The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-09-08
A "Trip Around the World" m Half an Hour Personally Conducted by MT. B. F. Ezekiel
 One Of Brmnghdn1's Popular Citizens
By DOLLY DALRyMPLE

l Welcomed home by perhaps a greater
 number of friends than any other private
 citizen in Birmingham can boast of. with
 a cordial hand claps and kindly word
 of greeting at every turn, Mr. B. F. Eze-
 kiel has been quite the man of the hour since his arrival in Birmingham last sat- urday afternoon, after a seven months trip round the world.
 MT. Ezekiel occupies quite unique po- iston in the hearts of the people of this community.
 splendid business man, dealing out justice with a firm hand and keen in- telect, his gentleness of heart, his unfail- ing affability, and his many social attri- butes, make him one of the most likable and one of the most genuinely beloved men who has ever resided in this city, and during his recent prolonged absence when he retired from active business to take this trip his friends have quite real ized the old aphorsm that there is mo- body who can take his place either irl the commercial word or in the world oc society-both of which places he fills with so much distinction and honor. One of his staunchest friends-a your 8 man who is very close to him, remarked yesterday that if he thought that he could ever lay claim to as many sincere friends as MT. Ezekiel, he would feel that his life had not been lived in vain. Could a prettier compliment have been made to a mans popularity and integrity. It was not easy to gain even few mir utes' chat with MT. Ezekiel yesterday, since at every corner he was besieged by young and old. rich and poor alike. but l managed to wedge in nice little half hour, in which he told me some very in- teresting things about his wonderful trip. First of al-
 l wanted to know, of course, juse whether he meant to engaged in business again here. and if he was glad to be back. Or
 If the lure of travel had appealed to him so much that he would still pursue its enchanting call.
 ''The mere fact that I have selected Birmingham after the ideal trip I have had to call home naturally indicates that l am glad to get back.
 With family ties in many other places, Birmingham comes first and here l shall
 
 a loafer and as I'm no loafer anyway, either by inclination or temperanens, 1 will engage in business affairs but n.t in the atmosphere of merchandise. For the past seven months have been in most delightfully."- care free state of mind. I have had no business worries absolutely nothing but pleasure-and have been in very analytical frame of mind. l mean by that. analysing new | Ia and it has proven very attractive diver sion. Now that we have got all that settled about your home being in Birmingham" I suggested 'and that we are not going to lose you, begin at the beginning and tell me all about your trip' Tt would require volumes to do that" | said MT. Ezekiel, but I will briefly tell you of some of the things that impressed
 me most. First of all, my trip was di- | vided into three periods so to speak The Mediterranean trip from New York 1 to Naples. which included about 10.411 1 miles of travel; the second period was | through Italy, Switzerland, and .he Rhine country. Paris, Cologne and Lon- don comprising 1921 miles, and the third period through Norway and Sweden
 the Land of the Midnight Sun finally | leading back to London and Paris and sailing from Cherbourg for home. mal,- ing a distance of more than 21,000 miles since I left here.'
 'The first stop was made at Funchal in the Island of Madeira was of amazing interest to me- MT. Ezekiel continue1
 The city stands on a hill not unlike our South Highlands and while it was .liscov- cred at the same time America was, it is. at least 400 years behind us in progress It is beautiful and appealing, but very primitive. In reaching the city the ouaintest device is used in the way of a wicker cart, drawn. by oxen. and the native driver in ascending the hill con- tinually throws out a greasy TIE to smooth the way up. On coming down two natives walk beside the cart to keep it from going down too rapidly. This prmi- tive method of locomoton in an advanced century like this, seems almost unbeliev- able.
 "Did you have any fads--I mean collect ing pictures, post cards or anything of that sort?" asked, "as most tourists have on such trips?"
 "Just before I left for my trip my friend MT. Will Mcqueen. asked me the