The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-06-20
old VETERAN
GIVES INTERESTING
ACCOUNT Of HIS
REUNION TRIP

REUNION TRIP
Leaving Lakeland at 1880 p. m.
Sunday. May Il, we reached Burn
ham at Z p. m. Monday. The trip
was not monotonous, the vets kept
up a clatter most Of the time day
and night. When we reached Ala
bama one OF the old vets remarked
that he was born In that State.
Some one asked him what part of
the State. He replied he was not
born in any part; he was born in
the whole State. When he reached
Montgomery he stepped out for cup
of coffee for which he had to pay ten
cents. He came back kicking about
the price. We told him they were
just sizing up his birthright. After
reaching Birmingham and having
our name placed upon the rolls, we
boarded street car for the camp,
three miles away to mingle with the
old vets and learn what preparation
had been made for US, only few
had arrived, and not being favorably
impressed with the outlook we re-
turned to the Hotel Jefferson Just in
time to secure the last vacant bed
upon which we threw ourselves and
for hours were lost in slumber.
Birmingham is great young city.
The business portion, situated in
valley surrounded by mountains Of
coal and iron, has a fine system of
street railway, much of it double
track. In the three days OF the re-
union S6O,9S6 persons were handled
by them without an accident. A more
corteous set of motormen we have
never met. A Mr.. Sell took us in his
auto to many interesting places. We
saw the liquid ore pouring in streams
in the sand. that formed the pig
iron. We were conducted through the
depository building where is kept a
sample Of all articles manufactured,
from nail to railroad rail. Birm-
ingham is destined to be great iron
manufacturing city.
At Montgomery on our return we
boarded the Western of Alebama and
stopped over at Franklin near where
we left thirty-four years ago. This
is a double town. P. o. Gabbett, post
master; Claud Gibson, railroad sta
tion Franklin agent. Atkins and the
population has doubled as there are
two families living here now. In our
boyhood days it was town Of sew
eral hundred Inhabitants with ho-
tells, schools and church. There is
nothing left but the earth upon
which the houses stood. When the
railroad passed on and the
smoke of the engine blew
back upon it, decay began. Here we
met Captain Gibson, a lifelong
friend, and his wife. The captain
was quite feeble, but the fires of the
sixties was still burning in his bosom
and flashed from his eyes as we
talked of the four years of bloody
strife, and the days of reconstruc-
tion when we stood shoulder to
shoulder in the great struggle that
won the greatest victory of the
South-white supremacy.
| South of Franklin live three fam
lilies who claimed part of our time
l-IEmmet Gibson and wife, Alpheus
Segrist and wife and Irwin Raney and
family We had quite pleasant
time in this community enjoying the
kindness bestowed upon us. Sunday
we attended Sunday school in the
church where seventy years ago VIZ
were received as member and
where after the war between the
States we had charge OF the Sunday
school most of the time for twenty
five years. There good people hav'
removed this house to new site anC
remodel it.,
4 Our old home we left thirty-foul
years ago had passed through thu
baptism OF fire and there is nothing
left but the chimney standing I
dumb sentinel to mark the place.
we visited the county seat Of Ma
con-Tuskegee. This town date
back to our childhood days. Through
the courtesy of the postmaster. Benz
Gibson we found FIVE or six person
who were citizens Of the place wnei
we left this town on our way t
Florida. All the others had passe