The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-03-08

and my heart is sad because of the death of three of my warm friends. One. the beloved pastor of the Methodist church, and two old boyhood friends.
 I was down there recently at the christening of the new elevator and warehouse, and there was such a spirit of hopefulness in the air. Eufaula was setting a pace for other towns in the for home products.
 The dinner given by the Chamber of Commerce was served by the Methodist ladies who were working to help pay off some part of the debt on the beau tiful new church, and it seems strange providence that their pastor, pr. Dickin. son. together with one of his members out on an errand to help lift the in- debtedness. dropped into the Eufaula Mercantile store to get out of the storm and both lost their lives.
 
 About the time the cyclone was pass Ing over the town I was sitting in the house of representatives at Montgomery listening to Banker Folmar of Pike, who, in his speech, said that he lived in Troy, the best little city in the state, and I jocularly said I would accept the statement if he would except Eufaula. and he laughingly replied that he woulo be glad to do so as the Trojans looked on it as their loveliest suburb.
 And while we were joking the wind storm was taking terrible toll of life and property at Eufaula. I got my first hand account of the wreck and ruin from one of the Auburn specialists who was It the Bluff City inn which was so bad ly damaged, and who gave substantial aid in rescue work before he caught his train for Montgomery. have just seen a picture of the hotel in which he was stopping and he certainly had a marrow escape. as did the other guests.
 I didn't see Ed Searcy (who was kil1ed), when I was in Eufaula last, but I did talk with pr. Dickinson, who, by the way, was stationed at the Methodist church quarter of g. century ago and, after filling the best appointments in the Alabama conference, had again been sent back to one of his former charges. John Adams, one of my old friends who was killed, had stopped me on the street ana joked me about re-entering the practice of law. The death of the stranger within the gates was particularly sad dropped in the Whitlock jewelry store 10 see George and John Whitlock, and as I look at a picture of the building it seems 8 miracle that they escaped with their lives. The store was one of the mostsattractive jewelry stores in tho entire south. I speak advisediy ant without any exaggeration. for 1t was more than g. mere place of business, it was veritable art emporium, and it's fame had gone through many states.
 
 Any merchant who has money can hire an architect to draw plans and engage contractor to execute them and create an atmosphere of luxury with expensive furnishings and well selected goods, put 1t takes an artist to vision the thing for himself and a craftsman to make his dreams come true. Now, John WhitlocB designed his store and with his own hands made the exquisite cases and ar tistic shelving, and put in the most ex- tensive system of electric lighting which [ have ever seen, in order to illuminate them advantageously.
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 1 look at the Bluff City inn and see 1t battered. and l sympathize with the owner. I gaze on the ruins of the Lamp lev building, a three-story structure laio low, and know that the loss IS heavy, 1 see other stores in bad shape and know | 1t means that some of my friends have | lost heavily, but when I see Whitlock's jewelry establishment mass of debris feel that the handiwork of months ot | ever, and my heart goes out to my 1 boyhood chum over a loss which means l more than money to him.
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 ! A landmark of EufaulA was the Catho- uc church and understand it was swept away, and word came by private letter l that the beautiful stained glass window | of the Presbyterian church. which for years had been the pride of the congre- 1 gaton as well as the community, was | crushed in The church can be rebuilt and the window replaced. but the Method ists and the whole town for years to come.will mourn the loss of Dr. Dickin 1 con.
 1 I sympathize with all of those who underwent property losses. and there were
 many of these. It will take long time to arrive at proper estimate. for near ly everyone will be put to the expense of doing some rebuilding or repairing. A chimney here, a door there. a roof blown off, a window torn asunder. Lit tie by little they will all get fixed again and the marks of the damages will be removed.
 But there is one thing it will take halt h century or more to restore and that is the beautiful trees which lined the
 walks or adorned the center of the \ streets The trees were the crown and beauty of the little city. How I joyed 1 In them avery time I got to visit my