The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-02-11

ton but TO history.
There is no man living in Birmingham
now that l can find that has any recol-
lection of the man personally, and but
few remember of having heard of him.
He was one of the organizers of Far
rar lodge No. Al, Free and Accepted Ma
sons at Elyton on March ), 1921, and he
was the first worshipful master. This
lodge is still in existence at Elyton. The
old records of the lodge show that he
was the first worshipful master and that
he helped in the organization of the
state grand lodge at Cahaba in June of
the same year; that he was made the
first grand master of the state. Here
his Masonic history seems to end.
In a story of the Bench and Bar of
Jefferson County," written "a years ago,
Judge A. o. Lane refers to Thomas w
Farrar as one of the four attorneys who
did most of the legal practice of this
and adjoining counties during the sew
eral years that Elyton was the county
seat of the newly organized county of
Jefferson. This brief chapter OF history
refers to Farrar in the following words
General Farrar came from North Caro-
lima and was about 40 yeas old corpulent,
big-hearted, genial and an epicure. No
dinner party was complete without him.
His appetite always relieved any def
cheney of the caterer. He had little en-
ergy, but withal, was a good lawyer
This is all. Judge Lane has forgotten
that he made such reference TO the man
or that such a man ever existed. Per-
haps he secured his information from
traditional or other records that have be-
come extinct.
From another source find that Thomas
w. Farrar and Isaac Brown were the
first representatives from Jefferson eoun-
ty in the Alabama Legislature.
SO it is very evident that he was not
only one of the prominent men in Jeffer-
son county in the flush days of Elyton,
but was also well known over the state.
The strange inscription on Shades
Mountain is probably the work of his
hands. Perhaps he and his wife In the
declining years of their middle life. ram
bling along the brow of the mountain
on that balmy August day SO years ago
stopped to rest on the Flat Rock
Looking down on the wilderness that
prevailed over the mountains and valleys
at that time he became sentimental and
chiseled a phrase from some half-forgot-
ten poem.
At any rate. it is living longer than
mans memory of the man who certainly
has some claim on the affections and
honor of the people.
wanted-A covey of real. old-time mus
taches for the department of archives and
history at Montgomery.
Where would you go to find them7
Have you noticed that they are almost
extinct?
Up to few years ago the principal oc-
eupation of many of the rising young
men OF Birmingham with nothing else to
do was to stand on the street corners and
train delicate suggestions of hair on each
side of the nose. Even that species of IA
cial adornment has disappeared, though
the young hopeful is still standing at the
corners of the streets. He has found
other means Of support.
At downtown restaurant yesterday at
the lunch hour when the place was
crowded my attention was attracted to an
unusually conspicuous bunch of hirschute
spinach under the nose of my Wis Wis
at the pie counter
1t was a real curiosity, worth a place
In dime museum or in the archives of
ancient history. l though for a moment
that | was In Berlin and shifted for the
aroma of pipe smoke and the mellow
smell of beer.
The remarkable sight emphasized the
decline Of the upper story whisker.
There were perhaps fifty men of all
ages and degrees of business servitude
In the eat-factory at the time and this
was the only prominent mustache In the
bunch. There were not more than half a
dozen of any description. Most of these
were mere stubs, kept short perhaps as
a compromise to please or rather to seek
peace with wife or sweetheart who
has not yet brought herself to appreciate
the fine points of whiskeriess lip.
Most of the mustachios present were
worn by settled bushes men of middle
age or foreigners
A young mustache is the rarest thing IL
Birmingham, and when one does make
it's appearance on the streets 1t neve,
fails TO get public recognition. Even the
policemen and car conductors are shaving
| clean.
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