The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-10-05
M E N /, w O M E N
 AND T IN c s

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 ting engagement on Sunday
 l had been asked to supply at Harpers- ville or send someone and, as failed to get substitute, I had to go myself or put the committee ill a hole, and as they have services only once a month, I con fess that for once I was ready to take Sabbath's s rest
 The trouble with me in filing Sunday engagements comes from the fact that it becomes necessary to catch the early morning trains, and as I have before re- marked, it is not an easy thing to do when one lives in the Mountain Terrace 1 section, unless one owns car, and up to this time I have not joined the ranks | of automobile owners.
 Rising at break of day, I walked about mile before street car overlook me. and hopping aboard, I was soon at the station, where I boarded the A. B. & A. for HarpersvilIe. On arriving there I was met by R. B. Posey, a friend, and jumping into his buggy was carried to l his country home and later to church, and then back for a. .-sure-enough coun- l ina ginable.
 | In the afternoon c. M. Moulton, an other friend. came by and kindly offered to drive me over to Columbiana. This meant that I could get into Birmingham several hours sooner than if waited to return at night on the A. B. & R. I had no desire to stand around the box car 1 depot in the chill night air, and so I ac- cepted with alacrity. I think Harpers- vile deserves a depot and I hope my friend Patterson will see that they get it. ! I greatly enjoyed the drive, as it was a lovely afternoon and real treat to a | city man to be in the heart of the coun- try and watch the ripening grain, see the white fields of cotton, joy in the green pastures, for some of them were things of beauty with clear streams wan dering in their midst. and get a long sweep up and down the valleys or catch the glory of the hills bathed in the glo- ries of the setting sun.
 l
 At Columbiana I called on my friends. MT. and Mrs. J. F. Pope, and was sorry to find them away, but I got to see a wonderful display of asters. and to catch a glimpse of a yard full oe prize-wln- ming Rhode Island Reds. my favorite breed of chickens. The home is beauti- fully situated and from it one gets 2 glorious view of the surrounding coun- try It's doors always swing wide open to the host of friends of this truly hospi- table couple.
 I took the Southern into Calera. passed Shelby Springs, which brought to mind the fact that our first Baptist en- campment was held there some years back, and many think that mistake was made when it was not bought and made the permanent meeting place of the denomination. It was at the time just a little too big proposition for the com
 mittee to handle, as there was large |acreage which went.with the hotel prop ierty.
 At Calera I changed to the L. & N, and along with scores of others had to wait. I wish I could give the statistics of the numbers of people who have had to change cars at this little city, which
 is near the center of the state; but am sure I could not publish all that has
 been said by those who were forced to spend from ten minutes to several hours around the station. I hold the proud rec
 ord of being one of the few who have passed through it without having to stop. I was able to do this when I flew to
 Montgomery.
 Calera years ago was famous for its
 delicious pears. I used to be delighted when the station was called out, for in
 season it meant that they would be ped dled at the trains; but now it is asso-
 ciated with hog show. No need u spend money to see educated hogs. for
 the ones at Calera are born wise. They may be running uptown or wallowing ip
 the mud. or summing themselves in the
 dust; but when train blows for the !. crossing they make a beeline for tine tracks. It is said that the older hogs even know the difference between the passenger and freight trains by the whis-
 tie, and that it is only the young, pigs
 who get fooled.
 The train from Calera to Birmingham
 was crowded as an excursion one We
 were told to take the rear coach if we were going to Birmingham, and into it piled enough to fill two. had seat, but gave it to a lady, and with Dr. c. B: : Williams, president of Howard College ! stood all the way to town, or, rather : we sat on opposite sides of the aisles on the arm rests and chatted in spite oi
 the many interruptions, for it was a rest less bunch of people. and there was a constant moving from one end to the
 other.
 The average American puts up with all
 kinds of inconvenience in good-na-
 tured way. Packed in like sardines, yet
 no one grumbled when the news butcher , of coca-cola. It meant that everyone had
 to squeeze close to let him pass, but it
 was taken as a matter of fact. One lit-
 tie girl was evidently suffering from a I great thirst, for she nearly walked her self to death going from her seat to the
 cooler and back egain. I have seen the I