The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-10-07
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

I
 was the first one of it's kind that l
 ever had the pleasure of attending, but
 if any other section in the state is go- | ing to pull off a similar one want to
 see it.
 l The best things are not the ones inn
 posed from the outside, but are the ones
 which grow from the inside. Now let it be understood at the beginning that the Blount Highlands fair originated among ! the people who live in the neighborhood.
 home &alent This is what made it so
 intensely interesting.
 do not Know who first thought of the idea, unless it was some one connected with the school. Anyway, like Topsy, it just grew, and almost before any one realized it. the fair was held and
 over. It just shows what a few folks can do if they get together and make up their minds to put a good thing through.
 Now, I was really surprised to find just
 
 complish if they once got the community spirit. You know the trouble with too many of the things we try to start are talked to death before they are given a try-out But the neighborhood on Blount mountain did little talking, but
 were long on action, and that is why 1 they did a really big thing.
 confessed that was strong for fairs, and am in favor of county and state ones, but I believe that one of the
 greatest things which could happen in this state would be for every neighnor- hood to get together and have com
 munity affair." It will surprise any Ht- tie band of earnest people to know just now much is being done around them if
 they will take the trouble to assemble their activities
 The striking thing about the exhfbi- ton I got to. see on the grounds and in the schoolhouse at Blount Highlands
 was that it was a jumped-up affair. No
 one had planned ahead or planted for it. Neighbors just went into their gar dens, orchards, lots, pastures, pantries
 and chests and ransacked them for things worth showing, and until they had pooled them no one dreamed that it was pos
 sible to make such good showing. l have several articles about quilts, and what a treat it was for me to get into the room where the walls were cov- cred with rare old handmade speci- mems. Some of them being a hundred
 years old and worked out with marvel and original patterns It was worth trip just to see them and it gave pleasure and amusement to the dear old women who had brought them out for exhibi- tion
 There was also a most creditable ex- hibition of fancy work and some fine specimens of basketry The many kinds
 of cakes proved a great drawing card, and the butter display was fine. I saw churn, just the old crock kind, which had been in one family for five genera tions. I remarked that evidently they had never indulged in the luxury of col!
 ored help, or it would have been broken before one set of children had left the old homestead. A thing which amused me greatly was an oak rolling pin, for the label tied around it carried the in- formation in feminine handwriting that "I have used this constantly for 60 years
 and my husband is still obedient." do not think I ever saw a finer col lection of preserves, jellies, pickles, etc. I saw blackberry, strawberry, dew berry raspberry, Juneberry and huckle- berry jelly. I got my first glimpse of the following preserves: Persimmon, sweet potato and Pumpkin.> A jar of Siberian crabapple preserves swimming
 around in rich red syrup simply fas- cinated me. One woman had on exhibi- tion 20 kinds of berries and fruits, either preserved or pickled
 The displays of corn, cotton, peas. vel vet and soy beans, peanuts, potatoes, pumpkins. tomatoes and all kinds of garden and field crops evidenced the fact that the farmers on the mountain were not depending on any one crop,
 but believed in diversification There were several individual exhibits which should
 have attracted attention at a county or state fair had the privilege of spend ing the night with P. c. Gardener, for mer Birmingham man. who got first
 prize As the old saying goes. He lives,
 at home and boards at the same place." It was easy to see by the cattle shell tered in the stalls built for them that
 the people were determined to improve the grade of their animals. The pig club
 boys made a good showing, and one of the things which appealed to me most was to watch their expressions and lis- ten, to their comments as F. O. Davis, the pig club specialist from Auburn, was judging their pets. He is the right man in the right place, for he not only knows
 pigs but he understands boys, and has the art of getting them to work The poultry exhibit was most credit ! able. I saw some fine specimens of
 Barred Plymouth Rocks They would
 have made a hit at our Birmingham l show. The coop getting the blue ribbon. was exhibited by little girl She had, pinned on it little story telling about | what she had done. It ran like this: "I
 bought setting of eggs for 50 cents and
 out of the hatch I sat two sittings. and