The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-09-07
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

| and how it is pronounced.
 No, it is not the advertisement for a breakfast food, neither is it the name of a summer resort, but it is word made up from the initial letters of the AmericaH Cast Iron Pipe Company, and is pronounced A-sip-ko. But it is more than an industrial plant for around the works a town has been built.
 
 I hate to own up to the fact, but ur- til yesterday I had never been out to the end of the car line to see either the plant or the place, although l had heard much about both, but somehow l always got off at the Frisco crossing to take look into the pens of the Bir- mingham stock yards, for when Frank Derby and Fred Jones introduced me to the cattle game I got interested at once and have kept it up until this good day
 have put in about the cattle on pur- pose, for little poster announcing the fact that the Acipco colored fair would be held on September [ gave me the push after the great Labor Day parade was over. which sent me beyond the dead line of the stock yards for l wanted to see just what kind of ami mals the colored people would have on exhibition. for 1 felt sure that in spite of the close proximity to Birmingham some of them would keep hogs, cows, horses and mules.
 asked someone how far the fair was from the end of the car line and was told about a block, but do not be fooled for it's half dozen or more. and if you have to foot it as l did on hot summer day, you will think it at least half a mile; but there is one anything l do not let little things get in my way; l go rain or shine. hot thing about me-when l start out to do or cold, night or day.
 turned the corner around the main office building and across the fields I spied American flags floating from houses and tents, and as l drew nearer l discovered a number of pens for cows, horses and hogs. I was glad to find about twenty five good milch cows competing for prizes. l also learned that the employees of the company had pig clubs, and that there were good specimens of the leading varieties of hogs In one pen I saw a SOW with five little piggies, and card sard; This is the pig that was sucking bottle at the fair last year" She had done her part to help make this years fair a success.
 I saw one of the finest pairs of mules that I have seen for many day hitched kept horses and one exceptionally fine one. I did not stay for the races, as I wanted to go out to the fair grounds and watch the happy crowds and hear the speeches, but l saw proud. young darky in his racing jacket riding over the grounds creat- ing envy among those on foot. think a race down a country road between two neighbor boys is lot more fun than one between professionals on track, and.I am sure that for excitement and genuine interest the race at the Acipco fair was a real thrt1ler.
 went into the education exhibit and was not surprised to find evidence on every side of the faithful work of the teachers for I had seen such exhibits before and was prepared to be enter tained by what I saw. Some of the writing and drawing was exceptionally good. but I was more interested in the handiwbrk than in the scolastic ex- hibits. Both negro boys and girls have certain aptitude for hand work. and with little instruction can turn out most creditable work.
 One exhibit which gave me great pleasure was the one devoted to domes- tic science. table was daintily set and some of the pupils under the charge of an old time southern cook were pre- pairing palatable dishes. The breads. cookies an\ cakes looked and smelled good. So far as I am concerned the
 
 ante bellum negroes who were trained in the homes of the well-to-do planters. I like their cooking better than that of the celebrated French chefs.
 
 Of course there were the usual ex hibits of canned vegetables of every variety. and jellies galore, and tempt ing preserves and pickles, sweet and sour. In fact it was a fair in minia- ture with the usual outdoor and indoor exhibits, and what was most pleasing. r it was absolutely free of midway" but there were places where soft drinks and light lunches were seWed. and the booths and the tents gave 1t holiday air. and everybody was out for good time.
 But the exhibits were only part of the drawing attractions. for the after noon was turned over to sports. There were games of all kinds, but, of course the baseball match was the crovning event, taking precedence over the horse racing and the athletic contests. The field is admirably adapted for all out door sports. There is a bandstand grandstands and a well-kept diamond for baseball and the grounds are also suitable for the football matches in the fall.
 You ask me who invited me out? ] did not need any invitation. just asked myself. for I am always interested in groes, and I try to show sympathe- tic interest in everything they try to do for the uplift of their race. I am no raf0Fmpr hl1t