The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-07-02
M E N, w 0 M E N
 A ND T HIN G s

wheels. I am reminded of this every day go out on the street at the peril of my life. Time was when man stood little chance of being run over, but at present, unless he Is an artful dodgcr, he will be run down by an automobile, twentieth century juggernaut which has snuffed out more lives than ever was done in India.
 It is hard for me to realize that just little over 20 years ago I took my first ride In a motor vehicle, a novelty at that time even in Chicago where l was spending the summer. One of the enterprising mail order houses used 1t as an advertisement by riding it's guests down Michigan avenue. l recall how conspicuous felt as I rode through the streets, for then people stopped to watch its pro- gross much more than they do at present when an airplane is passing over head.
 It's a far cry from then until now, when our streets are literally cov- cred with them and the question of parking has become a serious one. The fellow who made the prophecy that the bicycle was . toy that would soon play out was about as far wrong as the one who predicted that automobiles were but a passing fad and only few idle rich would make use of them. I lived to see the bicycle almost abandoned by pleasure riders to become q carrier, just as has the automobile been taken over by trade. These things came to me on Thurs day, when I went over to the hand some quarters of the E. R. Parker Motor company, on automobile row. to join the hundreds who had accept cd an invitation to attend a barbecue given by the live owners of the cor poration which handles the Chand- lers,, the Clevelands and the Mar mon. The drivers of the Chandlers were in the majority, and when the parade started through the city en route to West Lake park it attracted a great deal of attention.
 l had good company, as was in car with Commissioner John Taylor, Detective w. F. DeGroat and W. P. Patterson, the automobile traffic di- rector. If the object of the trip to the attractive resort down below Bes- semer had been to show the various kinds of roads in the city and coun- ty, it would have been a success, for we travelled over good. bad and indifferent stretches. I hope to live long enough to see cities and coun ties connect up with one another with passable highways. and then the millennium of car owners will have arrived.
 It was dusty trip, but not so dusty as the one to the Southern club barbecue, for there were miles of up- to-date paving, just enough to give one an apretite for more It was my first outing at West Lake, and was agreeably surprised at the lake. the grounds and the pavilion. It Is we'll kept and a most attractive sum mer resort. J. R. Ryan Is on the job, and keeps a careful watch out for the comfort and pleasure of the visitors. It is a place where a man can go with his family and rest as- sured there will be no rough stuff pulled off.
 "Cavcat emptor!" is as dead as a trade policy as the language in which it is written. so far as the best auto mobile dealers arc concerned. In these days it is truer to say that i'm stead of 'let the buyer beware" the rule is the dealer is on the square" This is illustrated in the policy of tho organization which gave the bar becue to owners of cars represented by them, for in the address of well come which l was asked to make at 
 the table was told to stress the fact that the sale of the car was but the beginning of the service.
 The barbecue was cooked by R. M Molton. He had selected fine meats and roasted them to the queens taste, and his Brunswick stew was a real, sure-enough- to- goodness old south Alabama kind. More than 200 were served bountifully, while there was an abundance 9f soft drinks to go round. The crowd left the tables "too full for utterance." but just ripe to hear a talented vaudeville artist render some catchy songs. Then the cry was, ITO the water." and soon the lake was alive with men, women and children. After a swim the danc- ing began.
 was glad to meet Messrs. E. R. Parker and L. R. Adams, two young men who, starting in modest way have made & great success in the au- tomobiie world, operating in Ala bama, Georgia, Florida and South Carolina. But the real working man so far as the barbecue was concerned was T. B. McCarty, for every minute the cry of Mo was heard at West Lake. had good time. and think | it A fine idea for the automobile deal- CTS to give their patrons and friends I a cue. I'm ready to accept an in vitation from any of them who will let me eat and talk.
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