The Birmingham age-herald. [volume], July 11, 1915, Page 8, Image 8

About The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950

Image provided by: University of Alabama Libraries, Tuscaloosa, AL

                
_ HQW HISTORY WAS MADE FOR BIRMINGHAM ON BANKS OF THE WARRIOR 1
, By RALPH R. SI LA MR
♦ • ..*
♦ Fourth class all rail rate New 4
♦ York to Birmingham.? .73 •
4 Cost of Goodall-Brown ship- 4
4 ment by all water route.66 4
4 Estimate ot what Goodall- 4
4 Brown shipment will cost 4
4 when river navigation is 4
4 properly developed .40-56 4
4 Present first «lass all rail rate 4
4 New York to Birmingham.. 1.14 4
4 Estimate of first to fourth 4
4 class all water rate when •
4 river navigation is properly 4
4 developed .40-56 4
♦ — ♦
4 All rail rate on coal from Max- •
4 ine to Mobile . 1.00 4
4 Estimated cost of Pratt Con- 4
4 solidated shipment by all 4
4 water .50 4
Once upon a time there was a wise man.
He did not sit with his feet upon his office
desk and wish that John Somebody would
do something for him. He realized that
the doctrine of do things for yourself by
yourself was a formula that never failed
to bring results.
Now it happened that this man had a
factory in which he made various and
sundry things. And it also happened
that one day the. great government un
der which he lived formally announced to
him that it had completed a great trunk
railroad many hundred miles from the
market places of the world to within a
few miles of this man's factory. “Now
If you wish to use and profit by this rail
road.'' said the great government, “you'll
have to prove your good intentions by
building a connecting link to It.”
The wise man considered. Then he said
to himself: "I’ll do it.” And so saying,
he did so and rejoiced, and lived happy
ever after.
The only excuse for that fable is to
illustrate the main point of this story.
If Birmingham knew that the United
States government had built a great trunk
line railroad all the way from Mobile
to within 20 miles of the city and could
build it no further, how long would Bir
mingham hesitate to build a connecting
link to the end of the line?
The United States government has not
done that, but has done something more.
It has canalized the Warrior river until
now 414 miles above Mobile and 20 miles
below Birmingham there lies among the
hills and mountains the end of a high
way that would place Birmingham com
merce in touch with the whole world. Will
the rate be such over this new' highway,
though, as to warrant the people of Bir
mingham or Jefferson county building the
connecting link?
What? Rates?
The use of the Warrior river is free
my the air. It’s a United States highway
over which every citizen has a right, if
he wishes, to tow his crop to market
and towr back home his year’s supplies.
For several months, already, it has been
lying there among the hills of the edge
of Jefferson county and still no tangible
movement started to connect It with Bir
mingham.
But perhaps all this is theory. The
Warrior river talk may sound good on
the street coiner and look good on paper,
but how about it when it comes down
"to brass tacks?”
Well, it has come down to brass tacks.
The "can” was put into the canalized
Warrior last week by Murray Browm and
the Pratt Consolidated Coal and Iron
company. Mr. Brown, however, by' means
of a shipment of dry goods from New
York to Birmingham by an all-water
route, especially' proved the point as tha
subject regards the city of Birmingham.
Although no means of handling ship
ments to Birmingham have been provided,
no wharves and no connecting link be
tween the wharves and the city, the cargo
of dry goods came down the Atlantic
coast rn the Mallory steamer Alamo,
up the Warrior on the steamer M. Car
>’7 and into Birmingham over 2k miles
of read, much of which was unimproved,
ordinary country dirt road, hv means of
an automobile truck and at an actual sav
ings in freight of 7 cents per hundred
ponds.
On the other hand, the Pratt Con
solidated company, having the Maxine
coal mines located right on the banks of
the canalized liver, during the week de
livered in Mobile 1000 tons of coal at a
savings in freight charges of 50 cents a
ton. or half of the freight rate by rail,
which is $1.
What the Pratt Consolidated did with
coal .Murray Brown and his fellow busi
ness men of Birmingham some day will
be aide to do with merchandise, provid
ing proper connection is made with the
river. Rut whether or not a saving of
one-half can actually be made, the Good
all-Brown shipment last week gave in
controvertible proof that a big and well j
worth while saving q$n be rpade by the'
use of the canalized Warrior and proper]
connecting transportation system between
J the river and Birmingham.
; The landing made by the river steamer
J Carney at Taylor's Ferry Wednesday is
! recognized, by everyone as an event des
tined to appear in future history of Bir
mingham and Alabama.
The river has been navigable above Lock ]
17. which is the last above Mobile, but
a month or two. Few boats have passed
up and down this part of the river. But
the Carney was the first to make a land
ing with a bonafide cargo of commerce
routed from New York city to Birming
ham by an all water route. It was ac
cepted as a great event at Taylor’s Fer
ry and a good crowd of the country
people living in the neighborhood gath
ered on the hillside to witness the spec
tacle. J. L. Vines, who owns several
hundred acres of land about and who
operates the ferry, stated that it was
one of the proudest moments of his life.
"We farmers along the river here hop.
to see the movement speedily advance
to open the river for Birmingham com
merce," he said. "We feel that this is
th** beginning and no man who sees this
| boat land here today hut will always
boast about It.’’
The Carney swung around In the stream
and shoved her nose in toward the bank
as far as she could for trees which stand
out in the water. The ferry boat was
then brought alongside her and the nota
ble cargo was brought ashore.
The water rate on the Goodall-Brown
cargo from New York to Mobile was 45
cents per 100 pounds. To this is due to a
great extent the fact that hut a saving of
7 cents per 100 was made on the shipment,
for it*is admitted that when independent
steamship lines, or merchant marine ships,
ply between Mobile and New York, that
this rale will he considerably lower. Not
onl> th > but interstate commerce com*
mission action in the near future is an
ti "» :• ted which will cause a much lower
rate lo Mobile.
The r.i , rate i Birmingham on a fourth
class shT'Tr.t'ni. which the Goodall-Brown
dry goods was. is 73 cents. By all water
route ; cost 45 cents to Mobile, 6 cents up
the Warrior river to Taylor’s Kerry and
15 cents pc; -.<>> from the ferry to Bir
mingham by automobile truck. When the
river is connected with Birmingham by a
proper transportation system .this 15
cent charge will probably bo cut half in
two and with these two things together
a saving in all water shipment over
all rail shipment of about half Is ex
pected.
Of course the shipment las* wee!, means
little other than an example of what can
he done with conditions as they should be.
It is impracticable now to ship cargoes
up the river, because there Is no place to
land them at Taylor's Ferry or anywhere
else and after they are landed there is
no proper way to get them .to Birming
ham. The automobile truck can do it, of
course, but it would be too slow and cum
bersome to handle any appreciable amount
of traffic.
The county board of revenue and city
commissioners now have a surveyor’s
gang working in surveying three routes,
for a highway to the river. This gang is
now’ surveying the Taylor's Ferry road
and is but eight or 10 miles from the
river. The Taylor's Ferry road, from all
indications, can be made into a very fine
highway. Already about 20 miles of it Is
a model road. The last eight or 10 miles
is had. however, hut with proper grading
could be added to the other and a high
way to the river of great use would he
the result. The route is out the present
Possum Valley road, then the Toadvine
road and last the Taylor’s Ferry road, the
»*••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••#««*
Above, on the left: Murray Brown, “the man who did it,” and W. C. Radcliffe, secretary of the Cham
ber of Commerce, on board the M. Carney as she steamed into Taylor’s Ferry. In the center: The wide ex
panse of the Warrior at Taylor’s Ferry, where the channel of the river proper is 120 feet deep the year
around. On the right, above: A stretch of the Taylor’s Ferry road where it has been improved. Right, below:
The big truck of the Harris Transfer and Warehouse company which hauled the 5000-pound cargo the 28
miles from the ferry to Birmingham in two hours and 10 minutes. Bob Harris is the second figure standing
on the running board. Bottom picture shows the unloading of the first all water cargo ever shipped into
Birmingham. The dry goods cases are being rolled from the steamer into the ferry boat.
)•*••••••••■•••••••«•••■••••••••••••••••••••• »*«*«#Mt|tSSaai.|.a(aaa ...... ........ ........................ ......................
whole now being called by the lattei
name, however.
Not to disparage the road movement,
the real need for a realization of the bene
fits of the river is a railroad. Either
electric or steam—a railroad there must
be. While there are many who still ad
vocate the canal between the river and
Birmingham .it seems that the great ma
jority have come to the conclusion this is
impracticable.
There has been talk of a municipal rail
road a county railroad, an electric rail
road with its own power house at Lock
17. purchase of the Maxine branch of the
Southern, and many other schemes. But
so far nothing has been done.
What's wrong?
It seems there is no one who is willing
to take the lead and make the first step.
Injunction Refused
Atlanta, July 10.—The injunction asked
by local jitney bus operators to restrain j
the state railroad commission from ex
ercising jurisdiction over such vehicles,
was refused today by Judge Ellis in coun
ty superior court. The court granted a
supersedeas to take the case to the Geor
gia supreme court, and pending the de- i
cision of that tribunal, the railroad com-Bg
mission has agreed to hold in abeyance*
Us orders for the regulation of jitney '
busses.
v
OF RESERVE BANK
The statement nf the federal reserve
hank of Atlanta made public today fol
lows:
Resources:
Gold coin and cer
tificates, gold set
tlement fund, cred
it balance .$1,447,000.00
Held by the bank.. 3,923,157.36
Regal tender notes,
silver, etc. 189,044.00
Total reserves. —$5,569,201,36
Rills discounted and bought:
Commercial paper .$4,522,S69.47
Dues from other federal re
serve hanks, net . 212.736.41
All other resources . 326.492.57
$lo,611,288.Sl
Liabilities:
Capital paid in .$2,415,060.00
Reserve deposits, net . 5,225.945.63
Federal reserve notes in cir
culation. net . 2,919,500.00
All other liabilties . 50,793.18
$10,611,288.81
Memorandum:
Federal reserve notes issued to
the hank .$5,300,000.00
Federal reserves notes in the
hands of the bank . 430,500.00
Federal reserve notes outstand
ing . 4,869,500.00
Gold and lawful money with
federal reserve agent . 1,950,000.00
Net liability, account of federal
reserve notes . $2,919,500.00
Reserve Bank Statement
Washington, July 10.—Gold reserves in
the hands of federal reserve banks in
creased nearly $2,000,000 during the past
week, according to the statement of their
condition July 9, Issued today by the fed
eral reserve board, it shows:
Resources:
Gold coin and certificates in vault, $218,
'021,000.
Gold settlement fund. $47,106,000.
Gold redemption fund with United
States treasurer, $1,116,000.
Total sold reserve, $206,243,000.
Legal tender notes, silver, etc., $22,404,000.
Total reserve. $288,737,000.
Bills discounted and bought:
Maturities within 30 days, $13,008,000.
Maturieles within 60 days. $11,367,000.
Maturities within 60 days, $11,367,000.
Maturities within 30 days, $18,557,000.
Total, $36,677,000.
Investments:
l'nited States bonds, $7,898,000.
Municipal warrants, $13,S95,000.
Due from other federal reserve banks,
net, $6,107,000.
Federal reserve notes, $8,739,000.
All other resources, $3,694,000.
Total resources, $365,387,000.
Liability:
Capital paid in, $54,104,000.
Reserved deposits, net. $295,508,000.
Federal reserve notes, net, $13,375,000.
All other liabilities, $2,100,000.
Total liabilities, $365,387,000.
Gold reserve against net liabilities, 87.8
per rent.
Cash reserve Rgalnst net liabilities, 95,3
per cent.
Cash reserve against liabilities after set
ting aside 40 per cent gold reserve against
net amount of federal reserve notes in
circulation, 97.8 per cent.
Deaths and Funerals
Mrs. Helen M. Nesbitt
Mrs, Helen M. Nesbitt, aged 47 years,
died yesterday morning at a local in
firmary. The remains of the deceased
will be sent to Marbury by Lige Loy
tomorrow morning at 6 o'clock. Dr. H.
M. Edmonds of the South Highland
Presbyterian church, will go to Mar
bury to conduct the funeral services.
The deceased is survived by her hus
band, E. S. Nesbitt. Jr.: three sons,
E. M . M. H., and C. H.; also one daugh
ter, Miss Helen T. Nesbitt; three sis
ters, Mrs. a. E. Wilkinson of Venus,
Tex.; Mrs. J. W. Gcwin of Mammoth
Springs. Ark.; and Mrs. L. R. Pickett
of Pocohontas, Ark.; three brothers, ,1.
C.. P. H., and W. H. Miller of Les
lie. Ark.
A. J. Montgomery
A. J. Montgomery, aged 58 years, died
yesterday afternoon at 3:45 o’clock at the
late residence, 630 North Fiftieth street.
The remains will be sent to Ashville this
afternoon at 4 p’clock by the Woodin
Undertaking company. Funeral services
will be conducted tomorrow morning at
110 o’clock from the Reeves Grove church
near the old home in Ashville. Inter
[ ment will be at that point. The deceased
[ is survived by his widow and three chil
dren: Mrs. N. R. Cricket of Aragon, Oa.,
i Miss Lila Montgomery of Birmingham
1 and E. I). Montgomery of Birmingham.
Walter J. Reeves
Walter J. Reeves, aged 25 years,
I died yesterday morning at a local in
| firmary. The remains of the deceased
will be sent to Brompton tomorrow
morning by Lige Loy for interment.
The deceased is survived by two broth
ers and four sisters.
Saul Vestein
Funeral services over the remains
! of Saul Vestien, who died at Elba Fri
! day, will be held at the Knesseth Israel
| cemetery this morning at 10:30 o'clock.
| Interment will follow there.
Mrs. H. C. Harris
Hamilton. July 10.—(Special.)—Mrs. H.
C. Harris, wife of the Rov. H. C. Harris,
living between Hamilton and Detroit, died
at her home Thursday and was burled at
! Smyrna church Friday afternoon in the
presence of a large concourse of rela
tives and friends. Mrs. Harris was 73
years of age. She leaves a husband, six
> sons and three daughters.
- -
JOHNS
UNDERTAKING CO.
Leading
Funeral Directors
i Phone Main 1002
2011 Fourth Avenue
L. ,
—* \
[_NEWS OF ENSLEY_
The prizes won in the Fairfield City
Beautiful contest were distributed yes
terday afternoon at the civic center, but
owing to the inclement weather only a
small crowd was present. The prizes were
awarded by Mrs. Arthur E. Smith, gen
eral chairman of the City Beautiful club,
who delivered a short address telling of
the work that the club has been doing in
the past year, and of the many improve
ments that have been made in Fairfield.
F. A. McElroy, president of the Fairfield
Commercial club, made an address on
“The Influence of the Prize Contest at
Fairfield.” Owing to unforeseen business
matters City Commissioner George Ward
■was not able to be present, Dr. R. M.
Cunningham acting in his stead.
The contest was started over a year
ago and a large number of the residents
were in the contest. Seventy-five dollars
in money prizes was given besides a num
ber of substantial prizes given by the
local merchants and a number of special
ribbon prizes. A great deal of interest
was taken in the contest and the mem
bers of the City Beautiful club received
much credit for their work in making
Fair^ld one of the most attractive cities
in this district.
The regular meeting of the Ensley Mer
chants’ association will be held Tuesday
afternoon at 2:30 o’clock in the inferior
courtroom. The report of the member
ship committee wrill be. heard. Since the
meeting last Tuesday the committee has
added over 150 new members. D. S. Me
Eachern w'ill also make his report on
the Merchants' carnival, which will be
held in this city during September. The
merchants are planning to hold a carnival
in September to last a week and have
special days for diferent societies in this
district. The merchants are taking an
active interest in this movement.
There will be a meeting of the building
committee of Ensley lodge No. 987, Be
nevolent and Protective Order of Elks,
this afternoon at 3 o’clock in their hall
on Avenue E. The members of the lodge
have practically everything in readiness
to begin work on the remodeling of the
building at 2010 Avenue D, the new home.
It is their plan to enlarge the present
building and to have a billiard room,
reception room, bowling alley, hall and
banquet room in the new home, l^wrence
Pennington is general chajrman of the
i building committee, and all officers of
the lodge are members.
Gordon Harrell, a negro convict work- |
Ing tor the city, was struck by an auto- 1
mobile driven by A. W. Mock yesterday
morning about 10 o’clock at Hlllton and
painfully, if not seriously injured. It is
elated that the negro stepped off the side
walk in front of the automobile and was
knocked down and dragged several feet,
lie received a number of cuts and bruises
about the face and body and a broken
ankle. He was carried to Birmingham
where he was given medical attention by
Dr. Whelan, city physician.
The city beautiful contest, which is
being conducted by the Etnsley Land
company, has beep postponed from the
loth of this month to the 21st, on account
of several business engagements of City
Commissioner George Ward, chairman of
the committees to judge the contest. Over
30 contestants are taking part in the af
fair. and a great deal of improvement
have been shown already. The first prize
will be $100, the second $50 and four $25
prizes which will be awarded to the win
ners.
The members of the congregation of St.
Anthony’s Catholic church have donated a
set of books entitled, "The Catholic En
cyclopedia," to the Ensley library. The
set consists of 16 volumes handsomely
bound and are highly appreciated by the
library board. A number of new books
have been added to the library lately for
the many citizens who use the Ensley
Libra ry.
Sam Monella. an Italian, was arrested
yesterday morning: by Officers Granger,
Griffis, Vallely and English on a charge
of violating the prohibition law. Monella
runs a soft dring stand in Pratt City and
when arrested had 44 bottles of beer In
his place of business. Festus Amos was
fined $75 and Mrs. Lottie Fizer was fined
yesterday morning in the Ensley police
court by Judge J. T. Lowery on two
charges of violating the prohibition law.
Funeral services over the remains of
Berta May Sanders, the infant daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. B. V. Sanders, who died
yesterday morning at the family resi
dence in Wylam, will be conducted this
afternoon at U o’clock from the residence.
Interment will be held at Mack's chapel.
The Tennessee concert band, under the
direction of Professor Costa, will give a
concert this afternoon at the Pratt City
park. Tlie concert will be under the
auspicles of the Civic Improvement as
sociation. The concerts given by this
band have proved • very favorable and
pleasing to those who have been attend
ing and a very large crowd Is expected
to he present this afternoon.
Work is progressing rapidly on the new
Ensley Christian church and the Sunday
school department is expected to be fin
ished by next Sunday and .services will
be held there until the main auditorium
can be completed. The building is near
completion and the main auditorium will
be finished this month, but owing to the
pews not being ready before the middle of
next month, services will not be held in
that department. The new church is
located on the corner of Avenue F and
Twenty-second street and when completed
will cost over $15,000. It is being built of
pressed brick and will be one of the most
attractive churches in this district.
At the regular meeting of the Steel City
lodge No. 190, Knights of Pythias, which
will be held in the hall on Avenue E
Tuesday night at 7:30 o’clock, the rank
of page will be conferred upon three
candidates. Several other matters will be
taken up and all rhembers are requested
to be present.
The children of the Neighborhood Play
grounds, located on Avenue F and Twen
ty-second street will present a comedy
sketch, "Rastus,” and a number of
tableaux on the grounds Wednesday even
ing beginning at 7:45 o’clock. This va
cant lot has been put in shape for a play
grounds b*- ;hc residents of that section
and the T * eds from the entertainment
will be d to buy equipment.
Foreman Josepr Tetlow returned yes
terday morning from San Francisco and
San Diego where he attended the World's
Fair and the Panama-Pacific exposition.
J. G. Gingery will leave this morning
for Youngstown, where he will accept a
position with the Youngstown Sheet and
Tube company.
Monroe McEaehern will leave this morn
ing for Cleveland, where he will accept a
position with the Cleveland Illuminating
company.
BARBOUR LIVESTOCK
MEN ORGANIZED
Eufaula, July 10.— (Special)—£The
Barbour County Live Stock associa
tion has been organized here and an
other definite step made in the inter
est of diversified farming. Capt. J. R.
Barr, one of Lho largest stock raisers
in the county and breeder of Hereford
cattle, was elected president. The fol
lowing were elected vice presidents to
represent the other parts of the coun
ty: (). B. Pruett, Clayton: F. B. Pierce.
Louisville; Dr. .luflson Davie. Comer. \
while H. l^ampley of this city, a mem
ber of the state association, was elect- |
od secretary-treasurer. An executive J
committee will be named and other
business details attended to at a meet
ing to be held by the association at
Kufaula on August 10. At that time
Dr. c. C. Cary of Auburn, state veter
inarian. wrill be present and address
j the association. Much interest was lent
to the first meeting of the associa
tion by the presence of Professors Me
Adory and Meadow of Auburn and Lor
Ing Brown of Atlanta. They also ad
dressed meetings at Clayton and Clio.
Name Plate Returned
Alexandria. Va., July 10.—The silver
name plate taken several months ago
from the George Washington pew in
Christ church here was returned today
by mail from Cleveland, O.
r Ladies, Attention!
The American has reduced the price on i
all plain Wash Skirts, ICp
from 50c to.
—All skirts of washable material are “done up” ex
quisitely In our handwork department, and the skirts
formerly costing BOc are now reduced to only 35c. ^
—Everybody agrees that the American does the
M*7720-23° second Ave! A' prettiest skirt work In town. Try It.
AMERICAN LAUNDRY
I The Qood Family Laundry
I PHONE 3718
la Ordering Goods Please Mention THE AGE-HERALD
Take Your Party On An
Auto Truck Ride i
V
The most enjoyable way to
spend an evening. Some
thing doing every minute.
Our drivers know the good
roads to the best places.
Cheap Rates Now—Phone Main 118
TT ADD IQ Transfer &
Warehouse Co.
Ground Floor Chamber Commerce Bl<^g.