Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-08-08
.IRONA!
An Interesting Interview with Col.
John, L. Tanner Concerning What
Will be in the Future
The "Pittsburg of TeXas-A Location Pos
sessing Vast Mineral Wealth, Exhaustless
Timber, Fine Lands, abundance Of
Pure Water and Health.
Corsicana Light.

any many OlueF enter piisSS AZ
and Alabama, is now visiting Corsicans.
Col. Tanner is personal friend of j. j.
Mcclellan, ESQ.,, one of our prominent
attorneys, and his object in coming here
is to look over the state little. and for
purposes of business.
Learning that he had passed through
Troua en- route and made a careful exam
nation Of that location and its vast de-
posits of minerals, the Light representa-
tive called upon him for his opinion and
TO enjoy pleasant chat.
Col. Tanner is QUE of the foremost of
the prohibition leaders, and it was he
who placed the name of Gen. Fisk IN
nomination for the presidency of the
United States, a circumstance of which
be is very proud. During the past
twenty years Col. Tanner has been prom
inently identified with the growth and
development of many of the most prom
Ineut towns and cities of Tennessee and
Alabama, and when asked for his opiu-
ION respecting Irona, the property of Mr..
II. e. Damon, he replied:
EPerhaps l can best answer that ques-
ton by going over my experience in
cities that were less favored in many
important natural advantages that / find
Irona to poss SIS, and noting their pro-
gress under the all potent factors, capt.
tai and enterprise.
Birmingham, Ala, perhaps, fur
nishes us an excellent example by way of
comparison, for the same natural advan-
tages were found at both places, with
many things favor OF Irona, and the
only advantage that I can now recall
that the latter place does not enjoy is
railroads, and this lack Will very soon be
supplied. The present era of prosperity
in Birmingham began about ten years
ago; at that time there was one poor
hotel building in the city and standing
alone, out in an open field, was bank
owned by Mr.. Charles Lynn, one of the
directors in the North and South rail-
wav, now the Louisville Nashville sys-
TEN, one of the greatest lines of travel
in our country. After building his bank
for which enterprise he was called
crank by his fellow directors in the rail-
road com pany, he began the operation
of mining, bat partly developed at this
time. and his children have lived to see
this bank, having such an humble begin
nlnr. grow into one of the foremost
moneyed institutions of the South; and
the mining industry has developed be-
yond all expectation.
''In the town of Elyton, lying short
distance from birmingham, but now alb
sorbel into that city the "Elyton Land
Company was organized with capital
stock of $500 900. This company began
operations III Birmingham lands and
realty and has paid millions of dollars in
dividends to its stockholders. To give
some idea of the rise in values since this
company began business, land lying at
distance from the city having then little
or no value now brings about fabulous
prices. $3.50 to $1,000 per acre.
Stock in this company is now worth
5000 on every one dollar originally sub
scrfbed. This was the condition of
affairs ten years ago; Birmingham had a
population numbering about 800; the
last census gives her 45, 900 population,
including her suburbs, which are con-
nected with her by lines of rapid transit.
Decatur, Ala, one hundred miles
north of Birmingham, city that has
had a wonderful growth, owes It's pros
perity to the enterprise that built up
birmingham. It's projectors sold
81 900 600 worth of stock before they
had offered town lot for sale, $500, 900
of which was subscribed for in one day.
The site was owned by Maj. E. C.
Gordon, a brother of Governor Gordon
of Georgia.
Decatur is situated on the Tennessee
river. There are valuable mineral de-
posits q short distance from the CITY,
and large body of rich land surround
ing it.
.'The Decatur land company" under
took the development of these impor tant
interests, blast furnaces were built and
there has been added since car works,
bridge mandatory, wood, alcohol
works, ETC., etc.
might also mention Florence and
Sheffield with their mammoth industries,
cotton and wooden mills, shoe factories
and numerous other millions OF capital
from the North has been. poured into
these cities which owe their existence to
the germ planted in Birmingham.
But perhaps the town of Hartman IN
East Tennessee affords more striking
Illustration of what capital can do with q
town having natural resources. Harri-
man was located February Z, 1890, and
town lots were laid off. At the first
stockholders convention held May z
(three moths later there were 1000 in
habitants in the city. At the first sale OF
lots. 1000 business men from the North
were in attendance and $500, 900 worth
of property was taken at the first sale;
lots sold up to S275 per front foot, when
Gen. Fisk stopped the sale for fear that
such prices might hinder the progress of
the town; sales still continue in private,
however, and are very numerous.
At the convention held May a divi-
dend of per cent was declared on all
stock issued up 10 date.
The stock of this company is capital
lied ut Sc 900 900. and by a fair vaIua-
ton of half the value of what the prop
erty was sold for, would make the value
OF their investment at least SIS 900 600.
Last month applied 20 Mr.. Hopkins
the secretary of the company, at his
office in New York for thirty day:
OPTION of $50. 600 of this stock that
wanted for some Texas friends, and wa:
informed that there was no stock fol
sale at any price.
Next TO Birmingham Hartman IL
considered the biggest thing in the South
and ali under prohibitory law. There
are some people who seem under the i'm
preston that prohibition is q drawba
vto the progress of town, but 1t ha:
been clearly and undeniably demon
strated that such is not the case and thai
the city of Hartman furnishes an ex-
ample that cannot be disputed. l have
ia in rda hot I