The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-06-13
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

the division of time to which we of the older generation were, for things were set in their relation to the great conflict and spoken of as "befo' or after the war; Now more than half century has passed and the Spanish-American ex- pedition broke a bit into the usual way of reckoning in Dixie land, and now the world battle has almost completely wiped out of the daily speech all remembrance of the civil war.
 But wars may come and wars may go, but in Ft. Payne events are separated in just two ways. before the boom and after the boom.' I heard it scores of times It is woven into the speech and the life of young and old, poor and ricn. low and high, white and black It is in the very atmosphere
 It is as fixed as B. C. and A. D., and it is wonder to me that it does not find it's way on the private and bus- ness stationery of the people. l can well remember the boom which hit the vil-
 
 just begun the practice of law here and our firm gave much attention to various promotions.
 It came with rush and wonderful things sprang up in it's wake. The peo- pie who were behind it were no ''pikers. They were men of vision and courage. This was in evidence every where went, for many of the enterprises they founded | are scattered about as monuments to | their daring showing that they had en- visaged a great and growing city. For years I had been accustomed as I rode past Fit. Payne on my way to Chat tanooga to look out for the Opera house l block. the imposing hotel. and other buildings of note The famous hostelry went up in flames, but great chimney still stands in the midst of the ruins silent witness that it once gave heat and cheer to the guests.
 l The hotel was really a fine structure and well located. The two artistically constructed fountains show that the build CTS had an eye to making the grounds as attractive as was the house. There are some beautiful specimens of elms and pines still standing to relieve the ruins, and I took off my hat to as lovely a sugar leaf maple as I ever saw. l understand that in the block just across the street are few naples which are ex- ceedingly rare and much admired by horticulturists from Auburn who came to examine them.
 | It is my custom whenever I get to a new town to go quietly by myself for a walk I want to get my first impressions without being chaperoned, after which, I am always glad to have friends show me what they think are the things of greatest interest am afraid sometimes here in Birmingham we surfeit our guests with too much attention and that possibly they would enjoy it more if we allowed them to find out few things for them selves.
 I never cared for parties when lived abroad. If I wanted to make trip Ipreferred to go alone or in company with lmy older or younger brother as I was over there at different times with both of them. I found it frequently the case that even it was more enjoyable for us to separate in the morning and pursue our special way and come together al night It is all right to go with crowd just for the fellowship but for sight sec ing and exploring I get more of what want when alone.
 I had expected to find Ft. Payne, stil sitting in the shadow of its great fail ure for it is mighty hard after splurg ing for a town to get down to hard pan It is true that for years the citizens walked in an atmosphere of defeat, but was glad to find that now there is new spring to their step and a buoyancy II their mood, and that while every now and then looking back regretfully at th' past their eyes are more and more hope fully fixed on the future.
 
 I saw all around signs of prosperity Tt showed in the stores, in the banks. II the manufactories. in the streets. in tn churches. in the lovely homes; but no where so abundantly as in the schools was surprised to find such a spendit land commodious city school. Its audlto rum is the best ventilated one I know land it's recitation rooms are well lighted
 The county high school perched on tn side of Lookout mountain gives the chil dren opportunities for wonderful view out over the valley and at its rear loom Ithe mighty hills. and all about are glo rious woods. I am great believer Il . beauty as an educator. I always Jo when I find a school which makes 1t appeal to the aesthetic nature of the pu
 nils The only drawback to the ground lis that. there is no level space larg lenough for proper athletic field.
  '- stopped at the Rainey hotel and SC IS good service and plenty to eat. I wa told by some that the house was original |. lv built for some kind of a Keely cur' " am inclined to believe the report, an 1t also that the stairway was built as final test of a dipsomaniac's cure; for
 am sure that it takes a very sober ma l.. lto find his way down them without fai n inc as have never negotiated mol y difficult stairway.
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