The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-05-30
MIR. KEY MILNER CHAIRMAN OF HIGHLAND
 AVENUE IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION,
 TALKS ABOUT THE "CTTY BEAUTIFULLY
By DOLLY DALRYMPLE


 l If ever there were days when the Magic City is lovelier than on other days, and the desire to talk city beautiful is stronger than at other times, it must be on the very last days of May time, when the streets and yards and gardens look like great patches of velvet carpet all aglow with nature beauties--resplenden subime
 l Highland avenue, our beauty street." is almost indescribable
 Take a dab of sunny Italy. add the most picturesque corner of the Tyrol with dash of Brittany color cover with a | blue sky and flood with sunlight and you have some idea, although faint one, of the wondeful beauty and charm of the winding. circiutous avenue that leads through the golden mazes of Birming- hams most fashionable residence section the South Highlands Looking east from Five Points toward the first turn of Highland avenue, you almost have to rub your eyes to realize that the color and the vividness are really and truly just nature unadorned. You have Go pinch yourself as you stand at the corner of chestnut Hill and ! Highland avenue to see if you haven't suddenly been dropped from an aeroplane right into the midst of fairy land. Travellers may enthuse about the beau- | ties of the Land of Flowers-Forida- l and the gorgeousness of the Golden West-far away Californa-but these wondrous places certainly can have noth- ing on Birmingham and the beautiful scenes and views afforded by her resi- dential section.
 l The city beautiful idea has become ep- | demic in Birmingham this summer. 1 Civic pride seems to have been aroused to an unusual degree, and not only are the women of the community interested l but the men as well.
 | The selection of MT. Henry Key Milner as chairman of the Highland Avenue Inn provement association, has met with uni | versal approval throughout the citys l length and breadth.
 Highland avenue is Birmingham's s most prominent street and 1t was therefore | necessary in selecting a man to fill the l important position of looking after it's 1 improvement and general condition to choose some one well qualified to cope | with the situation.
 MT. Mner by birth. breeding and edu-
 
 tion of honor in community. Many sided. clever patriotic and gener- ous, MT. Milner combines all the qualities which go to make up a leader among his fellow-men. and Birmingham is proud of honoring him as one of her most valua- ble citizens as well as one of her most | representative men.
 | Granting me a few minutes conversa- tfon a few days since, MT. Milner chatted | with enthusiasm about the Highland Avenue Improvement association and it's relation to the city bautiful plan, and among other things said:
 1 "On account of the season being so far advanced. the attitude of the association will be more in the nature of formulat- ing plans and making arrangements for future development than in making any radical changes at present. Except for the planting of Bermuda grass-it is too late for anything else; that would neces- sitate constant irrigation and as that would be impossible, my idea is to plan for the fall campaign and begin activities then, rather than now"
 "Outline your idea if you will as to street decoration and city beautiful im- provement in general"
 Tn choosing a general scheme.' said Mir. Mlner something pretty and sim pie. not elaborate or expensive, is my idea of street decoration I do not believe in any great dspay-in fact, such would be in bad taste. Uniformity should be pre- served instead of as you often see in gar dens. where plants run riot and there is too much show and ostentation. would suggest plants indigenous to this locality or those which there would be no ques- tion as to their growing and thriving after they were planted. I recently heard of landscape gardener who suggested to citizen a plan for planting his gar