The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-28

If all the candidates had remained at home yesterday, there would have been less than 400 people in attendance at the dedication of the first concrete bridge of any considerable size in Jefferson county, built solely with convict labor
 Happily, however, all of the officeseek- CTS came out. That is, all of them were there except one man. Tn eabsent one was Ben G. Perry, candidate for assist ant solicitor at Bessemer, and only the people in the Bessemer end of the county vote on the race in which he is entered. As a matter of fact, MT. Perry might have been on the grounds, but he was not passing out his cards. Figuring it that way, there were approximately 1900 present yesterday. If you count MT. Perry, make it 1S01
 The candidates seemed to be in charge and they were very active in staging the dance and other interesting things that were on the order of the day.
 Ed Patillo occupied the center of the stage for two hours, teaching the spon- sors and maids how the old d-fashioned Virginia reel should be stepped" and he was also responsible for the old square dance. MT. Patillo did not get all the credit for this, however, for there were many candidates for the board of l revenue present who have not yet learned that the square dance isn't done' any | more. Yes all of them were proficient in swinging their partners"
 One good feature of the day was that 1 it gave all the candidates an opportunity to meet their opponents and to judge as to what sort of campaign the other fe,- low was getting across. The writer met I one old fellow who claimed to be run- ming for the board of revenue. He also claimed to have been a boyhood friend of my father, and said they spent many hours fishing together. His boyhood | "reminiscences, however, failed of effect, | for he suddenly asked me how long my father had been dead There's no healthier man in the county than my | father.
 | The candidates soon discovered that l they had met all the voters not candidates | in less than an hour after arrival at the l Loviclz bridge, and they began to do personal work among their own ranks. | Hundreds of promises were made of votes, and thousands of cards changed hands between those who seek honor at l the hands of the electors. Henry P. Merritt, candidate for the presidency of | the public utilities commission, was pres-
  l Lovick in an automobile.
 l The Ford was on the grounds in force, and Judge David J. Davis was among those who ''toted'' the little instruments out to the bridge.
 | Henry T. DeBardeleben left Birnling- | ham with a party made up of Commis sioner James Weatherly, Sheriff T. J. Batson, c. F. DeBardeleben, B. K. Me Morris. Joe Johnston and myself On | Spring street, just below First avenue, 1 in Avondale, the automobile was 'sub- | marined" by a nail. Mir. DeBardeleben soon remedied the trouble by changing | tres. He experienced another shock just beyond Gate City, when the new tire went off with ''baml'' At that moment Matt Murphy drove up in somebody S | car and assisted in removing some of Mr. DeBardeleben's passengers on to Lo- | wick, for MT. Weataerly was slated to de- | liver an address and had to get there. | Others of the party joined another car. ! and Judge Davis drove up in his Ford