The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1922-11-12
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
AND ELSEWHERE
A Practical Preacher

preachers have their good points as we'll
as other people" said S. M. Cox, an insurance
man. 81 can recall one who was pastor of an
independent church in little town up in Ten
nessee several years ago who was real prince.
There were two other churches in the same
town whose pastors were always on the verge
of war; Each would mildly condemn the
other during their sermons, and both were
radically against baseball and similar forms
of amusements. The independent preacher,
being a broad-minded man, was one day in
vited to participate in a baseball game be-
tween two home teams. He accepted the IN
vitation and acted as umpire. AS rule, the
two teams would invariably end the game
with an argument and at times come to blows.
However, the preacher so umpired that par
ticular game that he left everyone satisfied
at the conclusion, and he was naturally voted
a good sport He gradually became more
intimately acquainted with the younger ele-
ment of the town and in course of time was
successful in acquiring large membership
to his church, many of them formerly never
attended church services and quite number
who were members of the other churches. As
time went along and the other ministers saw
that he was practically converting the town,
they began to raise a howl. small verbal
war followed for several weeks, which resulted
in the independent pastors consent to allow
the members of the other churches to go back
to their respective folds. However, he re-
tanned membership almost double those of the
other churches
Memories
81 am sure that Birmingham has been
praised to the skies by everyone who visits
it." said Samuel X. Silverstein, travelling sales
man of New York city, "and don't want 20
be left out of the army of boosters. was
fortunate, or unfortunate, enough to be one
of the onlookers at a rare sight in front OF
the Tutwiler hotel Thursday night and Won
dered afterwards about the incident. just
as | stepped out of the lobby Of the hotel my
attention was attracted by small crowd that
had assembled in a circle at the end OF the
sidewalk and being somewhat curious, as all
statesmen are / strolled over to investigate.
As found my way into the inner circle OF
men, somewhat familiar smell assailed my
nostrils and I looked down the ground.
What [ saw was, what | believe, will be
bygone relic in the next few years, and that
was broken bottle of red whisky that some
poor, unhappy mortal had dropped"
Argument Praised
"I was certainly impressed with the speech
made by John P. Mccoy assistant solicitor,
in the case of Hollis Martin, tried before me
on charge of seduction" said Judge Ben
jamin d. Turner of Chatom, now sitting on
the bench in the criminal division of the cir
cult court. "To my mind, the argument was
a most forceful one, and regret that we did
not have a court reporter present to take IL
down for publication. Solicitor Mccoy set me
doing hard thinking, and believe he impressed
the jury in the same way, because they seemed
most interested and begun to look at the
case from different angle. As result,
Martin was found guilty and sentenced 80
two years in penitentiary by jury verdict.