The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-09-29
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

l rarer and much harder thing to do.
 
 It Is much easier to take man who than it is to take man who goes quietly about his business and never seeks to get into the spotlight 1 selected for the interview R. s. War ner, man who came here in the early seventies, and for nearly twoscore years was engaged in business, until his re- tirement several years back. His busi- ness name was household word, but he attended strictly to business and gave little time to political or social affairs.
 | caught him recently on the train and got him to reminisce.
 Yes" he said, T am one of the old citizens. came here in December, 1871. will never forget getting off the train about midnight and being led through Linn's park by "Old Pete" the negro porter for the Nixon House. It's hard to realize that Linn park Is now cov- cred with solid block of buildings. l
 | "I registered and went to bed, and got up early the next morning to get 1 a glimpse of the town, for I wanted to know what kind of a place I had come to do business in. I looked out and just beneath my window I saw an OK team stalled in the red mud of the ! atr nH had aa take, for I had come from an old set l tied town in Tennessee, and didn't know much about ''boom" towns.
 l "I looked around for a few days and finally rented storehouse on Second avenue and got 1t in shape for business. 1 I opened with confectlonaries in the front and restaurant in the rear. At 1 that time Rowlett's was the only eating on First avenue, run by lady who served 25-cent meals.
 T thought I would give the town a surprise, so I filled one window with juicy steaks, tempting lamb chops, ap- petizing ham, well dressed chickens and fresh fish and oysters. In the other window I had a lot of live cartridges and they looked might pretty. and at an advertisement in the papers. stating the opening day, and when the hour came the place was literally overrun 1 with patrons.
 This was the beginning of restau- rant and catering business that grew until I was making a specially of pre- paring banquets for lodges and clubs, 1 and was frequently called on to go to surrounding towns. It wasn't long be- fore I began to make a speciality of ice cream, and from retailing I soon be- gan wholesaling all kinds of fancy creams and ices. I was pioneer in the business.
 The biggest catering I ever did was during the Posey and the Hawes riots, | when was called upon to feed the troops
 ordered here by the state. I prepared the food at my place on Second avenue and had 1t carried to the courthouse and 1 served. can remember the buzz and ex- 1 citement of having to feed so many and | the great amount of stuff 1t took to fill Q lot of hungry soldiers. I, however, re- member better than anything else the check I got from the state, for 1t was the biggest one I had ever received 1
 T remained in business on Second ave- nue for about six years. was located on Twenty first street for over score of years, and then for several years on Third avenue, after quit the retail busi-
 ness. Now have office room just op- posite the courthouse where I am winding up my business, and l have been grati- fled at the way my friends have made
 it easy for. me to do it.
 T have seen wonderful changes in Bir- mingham. I have seen it in boom days and in the days when 1t seemed as If the
 bottom had dropped out, but have never lost faith in it, for I believed it had the stuff back of it to make 1t great city, and now it's future Is secure, and all of us must do our best to make it not merely great in business way, but great as a home town.
 Speaking of homes, there has been just as great changes in the residence section and in the style of homes as there has been in the business area In the old days the Northside was the home Of society. When I built on Fifth ave-
 nue it was the fashionable street. was
 mighty proud of my new hofne much prouder than l was when completed my new residence out on the South High lands. I can hardly believe my eyes when see beautiful homes perched on the
 side and top of Red mountain"
 It was pleasant to hear him talk. There wasn't the least bit of boasting about his success, although he had made a competence. As he talked I tried to
 size up the r.an and account for his suc- cess. It was easy enough, for he had
 energy, common sense, good habits and
 stuck to his line. He never lost his head in promotion schemes or tried to make a fortune outside of his mercantile busi- ness
 He is a man of character. This was
 put to the test. For years he had the lpick of the ice cream trade, but made it
 a rule never to sell or make deliveries
 on sunday. Some of his church friends
 tried to wean him from this position
 many of his best patrons threatened tc quit dealing with him. but he believed Il | | ~.s~r~t t~~J = o1~-rx