The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-07-31
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

COnlcSI
 
 Now, do not mean that had not seen boys race in mill ponds, or youths try to beat one another across creeks, or young men light out for the other side of rivers am speaking of contest with scores of entrys and judges.
 And so when the city championship swim was advertised at East Lake I made up my mind to run out and wit others who had a desire to see for a large gallery lined the banks of the lower end of the lake.
 You may go out to East Lake hun dred times and miss it's beauty unless you stroll down to the spillway and get view of it from this point of vantage. It is really a lovely body of water and has never been fully ap- preciated by the Birmingham public for it's full worth.
 
 It is true that this district is shy on dtCi, put WllH EdSl LAKE, anu w est Lake and the chance ahead to have our Jewish friends rebuild the dam at the old Motor club and make it a great place for aquatic sports. it will be in better shape to care for those who like to fish, row and swim.
 But these three bodies of water can never provide amusement for all our people and there is real demand that swimming and wading pools be arrans- ed for closer in. There is no way to give pleasure in the summer like hav- ing an abundance of places for those fond of water to have suitable places to splash around in for both young and old.
 I think one of the prettiest sights imaginable is to watch a crowd of little tots in a wading pool. I used to be very fond of going over to Avondale park in the afternoons to see the joy of the boys and girls as they waded around looking like human storks with their long bare legs, and filling the park with their joyous shouts. It is true that the pools in the Bir- mingham Athletic club, the Young Mems Christian association, and the Young Women's Christian association are generally filled, and give relief to those who are fortunate enough to be members of them, but the call comes for municipal natatoriums in the down town district and bathing places in the various parks
 Take for instance the Mountain Ter race district in which I live. The boys have to go to East Lake or hike over the mountain three miles or more to Village creek a stream which to say the least of it is not an ideal place for swimming in ideal weather but after a rain takes on yellow hue and is about as pleasant place to dive as would a mud puddle be if it was of equal depts Having two boys of my own and there being a lot of neighbor boys I am personally interested in trying to create a sentiment to supply the growing lads and lassies of this great city with suit able places to indulge in swimming and diving, for as a sport there are few which are as invigorating and healthy as is the ones classified under the gen. eral head of aquatics
 Of course I expect to live to see the day when the Warrior is brought prac- tically to the door of Birmingham to serve it numerically. and I am strong for it for business reasons but I want a sure enough highway to it with an electric line so that it can become the great playground of the entire district. We need such an outlet and we ought not to rest content until we get it. But back to the races at East Lake Two wooden piers jutting out into the water marked a distance of fifty yards and the events were pulled off between them. The starters standing at one end and the judges and timers at the other. A space at the further end of | the bridge over the spilway had been | roped off for the contestants and a few of the newspaper and camera men,
 
 It was pleasant to watch a dozen or more of the boys in the junior class as they stood with outstretched arms ready for the pistol shot to ring out | before plunging into the water but the real fun began after they hit it. It seems that the way to get speed is to swim with the face and head partly l submerged. This proved disastrous to the chance of several who swan out of bounds.
 | The funniest stunt was pulled off by | the bunch of seniors who got a bad start The starter keep firing his pos- l tol for them to come back but a few heard or needed not. With ears under water they were driving their arms
 like pistons racing for the fifty yard pier. Shouts went up all along the line
 for them to stop, but they kept going. | The fifty yards was reached and back 1 they whirled and were in five feet of
 where they began before two swim mers caught hold of them and halted them.
 One of the features of the contest
 was the race between the four girls.
 They were all graceful and gave a fine !