The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-07-24
MEN, WOMEN
AND THINGS

1 wound up the story of an attempt I
made to reach the barbecue on Saturday
at Franklin schoolhouse, a little more
than a score of miles out at Moody s
Cross Roads, where I left Mr.. Ballard
and Hewlette Ansley in what they be-
lieved was a stranded Ford.
BY the sheerest luck a man with his
family from down near Brookside had
stopped to get some coca-cola, and Dr..
Ballard found out that they were going to
within mile of Kellys creek, and he
kindly agreed 20 give me lift. while
my partners were to telephone to Sid
Lee to have me met at the Winnataska
| camp.
It was with a sad heart that I left my
two hard working friends with bucking
Ford, which to all intents and purposes
thinking that they had made up their
minds to abandon it, and this they had
done, for they had exhausted every re-
source known to men used to handling
punctures and blowouts, and seemingly
without avail.
We sped away in a new Ford machine
and after a time reached a section of
the Bankhead highway until Prescott
| came in sight. Here we had before us
roads that were enough to make billy
goat pause but our machine tackled
mud, ruts and rocks as if thoroughly
used to overcoming the DEVILS trinity
| for automobiles. Reaching a point where
was to get out the car plunged through
cows trail, and was soon lost to sight
| I started down the big road and after
a mile or more saw the summer home of
DR.. Ballard, and soon had reached it,
and was able to tell Mrs. Ballard that
Hewlette Ansley and her husband were
stranded at Moody's Cross Roads, but
would find a way to get over soon. I
then went down to the camp to look up
Harry Denman to find out If there was
| any possible way to get on to Franklin's
schoolhouse. But there wasn't chance
save to walk, and it was then after 2,
and 1 knew 1 could not make 1t before
the cue was over, as already some who
| had attended were on their way home.
! 1t was now up to me to beat it back
to Prescott, a distance of nearly three
miles over the mountain, for I was anx-
ious to catch a train into Birmingham. I
had been told that if L reached Prescott
I could board the afternoon train out of
Birmingham to Pell City, and then double
back on the Birmingham limited but this
fond dream vanished into thin air as the
schedule had been changed. This meant
wait alongside the tracks until nearly
midnight to get into the city.
But before I go any further let me
give you my experience in a farm wagon
pulled by sorrel mare mule by the
name of Maud, who after years of travel
between the Camp Winnataska and Pres
cott has learned how to negotiate the
distance in one hour and Is minutes. For
about a quarter of mile I got to ride
OF the spring seat on a one-horse spring.
less wagon, and it wasn't so bad. But
seeing down the road the wife of the
owner. who wanted to go to the station,
got up and helped her to it.
She was a motherly type, and some one
had reported that he had seen her boy
who had been in France nearly two years
on a train going towards Birmingham,
and she was going over on the chance
that he would arrive on the local. 1t
was her husbands birthday. The thought
of the joy in their hearts over the home
coming of their son who had heard the
call of his country and gone to a for
eign land to fight for it against the Hun
set my fancy to work, and 1 was glad
for them.
But a fellows fancy can't roam very
far as he is sitting on the sharp back OF
a jolting wagon without springs. That
is, if he happens to be as thin as
am. On the way we passed an OK wagon
on the side of the road. The family had
been to the barbecue and had stopped at
a wayside we'll to get drink of water.
We went down the road, but soon the
team of bull yearlings were just in our
rear. and I forgot the uncomfortableness
of my seat in having to keep a sharp
lookout to prevent one of the bulls from
tearing a hole in my pants with his
waving horns After what seemed weary
hours we reached the railroad station.
Harry Denman had ordered out some
ice cream, and told me that if I was
game he would walk on down to Bromp-
ton, where the fast flyer sidetracked
to let the local pass and in this way If
they met 1 could get into the city with
out the hours of waiting. 1t was hot
but I began to count cnossties Now
here is a strange thing. never ex-
perienced the least bit of dizziness in my
trip in the air to Montgomery, although
was looking over the sides all the time,
yet 1 was as dizzy as I could be in walk
| ing over high trestle."
| We arrived at Brompton and found THAI
the trains were scheduled to meet. I was
| told to go to the switch where the fast
train took the side track and to board
it. 1 failed to find any of the doors
opened. and went to the rear observation
car, and very much to the surprise of g
| bunch who were reading and smoking
! uncerem oniously climbed over the railing
and walked on the inside and took my
seat, and was able to reach town quickly