The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-02-20
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

SOt AetteT HOI long ago IToHl AiiS friend, w. T. Hall, editor and proprietor of the Dothan Eagle, a daily and a weekly that's filling admirably the wants of it's constituency I liked the letter head. It was different. I liked the color. wonder if it's being yellow was tribute to the sufrragists? I'm sure the Dothan Eagle is not yellow journal. liked the way the letter ended. It said. we en- joy your paper very much" Do you blame me?
 One thing is sure, the Dothan Eagle is a booster. Here is a line on the letter. head: "Dothans population: 1890, 247; 1900, S275; 1910, 7o16; 1920, 2o,OoO-for I heard them say, let us go to Dothan." There ain't any way to get around it, for editor Hall quotes scripture and gives chapter and verse to prove it. Here is hoping that holy writ will not fail in Dothan's case.
 went to Dothan once before there was any Dothan. I drove through it when farms had not been abandoned and cut up into city lots Now, when I visit 1t and see it's paved streets. beautiful resi- dences. imposing courthouse, fine churches, substantial business houses, I want to pinch myself and see if I am not dreaming
 In the early eighties I went off to college and, like many young fellow in da1y Y1f fed to go in business It was business life for me-its all changed now.
 Here is a story to illustrate it: A hard working father and a devoted mother made sacrifices to send their boy who had been used to laboring in the fields to college. At last he graduated. One night after his return home the old man asked him now that he had finished, what did he expect to do. The young man answered: Well, I think I'll go back and take postgraduate course" Father had gotten wise. Forget it." said he, and come out in the field with me and I'm going to give you post graduate course in work.
 Yes, I believe in higher education, but from personal knowledge I have known college men whose sole motive in re- maining to carry on their work after graduation was in order to do bit of high-class loafing in their college club. I know this is the exception, but it needs the careful watching oi parents and pres idents to prevent it's becoming an expen- sive fad.
 A young man wrote me once from a military institute asking me for a loan Of s100 as he wanted to hire a tutor on the ground that he was carrying a very heavy course. He sent me a list of his studies. I wrote him that I hardly saw how a boy would be permitted to be en- rolled whose course was so light, and that anyway tutors were for the idle rich.
 
 Here I am writing an indictment Of some college evils and forgetting all about Hale and Dothan and south Alabama, and what I started to confess about business.
 
 My father was college-bred man, and he knew boy nature and it's weaknesses as it was growing out of the calf age into the latter teens. He let me get job with a wholesale merchant who did business in south Alabama. was put in buggy and sent out as collector.
 I had to go to Clayton, Clio, Brundidge. Louisville Ozark, Troy. Newton, Abbe- vile, etc. At first it was a lark. Spend ing nights in hotels was an adventure in those days. The first round was rather pleasant Meeting new people was agreeable. I have always loved folks.
 The second trip was bit grinding. The heat got on my nerves. The third trip was a scorcher. It was before the good roads movement hit Alabama. I drove through blistering white sand beds. I actually had to sit with my legs crossed beneath me to protect my feet from the burning sun. When got back home I was ready to return to college.
 My, what change has come to many of the towns visited. Troy is a thriving little city; Ozark is brimful of life and push; Louisville has just built a school house that would be credit to Brming- ham; Clayton is forging ahead; Abbeville is gerat educational center; Newton is the home of a great denominational insti- tution Clio is thoroughly alive. The whole section has been transformed. The peanut is making Brundidge famous.
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