The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-12-18
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

 ography. I got a taste of it in early youth from reading 'Plutarch's Lives. '" and later fed it on Heroes and Hero Worship" I believe with the dour old Scot Thomas Carlyle, that great men have the power to teach great lessons.
 I have rare collection of biographies and autobiographies, and frequently when I am tired and cannot get my mind fixed on any hard reading I sit down and pick up the life story of some man or woman, and soon am rested and interested. I write about men, women and things, but one who follows this column knows that it's the human interest which like best.
 A great many people make the mistake in reading the lives only of men and women who have come down through history and played great part in tne world drama. I have long since been quently found wonderful incidents in the lives of those who never really stood in the spotlight overmuch, but played their parts in the background.
 
 1 have for years been buying all kinds of lives in order to have them in reach of my two growing boys They are not the variety which for years used to re- main unread on the shelves of Sunday school libraries, but are about soldiers, sailors, buccaneers, adventurers, politi- clans, statesmen, diplomats, captains of industry, merchants, bankers, artists, lawyers, doctors, preachers, detectives In fact, have tried to run the gamut of human nature in the variety of types collected.
 1 l believe that a boy should get in touch with the key lives which have influenced mankind, for it is we'll to know those who climbed to the top of the ladder of 1 fame in each department of human An- deavor; but I also hold that to put only such examples before growing lad may have discouraging rather than an in- spirational effect. He may think that l such career is impossible That is why 1 I want my sons to read about the aver age man, for then they may discover that after all, any one who plays well his part has lived we'll.
 1 I got to thinking along this line from a talk which recently had with one of i Birmingham's young and progressive business men, my friend, w. o. Broyles. l take his career as a sample of what any boy with good habits, the will to do, and ordinary ability can accomplish, for he was not always prosperous and re- spected in business circles as one of Bir- mingham's active merchants. He did not reach his enviable position in day. or l month or even year, but by long wait and hard work
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 1 He was my neighbor out at Mountain l Terrace for quite awhile, and he used fre quently to pick me up in his car going or coming from town, and in that way gradually got to know him and to learn about his past life Now, I am go- 1 ing to set it out a bit in detail as a shining example of what an ambitions. and determined country boy can make out or himself without any backing or special pull, as he is what is by his own self efforts and because he was willing to pay the price of success
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 | l was asked a few years back to make an address to the student body of the Birmingham High school. and on my way down friend picked me up anu | n 10 uTft l.; pupil of the Central High. I told her my mission and said, You. have many to address the school what shall T talk about?" As quick as a flash she replied. Well, pr. Barnett, I don't care what you say, just so you leave out all men tion of our golden opportunities.' It seemed that both the boys and the girls had been fed up" on this particular phase,
 But in spite of it's being hackneyed, it is hard to pass up chance to refer to America as the Hand of opportunity. when I think of what men in our midst like w. o. Broyles have done country boy, living on the farm until 20 years
 
 cation in the haphazard way so often done in the rural district. Sometime at his books, but most often in the field. Yet, he had a vision of making some thing out of himself or he would not have worked and saved and gotten year at Auburn
 Then came the tragedy from an edu- cational standpoint, for he found it inn possible on account of finances to finish the course. Like many another ambitisls country youth he came to Birmingham to get a job, and just as he reached his majority, like is the custom of men un- trained for. any profession or trade, he took the first thing at hand, and so for awhile was a brakeman. But with his pohteness and attention to his duties it was not very long before he was pro- noted to be a freight conductor. in which capacity he served for F years
 
 But all the while he was railroading he was saving his money with a view of go- ing into business for himself With a qulck eye for trade and $500 he went into the rug business and one reason he knows Birmingham so we'll comes from the Tact that he says he peddled them all over the district. After year he made up hls mind to rent a store and got one on the Southside at $15 month, and out or this has grown a business whose sales run around $900 000 a year.