The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-08-26
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

|
 The other day I picked up Frank 1 Willis, Jr without any thought of talk 1 ing him to Montgomery and telephoncd
 his mother that he was going down to
 look over the capital city.
 1 Of course. he. boy-like, was delighted
 at the unexpected adventure, and the mere fact that he was to get trip in high powered automobile through
 the country was enough to make him , radantly happy, for he had never been down the Montgomery highway fur ther than Pelham. where he put in summer on the Baptist mountain. My but it is great to be a boy and have the world before you, and go out to explore it with wide-open, eager
 eyes. l didn't have the heart to send
 him back from Helena, where he had accompanied me, and so when the gen
 tleman from Walker who had practi-
 cally Kidnapped me laid hands on him,
 too just gave in, knowing full well
 that would have to outfit him when
 we reached Montgomery.
 He had greatly enjoyed the exercises given to the homecoming soldier boys and sailors The lake, the swimming pool, the creek and the bridge, and the crowd and the dinner had delighted his very soul Naturally. he wanted to sit with the chauffeur, and it wasn't long before he and 'Lias were fast friends, which came out before we reached our destination in rather a peculiar way.
 
 The crowd was constantly figuring .on the time we would arrive. I said I would be satisfied if we reached the Exchange at 6 D. m, but some of the the hour 'Lias, the colored driver, asked if he could put up s2 against anyone who would wager that he couldn't make it by 5:30. Horace Gib- son agreed to take him on the proviso that if he lost he would have to pay up. He did this as stimulus to make him cover the ground swiftly.
 Horace then took on a side bet with Phil Painter to hedge The balance of us kept out of it. Before reaching Speigners the question came up as to whether it was best to take the bridge route or go via Wetumpka. It was left to vote and the longer trip won out. which meant that we not only had ? more miles but ferry to cross. Every thing up to this time was pleasant, but as the clock began to creep closer and closer to 5 'Lias saw that he was in a hole and began to try and hedge.
 Point after point was raised as to whether it was permissible to take out for the crossing of the ferry, and also as to the justice of allowing at least 15 minutes for the extra miles travelled in order to get easier riding After much talk, Horace Gibson turned his case over to his lawyer, Captain Wig gins. who, as is the habit of lawyers, was strong on technicalites and stood valiantly for his clients interests.
 Finally, in desperation. 'Lias said, "I am just got to have me a lawyer, and am going to ask my side-part- ner Frank, to plead my case" so it was agreed that he was to take charge of his end of the contest We saw them put their heads together an1 knew that they were matching up some scheme, for it was o'clock before we got into the city limits. We arrived at the Exchange at 613. with just 1z minutes to 6:30. Horace Gibson claimed that he had won, when Frank made the point that both the House and Senate had repealed the daylight saving bill, in spite of the Presidents veto, and that his client was betting by the old time, and the jury gave 'Lias a verdict
 We had supper and then Frank wanted to see the town. We went to a movie after visiting the retail district and looking in the show windows a1d then called at the Advertiser, where we found Editor Sheehan on double duty He had just finished his leaders for the morning and was getting ready to cover the hotels as a reporter, being short handed I think it would be good thing for the average editoA to cover a beat for awhile and get in touch with what is going on in his city. I do not know what I would do if l had to sit at desk without get ting out on the streets and in .he country to rub up against the peo- pie.
 Frank was up bright and early Thursday morning. ready to take in the capitol, I had no idea until he began to potter around how many things of interest to boy was housed beneath the dome. He first stood on the spot where Jefferson Davis took the oath of office as president of the southern confederacy. This gave him a sense = being in touch with a his toric fact which he had found out at school.
 The ease of flags at the right hand stairway was the next center of at- traction. He then went down the coz ridor leading past the governors of- flee to where the great monument lifts it's head as a tribute to the southern heroes and as memorial to the lov- ing hands of the Daughters of the who never let up until :t was completed The cannon and the cannon balls with the stars and stripes floating from the flagstaff caught his l fancy.
 He then retraced his steps until he arrived where relics from the battla- fields were inclosed in case and was | hn hri