The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-08-27
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

interested in 1t.
 
 It is now owned by the city, and as
 I pay a "jitney" every time I ride on
 the Birmingham Railway. Light and
 Power company's cars, let no one ac'
 cuse me of writing what I am doing at
 their request or on their behalf.
 The only interest I have in the mat
 ter is to try and interest you who read
 this to patronize it and thereby make it possible for the city to improve it
 and make 1t what it can and what 1t ought to be, the pleasure ground Of 1 the Birmingham public.
 Now, if you are member of tho
 Country club, Roebuck club, or tn,
 Birmingham Motor club, you may not
 need it as an outlet, but you needn't
 turn up your nose at it. even though
 you may belong to all three of them.
 There ar "a whole lot of well to do
 citizens whb do not play golf or run
 to automobiles, but who need recrea- l ton, and I know of no better place to
 put in, with ones family, pleasant day, or afternoon or evening, with a party of congenial friends. or a bunch
 of kids than out at East Lake park. remember the time when 1t was
 the swell resort of the town and so- ciety used to have it's outings out | there and the dances were a great
 feature of the gay life of the old town.
 Everybody went out on the cars, and 1 only few who wanted to be noted drove out.
 i It's funny how customs change. Just think of some of our young men who l used to be the beaux in the eighties, but who are now wealthy and own variety of cars, peda1ling out there on their wheels with the society belles of | if wasn't afraid of causing them to be 1 joked, I would name a few of them. Come to think about it, we used to have fishing parties out there, and ] rowing was favorite pastime. Those were good old days before so many | folks got rich and changed their mode of life and left the simpler and less costly pleasures for amusements that were more expensive.
 Then came the day of the summer theatre and once more society Hooked , out to East Lake, and when light op' eras played out. and vaudeville failed to draw, the movies were the thing, and finally the theatre on the lake was pulled down. I wonder how many re- member the old playhouse out at Lake . view. and the swimming pool beneath it? I can almost name the date that car- riages began to be used instead of street cars for dances. The older set tabooed the cars, but the younger crowd stuck to them. I put rising young club to sleep by unwittingly calling it "The Little Slipper Bag club" The nickname stuck, and the club 1 couldn't outlive 1t and soon disbanded, as the boys owned up they didn't have money enough to hire carriages and the girls said they had rather stay at home than to ride in the cars. know many will recall the pavilion on the top of Red Mountain at the in tersection of Twentieth street and the old dummy line that used to run along the side of the mountain, starting the ascent through a part of what is now known as Miner Heights The dances used to draw all of Birmingham's elite, and the music and the views gave 1t |, wide reputation as an ideal place for a summer nights entertainment. A whole lot of people are so situated that they cannot go to the mountains or the seashore, or other summer re- should nope around home when East Lake is at their very doors. Folks are funny. If they had to pay railroad fare and travel across several states to get to some city with pleasure re- sort, they would go out night after East Lakes class.
 
 Now, I go about good bit and am pretty familiar with the different re- sorts near our southern cities, and I know of no inland one that has bet ter one than that right here at our doors, and which is accessible from all parts of the town for cents. Don't sit around the house at night and grouch, but get on car and light out for East Lake.
 It is the most orderly park that I know anything about. Any woman can go there in the morning. afternoon or night. with her children and feel that she is safe. The last time was down to the city hall I happened to be with George Ward, and he was asiSing an officer particularly about the behavior in the parks He will not stand for the least bit of rowdyism, and he IS right.
 was out for awhile the afternoon the merchants were given the melon cutting, and 1t was a pleasant sight to see so many people having good time without having to spend any gl eat amount of mo ey. It is true that all the amusements are of the simplest kinds, yet most of them are capable of pleasing children and interesting the older people,
 The track around the lake, and the 1ittla engine is a never falling source