The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-07-31
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

have often wondered why it was that the Edgewood promoters failed to make good, for from all appearances from the outside it looked like a winner.
 
 But l did not sit down to revive an old story, but merely to say that Thursday afternoon I went out with my family for the first time since Hugh Hill became in- terested in it; but was sorry to find that he had been called to Montgomery on ac- count of the death of his father.
 l was surprised to find that so much had been spent in the construction of an ideal swimming pool. It is sufficiently large to afford all the room necessary for real swim. It is we'll lighted at night, and the diving platform with it's spring boards adds much to the pelasure of the swimmers.
 The pavilion is large and airy, and well suited for those who like to watch the oathers, or to simply sit around and en- joy the music and the crowds. The danc- ing floor was laid with great pains, and those fond of dancing pronounce it to be one of the best they have ever used. r
 The great attraction at Edgewood for quite awhile after it was opened was the lake. which was set down in the midst of hills, and with dimensions sufficient for excellent boating. It was really a great loss when, after repeated trouble with the dam, that the stream which fed it was allowed to go on it's way without obstruction.
 | never go out to Edgswood now with out thinking of the very old but forever good story of the editor who sent a re- porter to investigate flood which was reported to have swept away a we'll known mill which stood on the banks of the river in a neighboring town, and got the laconic message on the wire saying: Found dam by the millsite, but no mill | by damsite.'
 | 1 tried all Thursday afternoon to get | accustomed to seeing a herd of cattle grazing on the bed of the lake where once there was twenty feet or more of water overhead; and just about time 1 was getting used to it, I looked beyond l them and saw man on horseback leis urely making his way up a road on the other side of the stream. It was too much for me, and I just quit trying to be recon ciled to situation that seemed so strange.
 l I sat for a long time in the pavilion watching the sport of the bathers. My | boys were among the crowd having good time, but somehow I was too lazy to undress and dress again, and pre- ferred to be a looker-on than a partici- pant This thing of dressing and un dressing is continual nuisance, and takes the pleasure out of life. It's task enough to do it morning and night, but to change ones clothes like some guests do at the resorts for show is more than l can understand.
 Now, got joy out of the "ole swimmin' hole" in my boyhood days at Eufaula. for in those times we kids only were handicapped with a two-piece garment and would have died of shame if we had been forced to resort to underwear; and so it was a race to the Chattahoochee, and when we reached a spot about 100 yards from the bank, each fellow be- gan to unbutton. and the one who dived off first was declared winner.
 
 Civilization has it's compensations and it's drawbacks. Now we go out for swim, and the first thing we have to do is to get bathing suit and room, and waste lot of time in pulling off a whole lot of paraphernalia, while in our subcu. sciousness is the thought of the trouble it is going to be to get it all back on after we come out of the water. Of course it's right and proper even where there are special days for men an1 women; but all the same it takes the joy cut or gt ng in swimming.
 To me half the fun of swimming is to be free of clothes and breasting the water with my body feeling every pulse O. the stream beating against it, for there is something in the pull of the current or l III lHt NHIipOOi SuCh NHiCH SeiluS the blood tingling in my veins, and brings out all the fight there is in me in my ef- fort to force a way in spite of the rage of the waters. I was almost reared on the bosom of the Chattahoochee the , swiftest of all the navigable rivers in , America, and one of the most treach- erous.
 I think swimming one of the best and healthiest exercises in the, whole cata- logue of sports, and rejoice every time I near of a new swimming place being opened in this district. I think it fort1- nate that to East Lake and West Lake has been added the excellent bathing beach at Edgewood. and I congratulate
 Hugh Hill on his faith and enterprise in bringing it to pass. These three are the gre tt outdoor resorts. I am glad of the pools in the '. NJ C. A., Y. w. c. A., Birmingham Athletic Club and the one at Ensley. I hope the way will be fourd
 to utilize the springs at North Birmins-
 ham and Avondale Parks for swimming purposes.
 The valley at Edgewood is very much like many of those in the Blowing Rock section of western North Carolina. I was , particularly struck with this on Thursday