The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-04-02
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

Hats off
 Along the street there comes
 A blare of bugles, ruffle of drums;
 Our loyal hearts are beating high; Hats off!
 The flag Is passing by"
 Do you like band music? If not, Tn afraid there is something lacking i. your makeup.
 Every town ought to have a band Some remember the early days in thi; great city's history when incoming trains were met by a brass band. | I could give the names of some who played in it but I do not wish tc | embarrass some of our prominent bus mess men. Some of the old settlers will recall them. l I believe brass band is a unifying institution in any town. It is one ot the best get-together organizations that can be started and ought to have the support of the public. | | Now, while Birmingham may have grown out of the brass band stage where the municipality should stand behind 1t, yet it has not grown too | big to take a genuine interest and pride in the Boys Industrial School band
 The boys band Is real, sure enough asset. If it came to show down for lively music on any public occasion without its help the city would be in hole.
 What a hit the Boys Industrial School band made here when this city played host to the Confederate veter- ans! It gave the old soldiers joy and 1t tickled Birmingham to see how the lads could "beat the band" At meeting of Camp Wilcox l learned for the first time that the boys were anxious to accept the invita- ton to march in the parade with the Confederate veterans reunion to be held in Washington. They were anx- ious to have new uniforms and instru- ments.
 When Birmingham found out that the hearts of the boys were set on go- ing an almost unanimous cry went up that they must go and go dressed to make an impression as they marched in parade with some of the crack spick-and-span bands of America.
 Do you remember the first tore-bought suit you ever had and how proud you were of it. Why you felt as if you could lick the whole creation.
 Now, if you want the Boys Industrial School band to be in fighting trim to tackle all corners from the marine band down, why not put each lad in a bright, rew uniform.
 Talk against it as much as you please, but clothes have a lot to do in making a man or boy. If you want to hack and handicap your boy, send him to school garbed in a suit that he feels is unfit or different from the other pupils in his class.
 
 It will be crime against boyhood if this rich city permits the Boys Indus trial band to go to Washington in out worn and out-of-style uniforms But it isn't going to let any such catastrophe happen.
 Did you hear them play at the Taft luncheon at the Tutwiler2 did, and my thrilling at the music of the "Star-Span- gled Banner and responded to the pa- triotic call of America.
 While they are Alabama's boys, yet ir a way, we Birmingham folk claim them as our very own. They belong in a peculiar way to us. We are proud in such a way as to make them proud of Birmingham.
 Yes, the Boys Industrial School band is going to be clad in shining raiment dear to every boys heart, and they are going to Washington not merely to show the other bands that they know how to play, but to let the country see as fine a lot of boys as there is in the United States.
 Hats offl
 Along the street there comes
 A blare of bugles, ruffle of drums:
 Our loyal hearts are beating high; Hats off!
 The flag is passing by.''