The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-02-07
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS


 the state with my good friend Fred Jones of Livingston, then president of the Southern cattlemen's Association. to help place the Red Cross bulls in Alabama.
 
 Being city reared. it had never fallen to my good fortune to get interested in cattle, although I had visited enough in the country to at least have sufficient krc wIedge to be able to distinguish the milk breeds from the beef type, and to even discriminate between Holsteins and Jerseys, and pick out the pure-breds from the scrubs in a general way, without knowing any of the fine points. But it has been my custom when inter- ested in anything to at least get working idea of it, and being a man of books, when I got the cattle fever began to read up on cows. and it is sur prising to know what interesting litera- ture has grown up around the cattle in dustry. and how it is year by year being pu; on a more scientific basis, until even now it's profession, and experts are daily, weekly and yearly devoting their whole time to it's many sides.
 I first got interested in the beef breeds through the auction sale here of picked Shorthorns from all parts of America. We praised Frank Derby for his enter prise in advertising this variety of cat tie, and we thanked him for making It possible to realize such a large sum of money for so worthy cause; but many overlooked his real service. which was the introduction into Alabama the best bulls from the best breeders in America in numbers sufficient to affect the cattle situation in the state
 Now. this man Derby is dreamer, but he does not go off in a trance and wait for them to come true, but he backs them up with enthusiasm and energy and helps them in this way to materialize. There is something winsome and compell- | ing about him, and he has the rare ca pacity of communicating his own en- thusiasrn to others. This was the secret of his success in putting over the Red Cross bull sale here, and the rooster sale | al A|CfilOPVAiSf lOi lS caught Ibcs dS Hc did scores of others who helped him in ] his plans.
 1 I have stated this much to let it be known that when he came through here ! las. week and insisted on my going to Montgomery to be present at the South ern Cattlemen's s Association, although I I side-stepped going down with him, away down in my subconsciousness I was aware that all the same when the con- vention opened I would be there, and that when the sales started I would be in the ring aiding and abetting as though my whole life were wrapped up in the cat tie business.
 Sure enough, the next afternoon tele- gram came from the local cattlemen s association in Montgomery asking me to TUT down and be their guest. I knew that it was Frank Derby's way to cinch my coming. I didn't have time to even gc cut home to pack a grip. but caught the train and bought what I needed on ar irival. It's the way of newspaper mar to pick up on a moments notice and speed 1
 away, and trust to luck to get things ir the lobby of the Gay-Teague I was glad that I had taken the plunge. for all apou' me were friends from in and out of tho state
 ' The Smiths were there. I ran across Joseph R., owner of the famous Elk Val ley farm in Tennessee; c. D. (Charley) who has made fame our of yid-Mar farm near Memphis, and Walter, whose farm down near Eutaw, Meadowbrook, is one of the show places of Alabama. It vii be remembered that Walter had number of his best bulls and heifers on show al our fair. and capped some nice premiums and carried home handful of ribbons Charley made killing at Montgomery He told me he carried five animals and was taking home s4, 300 Not bad game |
 Then Bob" Seals, the walking encyclo pedia on Shorthorn pedigrees. was ol hand, and talking his favorte breed t' any one who would listen. Frank Derb, was the center of many groups, for, a: restless as a panther, he was constantly on the move. Fred Jones was much 1T evidence. but always quiet unless drawr out, and then he waxed eloquent, fol lhe is a reai cattle lover. John Dun naway was shaking hands right and left for he is one of the most popular breed CTS in the state. Dr. Mastin of Hunts vile, who is building up fine herd was keeping his ears open to get points These are but types of the Alabama men
 Among the marked men from outside oi the state I met John D. Elridge, tht president. and Dr. R. M Cow, the sec retary. both of whom live in Arkansas and are known throughout the soutl among the progressive cattle breeders. also met the incoming president, J. Cockerham of Luella. La, and secretary Dr. J. E. Lloyd. Memphis. Frank Scho Fl field, president of the American Short horn Association, was another strikini figure, with his wide-brimmed hat ant and breezy Texas manner. Prominent mel were present in droves, and can't evel catalogue them all.
 But easily the most sought-after mai was Col P. M. Gross. the great auc tioneer, who conducted both the Re
 Cross bull sale in Birmingham and tn rooster sale in Demopolis. He is not onl, top-notcher in the stand, but he is ip;ctureSnre character and inpresseS hi