The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-06-26
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

T should worry so said farmer who bids care fond farewell. He is none other than w. D. Smith, president of the Birmingham Baseball association.
 Now, the reason I know so we'll that hc can wear smile, although the Southern league disbands for the season, is thas I know that in spite of his being a fan, not for the profit there is in it, for U has not been much of coin winner, IS that he has a quiet retreat to which ne can fly for refuge.
 I was up in his neck of the woods on Sunday, preaching. Believe it or not, but he put some gasoline in the tank of his Ford and oiled her up generally, and, ac- companied his charming wife, Madame la Generale, he drove over and lit and gave me a patient hearing. I appre- alty, for "W. D. isn't just exactly what you would call a church-soing man. though he sometimes is caught at a reli- gious service in Birmingham, but strictly because he has had orders so to do from headquarters.
 After the sermon he and Mrs. Smith had come to take me over to Clair wood" for dinner. They didn't have to do any persuading to get me to accept the invitation, as I had long heard ot the delightful hospitality of the little white house set in the midst of grove on knoll which, commands a glorious view of the surrounding landscape.
 
 I was sorry to find that his two fine boys recently back from the Virginia Military institute were spending the day in Birmingham. One is IS and the other 19, and both have grown up to be strons. healthy, vigorous young men by spending their vacations at Clairwood and work ing alongside of the ''old man" The boys were the real cause of their fathers 5 turning his back on the city during the summer months. He is right The boz who fails to get taste of the country is cheated out of something which should be the heritage of every youngster ill the land.
 Farmer Smith is continually asked by his city chrms if his farm pays? Sure it does, and in way that dollars and cents never can, for during the past eight years which he has owned Clairwood 1t has been bling up dividends during va cation days in the way of putting tan on the cheeks of his sons and toughness into their muscles, and stamina into their bones, and fresh air into their lungs, and character into their lives as they realized the joy of manual labor.
 He had good success with corn last year, for he showed me crib full cf corn, and hs has fed four mules all the winter, and has enough left to run hin until January. He raised two of the mules. He has four milch cows, and as pretty lot of hogs as l have seen. He is trying out the Berkshires, the Hamp- shires. and the Durocs. He raised enough for himself last season and sold 20o0 pounds. He has flock of goats ana gets ali of the kids he can eat. He tried beef cattle, but abandoned the idea on account of the difficulty in getting prope- help and because the county is tick one.
 Now, just word about the mistress ,; ClairwooI. We see her here commanding her army and she looks mighty fit and military ano far removed from things domestic, but she uses her organizing ability ana energy in seeing to it that nothing is wasted at her ideal country place. She is famous throughout her sec tion as 8 caEner, and she puts up a kind. of gumoo that woAd tempt Creole to leave the Teche country and come all tho way to Alabama to get case of it.
 After dinner. and after tramp around the place, took nap, and at s was waked to get ready to De driven