The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-08-27
M b N w O M E N
 A ND T HIN c s

If the farmers of Calhoun county returned home more than ever satis- fled with their farms. I am sure that the Annistonians were prouder than ever to live in the Model City; and that both will let me rejoice in the fact that hold my residence in Birmingham.
 A fellow has to go away from home and see for himself to get ria of some of his prepossessions and prejudices. It's easy for a man to get in the habit of complaining about his home town. There are some peo- pIe so constituted that they get their pleasure in pulling down instead of in upbuilding
 I have often heard folks here com plain that Birmingham was a high place. not by way of compliment ing it on it's altitude, but knocking careful buyer. I know the value of goods and the purchasing power of a dollar, and on my recent trip to Ten nessee, for visited Chattanooga in May, and am just home from the Anniston Chamber of Commerce out ing which made Knoxville headQuar- ters, I had a chance to study care- fully the cost of living in these two fvpicaI rannaseea tnxyns in roynpari son with my home town.
 l am ready to admit the advan- tages, natural and otherwise. of the two well known east Tennessee cities. but I confess that I was sur prised. and particularly in finding that Knoxville was not a cheaper place In which to live than Birming- ham. Somehow, had felt that on account of It's splendid location in a rich farming section that at least It's market would afford larger and cheaper variety of farm produce; but such was not the case. I do not make this statement merely to praise Birmingham, but to state the simple truth.
 I spent two mornings, or rather visited the city market on two days between 6 and o'clock, to get a line on the variety of produce offered, how it was brought in, in what shape it was put up and the prices asked. It was natural to expect that the truckers in this district would be ahead of the ones in the Knoxville region with certain lines of produce on account of being further south; but I had no Idea that there would be such a marked contrast in such staples as tomatoes, sweet and Irish potatoes and beans.
 But the greatest surprise came from the lack of butter, eggs and poultry for sale in the open, as we'll as the inside market, and that the prices were no lower than in Bir- mingham. Knoxville, being the cen- ter of such a rich dairying section and ranking as one of the greatest poultry markets in the south, I ex- pected to find butter and eggs and poultry of all kind in abundance and cheap in comparison with our local market; but such was not the case. Birmin gham, both as to prices and quantity and quality, seemed to me to be ahead of Knoxville.
 I hold no brief for the grocers. green goods men, butchers. poulter- CTS or fish men of Birmingham. but any one who will take the trouble gently done, will find that there is small cause for complaint that any of them are unduly profteerins here. represent the ultimate consumer; but there is no sense in saying that Birmingham is a "high place in which to live, for it is not within the facts, and the quicker we begin to talk it up as one of the very best and cheapest towns in the country in which to live cheaply and do business the better 1t will be for all of us.
 
 I am writing this fresh from a visit to the open air market on Nor ris avenue and Twenty-fourth street. where cantaloupes were being sold from 50 to 75 cents a basket, water melons from 10 to 25 cents, apples ranging from 75 cents to $1.25 (and by the way, the latter were beauti- full specimens), tomatoes 75 cents, with the top-notchers bringing $l. Field peas 25 to 40 cents, sweet po- totoes 50 to 75 cents. pears 50 to S5 cents. the latter especially fine; corn ab to 30 cents, peppers and okra DO cents. beans $1. I am just setting down some of the things I was in the market for. I went home with seven or eight baskets full. having spent onlv a few dollars and counting my self fortunate that lived in a city vhere such fresh vegetables could he had for such a reasonable price.
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