The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-08-27

1 from o'clock till 6. It took me thre months to make the parlor floor,
 which seemed to me the biggest floor in the world before 1 got done. 1 had to soak every one of the cigar boxes when l received then in order l to get the labels and paper off; pull l the tacks out and then dry them again before l could saw them up.' | When the floor was all done-each octagonal piece being nailed down with four tacks-it was again waxed and polished as a whole.
 Mule Harness
 The mule harness that MT. Reckling made for Birmingham's dashing street car steed he constructed also by hand in his harness shop. This shop was located between Park CTS corner l and the old Morris hotel-but thar | was in the old days when the street did not boast but one building, and | that was where the Marc Linx store now IS. It was two-story brick and Herman Schultz had a potograpb gallery upstairs and MT. Reckling's l harness shop occupied the lower floor
 All a Horseback Those days everybody went a. horseback, and in carriages; and har-
 
 very much in demand As many as nine harness makers were employed during these years by MT Reckling. All work was done by hand with the aid of crude machinery. The shop also specialized on gayly tasselle1 l carriage tops
 But let Mrs. Reckling tell you of some of these days, and their sun rise-colored happiness
 sEThara pie, and we soon became acquainted with everybody. Such gay affairs were given-even though they might have been bit old-fashioned to boys and girls these days. But I think of them with such joy in my heart and such sadness now that they are gone. We seemed nomehow to dance the hours away, and everybody was happy. O, don't I remember the gatherings in Seals hall, O'Brien's opera house, and Sublete hall. where old Pat Fender used to call out the figures for the square dance. At Seals hall, which we used to rent for dances. Dr. John Davis was often a guest and Frank P. O'Brien, one time mayor and sheriff. I was the first carnival queen. and I wore q purple plush robe. white satin gown | trimmed with pearls, slippers and | the queen CTOWH dHQ DdQSe. Queen of Carnival The carnival was given by tho old Turn Varein of which Emil Les ser was president. and who once | owned the Metropolitan hotel. Err win Schilllnger was the king of the Mardi Gras. He had big masked ball and a parade in town with floats. and a throne for the king and | queen. A year or two afterward they tried to put on another carnl- val but there were seven inches of snow"
 Mrs. Reckling had story to tell of how during those old days tne Knights and Ladies of Honor society gave a three ght supper at the O'Rrien opera house.
 I've women were anxious to make some money, so we decided to run Mayor J. A. Van Hoose and Frank OBrien to decide which was the most popular, knowing that we had citizens present who would stake a good deal on both. Frank O'Brien won, and as we had planned to give the winner gold-headed cane, our boys decided that he should be pre- scented with it at once A commit tee proceeded to his house, and even though he was in bed pulled him out, and shortly after dragged nim into the presence of those who had bet money on his disposition.
 Frank O'Brien Winner
 With great ceremony they pre- sented the surprised man with the cane. He was thunderstruck with tie gift for the crowd had not told him beforehand--as he thought at first that he had been picked out as a mob victim Seeing his delightful embarrassment, one of the leaders sprang up and shouted out: Heres $1o more on Frank O'Brien-' and we ladies got that much more for our fund. Of course O'Brien rose to the occasion after q moment or so, and entered into the spirit of the party with a crowd that was much more happy for his coming l never missed a dance that night, and they had to pull me off the floor everytime any, body wanted bowl of soup"
 Mrs. Reckling told of the first year she and her husband came to BIT mingham, when they lived in three room shotgun house across from the postoffice. where the Florence hotel now stands.
 Were in Paradise
 we paid s5 a month for one room and I did all of my own cooking on the fireplace with skillet and stew pan. We ate from small ta- ble with a towel for cover There we remained till we were invited to occupy a home with an old shoe maker and his wife. and then we were in paradise with three rooms. for which we paid $l2.50 a month. This was before Mir. Reckling had his har- ness shop and was working for a harness maker for $1.60 a day. This harness maker also made wheelbar- rows and wagons.
 MT. Reckling borrowed the first $200 to start his shop, and placed before his store a black wooden horse to advertise his business. He has ever since kept a wooden horse.