The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-09-27


 week end. The call to the woods with keen desire to once more visit the spot. and see for ourselves what this promise of "a good time really did mean. Leaving the city, the automobile way, after an early breakfast last Sunday morning, we rode over Red mountain along Twentieth street and passed through the thrifty settlement of negroes who. many of them, own their own homes, and often the enclosures consist of acreage instead of corner lots When Birmingham first came into existence Rosedale seemed to appeal to this race of people, and for years Monday morn ings have been seen processions of wash erwomen carrying their bundles of laun- dry to the spring, and lugging them back at the end of the week. These dollars, earned at the washtub for the city folk have fonded little town nestled close to a city which will eventually build beyond the limits of Rosedale. Leaving Edge wood to the right country road led al- most directly to this lake. renowned for its good swimming privileges. Along the way were many cozy little farm homes and some merely summer retreats indicating the appreciation of the oppor- tunities of the country.
 At the Convict camp"-for our county prisoners are building highway and the camp is on top of Shades mountain looking down on a beautiful fertile val ley-we turned into a rough short cut road that landed us at that haven of fun--Mountain lake.
 While we joted over this way our thoughts strayed back to the camp, and the humane idea of giving the prisoners fresh air. and the opportunity for health. and labor that brings him into purer i, atmosphere And then the thought of q real county farm worked by our county convicts to feed our poor, sick and un- fortunates who we are constantly begging for in the face of so much want. If these shut-in prisoners could be worked even while awaiting their trial with such en- yironments, even If they are found guilt less, there would be no harm done in having given them the opportunity for heathful work instead of months, ay. sometimes years of shut-in life. between the walls of musty jail. while they are awaiting justice. If this could be- there would be little need for skyscraper jail in the heart of our city.
 The fnrm would be more than self sustaining and perhaps including ample equipment cost much less than the pros- Decttve new Ja1I' ana the fearful eX- pense of maintaining to the tax payers of the county. Many laws are violated for bad deeds, cannot we break few for good ones?
 After all the camp Is not long way from our objective point tho we have wandered a distance from our original subject Inclosed between the spurs of the mountain this lake bubbles with water and is fed by springs of the free stone kind And here not only the small boy finds his delight but grown folks too.
 Several camps were stretched. and under the shade of trees lot of folks from the city were having a real good time, The pots were boiling for dinner and the boys and girls were boating and swimming The water is very deep in some places. we were told toward the middle 1t reached sixty-five feet. hence careful swimmers must be on hand for safety.
 However, 1t was amazing to see the small boy perfectly at home far be- yond the land. diving and making the best of every minute, for he knows cold weather and school days will soon defer his pleasure.
 The distance from town they say" is five miles. but this Is convenient when one pleads the right to go: at any event the miles were good long ones. but time did not drag as we rode along
 Nature has not sighted Jefferson county when 1t comes to native scenery Along the roadway are beautiful noun tain sides and picturesque building