The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-11-06
FRIEND OF CHARLES DICKENS
 RESIDENT OF WALKER COUNTY

several times during my residence there. Anderson and Dickens were close friends. My impression of Anderson was peculiar. He had a strikingly child-like face, was simple in manner and very retiring. looked on him with something of awe. Knew Duke of Wellington "The Duke of Wellington was another of the great characters that I knew I re- member we'll his sudden death at Walmer castle and the great sorrow of England over his demise. I saw the funeral as it passed down the streets of London on the way to St. Paufs cathedral, where the notable warrior and statesman was buried
 ''The Duke of Wellington, as I remem- Der him, had a most striking face and personality. He was of the bulldog type. B. F. Yoakum of the F risco rail- road reminds me very much of the Duke of Wellington in every way. I have seen the little truckle bed on which the duke died"
 MT. Brigden spends a great deal of his time reading. He takes a dozen or more newspapers, some of them from England, and is very familiar with the worlds af- fairs.
 He was a contractor before he came to America in 1872 Shortly before MT. Dick ems died he moved away from Gads Hill and took a house nearer London, so as to be closer to his family. Most of his contract work was In the city of Lon don.
 Comes to America In 1872 he was severely injured in a gas explosion while employed in tearing down an old house in London. His physician advised him to move to higher and bet ter climate and he came to America. He first stopped at Cleveland O., but when winter came on he found that the climate would not suit him. He looked over the meteorological charts and found that the rainfall in north Alabama was more even ly distributed through the year than at any other point in the United States. Just at that time a colony of English men started to Walker county to found a manufacturing town. He joined them and has been in Walker county ever since
 He visited Elyton a number of times before there was Birmingham and has watched the development of the Birming- ham district with considerable interest. Sits for Photograph The photograph accompanying this ar ticle is the first that MT. Brigden has had taken for 60 years and the second that was ever taken. When he sat for his photograph 50 years ago he lost his chance tO JOill tHo EISllSH VoluIlteI lOICeS III the Crimean war, and 1t was with consid- erable hesitation that he agreed to sit for the picture here presented. He said When England called for volunteers for the Crimean war I was the second man to answer the call from the County Kent When I reached Lon don, on the way to the recruiting office. stopped at a photograph gallery to have a picture taken for my father. This caused delay of about three hours and when I finally reached the recruiting of- fee the lists had been closed. I swore then that I would never again sit for a photograph, but if you think it will save the country will sit for you now I am not on the way to any war. I am only waiting-waiting for the end-and have plenty of time on my hands"
 Never Reads Dickens
 When asked if he enjoyed reading Dick ems works, MT. Brigden said:
 ''No. I never read them. It would be sacrilege. I have heard him read and inn personate every one of his characters so well that I am unable to get any enjoy ment out of the dry reading of the books"
 Note-For the information of the reader who may have forgotten I will add that Charles Dickens died at Gads Hill, in 1870. at the age of 6s.
 The Duke of Wellington died suddenly at Walmer castle in 1852.
 WillSie Collins was associated with Dickens in his literary and publication work and spent great deal of his time at Gads Hill.
 Hans Christian Anderson, the Danish author. was born 1895 and died in 1875.