Mr. Nichols is a man of energy, industry and decision of character; he has opinions and has the courage to express them. No man has any trouble in times of controversy to locate him, and yet in his rulings as presiding officer of the above named association, the writer has seen evidences of prudence and commendable flexibility. His early life was robbed of literary environments, and hence he is not an extensive reader of books; but his knowledge of things is superior to many whose advantages have been far better than his have been. He says that he knew absolutely nothing of letters till since the close of the war, when he had a little opportunity to attend night school at Uniontown. He was ordained in 1873 at Georgiana, Butler county, by Revs. Dan Shepard, Nelson Briggs, Jesse Holens and others, and he has done a good work in his section. Northcross, Rev. W. E., of Tuscumbia, Colbert county, was born in Colbert county, Ala., in 1840, and ordained to the gospel ministry in 1867 by Rev. Mr. Slater (white) and Rev. Henry Bynum. Mr. Northcross is strictly a pioneer. He, Rev. Stephen Coleman and Rev. Henry Bynum, aided by Dr. Joseph Shackleford (white) laid down the foundation stones in Morgan, Franklin, Colbert, Lauderdale and Lawrence counties. He is a peculiar man. He is a man of very positive nature--with him it is yea and amen. To those who do not know him as well as to those who vacillate and pretend, his sternness is repelling. But behind and below external appearances there is a heart that is as tender as it is brave, and as kind as it is firm. Except a little time spent in the Roger Williams University, he has had no school advantages, but he reads and writes fairly well. The Tuscumbia, Barton and Sheffield churches were built up under his labors. In the formation of the Muscle Shoals Association at Tuscumbia in 1869, he was one of the leading spirits. He relates the following incidents: