
 Nappls Military band furnished the music and Al Campbell was the caterer. The barbecue was served under the trees, just across the lake; but the meeting was held on the second floor of the pavilion. The seating capacity of the assembly place was overtaxed and scores of men stood in listening to the discussions.
 Jones Moore's Remarks.
 "rhe lecturer of honor" so to speak was Dr. M. J. Shields of Scranton, Pa. g first lieutenant in the medical reserve corps, United States army. His speciality Is first-aid work. He is famous in this humane movement and 1t is readily seen that his heart Is in his specialized task.
 MT. Moore called the meeting to order a little after 10 o'clock. He said
 'On account of the absence of the pres- ident of the Alabama Coal Operators as- sociation I have been called on to pre- side
 ''I am glad to see so many of the faces that are familiar to me. I began mining in this district 25 years ago. Some of you were then children. and I am glad to know that so many of our native people have the ambition and the energy to succeed as you gentlemen are succeeding We all realize that our success in coal oper- ating Is largely with you; you are the men directly behind the guns, and all of you with ambition and energy are bound to go higher. You cannot keep d good man down, and if appearance amounts to anything, l want to say it oc- CUTS to me that there is not a man in this audience that cannot succeed. (Ap- plause)
 We must all consider each other s interest. There is one thing that has oc- cured to me- and l practice it as far as possible, and that is that the only real pleasure we get out of this life is af- fording pleasure for other people. We should not be selfish, we should not be afraid to teach our fellow workman who are our equals in employment; and all of us should so perfect our organization that our business will run even better when we are away than when we are at home. (Applause) Organization is nine- tenthd of the battle; when that Is per- fected your work is almost done.
 ''The object of this meeting is for the purpose of bringing us all together, that we may know each other; that we may work to each other s-interest, and 1t was decided by the Alabama Coal Operators association that this was the best way to do it. I am sure that that associa- tion has no axe to grind. It will benefit. it Is true, the association, but 1t benefits each of you more
 T believe the first on the programme is a lecture and demonstration of First Aid to the Injured, which will be dellv- cred by Dr. M. J. Shields, United States medical corps" Applause and cheering)
 Dr. Shields said: When MT. Coxe wrote me that I was on the programme to give an address before the Alabama Coal Operators association l came very near wiring him that was suffering from an attack of nostalgia. which means in plain English home sickness.
 "Now have been engaged in this work for the last ten years and I have written papers for the medical journals and the technical journals, and those papers have been all on one line and pretty much alike. So this paper that read today may be like that ditto story that the mine in- spector from Illinois told in Scranton not long ago when men met there from all parts of the United States MT iyr'u- house was there. and 1t was an old st~ to him, but l think 1t is a pretty gooo, story. and it explains what might hap pen in my address; that is If many of you have read before what I am going to say. It seems that there was Welch- man-we have good many Welchmen in our country-who was looking over his store book two or three days before pay day, and he thought the store bill was rather large so he said to Mary Ann, Did you get anything from the store after the first of the month orderr and she says, Nothing besides butter So he