The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-04-10
AUBURN STUDENTS ARE RESOURCEFUL
 STATES PROF. HILL

Auburn students are so accustomed to working under handicaps and to overcoming apparently insurmount- able obstacles that little thing like missing the last train does not pre- vent them from reaching their desti nation on time, according to w. w. Hill, professor of electrical engi- neering at Auburn. Professor Hill has just been escorting a group of the electrical engineering students through various plants of the dis trict, the last one visited being the steam plant of the Alabama Power company at Gorgas.
 "On the morning of the trip to the much discussed Gorgas plant, seven of the students missed the train at the Terminal station, due to the great crowd at the ticket window just be- fore the departure of a number of early morning trains" said Professor Hill. "On the train, the last passen ger on the line until mid afternoon, l found that seven of the boys were missing But at the first station out side Birmingham, the train stopped and five of the missing students climbed aboard.
 Being held in the crush at the Terminal station gate until after the departure of the train. five of them got together and hired a high pow cred automobile which soon overlook the train, which was delayed in get ting out of the yards. But the other two became separated fl om the crowd and were left on their own resources. Having the college boys usual amount of cash, hiring an automobile to overtake the train was not within the range of possibility for them.
 But about the time we reached Gorgas, we spied the two coming up the road in a flivver which sounded as if it were going to stop of it's own accord any minute. The boys were covered with smoke, dirt and cinders. but otherwise none the worse for wear and they took their places for the days inspection of the big plant.
 Tt later developed that after they found the train had left them and that they could not afford an auto mobile, they went down in the yards and caught fast freight train. They were discovered by the train crew soon after the train got under way and it took all the Iesourcefulness they could muster to keep from being thrown off However the crew fi- nally agreed to let them stay, pro- vided they would unload all the freight and rake down all the coal on tn trip. The boys accepted the bar gain and lived up to their contract to the letter When the point nearest the plant was reached, they were let off with the good wishes of the crew
 still some miles from Gorgas where the rest of the party had al- ready gone, they induced farmer travelling along the road to make a detour and help them get to Gorgas before it was too late. And in this manner they kept their engagement and got the benefit Of ae inspection of the splendid plant st Gorgas.
 The idea that they fgsl valid ex- cuse for missing the train and that the authorities in charge of the party knew of this excuse did not seem to enter the minds of the boys They knew it was their business to go to Gorgas and see the plant and they went. It seems to me that the expe- rience of these boys explains in slight degree how Auburn has accom- plishcd what she has with the ob- stacles she has had to overcome.