The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-09-27
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

1 Edward F. Doty. This is the name of the president of the Alabama Press asso- ciation an honor for any man, but not 1 the reason am writing this little sketch. l
 1 Doty is man of many interests. but the most interesting thing about him is Doty It's funny name I know he will pardon me for saying so, but never hear 1t that do not think about an old negro who helped me to clear up a lot of timber that was shutting out the view at Pelham, our Baptist mountain, about 20 miles below Birmingham.
 
 Old John, like myself is a Baptist preacher and as we cut down tree after tree for period covering nearly month. we got pretty chummy, for, reared in the south, l we always liked to hear old negroes talk, for usually they have many quaint ideas. I'll admit it, for fear of being challenged, that I let John do most of the cutting.
 Now, here is where connect my story with my friend Doty. From time to time in cutting into an oak old John would say: Young Marster, she Is gwine to be easy to fell, for her heart is 'doty,' mean ing thereby that it was rotten. "Doty'' may stand for a rotten tree, but Doty also stands in Alabama for a newspaper man with a sound heart If you doubt this. just ask any man who knows him.
 
 Doty is a sure enough newspaper man vr,l,1 t iu fro int, +h ha biggest papers in the country. He has secuted for news with the best of the reporters, and then has held down a desk with the stars. But this Is not what makes his newspaper career unique. He left metropolitan Journalism and bought country weekly and actually made 1t a power and got good money for his la bors.
 I believe he did 1t just to show the boys on the big dailies what could be done with a weekly. for after selling out the Andalusia Star he rested for awhile, but the smell of ink got so strong that he set out for Tuscaloosa and bought the Tuscaloosa News and got back into the daily game good and he and It are going strong.
 The first time I dropped In on him at Tuscaloosa he was in building that was not we'll adapted for a publication pfant-editorial. business composing and press rooms were all jammed together on the same floor with the usual con- gestion of the average daily in cities of similar size as Tuscaloosa. He was kind enough to ask me to make 1t my head quanters, but soon got tired of the noise and confusion and beat 1t for the hotel. But when the Rotarians made their fa- nous invasion of the Druid City I went along, and, of course, 1t fell to Doty's lot to be my pilot. The day after the cyclone old home of the News, but found It empty, and was told to go to it's new To- cation. went and got one of the sur prises of my life in finding such an at- tractive building, and such well ar ranged plant.
 Now, do not see how plant could be lighter or better adapted for getting out a newspaper. Whoever thought 1t all out deserves credit, for evidently brains went into the plan. I dare say 1t was the re- tect, builder and owner, for every detail has been worked out perfectly. It Is a feature of Tuscaloosa's beautiful street leading out to the university.
 
 I did not discuss plans with Doty. I do not know how he financed it. I am ignorant as to whether he is the sole owner or whether 1t is a stock company, but I do know that it and the oppor- tunity looked good to me and he has the right to ask that Tuscaloosans stand up-to-date daily.
 I wish Doty well and see no reason why he hasn't got hold of a good news- paper property that he will make pay dividends like he made the Andalusia Star pay. Doty and my friend Will Jelks are the only mon I know who took papers in our smaller cities and made them pay handsomely I wasn't at all surprised when Jelks made a record as a financier when he was governor. Any man who can do with a paper what he did with the EufaNla Times could easily handle the finances of great state
 Now, I do not know if Doty will be pleased for my putting into his private affairs, or that Tuscaloosa needs my urging to make her treat well the man from the north who came into our midst and took hold in such friendly way until he became one of us, but wishing him and her we'll, say the closer they hitch up the better It will be for both.
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