National Republican., 1888-02-22
TIE PLACE TO LOCATE.
Where the Merchant aud Farmer
Should Cast Their Lot.

TALLApFdA, Ala, Feb. l5.-I dropped
down into this beautiful town few weeks
ago and have been walking round with
my eyes open to "spy out the land' and see
what there was to see In a place which
claims to be one Of the growing towns OF
the south. Talladegs can boast Of as good
location as any OF the new places In the
southwest in the foothills Of the Appalach-
ian mountains. II has three railroads con-
Meeting her with the outside world, viz:
The East Tennessee, Virginia and
Georgia, the Admission and Atlantic,
and the Talledega and Goose Valley.
There are two or three other lines IN pros
pect, and one, at least, is certain to reach
the city within few months. The popu
latlon is about 1900, being n steady and
permanent growth for the last ten years.
The Talladega valley Is one OF the most
fertile in the state for the general farmer,
and the agricultural interest aloue has
built up the city and added steadily to Its
growth.
first looked to see whether the place
was situated so as TO secure the health OF
the people, and found that there could be
no better conditions for health than exists
here. There has never been anything ap'
preaching an epidemic In Talladega. There
can never be. The drainage Is all that can
be desired, and the water the best that
nature can furnish. Outside Of the abun
dant supply OF freestone water, there is
sulphur and chalybeate in various conve.
nient localities. Invalids from the north
have found their way here for the winter,
to be greatly benefited, and during the hot
months of summer people from further
south come up here to enjoy the cool
breeZes.
| made It my business to become &C.
quainted with the mayor, and found him to
be 'hustler.n w. II Skaggs is now
mayor for the second time OF ralladega, and
is one OF the youngest mayors In the c0un
try, being only about 26 years Of age. lie
is president Of bank, Of the Local Land
identified with railroad aud other inter-
ests Of that section. lie is
one OF the young men Of the
south who are fast dissipating the legend
arv notione OF northern people Tue enter.
prlse of Mayor Skaggs has given Talla1ega
solid banking facilities, magnificent water
works system, the new school system, good
streets and highways, fire and police de-
partment, and financial credit which stands
Al In the money centers Of the country.
Talladega has its land aud improvement
company with other Ala oama cities, but
here work has been begun in q more
sensible way than at some other places.
While the organization, which has paid
up capital Of h9lf a million dollars, has
purchased all the desirahle buil ling sites
In and about the city, there has been no
public auction aud 10 reseliug OF lots TO
spectators to hang on TO. Where land
has bten plated broad streets have been
provided for, and there are such
restrictions In regard to building
| Of all residents. And that future buyers
may find something substantial behind the
| speculative boom when auction day arrives,
| the company has laid out and is now i'm.
proving public park Of many acres In ex.
, tept, and, aside from an artificial lake
which will cover seven acres of ground,
, hotel is to be erected on commanding
site and the patronage OF northern people
| solicited for the winter season. A number
Of handsome cottages will also be erected
| in the vicinity CT the hotel, and the whole
| park will be thrown open to the city public.
While heretofore Tallsdega has depended
| upon the farmers and the rich farm lands
| to build 1t up, am OF the opinion that It's
| future growth will be largely Influenced by
the immense 'and valuable ore deposits
| near 1t. Within mile and half of her
count house is mountain OF brown hema-
tlte ore, which contains sufficient mioeral
to run thousand blast furnaces a mans
lifetime. From the outcrop on this noun
tain a man could easily pile up score of
tons per day, with no aid exec.Sass-irom a
crowbar. Dig away the surface soil and
there Is the SrsEtc Ec ,wn twenty, iftys sey1
ore an and naPdi pi
sonthwIcf En,1g as was sent sent over SIv' bere by BY
6cft nHttI On tEs son N iGh cifaiadegar.T rTn Ind ii
give extracts fiSm Ills published report as
| bint to American capitalists. The Off.
cial analysis showed nearly IS per CEN. Of
| metallic iron in the ores.
| Aside from the brown hematite there are
large beds Of magnetic ore OF such high
grade that piece held within few inches
| OF compass will wbirl the needle, and
there is no metallic ore IN use by iron
mongers which cannot be found near by.
The mountains are full OF marble OF all
varities, while slate quarr!es have been
| opened. llthograph stones discovered, beds
OF kaolln laid open, aul potter's clay
ard fire clay found In inexhauStible
| quantities. AS II determined to hold moth
ing back, Nature planted gold In one OF the
| hills In quantities sufficient TO pay well for
| the working even In the crudest manner.
| Some day In the near future a co upAny of
capitalists will take hold of the business iu
| the right way, and the news will go out
| that Alabama is yielding plenty of the
wherewitbal to pay Oft the national debt.
There are varieties OF marble which equal
the Italian for purity and every common
biauc SOlbl W Cbul'uGTCt. III
won't be long before these qutrries will be
| opened by come one who is certain to max
a good thing Of it, and the day that the
| white slabs are loaded for market will say
goodbye to the long hauls from New Eng.
land.
The kao'in, fire clay, plumblgo, aud
other products can be gotten out aud put
into market as cheap rs from anywhere
else in the United States, and this fact
must bring about investment and develop
ment.
Coming as | did from an extended trip
through the mineral regions OF the north.
west, was sstonlshed AZ the wealth lying
here overlooked and neglected, AS the
warm sun and pleasant breezes invite out
door excursions, ] shudder for and pity the
poor residents OF the blizzard swept north
west, perishing by the hundreds VITA cold,
while the thermometer here Is not be.
low 10.
The farmer, the merchant, the worker.
the investor can find no better place to cast
in his lot than at or near Talladego.
PRosPECroR.