The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-01-19

cial visit to his friends in the city proper His interest in current events has never flagged, and he is now floating easily down the stream of endeavor In the bark of physical well being and financial re-
 turns from his past years of labor.
 L0yable Old Man
 lovable and active old man is MT Howell. and to every passing wagon and acquaintance his cheery greeting rings out so true and merrily that few people can realize that he was born on January 16, 1872, with the incipiency of the war between this country and England of that year. His native heath Is Georgia, but his family removed to Russell county of this state when he was a little chap just after the Indian war, and Alabama be- came his home, although he spent 12 years in farming in Houston county, Texas, just previous to his retirement from a busy life.
 He cast his first vote in national cleo ton for James K. Polk and declares that Abraham Lincoln is the best President that the United States has ever had. En- listing at the beginning of the civil war In Company of the Eighteenth Ala bama infantry, with James Brady as cap talr and Senator Joseph F. Johnston m command, MT. Howell served throughout the four years of battle without receiving a single scratch from the enemies bullets or reprimand from his superior officers While guarding a treste over the Warrior river in north Alabama he was taken prisoner by an advance guard of the northern soldiers, but escaped into the files of the Confederates, who were com ing up at this minute and opened fire upon the Union men. His matrimonial alliances have been doublefold, his sec ond wife dying only nine months ago and be now has three children, Mrs. George Sparks of North Birmingham, George Howell of this city, and Mrs. Lawrence Sellers of Bessie Mines.
 Talks About His Life
 In speaking of his life, Mir. Howell said When I returned home from the war, I found only one horse, one mule and few frightened nogs on my 4S1 acres of farm land that I had taken m arms to fight for. The southern home guards had taken everything for their own that could be eaten or used The south has made marvellous strides since that time and l do not know but that we might have been greater now than ever if it had not been for the war.
 At one time, about the close of the third year of the war, we almost had the Yankees worsted and President Lin coin offered to restore our property and pay for the damage done if we would come into the Union but the southern president. Jefferson Davis refused. This was the turning point for the fight and since that time l have not been quite able to decide whether the democratic or republican party is the logical ad- for the country.
 q am a strong advocate of the union, and believe that the north and the south are one and the same, so why couldn't southern man be su- preme in the White House as well as 9 man of northern residence? Our peo- pie violated the platform erected by George Washington, who said that we would have prosperity so long as we remained as one family, and so we suf- fered, but 1t taught us lesson that was valuable and costly.
 Being a Missionary Baptist by re- ligion and on the fence as to my poli- tice, l wish good will to every one and do not see why Oscar w Underwood should not fill the presidential office as well as Abe Lincoln"