Birmingham state herald., 1896-03-01
"The World Is Looking Southwark"
To the State Herald.

TO the Sldte fterdlu.
 Since the invasion of DeSoto Alabama
 has never presented more encouraging
 aspect to the real earnest and upright
 home-seeker than today.
 No country can be truly great unless
 it is populated with people of industrious
 habits, practical temperaments content
 ed minds; yet, with all, a will power
 guided by high motives and definite pur-
 poses.
 True, our natural advantages have been many at all 1imes- but hard work, Experience, deep study, and, On some ln- stances, necessity has paved tpe way to
 millions of possibilities. During tfie
 decade the world has known more of us
 than formerly. Many sections seem to think we have just awakened from a long sleep, but we have been working and planning all these years, gaining ground and recognition inch by inch. The | spirit of the times now is to awaken each | section to it's individual advantages Our state has many large and noted indus | tries; in fact, it takes the lead along the | route with the sister states. It is the | smaller industries which l propose to | mention for it is in these that the poor man, with small capital, can see the | many possibilities which well-directed | labor can turn into the comforts and | even the luXuries of life.
 Alabama has a climate adapted to the | cultivation of all kinds of vegetables, and
  | may have an abundant yield, not of vege- | tables alone, but all kinds of grain and all necessary fruits.
 Our streams are clear and sparkling, | and run clear water the year round. our creeks and rivers abound with fish of the | finest quality. Our state, until 1t be- | came the home of the white man, was | considered to contain the most valuable hunting grounds and the finest ranges
 for stock by the most intelligent tribe of
 Indians, the Creeks. To the uncivilized | strength is power. These Creeks pos sessed intellectual and physical strength, | and by this means held for their very own | the gardeH-sPet of the southern states. Tradition has taught the Greek | braves of today that our country, once
 theirs, was next to their eternal hunting | grounds, to where all good Indians hope | to go when life on earth becomes ex- | tinct. They crave to live in touch with | their old country, which their tradition | has made sacred to them. So great Is
 their desire in this that they have many l of the names of our towns Tn tnelr Tar | away Creek nation.
 | Until recently our average farmer con- | fined his crop to corn and cotton, includ- l ing only fruits and vegetables for home | consumption. But now we see many | farms dotted along the line of travel
 whose owner has been far seeing enough | to realize that 1t is better to have many | seasons for marketing as we'll as for buy l ing. This method makes the farmer a | free man. His necessary comforts which he can't raise at home are paid for l when bought.
 l Each year we realize more fully the
 many advantages which our section af- | lords. Any small industry earnestly pushed will pay handsomely. Concen- l tration of thought and labor, the musi- l cian the artist and the author will all
 say, are the greatest essentials to suc- cess in their line, and so 1t Is with the successful termination of every effort in | life. Between Heflin and Atlanta, on the l Georgia Pacific road, there are several
 truck farms which paid out we'll in '95. One man marketed $250 worth of
 tomatoes from one half acre of land,
 and many did equally as we'll with straw l berries. There was big financial yield from peaches and apples, and the sweet potato crop was success
 l Situated three miles above Edwards vile, on the Georgia Pacific road is the progressive little town of Fruithurst. It | is but a few months old, yet breathes | with as much force as older towns, and
 certainly its heart throbs and general | pulsation Is stronger than those of its ! more aged sisters. It is situated In tho