Birmingham state herald., 1897-03-18
CARROLLTON.

Ca1rollton, March 16.-(Specfal Corre- spondence. .l-There Is a public road in Pickens county leading from Columbus, Miss. to a point near Yonlxville, and this thoroughfare Is called by the name Tn that section as the warpath.
 There are two reasons why this public road is thus designated. It is said that De Soto camped for some time al Old South Carolina church, near YorkviAe, where many evidences of the place hav- ing been occupied by an army have been found That De Soto went with his army along the route called by the old set tiers the warpath to the Tombigbee river.
 Many years ago the commissioners court appointed viewers to work out road from point near Abrams to lead in the direction of Columbus, Miss. There were many advocates of various routes, and there was much i'll feeling engen- dered about the proper course to take, and when the viewers ssembled some of their nelsf1bors attended with shotguns to enforce their opinions. Bloodshed was averted by several men who were present and who never lost Their heads. Finally it was agreed that the viewers should designate whatever route they might se- feet as the warpath road as several had assembled to make war on those who opposed them. The persons appointed to discharge their duty to the public went to work, and for several miles it is said pursued the route followed by De Soto. whose exploits are buried in oblivion on account of the expected battle between some of the people of Pfckens of more Tecent date.
 The engineers of the Montgomery di- vision of the Mobile and Ohio railroad have followed the warpa tn of De Soto, and have located the Columbus and Tus- caloosa railroad to South Carolina church, in Pckens county, where the shields bearing the inScrfntiOn of Spain were found. and part of the way marked out by the viewers of this county has been the basis of the line.
 well equipped corps of railroad men, fully up-to-dste in science, and aided by experience, have fully shown that De Soto had an engineer with him when he was wandering through Pickens, and that a monument will be erected to his memory Tn this county when the Tusca- loOsa and Columbus railroad is built. II further illustrates a well-known fact that the pioneers in western Alabama, in planning, laying out and constructing public roads, understood much about civil engineering, and they knew how to work out the shortest and the best route be- tween two given points.
 The people of Pickens are in good spir. it's, and the project of the railroad be ing built through their county is now certain.
 It is true that Carrollton will probably be left out, and this Is much to be re- gretted, as larger area of local traffit could be secured by a route nearer ths center of the county.
 The mortgage of the Mobile and Ohio on the Montgomery division to the Gen. tral Trust company to secure the bonds to the amount of S4.o00.0o0 in bonds has been recorded in the probate office 1T Pickens county, and was carried by Saf- fold Burney. Esq. one of the attorneys of the railroad, to Tuscaloosa for record The mortgage will also be recorded ir Bfbb, Chiffon, Autauga and Montgomery counties. The money expended in secur. ing terminals in Montgomery and in ob- thinning the roadbed of the Ala bama Mid land shows that the Mobile and Ohio