The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-09-19

to be ushered into great double parlors. whose sliding doors open into bright, airy space. where walls are tall and orna-
 mental ceilings tell of the perfection of the art of fresco.
 In all the home the doors and stair
 ways are made of solid black walnut
 and the exquisite taste and lavish ex- penditure of money is evident from one end of the house to the other. | The top story was given up to a pool Tand billiard parlor, for those who grew tired of the dance hall and other amuse-
 ments, and so much was done for the pleasure of those who came to Arcola
 that there was never dull days. If noth- . ing else was to be done a steamboat was chartered and a house party journeyed down the Warrior, thence down the Tom bigbee for a visit to Mobile, and, no
 matter how large the party. they re-
 mained the guests of MT. Hatch until
 the last farewell was said.
 There is no locality in Alabama whose
 earlier or pioneer days are blended more
 intimately in scenes and events of TO-
 mantle history.
 DeSoto and his Spanish knights were
 primal invaders of this territory, having
 crossed the Warrior five times above Ar
 cola, and to the legends that bear to us the adventurous stories of his gay cava-
 Hers the Demopolis section registers it's
 charming and mythical claims.
 The lore of the American Indian. with Its fascinating terms which give to the
 literature of Alabama it's sweetest nomen-
 clature, is a language which tells of another and greater than DeSoto. when Pushmataha, the good and friendly. chief, ruled and lorded 1t over all these wild realms.
 And then came the Frenchman, with a borrowed glow from the splendors of Napoleon's court and empire. to perfect the majesty of a title that binds the Demopolis section of a century ago with an era to which in record and memory she directly speaks across the gulf of 200 years.
 It was for the cultivation of the grape and olive that General Desnottes and H. lustrious compatriots fled the persecu- tions of the Bourbon and came to Ala bama and enacted the sad drama which. history so patheticaly tells In their enthusiasm to build a new France they were not even careful to settle the lands granted them, and three times they
 planted their coloney and their fruits. One settlement was at Arcola, where still I remains evidences of the proud French man. There can be found there now the olive bush, and it never rears its ever green branches from its rosebed precincts. but that it plunges the mind and heart into dreams of the warrior hands that separated its ancient prototype from the lily plains of France to transplant and engraft 1t in this alien cline.
 However pleasant it may be to recall the romance of history, it is more pleas ant to dwell in the land of now. l
 Today there are left only faint traces | of the dream of tho Spaniard in search | of gold, the Indian in pursuit of his | hunting ground the Frenchman planning | a new France with vine and olive. There ! are only memories of the visit of Jeff | Davis. Martin Van Buren, William Yan- | cey and General Polk to this section 1 There Is, however, a present satisfaction | in the handshake of our new people who i have come from all quarters to settle | and develop this wonderful agricultural | section. The hand of time is not turned | ba ackward but points to- the present and | the future, and always to progress.
 Old Arcola is sweet in pleasant mem- ores, but that section Is rich in present | 
 Instead of bringing water from the spring 1t now flows from artesian wells, Instead of pulling boat up the irregular great boats now float on it's ockcd waters; instead of great forests md scattered cotton fields. now the coun- ny Is open and miles stretch across green ,lfalfa and clovers. Where the deer once an its mad chase. the gentle COW graxes md the fat hog sleeps himself fatter till.
 The wild flowers of a hundred; yea, wo, three hundred years ago. were no nore beautiful than the flowers of today ind the green meadows and broad pas ures of today have added to their beauty he glitter of agricultural gold.