The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-10-29

We laugh at the great groups of peo- pie in the villages and small towns who gather at the depot to see the train come in, and yet what is more natural, for it's the livest thing which happens during the day, and brings them in touch with the outer world.
 I remember passing over the route which leads from Attalla to Guntersville, and the brakeman who evidently had a sense of humor had something distinc- tive to say about each place which he called. NOn reaching one of the towns he facetiously said, This is -- popula- tion according to the last census BIO, am glad to see that as usual they are at the depot
 The depot is the forum or meeting
 place for young and old, and who shall frown on the custom or hold it up to ridi- cule? In many of the towns there is no public square, no park, no place to gather-and only a few can sit on the chairs outside the drug stores and whit tie, and the barber shop can hold only a few, and shuts out the women-so I say all hail to the depot frequenters. I used to hear much about the bovine monotony' of farm life before Ford iift- ed the country. out of it's isolation and linked it with the towns and cities. If a man gets lonesome now all he has to do is to crank up and hit the big road and he is soon at some neighbours or 1 in sight of the white lights or in touch with the movies. The reformers who
 used to weep bitter tears over the lone-
 someness of those chained to blow will
 have to get a new crowd to waste their sob stuff on.
 l.. I have been going to mary country gatherings this year and believe me the way the cars dash up and down the l reads makes one think that 8 road race 1 is being pulled off Last week ct one
 association l counted over 100 automo- biles and they were not all F'ords by l q great deal, for many of them were 1 big touring models of the latest type. i and a few limousines were in the bunch l It's now to pity the poor dub who is tied
 Ito a machine in town instead of wail- i ing over the down-trodden farmers who \ are spending much of their spare time riding up and down the land in their
 high powered ones.
 1 I can't see just where the city boy 1 has anything over the country lad in the way of pleasures It is true that his amusements are intensive in that he spends much time in movies, at vaude- l vile, or theatres-but they are indoor
 entertainments. True he plays foot, bas- lket and baseball--but for pure joy give me a horse, dog a gun. rod. I had
 rather my boys knew about birds, squir-
 rels, possums. fox and fishes than to he able to discuss the movie actresses or the matinee idols.
 l The telephone has also done It's part 1 in relieving the situation in the coun- rather woman, I have unwittingly over heard two sisters on suburban line with receiver at their ears and mouth close up to the talking machine pour ing out stream of neighborly small talk that would put a Dorcas society to shame or make Red Cross unit die with
 envy.
 I came near forgetting the photograph ILaugh as you may. but if the numerous high priced instruments installed ir
 drawing rooms in city residences have
 brought delight to cultured music lovers
 just think what many of the cheaper Imachines have done to brighten the lives iof those whose ears are not cultivated t such degree as are those who have th' topportunity to see all of the latest operas yet find joy in listening to the moderl lrag time or grow sentimental over tn
 old songs or mellow at the sound of tn,