Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-05
SOME COMFORTING FIGURES
Good Facts to 90 With the Talk
of a Steel Plant.
SECRETARY BOLES' REPORT
Striking Statistics Embracing Practical In
formation of Birmingham and the En-
tire Industrial District.

Birmingham business and industrial in
terests, prepared by Secretary Boles of
the Commercial club, and which will be
published in pamphlet form for handy
circulation and preservation:
Population, $4,000.
Altitude above sea level-Lowest point,
Coz feet; highest point, $40 feet.
emperature-Average for year, 81 de-
grees above zero; lowest for year, 20 de-
grees above zero; highest for year, SO de-
grees above zero.
Rainfall for year, 5O.56 inches.
Mortuary-Death rate, II to the 1000 of
population.
Taxes-City. county and state for all
purposes, $1.S5 on the 500.
Tax valuation-Real estate and per-
sonal, $4,000, 900. This is about 60 per
cent of its real value
Banks-Birmingham has three nation
al. three state and one private bank, with
a combined capital stock of 81, 650, 000 and
deposits aggregating $3.50, 900.
Annual clearances, $25, 900 900.
The aggregate business of all kinds
transacted in Birmingham and through
birmingham houses amounts to about
$50 000, 900.
Monthly pay rolls-The different indus
tries in Birmingham and immediate sub
pay rolls aggregating 100000. The rail-
roads employ over 1900 men, to whom
they pay 100000 monthly. This gives
Birmingham over 5000 employees, who re-
ceVe 100000 monthly This does not in
clude carpenters, briclIlayers and arti-
sans of that class.
misunderstanding and Nashville
Southern, Alabama Great Southern, Cen
trail of Georgia and the Kansas City,
Memphis and Birmingham. These five
systems give Birmingham outlets by rail
lin eleven directions. Birmingham street
and suburban railroad system is unsur-
passed. There are nearly 100 miles of
these lines operated either by steam or
electricity, and they reach all parts of
the city and all suburban towns within
fifteen miles of the city.
Schools-Birmingham has the best
school facilities of any town in the south,
Her public schools were awarded first
prize at the Atlanta exposition in 1895.
The city has school property valued at
$250000, and spends $4,000 annually in
maintaining the schools. The annual en-
rollment is about 6000 Besides the pub
lie schools there are a number of col
leges and private schools of high class.
Among them is Howard college, at East
Lake, one of the oldest and best known
institutions of learning in the south; the
Atheneum, for young ladies', also at East
Lake; the Pollock Stephens institute, for
y -
envy and several others of like character;
the Birmingham Business college, the
College of Music and the Conservatory of
Music. These two music schools were
opened about a year ago. and in that
short time have made enviabe reputa-
tions. Their patrons come from all Sec
lions of the south and west
Observation-Disclosures has eighty-tWo
churches, representing more than dozen
different denominations.
Parks-The city and suburbs have thir-
teen parks.
Water supply-The storage capacity OF
Birmingham water works is 1913, 760, 900
gallons. daily pumping capacity 22,500,-
900 gallons.
Observation-Disclosures is situated be
tween two hills which give her splendid
natural drainage and this, aided by the
Warning system, gives the city uneXcell-
ed sanitation and makes 1t the healthiest
city in the south.
Electric lights-The city is Illuminated
at night with numerous arc lights.
Streets--The streets are broad and reg
ularly laid off. the avenues running al
most east and west and the streets near
~ north and south. The streets in the
business part of the city are paved with
Belgian block.
Cotton receipts-Sixty-fve thousand
bales a year
Some of Birmingham's industries
II
ries. blank book manufactures. boiler
works, bolt and nut works bottling
works brass foundrieS breweries, brick
works, iron bridge works broom facto-
ries. wagon and buggy works. cotton gin
and press works. structural iron works,
candy factories. cabinet and pattern
works, cigar factories, cider works, cot
ton congresses, foundries and machine
shops, furniture factories, grist mills,
harness factories. photographers mat
tress factories, two daily newspapers and
hen weekies. packing houses, pipe works,
planning mills, rolling mills. saw works,
stove factories, trunk factories. wheel
barrow and truck factories, woodturn-
ing and scroll works, yeast factory, car
wheel works. cultivator works. pump
works, cotton seed huber works and 9TH
ers. numbering in all over 200 industrial
plants.
Public library of 5000 volumes
Rents very reasonable Desirable
property can be purchased at reasonably
low prices.
Cost of lving--The cost OF living In
Birmingham is very moderate, rents be-
ing low and provisions cheap.
Coal--Steam coal laid down in Birming-
ham from 10 cents to 81 per ton; CRATE
coal from 81 to So per ton; slack. As to
GF cents per ton.
Free stes-Sites for manufacture
Ing purposes will be donated.
paid the following daily wages: Ma
chnists. $3.50 to $500; blacksmths, $3.50
ITO SO; masons (brlck or stone) 50 TO 40
cents an hour; carpenters, 1925 to So;
painters, SO to So: miners. $3.50 to So; I'M
skilled labor, 81 to $l.50
Jefferson County, in Which Birmingham IL
Located.
Population, 1925. 900.
Area, 1li0 square miles.
Macadamized road, $50 miles.
Iron bridges, thirty-three.
Observation-Disclosures of acres in Guilt
yation-Cotton, IA .220; corn, 30,92S; oats,
470s; wheat, 1857; rye, SO; tobacco, So;
sweet potatoes, 50i
Iron and coal--Pig iron output in 1895,
S5i .667 tons; coal, 3,724.333 tons: coke,
! @55 SIS: iron ore, 1850, 900 tons.
Employees and pay rolls-Furnaceme
3i0D: monthly pay roll, $137, $50; iron ore
miners $500. monthly pay roll. S140 900;
coal miners. 1896; monthly pay roll, $780,
go: employees at coke ovens, 1900; month
~ pay roll. $4,000: employees of rolling
mills, pipe works. foundres and various
Industries not included In table of Bir-
mingham industries, about S000 monthly
pay roll S320000
Teal number of employees exceeds b.
0or. total monthly pay roll exceeds $685.