The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-06-02
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

us would sldestep fate by losing all initia tive.
 Many fellow would have declined
 an invitation to dance had he but known that among the dancers he
 would find the young woman who was to make out of him a Benedict and dominate him for the balance of his
 natural life
 l cite this as but one instance in
 which man walks bIindly into his captivity but there are many other ways in which a fellow can get into trouble, and l want to set out here
 how without taking thought. took
 upon myself a burden under which am still staggering.
 
 It came about in this wise: My friend, George Bondurant met me on the street several years ago and asked me to go out the next day with him In his car to a sale of Jersey cattle at fulton springs. I thought it would
 be pleasant outing, and accepted
 With thanks. but had l known what
 was ahead of me, he couldn't have
 dragged me out to Bob Bells with 8
 yoke of oxen
 Know my friends are tired of hear
 Ing about my COW, but I am about her
 like the young married fellow after
 the baby came, who said to his wife,
 Darnng, what did we find to talk
 apout before Jimmy was born?" |
 sometimes wonder what on earth en-
 gagged my attention before I reckless
 ly bid off Islay May at an auction. or
 ra.her took her off the hands of John
 Dunaway who had just bought her. some 50 years ago. recall that John hoquemore. leading attorney of my nome town, brought to Eufaula some line Jersey cows. It was the talk of the community, and so along with others, l went up to his pasture to look them over. They were q nov city, their fawn color and soft eyes and deer-like head caused every one who saw them to rave over them. while their milk and butter producing abil- NtiNHA P IdNO1lleS with | their owner.
 wasn't interested in cows at that 'inle' ana 50 years passed without my ever giving Jerseys a thought, and then' as the result of an impulsive and unthoughted action at the urge of my namesake, I found myself in possess
 sion or one with the distinction of being in the register of merit class From that day to this, I have been much engrossed on the subject of the preed' TOT COW demands thought and attention at least twice day I have had quite a few prominent men, the kind you would never suspect of having been reared on farm. Tor they have been long enough out or the country to carry an air of being city raised, own up to me in a burst l Of confidence that they were famous mixers in their boyhood days and hragged about it in a. way to show +b.t | 'iey were really proud of having been able to make COW let down all the | milk in her bag. Friend Nesbitt sun- erintendent of mines, sldled up to me the other day and said, Doctor wish I was your neighbor and could get to milk that fine COW of vours :, have an extra lot which would almost be willing to deed to him if he
 meant what he said.
 Now. don't hold any grudge against inr hn1< k; wasn't optional with him. When his country went to war he voIunteered which meant that his herd would have to be sold, and it was just blind chance or predestination, whichever way you care to look at it, that brought
 me to It, l would have escaped with out harm if had left my boy at home put who can control his destiny? Omar seems to have been a wise old fersian guy when he wrote his fatal istc verses about the uselessness of trying to escape ones fate.
 It does seem a bit curious that Bob
 Dell city-reared boy, should have gone into the cattle game and made | such a conspicuous success of if iust as he was reaching his majority. Tha saie ne flrst held in 1918 made a new nigh record for the entire south hut shis was beaten by a Georgia man the loioWlnE summer, but Bob came hack 1 Tn l9l9 and won back the honor for Alapama which he kept until two Ten nessee men got the blue ribbon which they kept until May 24, when the Bon Are Farm, under the management of out. think it's mighty good sign when
 some of our city's youths are prepar- Ing themselves to go to the country l to live. By the way, have two Jewish friends here in Birmingham whose sons have turned their back upon the professions and the commercial world ] and are going to be farmers I speak or M. Israel and Robert Jacobs. Thew nave right to be proud of the determi- nation of their sons, who are college pred, but who propose to make their
 living out of the soil.
 For years there has been waged a. l campaign to keep the boys and the
 sirls on the farm, and am glad to
 know that at last conditions are inn proving in the rural district in many ways. Farmers are putting in home conyeniences, schools are being bet tered, churches are awakening to their opportunity and responsibility. and good roads in connection with auto
 mobiles are bringing city and country
 closer together. These things will not l hold many farmers sons and daughters on the land, but will cause a moye- ment back to the farm.
 l I will never forget what a dairvine | expert from the west told me several | years ago. after having attended q