The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-07-01
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

Wednesday afternoon the Age-Hera1d party. consisting of E. w. Barrett, Frank Willis Barnett, Edward Barrett, Jr. Nat Lynch, and Chauffeur Smith, pulled out for the Alabama Press asso- citation at Andalusia
 With Premier car which had made the trip to New York and back we felt that we were in for fine trip as the weather conditions were such as to in sure good roads. We hadn't gotten well out of Jefferson county before we con- cIuded that good roads in Alabama were myth. for the trip to Montgomery was a nightmare.
 cannot conscientiously advise any friend to drive to the state capitol. but certainly hope that Sid Lee will get more than a hundred Birmingham cars to make the trip to the good roads meet this month for I feel sure that If something is not done after they get there that they will stage a small size riot. By all means make the jour ney and see the need,
 
 l suppose would have been overcome by the constant bump, bump, bump of the car if my mind had not been divert ed by the rapid fire of questions which Edward, aged nine; and Nat aged eleven kept firing at me, for they did not give me achance to think long on my misery. but diverted me by questioning and boyfsh comments on the things along the wayside
 From the time we left the Age Her ald building until we got into Montgom- cry county the two things which the boys were looking anxiously forward to seeing was the Alabama river and the state capitol, and they were greatly disappointed when neither was in sight long before we reachel Calera. I was official time keeper and had to look at my watch every five minutes to let them check up on the hour when we might hope to view the two objects they had set their hearts on seeing
 After weary miles with night rapidly approaching we arrived at country store and got out for cold drink. The boys asked the storekeeper, or rather one of the customers on the veranda, how far it was to the Alabama river, and great was their surprise when the answer given was, tits only mile away" The next inquiry was about the roads after crossing, the bridge, for the boys had been told that when we got into Montgomery county we could go faster.
 local wag, who with all seriousness, said, "After you cross the bridge, your con scious will have to be your guide" We got in the car, and Edward said, Nat what did that man mean by saying let your conscious be your guide?" Quick as flash, Nat replied, "Why, you nut, he meant you could speed all you want if you kept your eye out for the cop" I think his was the average interpreta- tion which any motorist would put on the advice.
 it was too dark to catch glimpse of the dome of the capitol, or to see much of the city as we motored to the Ex- change hotel. where rooms had been en- gagged for the party. MT. Barrett, found a message from MT. Miller asking him to bring his party to 8 reception he was giving. I begged to be allowed to take charge of the boys and see the town We first went to an ice cream establishment, then took in a Charlie closed by a visit to a water melon garden.
 l Back to the hotel and into the tub they went and secured themselves, and soon they were ready to go to sleep | but not until Edward in his pink pa jamas and Nat in his white ones kneeled ! by the bed and said their prayers like ! too good little boys, and then boylike scrapped as to which should sleep next | to the wall for I rolled the bed up close | to 1t to try and keep them from falling out Soon they were asleep, but early in the morning they came racing into my room telling me to get up for break 1 fast.
 1 At breakfast out on the balcony we found Mrs. Solon Jacobs and MT. Barrett 1 invited her to join our party and she accepted and made the trip in the cal | to Andalusia, and seemed to enjoy il | for she entered into the spirit of the
 outing and always ate her share of tho black berries which we would stop te
 pick in the fence corners. I have never seen such a crop of them as there is this year. The bushes are just black
 with them and they are unusually large and sweet
 Nat and Edward soon owned tn, town Each of them had $500 spending money, and they were heartbroker when they learned there was only on, ten cent store in Andalusia and tha leverytime they went into a drug stor, for soft drink it was free. The none, was burning their pockets and the, had no way to get rid of it after hay ing figured out all the way down as t Ijust how much they could turn loos