The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-05-26
Beloved Boss Runs Things
 in City That Came Back
5-26-3t-sa
(Continued from Page six)

chants, railroaders, land developers and mining men with $400OOO annual incomes, So I decided to interview whichever man was most highly recommended. I asked a wealthy real estate operator.
 "Go see Webb Crawford said he. Webb has grown up with the city. He has built his own bank building. Knows more than anybody Webbs got sense"
 l sought the advice of banker,
 Let's see" he scratched thoughtful head. "Oh yes! Try Webb Crawford. if he'll talk. Webb's president of the American Trust and Savings bank Sol idest man on earth. During the panic of 1907 he sat on the lid day and night and kept financial Birmingham from blowing up. See Crawford by all means"
 CITY'S OPINION UNANIMOUS
 I consulted a successful and highly re- spected merchant
 T should suggest a man by the name of Webb Crawford,'' said my merchant after a moments reflection. If any, thing happened to Webb I'd close my place and every other storekeeper in town would do the same. When man In my line gets in trouble or has hard sledding he goes to Webb Crawford for help. Every business man, from the dago fruit seller to the head of the biggest de- partment store, depends on Webb. l don't believe the town could go on with out him."
 But until had woman's opinion would not be satified. I asked the mother of a family.
 "Oh, my dear child, go to Webb Craw- ford to learn about Birmingham or any thing else. I have a child named for him. There's namesake of Webb's in every other family in town.
 My husband goes to him in all business perplexities and I go to him in all-well, he advised me once in a-a rather tragic situation-just about saved my life, too. He understands. He's a perfect husband and the father of two fine boys. He's wonderful man. There isn't anything you couldn't talk to Webb about. And he'd know the answer every time.''
 This seemed enough. But just for luck l asked an old negro who he considered the biggest man in Birmingham. He took off a respectful cap, set his rheumatic old feet close together, blnked a few times, "stud'en" the question carefully.
 Well, missy he said at last, "dey ain't a man livin' dat ahd ruther have fo' ma frien dan Mistah Webb Crawford. He'd hep yer outa mos anything, mos any time"
 Webb Crawford, then, I assume to be
 
 maybe in Alabama; maybe in the world. Nobody can be born marry, go into or out of business, or die, it seems. with out Webb Crawford's advice. He is a court of domestic relations, a chamber of commerce and civic forum in one.
 FACES RESOURCEFUL FUTURE
 He is of Birmingham's industrial bone and blood. And because he is just Bir- mingham's age and because he Is eter- nally busy without being too much oc- cupied to have time for friendship, be- cause he is wise without being too con servative progressive without the dan gers of foolhardiness, sympathetic. but not unsafely emotional, experienced, yet closely in touch with youths ideals and enthusiasms-because of all this, he IS typical of Birmingham, modern Birming- ham. today's Birmingham with its 1S5,0OU people, its blast furnaces, it's rolling mills, it's fine hotels it's incomparably lovely highland residential district, which climbs up the mountain, tier over tier (the only residence district I have ever seen where one window of a house can overlook a valley smoking with the chimneys of in dustry, and another face wild noun tain gorge uninhabited and primevaD, its crisp social life, and it's eager, though cCmplacently self-confident, outlook upon the future.
 Birmingham's mining town crudeness is long past. Its present is full of dramatic developments, like play whose action is so swift that you find yourself sit ting on the edge of your seat for fear of missing something.
 1ts natrre ia that of a wide-awake. re-