The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-12-23
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

1 1T we go through life with open eyes and ears we pick up much of in-
 terest. There is question as to wheth- CT we get more information through the eye gate or the ear gate. There are both seers and hearers.
 
 try to keep my eyes "skint" and my ears ."cocked" and my nose turned
 for "news.g but cannot conscientious ly claim that make any serious ef- fort to keep my mouth shut, for What I gee, hear and nose out, I am apt to either write or talk about.
 When I start out on a trip on the railroad, I always put book or two ip my grip, but I never read if I can get somebody to converse with, on the theory that the reading matter will keep while the chance to talk will pass by I have found out that you can lnever tell just how much of interest you can get out of man who shares the seat with you.
 |
 This was brought forcefully to me by Ia fellow passenger who kindly made Iroom for me on a crowded car. I had
 . five-hour journey ahead of me, and ithe lights were bad, and I was glad of an opportunity to find out lot of things about California, for it de- lveloped that lie had spent five years in Los Angeles and was in a position to give me some most interesting data. l
 made trip out west more than 10 years ago. and although had heard of the City of Angels. was wholly unprepared to find it such large and attractive place. The location ap- pealed to me strongly. The proximity to both the mountains and the sea had irresistible charms. The street car system covered the surrounding territory with a network of tracks that made the show places easily ac- cessible.
 It was the first time I had seen the bungalow in all of it's glory, for the city and suburbs were filled with attractive little homes with lovely grounds. It was also headquarters for department houses with all the built in attractions which were some time in getting this side of the Mississippi lriver. The boulevard were wide and well paved and touring cars were in abundance.
 It was also city of flowers Fl had been used to the luxuriance of southern foliage and the beauty of our flowers, but I had never seen such a wealth of roses. The running
 variety covered fences, arbors, and sides of houses Geraniums grew to the size of our ornamental plants. Potted plants were abnormal in size, and palm trees grew to perfection It was like the tropics and yet with difference.
 I saw oranges, lemons and grapefruit in abundance, for they grew in many Iyards. And then all around were the great commercial orchards Every kind of a nut was in evidence. But the thing which attracted me more ! than the citrus fruits, the peaches and the pears, were the great vine- yards. Some of them reminded me of the ones in middle and southern Flu 1 rope. It seemed to be veritable Garden of Eden.
 Not only were the homes inviting, the stores attractive, the flowers al- Turing, the fruit appetizing, but the climate was balmy. I had been to Denver, but somehow the southern city had appealed to me more strongly as a place in which to live and to do business, and I came. back home loud in my praises of the California city, which was growing by leaps and bounds. And so was glad to ask the stranger at my side many questions about the present status of Los Am geles.
 He frankly told me that 1t had passed through most serious crisis. That five years ago he made invest Iments which he could not have cashed l in on until recently without losing money, but that at present business was good, and real estate active was a bit amused at his confessing l to the fact that he was weary of the way in which the movie corporations ndu HlonopOuZed ms nome town. He thought the business of the producers as we'll as the exhibitors was being overdone. l questioned him as to how he liked the idea of living in climate which had so few changes and he confessed that for the first year he greatly en- ljoyed it, but that afterwards it got to be mighty monotolous. He was | reared in New York and accustomed to violent and sudden changes of temperature I also found out. that ! he preferred more rain and that it was mighty regular task to water the lawn and flowers day after day, week after week, and month after month, and that to run a garden with < irrigation was sure enough work. I He admitted that five years resi- 1 dence in the far west had, cured him or any desire to live in California, 1 land that he had sold out and was go- ] ing to spend the remainder of his days on this side of the Father of Waters. He had spent some years in | Tennessee and Kentucky and was on