The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-08-03
THE PICKANINNY BAND

| Back to the little mining town we
| now wended our way as the crimson
rays of the western sun sank into ro-
| seate hued vistas, and l had just time
to make visit or two which 1 had
conJured up in my brain, one of these
visits being to the home of one of the
miners Mr.. J. F. Smith whose wife
talked with me about home conditions"
and the community spirit" of the
splendid women of this mining town
whose courage and love are an inspira-
ton to their husbands in their work.
| Our little household arises at four
O'Clock in the morning." Mrs. Smith
told me, land we have breakfast then.
| prepare my husbands lunch and fix
| 1t for him and when he gets back home
| at four o'clock we have our dinner,
large portion of which comes from our
own garden.
Il am quite used to these hours" Mrs.
| Smith said. "as 1 have been married
for eighteen years always living in
mining town and Sipsey is the best, the
most comfortable, and has the highest
grade people of any town have ever
lived in"
| AS was leaving the hospitable little
home, Prof. r. w. Taylor who was
| formerly secretary to Booker T. Wash
ington, had collected his "Pickaninny
Band of fourteen boys ranging in ages
| from seven to fourteen years. to give
us a serenade. Prot Taylor teaches
more than one hundred colored children
at the Sipsey school, employing two as
sistants who besides teaching academies
conduct Industrial branches, dressmak-
| ing and cooking.
| At Sipsey they have their own post
| office. movie theatre, club rooms.
baseball and Fairgrounds, school house.
church., a model town laid out on
| orderly streets; an Officer to look
after the people and dozens upon doz-
ems of cottages as nicely furnished az
thousands of city homes of modern con-
veniences. s.,s
Honor to the kindly human thought
Of those who planned the vast improve
ments so that the employees and their
families have pretty homes and attrac-
tive surroundings and expert medical
attention and pleasant entertainment,
winch increases. efficiency to employer
and employee.
Have you ever Thought of that as
you mctored by hurriedly through the
villages that are dotted about in this
great Birmingham mineral district
as you peeped from your car as you
passed.?
The answer to all this is contentment
happiness and increased efficiency,
which makes for the est. the sweetest.
and the most worth while things in
life-a home garden; some flowers;
honeysuckle and dew drops a trellised
porch. fond good bye to your man.
as he goes down into the great coal
mines each day--husband, wife and
Riddles" each being cog in the great
wheel-each being part in the marve-
lous tale of creation and progress.
AS we motored home 1 could not help
thinking that there's fascination in a
coal mine, big and dirty as it Isl s'op-
Grafton" l must call it, for that's the
technical term for mines and things
the fascination of watching the great
wheels go round that turn out the
eoal-the great machinery that buzzes
aAu wnirrs and makes big Business
an alluring thing to the Imaginative
feminine mind, and the obsession came
to me to keep on with my search for
knowledge and 1. began to want to
know what becomes of the coal after
it leaves the mine; how it is handled;
who buys it and all the rest, all the
while marveling at the vast amount of
money that it takes to run a mine.
There are no bargain sales" you
know, where the great machinery can
be bought at marked down" prices;
laundry costs like Holy Smoke and
the washing of coal amounts to thous-
-ands of dollars alone ;selectricity Is ono
Of the most expensive things imagin-
Continued on Page Nine,