The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-01-19
LETTERS TO EDITOR
IN THE oLDEN DAYS

To the Editor of The Age-Herald.
 Perhaps leaf from 60 years ago would help your readers to decide your East Lake problem.
 Your last Sundays paper quotes Dr. Stuart's saying: "There are very few great men now" The Rev. Dr. Norman Mcleod, pastor of Barony Presbyterian church, Glasgow, Scot land; moderator of the worlds Presbyterian churches; favorite chaplain to Queen Victoria; author of many books; experienced as missiona- ary in North America; perhaps the greatest scholar at that time, great man then, cham pioned running passenger railway trains and steamboats on Sunday, declaring working peo- pie could as well worship God by the seaside or in the woods on that day, as in churches. He won!
 Very soon pier after pier was closed to Sun day steamboats, small boats were lowered with passengers, no law to prevent their landing. Railways were asked not to stop Sunday trains at many stations, the devil had taken possession of the traffic. Lewd women, dancing, drunken ness, smoking and adultery everywhere. Vil- lages and the country would not stand it. Dr Mcleod saw his mistake and stopped Sunday trains and boats.
 He built several mission houses in Glasgow for working people with poor clothes. No one admitted with long silk hat-my father wore my cap going there
 Dr. Mcleod was famous for using small words, so the least educated understood. He provided speakers for missions when not there himself. There never was standing room left when he spoke-hundreds turned away.
 Barony church had then $500 adult members. I was admitted at 13, rare case.
 Dr. Mcleod introduced the French "conver- satione." Our church members and families and vouched-for friends met at the largest hall for alternately dancing, games, singing, speak ing, and good time. Doors were carefully guarded against intruders; being there was guarantee of your worthiness. All were allowed to advance to either sex, exchange names, that was a valid introduction, so all got acquainted like one family.
 A cheap bite was provided free, cost about five cents each, without fuss or labor, in paper sacks, orange, apple, pear, plum or such, tea cake and candy Refuse and left-overs put back into sacks, collected and given to anx- ious walters outside
 At ST Dr. Mcleod specially addressed young men. He began saying: Although gray haired, I am a young man, ,"-he showed it when dancing.
  science, as David danced before the Lord, it developed the muscles, good health and good morals.
 All could repeat the Lords prayer, 10 com mandments, Christ's sermon on the mount, the shortest verse and the longest chapter in the Bible, and believed what Christ said, not that "He implied the opposite" like Dr. Barnwell has it on page 6, last Sundays Age-Herald. There was no ''fox trotting or toddling" and everlasting two-step dizzy whirling. We had square and round dances and solos, like High land fling, Irish washerwoman, sailors horn pipes, sword dance, and many others, with an occasional shawn-truce, the most pathetic appeal of young woman to God to bring her lover safely home to her from war.
 What does the fourth commandment say? Keep it.
 What does the eleventh commandment say? Keep it.
 Be heart Christian. Do unto others as you would they should do unto you, and East Lake problem will solve itself.
 I would like to keep on but this may be too long for publication. SAM WALLACE.
 Heflin, Rt. 4. January II, 1922.