The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-08-10
How fhe Political Bees Get Into Birmingham and Where TheySting

Where does the pslitical bee come from? And why does it sting some and pass others by?
 A new theory has been advanced for the point of infection in Bir- mingham and documents are sub mitted to prove the theory.
 According to this theory the po- litfcal bees grow somewhere down in south Alabama. Southern breezes wait them northward until they strikefRed mountain. Not many get across. But there is a gap in the mountain at the head of Twenti- eth street. Through this gap lot of them escape into Birmingham and those who are nearest are the first to be stung.
 This breeze from the south blows through the gap in the mountain continuously, day and night win ter and summer. It is one of the -rfatural phenomena of Birming- ham. There is a stretch of three or four blocks on South Highlands just below this gap where practi- cally every other man has been stung by the little political insect Some of the stings have been worse than others.
 Just look at the diagram. Note the location of the gap and then note these places of domicile:
 No. l. The home of the late Col. Marcus Veil. Was there ever any one in Birmingham more keenly interested in politics than this we'll known political forecaster?
 No. 2. The home of B. B. Conner, former railroad commissioner and governor, who, when he was stung by the political bee. got such a bad case that he stirred Alabama from Tennessee to the gulf.
 No. ,. The home of Erie Pettbs. Not a serious political infection came from this sting. He came very near running for Congress and is now United States district at torney.
 No. 1. The home of J. Q. Smith He was stung long time ago and the symptoms broke out when he entered city politics, but it was a long standing infection and he is now attorney general of Alabama.
 No. ,. For many years the home of the late Henry B. Gray, city al- Nderman, county treasurer and lieu tenant governor of Alabamaf inter- ested in politics, city, county, state and national.
 No. (. For a long time the home of Judge Harrington P. Heflin, former solicitor of the criminal court of Jefferson county, and now judge in the same court.
 No. '. The home of pr. Felix I. Tarrant, former member of the leg islature, who even yet keeps a keen eye on all things political.
 No. 8. The home of George B. Ward, alderman, mayor and presi- dent of the city commission. The bees from those southern breezes thorugh the Twentieth street gap stung Mir. Ward so many times that his friends had begun to think that he was going to remain in public office all his days.
 No. 9. The home of J. H. McCary. MT. McCary never sought anything much for himself except that he did ask to be elected to the city commission one time but he man. aged Governor Comer's campaign in Jefferson county and has had finger in whole lot of the politi- cal stews of recent years.
 No. 10. The old home of Col John w. Tomlinson, democratic national committeeman from Alabama, ac- tive and vigorous politician of the old Bryan days and at one time candidate for governor of Alabama
 No Il. The home of John H. Taylor. commissioner of public jus tice of Birmingham. The bee stung him little late'in the day but the infection was so irritating that when he got in the commiNsion race he ran like. scared rabbit.
 No. 12. The home of Dr. J. s. Gill leSpy, for many years clerk of the city court of Jefferson county and more recently 8 candidate for county treasurer.
 No. 13. This is the home of Webb w. Crawford. Mir. Crawford never ran for an office in his life and