The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-05-03
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

l SA tAAO hiCAhOCiS OI lHc Slub Ol A|Oydi
 Americans of the Westminster Pres- byterian Church.
 The letter of invitation to address
 them came from President E. c. Payne,
 and stated: We are banded together
 for the purpose of discussing the great
 problems of the day in their relation to
 the ,chuTch, and to do what little good
 we can as we go along, and also get a
 little fun out of it."
 1 Now, those who read this column
 know how eagerly I jump at a chance
 to make a speech and so I immediately | accepted, and selected for a topic,
 Social Service" as I coveted the op-
 portunity to bring before a bunch of
 live laymen some of the results of my
 thinking and investigations in the field
 which is at present being so profitably
 cultivated by church people.
 had recently visited Chattanooga to speak to the One Hundred Club of the l First Baptist Church, and I had en- joyed the fellowship so much that I | was sure that I was in for a good time with my Presbyterian brethren, who | were kind enough to look oyer their de- | nominational fence and select me to | bring them a message. It shows that
 the spirit of cooperation Is taking | hold of the denominations |
 1 I am truly glad of this. and am glad
 that the old days of denominational
 jealousies and religious debates have | passed or are passing, and that the thoughtful leaders of the present age are seeking to magnify their like l nesses and to minimize their differ ences, for it has been realized that there Is enough work cut out for all the churches in fighting the devil and that | it is neither good sense or real Chris tianity to spend their efforts in attack ing one another.
 do not believe, however, that there ! is any weakening among the denomi- nations to preserve their denominatio | al integrity. for in my opinon the Inter church World Movement wll not in the end swallow up denomina tionalism, but preserve it. I do think that through it's efforts there will be softening of de- nominational asperities and a greater duplication of effort and wastefulness l in expenditure.
 The ride to Albany was a joy for the fields were green and the trees were clad in their new spring garments. A friend who shared the seat with me in passing mountain stream said: Hook, it's just the right color for fishing" | and so it was. great desire of my boyhood came over me. I wanted to get tin can and dig bait, and get down the reed pole, and trim it up with hook and line, and hie me to the creek, and loll on the bank and dream as the cork bobbed up and down. but wakeful enough to give the pull to
 land Dream. sucker, or catfish. Yes, l have done some fly fishing, but never became expert, though did get great sport in the summers spent up in the mountains of East Tennessee and western North Carolina, but ang- ling for rainbow trout in rapid streams is an art. and takes long apprentice ship before one can claim to be a real fisherman. This is why I can watch my neighbor, Gentry Hillman, practice ing casting without getting very ex- cited, but just let barefoot boy from Avondale come across the hill with a reed on his back and tin cup with wig g1ng worms in it, on his way to Five Mile creek. and just want to tag along with him.
 I got to Albany to find that Mr. Payne had been called to New York But was met by the pastor. Goodwin, and couple of his members, who took me for an automobile ride over the rapidly growing city have always felt a godfatherly interest In Albany, as feel that I was at it's christening It came about in this way. I went on the "trip with Secretaries Baker, Lane and Houston up the Tennessee river at flood time to see Muscle Shoals, and on the return the sleepers were junted into the yards at what was then New Decatur, if one could trust the sign on the sta tion. General Smith on arriving asked
 
 him that the name had-been changed to Albany, and he got out his map and said: Albany 1t is," as he wrote the name across it. Thus making it off cial.
 l learned from Dr. Goodwin that the Baptists were having an evangelistic campaign in the three Albany churches, but having to speak for the Presby- terians, did not get to attend the Gen. tral church and hear my old friend. pr. w. F. Wilks. I did, however. get the chance to see him laterNat the mass meeting al the Chamber of Commerce. and to learn that he was to be assisted Tn his revival services by his father-in- law, pr, Powell of Louisville. Ky.
 Having few hours on my hand, dur ing the afternoon I naturally looked up some Of my Baptist brethren and, of course, the first man I went to see was B. l.. Malone. Now. he is a hust- Ter and has made a name for himself not only in the state. but throughout the south. as the fellow who puts on the biggest auto show in Alabama I'll admit the joke is on Birmingham, and l have been expecting every fall to see automobile row wake up and get into the game.
 The mems banquet was held in the basement of the church. and being served by the, good women. it meant that 1t was a well-loaded and prettily decorated table that fifty or more men sat down to. The service was perfect