The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-08
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

 as much as you please, but please do not forget their wives. for they are the "elect ladies" who have given to Amer ica a standard by which to gauge hos pitality.
 If you have looked in at the Tutwiler during the last few days you will have noticed a number of distinguished women, for from all over the state the Daughters of the American Revolution were gathered in their nineteenth an nual conference.
 know that in democratic America many are disposed to laugh at those who talk of family trees and coats oi arms and prided themselves on being Puritans or Cavaliers, but am not one of the smiling kind, for am proud to be able to hark back to worthy an- cestry.
 believe it was Mark Twain who confessed that he at one time got might fly interested in his family history, but in tracing back he found that his grand father, or greatgrandfather, or some other of his forebears were hanged, and he lost all interest in his family tree and was content to let the oId gentleman remain suspended without trying to cut him down.
 By way of contrast for thqse who do care to know from whom they are de- seconded, it may be well to call to mind that New Englander, no less person. age than the beloved Oliver Wendell Holmes, made mention of the fact that 1t was sign of distinction to be able to .'have three generations in oil,' and hence family portraits are badge of pride in most homes.
 remember with what rapture I used to gaze on the picture of a handsome man in military uniform which hung in our parior Gin those days parlors were the style). It was the portrait of John Treutlen, direct descendant of the first colonial governor of Georgia, and came into the family through my mother. whose maiden name was Celeste Treut- len.
 Now I have not told this to boast of my blue blood or to show that have a right to coat of arfns, for If that was my purpose I would save time by ad- hitting that I have one also on my fathers side through the Wingfields, and that both of them are very beau tiful and are the choicest pictures in my library, being made by my sister, Carrie Barnett, whose heraldic work ranks with the best in this country, as she Is not only professional genealo- gian, but an artist, and stands at the head of the profession in America. You may gather by this that I am proud of her and so I am, and well l may be, for she has made a great success during the past 20 years in Washington city.
 But let me get back to my fighting ancestor. want people to know just how dependable most history is. as at present a good deal of 1t Is being made. The government decided that it wanted the pictures of the colonial governors to
 
 adorn the government building at the Jamestown exposition and set out to get them. They fell down on John Treutien of Georgia but hearing that there was an oil painting of his son in our family. it asked permission to have it photo- graphed, which was granted. and 1t passed for the old gentleman.
 
 am now getting down to what l really wanted to tell. It is a true story I could give names and places, but I am an ordinarily prudent man and I withhold both. It might cause no end of trouble young lady friend whose mother was one of the loveliest old wonian,- one of the nouveau riche, and madonna, was approached by society woman, one of the pouveau riche and asked to sit for her portrait under an artist of note. And, why do you do me this honor?" she was asked "Oh,' re- piled the unabashed social climber, T am just an upstart and I've got to manufacture some grandparents and l want you to let me use your picture for that of my grandmother" Can you beat it? And yet I got 1t straight from her daughter.
 Those of you who remember your Shakespeare will recall when Slender. in the Merry Wives of Windsor ' claims that his ccusip, Shallow, is gen tleman born, and may write hiI0self armigero, he adds proudly: "All his suc- cessors. gone before him, have done it. and all his ancestors that come after him may" Why then laugh at the en- terprising dame who wanted to climb the social ladder by borrowing a rela- tive? It at least showed that she wanted to be somebody.
 I take the Daughters of the American Revolution seriously. I am glad that they keep up interest in the old fam lilies. We of the south have been too negligent in doing it. This is why the New Englanders have been able to get mere bars on their badges than our southern people. They kept Up the rec ords. I hope more of our Alabamians will come to the assistance of Dr. Thomas Owen and help him to ferret out and preserve our history.
 
 ] The earliest traces of genealogy can 1 be found in the ancestral catalogs of 1 the heroes of the old world. Among the Hebrews, there were parties specially 4