The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-09-13
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS


 Han Street and Morgan recently wrote 1t up in Golfers
 
 I fear, however, that a newspaper man is a good bit like the average poll tician. He is ready to give the people what they want if enough of them make the request, and as some have asked me to spin more yarns about the Hill City by the river I reckon I'll have to do 1t.
 It's funny how things crowd in when the flood gate of memory is opened. 1 don't know when I have thought of it, but coming back from Europe on the City of Rome, which was then the largest vessel afloat, I ran across Lee Richardson, an old vicksburg chum, and with him was his uncle, Jim Richardson, who proved to be one of most agree able and lovable men l ever met. Every kid on the steamer was crazy about him. He had the swellest and largest stateroom on the ship. and as 1t opened cut on the deck he let them make 1t their headquarters to the despair of the purser. who, upon making complaint, was quietly told that if he ever opened his mouth to a child about playing in his rooms he would throw him over board, and the quiet way in which he said it put the fear of God into the man of the sea, and the children romped and played to their hearts, content
 Now, Lee, in those days was young and bit given to what we call ''put- ting on dog;'' he didn't mind letting tho passengers know that he was a Richard son of Mississippi, and used to the best, but Jim was as plain as an old shoe, and was content to let Lee do the blowing while he did the spending. Any number of swell suppers were given and finally Jim gave one. He tried as best he could to give an old fashioned southern blowout. There were no frills, but it was the hit of the trip, lsfor his hospitality was as simple and unpretentious as was the menu Every one voted him the prince of hosts, but he never took them seriously and went his way as unspoiled as ever. I have lost all track of Jim, I do not know if he is dead or alive. If alive, he is at peace. Anyway as the incident I am going to tell took place more than a quarter of century ago, I hope 1 1t will get by without doing anyone any harm. 1t seems that Jim and Mary An derson, our own Mary, had been friends from childhood, and Jim had just been over to see her in London, where she was the rage. and I'll never forget one thing he told me.
 Frank" said he, lone night I went | around to see Mary. and as usual there was always some titled man present, for she was a great social favorite. Well, I ran across Russian prince, charm Ing fellow, a man of the world, and perfect gentleman. He saw he had me | outclassed in literature, art. politics and best not to monopolize the conversation, and from time to time sought to give me 1 a chance and I would dive in and bob out. Finally in despair he said,s T be- lieve you knew something of Vfcksburg; did you ever stop at the Washington l hotel?
 l Now, to show the humannnes of Jim ! he said that was my chance I turned
 in and began to abuse the once famous but rundown hotel, while ali the time he yC'a in cf,n md fI,,f
 we had a jolly time all on account of
 miserable night and poor meal that he remembered to have eaten in Vicksburg." l I lived at the Washington part of the
 time during my residence in Vicksburg, I and could appreciate Jims story. It | was while a guest of the hotel that I
 learned to know man who was in his
 way one of the most unique men I have ever known, Col. Frank Morehead, who l by the way, got into the newspaper game
 here in Birmingham in the eighties He
 was editing farm journal at vicksburg when I knew him, and had been presi-
 dent of the old Cotton States exposition at New Orleans. At table he always made the salad dressing for our party, ] and used to say that his fame as salad l maker would last long after he had been 1 forgotten as the man who originated the I greatest exposition ever pulled off in l the south.
 1 Now, here is a thing that may bring 1 tender memories to some of the old 1 timers. While cashier of the Mississippi l Home Insurance company of Vicksburg, i one day Colonel Morehead came into my office with handsome, dashng Johnnie Billups and in effect said: Frank, tell us how to organize a home insurance company, which l did, and lent them a l book on insurance. and with this and nothing more save nerve-and both were
 long on that-they came to Birmingham, and, so the people say, got up the l famous Royal Insurance company, whose directorate was at the time the glory of the south, for it carried nearly every l prominent financier south of the Mason and Dixon line. But why bring up such a sad tale? Some "reminiscences are pleas ant, while others grate on those who lost and suffered.
 Another man I knew in those daysAwas Frank Hayne. a charming South Caro- linian. He was then starting out as q I cotton factor under the firm name ot Vincent & Hayne We lived at the same place. and visited the same girls knew