The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-05-19
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

publicity work for the Salvation Army drive, and as soon as it is over will so to New York as she has several op- portunities for newspaper work.
 
 manager of Loew's Bijou in Birming- ham, but now manager of Wells At- lanta theatres, the Forsyth and the Rialto, and B. F. Keiths, The Lyric He was the same old jolly, hospitable Hugh and anxious to know about all the old Birmingham boys.
 
 fled Virginian, one of the left over ante bellum gentlemen, a preacher and an editor. l met him in the lob by of the Piedmont, and he told me he was dead tired and wearied our with the conven tion, and suggested that he go with me to SC a Sennett comedy
 
 I was bit Jagged myself and wanted to rest up bit, so we went tos the Forsyth, which by the way is one of the most attractive picture houses in the south. I did not know just how my friend would take to knock down and drag out film. but no boy at his first did the one on the screen. It seems he had never seen the famous fun makers before and he laughed until the tears rolled down his cheeks
 l did not mind owning up that when I get overfilled with the convention or overstuffed with denominational talk hie me to the movies and get down to earth again. In this way I save myself from religious dyspepsia, quiet my nerves, and preserve my capacity for enjoyment of the great feast which is spread before us night and day at the auditorium.
 I called on Lionel Keene, the opti- rhistc Bijou man, who left Birmingham to join the colors, but who is now back in 'cits' and is the right hand man of friend Schiller, Loew's southern rep resentative thought possibly that war had been able to dampen Keenes en thusasm but he is back in the theatri. yore. He is to me the incarnation ot joyous youth.
 I wanted to get out to see Birming- ham wallop Atlanta, for the Barons were winning right along from the Crackers, but somehow I couldn't get any fan" from the Magic City to go out to help me root, and so I just gave it up and stuck to the convention, but I will admit that loyalty to my home ball team was giving my denomination al loyalty hard fight.
 [ have not only kept in touch with the convention proper which is held in the auditorium, but I have been down to the Wesley Memorial church build ing, where the evangelistic services of the home board are held every morning, and also to the Baptist tabernacle to peep in on the Woman's Missionary union, and see what the good sisters were doing.
 -N&40i enTso.s{N* ** r The Auditorium is a mighty busy place. It is too big for the average voice to be heard in, and it lacks the cosness necessary to knit an audience into sympathy. It is all right for big political pow wow but somehow the religious atmosphere fails to be gen. erated, save in exceptional instances where man like George Truett has the floor and is speaking on some great emotional theme.
 I am hoping that when we build our auditorium that we will pay more att tention to caring for the comfort of average audiences than to taking care of just a few record breaking ones. My idea is that it will be much bet ter to have the seating capacity around 5000 than around 10000. This will make 1t possible to pay attention to proper the hearers.
 The Wesley Memorial church Is a great plant in every day as is the Bap- tist tabernacle. I am glad to learn that there is every hope that the latter will not be lost to the denomination as plans under foot will care for the debt and make it possible to use it as great rallying point in Atlanta for the Baptists of the city
 Atlanta is a strong Baptist city with more than 50 churches and a member ship of 2o,oo6. it is the home of the Georgia Baptist hospital, the Georgia Baptist orphans home, and is the seat of the Home Mission board of the Southern Baptist convention and of the Georgia Baptist Board of Missions and of the Christian Index, the organ of the Baptists of the state
 These facts go far to making the re- ception of the delegates and visitors warm and hearty. The three daily pa pers are featuring the body in every possible way. The hotels are yieing with one another to give good service. in fact for the time being Baptists own the town.
 >A.