The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-12
NOTABLE MEETING OF COLLEGE CHUMS North Carolina and Ala bama Sons Join Hands GREET AT CAPITAL Captain kolb Meets C. M. Stedman With Whom He Went to Col
 lege in Days Before
 the War

Washington December 1.-Two re- markable men, college chums and class mates of fifty-three years ago. met in Washin gton this week for the first time since they parted on the campus of Manly Stedman of Greensboro, N C., representative of the fifth congressional district of that state, and Reuben Fran cis Kolb of Montgomery, commissioner of Agriculture for the state of Ala bama.
 The same age-seventy-two years they are lusty, hale, erect and vigorous and the fine features of each, crowned with thick white locks. are suffused with a glow of health as though from some magical elixir of youth. They parted last at Chapel Hill, N. C.. where they were students at the state univer- sity. Not to meet again until just now, they separated after the most memora- ble commencement celebration in the history of the institution, an occasion in which each bore a distinguished if youthful, part, and a which were pres ent number of men of national fame.
 President Buchanan Present
 President Buchanan and several members of his cabinet, with their women folk. including Miss Harrie. Lane. the Lady of the White House" the bachelor Presidents niece, were there. In honor of the distinguished visitors, several of the cabinet mem bers having been graduates of the Uni versity of North Carolina, the factuly af,1 at infn to make the event a large and brilliant affair It was famous success, and and the like of 1t has rarely been ap- proximated, much less equaled any where at any time, as the surviving inhabitants anmatedly aver. The crowning feature of a rare series of hospitable entertainments was a grand ball. It was attended by over a thou sand persons. The United States Ma rine band furnished the music and Philadelphia and Baltimore supplied the decorations and catering. On that occasion young Kolb was the floor man. ager of the ball and young Stedman was the welcoming orator for the stud dents. And now these young-old boys are met for the first time since that halcyon day and ambrosial night. To hear them talk of what has interyened since those shining hours.
 InOuRn no burst Ol Cd1HoH lOdi smote Hike a rising knell' to stop tho feet that chased the flying hours in terpshicorean abandon. the two chums instinctively liken the incident to a similar event on the eve of the battle of a Waterloo. when the sound of rev. elry was broken ere the dawn, by the foes tocsin of war.
 Great Strife Came Soon
 For the great strife between the states sundered the republic soon after these two young men parted following the Buchanan ball. and they know that many a cheek there which "blushed at the praise of it's own loveliness" often in after years grew wan and pale, grieving for the gallants who had danced with them and whispered of their charms, lads who in the glorious pride and strength of youth, crushed and mangled, had been covered in the rude red burial of battle. Kolb and Stedman went to the war, casting their lots with their respective states Kolb went home to Alabama and joined the first artillery organization. He served in the armies of the central and west ern south throughout the war, proving his soldierly worth by rising to com mand battalion whose guns thundered in the greatest battles of Kentucky,