The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-04-12

The advance sale of tickets indi- cates a wonderful crowd. The sale
 has been greater than in any previous year and close followers of the open
 ing day campaigns are confident the great sale indicates record crowd.
 Kenneth Cornell, who has been in charge of the sale, reports a great demand and constant stream of fans
 have purchased tickets since the be-
 ginning of the sale Tuesday morning.
 SEATS STILL SELL
 Although the sale has been extremely heavy, there are some grandstand seats still for sale. A greater majority have been sold, but a number are still to be disposed of These will be put on sale this morning at the Hagan- Dunlap Drug company. The sale of the bleacher seats has been much heavier than the grandstand, but only half of them are gone Over 12,000 people alone can be seated in the bleacher seats at Redwood and it is expected that these will be filled to capacity.
 Every box seat available has been sold. Great precaution has been taken not to allow any of the seats to enter the hands of scalpers. Not over one box seat was sold to any person.
 That Birmingham will easily win the attendance was the sentiment expressed I in all sections yesterday. Despite the | fact that the merchants are not going to close their establishments in order | to permit their employees to attend the game, a number of prominent depart ! ment stores have agreed to allow a
 reasonable number of employees leave 1 of absence to attend the game. The l fact that the merchants will not close
 their stores will probably prevent q l few employees from attending the 1 game, thus slightly lowering the at
 tendance. but the majority of the l downtown storekeepers have the pa 1 triotic spirit and will do anything in | the way of helping Birmingham beat | Atlanta
 ATLANTA MUST BE BEATEN l And that's the chief object in view | The fight for the attendance trophy 1 has narrowed down to Birmingham and 1 Atlanta. Birmingham has won the l trophy for the past four years. In l fact, nobody but Birmingham has ever won the trophy, as the practice was not stated until that length of time. ! Atlanta, however, is anxious to de- | throne the Magic City. They have worked faithfully for the past month
 recruiting forces to land knockout wallop on the Magic City and the pa | triotism of the local fans can alone prevent defeat.
 The fact that the United States is in
 state of war should not decrease the | attendance. Tn fact, 1t should increase | it. Four bands will be at the park to- day and all will play nothing but pa
 triotic airs. In the grandstand Nappi's' band will furnish the music. In the right field bleachers the Boy Scouts drum and fife corps will entertain the l fans with patriotic airs, while in the center field bleachers the Boys Indus trial school band will be on hand. The I Second Infantry Regimental band will | be in the left field bleachers.
 l The four bands will enter the park 1 in a body shortly after 2 o'clock Each will march to their seats with 1 the exception of the Boys Industrial school band, which will furnish music while the entire squad from the school, some 400 in number will drill before the grandstand. The drill will start promptly at 2:15 o'clock and will last for probably 80 minutes.
 PARK DECORATED
 Redwood will also show signs of war The park will be gaily decorated occasions. To add to the gaiety of the inaugural a number of soldiers and mem- bers of the naval reserve with a hand at the head of each, paraded the field rla 1yirrr trintin airs