The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-03
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

Dothan, December 2.-(SpeciaL)-I
 the Bible by saying: 1T heard the
 Methodists say. let us go down to Do than" and so I went and am glad
 am here.
 I do not know whether it was Mark
 Twain who got it off on himself or
 whether it was a neighbor. who want ing the great humorist to go some-
 where with him, quoted the saying of the Master "If a man wants you to
 go mile with him, go him twain"
 
 I fear my Methodist friends did not
 have me in mind when. they sent out
 the word, Let us go down to Dothan," l but just at present I am getting to be
 specialist when it comes to covering Methodist conferences. I laughingly
 told one of them that I was up on Methodism in the state, both among
 the white and the colored people, as
 have attended three annual confer- erces within the last 30 days. Brooks Lawrence showed up al Dothan on Friday, and seeing me in a crowd of Methodist preachers, opened up on me by intimating that it was no place for a Baptist preacher; but, when at a Methodist conference as any Presbyterian preacher, was glad to note that there were a number of fer vent Methodist amens.
 We proudly speak of Birming gham as the Magic City" and it is, but Dothan is some wonder itself. I came near it, or through it. back in the early eighties, and it was not visible to the naked eye.It is true there were one or two small shacks, a barroom and 8 postoffice grouped around the crossing of the Abbeville, Completion, l Newton and Gordon public roads. A little later a repair shop, a sawmill and few stores were added to the set clement.
 l Now it is city of churches. and some of them would grace any cor ner in Birmingham, but prior to 1882 there was no church building, but ser- vices were occasionally held in Judge | Baxley's wood shed. A little later combination church and schoolhouse was erected by the Methodists, but in this year of the Lord. 1917, they have two capable of entertaining the Ala, 1 bama conference.
 Dothan was incorporated in 1885, but it's growth was gradual until the ad- vent of the Alabama Midland rail- road, now known as the Atlantic Coast Line, which gave a great impetus to the towns development Then the Gen. tral of Georgia built into the city and brought in much new territory and trade. Now the Atlanta and St. An drews Bay line has given it an outlet to the gulf and has proven to be great feeder.
 It's hard for me to realize the change wrought within a quarter of a cen tury. I could hardly believe my eyes when I got out at the station. The streets are paved, the city owns it's own waterworks. It has sanitary con- nections. It is electrically lighted. It has handsome churches. schools, audi torium and a skyscraper, and several handsome public buildings. It has all the air of a hustling, bustling city. It is we'll located on the natural ixyida hof ha al of tto I,oo tiful Chattahoochee and the Choctaw- hatchie rivers, in the extreme south eastern part of the state. Poplar Spring flowing out of it's heart from time immemorial, had poured out it's crystal waters to satisfy the thirst of man and slack that of beast. It for more than half century had been the gathering place for the thinly settled country.
 Dothan is the wonder of the wire grass section, for during the period since 1890, from cross roads hamlet with handful of citizens, it has grown into a modern city with all the con- veniences which go to make it a
 
 as thriving place in which to do business. Its citizenship is made up of men whose face Is to the future. They are proud of what they have done, but they still dream of doing greater things. The community spirit is strong Dothan is in the center of one of the greatest agricultural sections in the entire south. It is section in which the white farmer is to be found. It is in region where market crop can be grown every month in the year. The land is cheaper than in many counties where it is not near so pro- ductive.
 Just think of 1t, the average annual temperature is only 65 degrees. De- cember is here and yet as II pass the lovely homes I see on every side great towering rose bushes cov- cred with beautiful blossoms There are many other species of flowers still brilliant and fragrant in spite of the near approach of winter.
 Dothan has the advantage of being in Houston county, a county of small farms. They range in size from 30 to 100 acres. and there are nearly 5000 of them. owned and cultivated by white men. This spells prosperity. The farm CTS are beginning to wake up to the possibilities of the soil, and the yields