The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-29

for a number of years would remain in
 session from six to 10 weeks, and that
 practically half the county, white and
 coored would hang around the court
 house during the sessions of court These
 were the days when the power of law
 yer was measured by his ability to hold
 the jury spell-bound with his eloquence.
 However, let no one think for a moment
 that we did not have great legal lights
 in those days.
 For the lack of adequate jail facilities,
 prisoners were often kept in the upper
 rooms of the courthouse and guarded by
 employed watchmen. To wait on the
 grand jury it often required the services
 of 20 or 20 deputies who were busy sum
 monng witnesses.
 There were only few merchants and
 these handled all kinds of wares, drugs.
 dry goods, groceries and whisky.
 As Talladega was the only market in
 radius of 40 miles some handsome for
 tunes were accumulated in the mercan-
 tile business. We had only one bank, the nearest banking houses to us being in Selma, Ala, and Rome, Ga. As no stated appointments were made, the churches held services at irregular intervals. However, an attempt was
 made to hold services at one of the
 churches on each Sunday, thereby giving
 all our people an opportunity to attend some house of worship once a week. The few ministers here were called on to officiate for practically 40 miles around their trips being made on horseback. For heavy hauling there were only homemade wagons drawn by oxen. II
 was one of the amusing incidents in our
 young life to see coming in from "Hila- bee an OK team with a small mule
 hitched in front to assist in drawing the l load. And every wagon carried the reg
 ulation bow frame cover.
 l Of the railroad facilities of the period
 we are considering. it is interesting to
 note that for a number of years We had | passenger train every other day, 1 train going south one day and returning the next Freight trains came about 1 once a month This condition of railroad | affairs was followed by better facilities, I freight trains arriving more often and ! carrying a caboose In which passengers might travel An amusing feature was 1 the play of words the name of our
 first railroad the Selma, Rome and Dal-
 ton railroad, which was interpreted l Sorry Road and D. Rough Riding. ' ! This condition of affairs has changed { and we now have 1s passenger trains 1 daily and many freights, all handled by telephone and telegraph.
 l During these 50 years we have wit messed scenes which were calculated to inspire and scenes which suggested only sorrow. It Is safe to say that we have 1 for one reason or another handled In type the names of every family that has dwelt within the confines of Talladega county during this half century. We have written of their marriages, their births and their deaths. We've seen some
 of our noblest characters pass away, as 1 it seemed to us before their time. and
 but few of the "Old Guard remain. 1 But,
 Good ships go down in stormy seas, While empty barks sail on.
 ! Of course we have much to be thank 1 ful for and our debt of gratitude to the l citizens of Talladega county can never ! be repaid. It has never been our pur- ] pose to accumulate wealth We haven
 had time. It has been our fortune to look i on the bright side of life and our pleas
 ure to promote the interests of our peo- I pie. We have been contented with this 1 line of action and have never suffered ! for food or raiment.
 /! Of the many public duties we have been called on to perform none have yielded
 us more pleasure than our labor for the children of Talladega county and for ! the cause of education in general ] We have been fully convinced that it Is unsafe to make any plans beyond the 1 present We can scarcely keep back a smile when we remember how we once
 told friends that we expected to retire at l 50 and take things easy. When that time arrived we found that our work had l just begun and then we set another ! date-our fiftieth year in business. We | still find there is much remaining to be done, and the date of our retirement must be indefinite: but We shall work, wait and watch while we sit by the margin of the river.
 l During these 50 years wc have had l something to do with practically every issue of Our Mountain Home. Our career | Is an open book and can be found in ! the files of this paper.
 l In the child of our later years-the 1 Talladega Home-we find renewed in spiration. With bull dog tenacity and the loyal patronage of our friends we have 1 weathered the storm of high prices ir 1 material and labor and have given the people the news as 1t has occurred day lby day.
 | And now to one and all, the Home ex- 1 tends the compliments of the season | May the sorrows and disappointments of the past be forgotten, and our faces 1 with renewed determination and trust 1 be turned to the future.
 J JOHN c. WILLIAMS. |