The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-08-31
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

We live in a wonderful city. but we live so close to the things which make it great that we fail to note them.
 1 It takes a man with wide open eyes tc come and tell us what we have all around us. Did you read Frank Carpenters piece in Sundays Age-Herald? If not. get it and read every line of 1t and see what the worlds greatest traveller thinks of us. It makes me tired to hear the continual grouching of a lot of level-headed busi- ness men, who seem to think that Bir- mingham is going to the demnition bow VOWS, just because we didn't get a few soldiers to abide with us for a season.
 
 believe if some of our leaders would quit nursing sore toes and pull off the rags and get out and kick their way through some Of the obstacles in the way of Birmingham's getting what she wants We would soon have everything we need
 To hear lot of people grouch you would think that not only Uncle Sam had
  of God, when the truth is He has buried wealth at our very doors and it's ours to use. Our hills are laden with iron, coal, and lime rock. The soil in our valleys varies so that nearly everything which can be grown Is to be found in our mar kets.
 I heard Arlie Barber say at the real estate luncheon that although he had been in the seed business for more than a score of years, recently when the mar ket wagons were transferred from Morris avenue to First avenue, and 150 stands all lotted them, that in making the rounds and looking at the things for sale he found several new vegetables that he had never seen, but only read about. This shows what the land around our doors will do.
 If you are blue or losing faith in your city, just take the elevator in the Jeffer- son County Bank building and ride to the Civic association and take lunch Be sure better if your stomach Is full, then stroll out on the promenade and let your eyes take in a sweep and watch the smoke curling out of hundreds of industries, and if it fails to hearten you, make a bee line for 8 doctor. for your liver Is out of order. and the trouble is with you and not with Birmingham.
 never did like a crybaby; it's bad enough in a child, but when a grown-up is always sniffling it gets on my nerves We have too many overgrown babies in Birmingham who let out yell every time they happen to get their fingers burnt or some one steps on their toes. am in favor of getting lot of sugar tits and handing them out to a few of the worse offenders. unless they cast aside their long dresses and wear mems pants and act like men instead of pulling infants
 I am sick of the anvil chorus. It's our fellows visit some of our compet- ing cities and come home and fill the atmosAhere with praise of Atlanta, Nashville, Chattanooga, Memphis or some other place. sand say that Bir- mingham is dead, nothing doing, she can't get anything or do anything. It's a living, burning shame and such men are a handicap and menace and ought to shut up or get out.
 We have had entirely too much belly aching. know some fellows who are continually colicly, they go around all bent double. Nothing in Birmingham touch upsets their stomach. You cant build a town with dyspeptics. I am in favor of giving all the chronic cases an overdose of paregoric and putting them to sleep beyond the hope of resurrection.
 Birmingham growth was the mar vel of the last census, and yet I have heard the crepe wearing band of street corner orators pronounce funeral ora tions over the mythical thousands who have cast the city's dust off of their feet never to return again. To listen to them you would think our streets were deserted, our stores closed. our factories shut down. But what Is the truth? Our streets are crowded, our stores are filled, our industries run ming night and day. The mourners are either blind as bats or guilty of plain lying.
 We are not like some cities-fnished I've are in the making. Our inhabi- tants, that Is those who are alive, and not doped. breathe an atmosphere of 6hsiness activity. We are surrounded by towering skyscrapers, girted with beautiful homes, and girdled with great industries. The spires of handsome churches lift their heads skyward, and the bells from many schools call the children to study.
 We are busy starting new enter prises, no one has time to talk to an idle man. Opportunities exist on every hand. There is an endless chance for paying investments. Progress creates progress, so let's keep progressing in lspite of the obstacles that hinderers Iplace in our pathway.
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 Let's stand by the manufactures we have and build and support others. Let's stand by our home merchants and keep the money here to build up Bir- Imingham instead of some other city. | I,et's stand by our public and private