The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-12-12
M EN, WOM FEN
 AND T HIN c s

got to ride the Pan-American firt trip north on Tuesday morning last. Captain Jack Phillips and I were scheduled to attend the Nashville Southern Fat Steer Exposition and instead of going up on Monday night waited for the L. 6 Ms train de luxe.
 There was excitement at the station when 1t pulled in as it had been long awaited by the passenger as well as the operating department. It came steaming in on the dot and left to the minute; in fact it ran into the Union depot in Nashville on scheduled time.
 It got an ovation right when it passed through the shops at Decatur. Eugene Brown who was aboard said to me: "Just look at the pride on the mems faces. It was the old man as all the employees called Milton H. Smith, the late president who put the morale into every man on the pay roll from the highest to the lowest.
 have ridden on private cars, on chartered trains, but never where the whole crew was bent on making the passengers feel like guests instead of 'deadheads' or mere ticket holders The engineer seemed to say; q am glad to pull you" The firemen with bent back was whistling a tune. The conductor as he collected the fare remarked, q glad to have you aboard;" and even the brakemen broke the silence with "ain't she beauty?"
 After getting comfortably placed in the Pull man we strolled back to the observation car and got to see wonderful collection of cut flow CTS which had been sent aboard at Mobile with the compliments of the Chamber of Commerce, the banks and public 5pirited men and women who took pride in the million dollar train" which put their city the map a tourist paradise. Tbe roses, chrysanthemums and lil- ies were simply gorgeous.
 We sat inside for awhile talking with the rail road men and then went outside to take in the scenery. It was a dream day, more like October than December. The air was tonic with natures own wine. The sky was blue as the sea. The early fall wheat covered the earth with mantle of green. The clear streams with wooded banks went racing between the fields. One felt that God was in His world and that all was well.
 The train paused bit at Decatur after taking on a new engine at the shops, but outside of these two momentary halts it went racing on it's way northward. It took the new cut off beyond Athens and the track and grade and rolling stock made the sPan" glide along so smoothly that it was hard to realize the speed it was making It reminded me of the trip
 
 sense of motion.
 On reaching the Tennessee line Captain Jack began to point out to me farm after farm where he had bought cattle. It was pleasant to hear him call the names of the many owners and reminisce about them, their wives and chil- dren, and the various types of cattle which each one specialized in. We never passed loading pen that some reference was not made to the time when they held cattle waiting to be put in cars for the Birmingham Packing Co.
 It was a pleasant trip from every stand point but when seated the rear of the ob- servation and porter came out with bas- ket of golden satsumas accompanied by the Pullman conductor, not only urging us to take one but to put some in our pockets it seemed too good to be true. Here is congratulations for those who visioned the Pan-American, for those who executed the plans, for those who operate and for the men whose business it is to sell it to the public, the wide awake and courteous passenger agents.