The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-06-21
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

| It's funny how you drop into a meet ing as onlooker and think you are not at all interested in the subject under discussion and stay long enough to find that you are really fascinated by it. A month or more ago I happened to be down in the Chamber of Commerce build ing and found out that crowd was in the directors room threshing out. the question as to whether it would be good thing to undertake bull sale for the Red Cross.
 I strolled in and took a seat. A man by the name of Derby from York soon arose and began to state his proposition It was such liberal one that I nearly tainted He was offering to arrange for the gift of 50 bulls to be sold for the benefit of the Red Cross.
 Now, here was the strange part of 1t. The men who gave the bulls were not it. The men who gave the bulls were not to receive one cent in any way for them. The auctioneers were to come and pay their own expenses. The judge was eager to lay down his duties as a college presi- dent and do the judging free.
 The dreamy part of it was there was no string tied to the bulls in any manner whatsoever, except that the freight was to be paid on them, and they were to be fed before the sale. I never heard of such thing. I was amazed. I wondered whether he "sniffed or shot" his dope.
 But, then came along Dr. Henry M. Ed monds and said: "Fellows, whatever have known him from his youth up, and George Washington never had anything on him when it came to telling the truth. The father of his country couldn't lie about a cherry tree, and Derby wouldn't lie even about bull"
 Now, fellow who can get preacher from his home town to. stand behind him ought to feel complimented and yet, with ministerial backing, I am afraid that crowd of business men somehow felt that Derby's liberality was too good to be true, and that in the end they would have to go deep down in their pockets be- fore they could carry out his scheme.
 Now, the gathering broke up in a kind of informal and dispirting way, for it was in the very atmosphere that while Derby was evidently sincere in his generous of- fering, he would be unable to de- liver the bulls. confess that was sit ting in the ''seat of the scorners," for I did not see how he could possibly hyp- notize 50 of the best breeders of Short horns in America to donate prize win ner.
 I have, however. always had sym pathy for promoters, and after the crowd left I went up and said: Well, it looks as if you got rather a cold deal, but don't take it too much to heart for bank CTS and business men don't take much stock in stock that is offered too cheap. and they are bit suspicious of your liberal offering in live stock
 I just can't help encouraging folks who are trying to do something, so said: "Derby, I am going to do what I can to talk up your proposition, and if you put it over. I'll give you and it all the publicity I can, and I will push it as I go up and down the state. for believe it's big thing and I want to see it go.'
 
 Now, didn't know that the day and the hour was coming when would have to give up a week or 10 days in rush. ing from town to town to spread the news of tho Red Cross bull sale anu try and get communities to organize bull clubs to bid on one of the famous thoroughbreds which will be put under the hammer here on July ?.
 got into it by deciding at the last minute 10 cut out the Realtors lunch and go to the Red Cross lunch at the mutwiler. where MT. Jemison was host. | thought I would get to see lot Of my out .of-town friends, and then ia- dies were to be present. and tmnk it's . foolish man who wili go to . stag affair when he has the cnAnce to go where there are ''ssirts.
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