The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-10-02
M E N w o M E N
 A ND T H 1 N c s

in the air which called me out of doors and so ran down to see my friend, Jlm' Dent, superintendent of the Ala bama State Fair Association
 Birmingham is not only rich in the minerals. which surround it. but is won derfully fortunate in the beauty of the hills which girt it and the valley in which it is set. There is a charm of mountains, there is a fascination about plains, but for all the year living l prefer a combi- nation of the two.
 
 church when the congregation has worshipped and retired, theatre when the audience has seen the play and filed out, baseball grounds when the season is over and the players have gone home. an amusement park when the crowds have deserted it. the playgrounds of school duiing vacation and home when the wife and kiddies are away are all mighty lonesome places.
 It takes more than houses and grounds and exhibitions to give pleasure, for in the last analysis it is folks who give the personal touch which produces joy. There was a true philosophy in the remark of Mrs. Wigs that people were mora com pany than eabbages. I may have rot quoted her verbatim, but the idea s con- veyed. Folks are more interesting than stumps (even stump speakers, for fre- quently they are simply knots on lcg).
 
 got to thinking along this line when I walked into the gate It the fair. Tine buildings were there in plain sight ard in them many of the exhibits had teen ar ranged and on the outside scores of booths were in evidence, but something was lacking. It was the crowds I missed and lcnged for. I never cared much in the old days for tickets to private exip- biticns of works of art when I was in Paris, for I preferred to see them along with the throng.
 Sperintendent Dent was busy man for every man and woman on the ground wanted to see him, and everyone's busi- ness was of the utmost importance and no one else could attend to it but him. No one wants to talk to a secretary, when he can see the "big chief" just as few church members want to be turned over to an assistant pastor. It's human nature to wish to get at the fountain head. | got in line merely to say how dy'' and to wish him we'll
 We are busy people, or at least we pretend to be, One thing I know and laughing at the Mexicans for putting everything aside for t'tomorrow,'' we are great postponers. This is why the Satur- day before and (Sunday) and Monday of the fair there is tremendous rush to do ina way what ought to have been believe in putting off the evil hour when they must get to work when they do get into the game it is with vim
 We build cities overnight, level hills | in a day, pierce mountains in a few hours ! and are constantly astounding the world with the rapidity of our accomplish. ments. This is why it is possible to visi. a fair a few days before opening time and find little done and yet know that when the gates swing open everything l will be ready for the public. It's a tri5- ute which our nervous, but energetic and enthusiastic race lays at the feet of the god of hustle.
 l l like to see people tt work. I do not mean hard, steady, unremtting labor, but doing the tasks in which they excel and out of which they get a joy, A great deal of useless pity has been show cred on the workers of the world, for unless they be 'sweated" or driven" or tied to uncongeniaI toll, the average man or woman finds pleasure in their occu- professional men, the merchants and al those who make living by brain work i along with those who work with theii 1 hands.
 l 1 never see man with hammer and saw without envying him his ability tc be builder. I never see brickmason at work unless I envy his skill. I never see farmer ploughing. but covet his power to go in straight line I never ] watch painter as he applies the brush but there comes to me wish to be able to- spread the paint wide and thin. l never glimpse an engineer at the throttle without feeling what glorious thing il must be to feel the pulsing of the great engine.
 l And so, as l wandered up and down al the fair I was soon interested in all the 1 workers. Some were building booths some were putting in pipes, some were laying brick for one purpose or another some were placing their exhibits. some were unloading cars. Everywhere there was noise and hustle. but 1 saw no one in a bad humor. but witnessed severa leases where perfect strangers were doing little acts of kindnesses for one another There was something in the very ali, which forbade any signs of ill temper. The restaurant people were on hand and ready for business. I mean the pro. fessionals who follow the fair circuit fol | they know the advantage of being ready to serve the hordes of workers before the public begins to appear. I learned one thing, and that-is the easiest place grounds, for I saw punches of them ask ing for job during the show. throw this out as hint to any family without Tpc nd