The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-11-15
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

With vassals and serfs at my side,
 And of all who assembled within those walls,
 That I was the hope and the pride"
 This old familiar song has been run ming in my head ever since l got off the train. However am not dreaming bu, am very much awake although I am so- ljourning in .Sylacauga, the Marble City Now rose by any other name may
 smell as sweet, but it beats me how an
 euphonious Indian name like Sylacauga, the English vernacular, and become bug
 gard roost or rest, yet this is the case | If am to believe one of the old resi-
 dents of this lovely little city.
 l looked Into the blue of the skies and never a sight of the black bird of the heavens with eyes turned earthward to bounce on the dead, but out in the back yard I heard the cheerful Thanksgiv- ling "gobble,'' "gobble' of America s greatest fowl, the turkey, and looking through the window saw him proudly strut, carefree as if 1t was a matter of no concern to him that Syacauga was full of preachers. I may get him yet. | Perish the thought that this hustling l little city was ever the roost of the l scavengers of the air, for now it's the 1 home of a cultured and energetic people, city of schools, churches and thriving industries. A city with water works, paved and well lit streets.
 l Talladega county, in which it is situat- | ed, Is rich in Indian legends, and I am sure that many red face has wandered through the spot on which the city now stands. It is an old city, having been founded more than four score years ago.
 
 | The few log cabins have grown into hundreds of beautiful residences. The main thoroughfare is lined with attrac- tive stores. The side streets are filled Handsome church buildings are centrally l located.
 ! OSldCduSd IS SltudlcO III luS 1SI LllG Ndl- | ley west of the Blue Ridge mountains l in the southeastern part of Talladega county, and is 752 feet above the sea I level and well drained by nature, and supplied with pure spring water. furnish | ed by a plant owned and operated by l ing throughout the town, making health and sanitary conditions almost perfect. I I have already written story about the wonderful marble quarry at her very doors and the scale upon which 1t is now being run; but all around is valuable timber that is waiting to be cut in a modern mill. Mignon, one of the greatest cotton manufacturing centres, is just by syrup mills, peanut mills, and numerous smaller enterprises give it pay roll of over million dollars year. It's cot ton market of no little importance It has ample banking capital, there being three national banks with cornbin- ed deposits amounting to over half a million dollars. One of tue banks has a home in a beautiful white marbla building, the interior and the exterior being finished in white trimmed with the famous sunset effects that are got ten through the use of the output at Gantt's quarry. The banks are liber- in the extension of proper credits, making it easy for new industries to be financed.
 The business houses of Sylacauga are built on substantial plans with modern fronts, filled with large stocks of mer- chandise of every character to supply the growing trade of the. city. l have been surprised with the class of the goods carried, and the pleasing way in which many of the stores are arranged. The whole retail district shows that the Sylacauga merchants are live and up- to-date men who know how to cater to the wants of a discriminating public Now the farming section around Syla- cauga is unusually fertile, and the ag- ricultural interests are on large scale The lands are easily cultivated and the diversifcation of crops is making them more valuable each year. Owing to the large mill population and the easy access to other markets, truck farming is prof itable. More and more the men on the thereby advertising the worth of the soil
 
 The State Fourth District Agricultural ;e Io1 Al ident Thigpen's administration is one of the show places of the city as it is one of the best assets of the county A full collegiate course is taught and practical lessons given in agriculture on the ex- perimental farm owned and operated by work and its usefulness is increasing each year. Dr. Thigpen has the repu- tation of knowing how to handle boys at time in their life when they need a master hand to guide them in paths of usefulness.
 believe, however, that the thing which has most impressed me in Sylacauga are the churches. She has a right to be odists and the Baptists have outdone themselves in building temples unto the Lord. Either of these churches would be credit in the city of Birmingham. They are daily witnesses to the fact that the Sylacauga saints put a very high value on religion.
 
 Now this is the city in which the State RaptiSt cnnYantin ia hnldinn, lie q arnltal