The age-herald., 1899-02-10
ONE OF THE BEST
 ADVERTISED CITIES

William Ryan in the Richmond Times.
 Birmingham, Ala, February 5.-The best advertised cities in the United States gre Newport News and Birmingham The for mer is revolutionizing the shipbuildng in- dustry and the latter the iron and steel in- dustry. Every one remembers Birming- ham as a mighty boom town in the eigh- ties. There was wild speculation during the last half of the last decade. Real es- tate prices became inflated with the usual result. The liquidation has been painfully slow and trying, but the people who got wiped out and who ran into debt have at last got on their feet again. wiser for the experience. and most wholesome and sat- isfactory condition exists today. Every body one meets here is busy, bouyant and confident. There are no houses for rent, and this, of course, Is a sure sign of com- munity's prosperity. The builders will be oyerworked for some time to come.
 The coal operators. big and little, arc behind with their orders. John R. Ryan, w. E. Leake, and John B. Darlington, for mer citizens of Richmond, and all three engaged in the coal trade, say that this will be the best year that Alabama has ever had in this line of business.
 The nineteen or twenty furnace stacks in blast in the Birmingham district are pushed to their full capacity. The advance in the price of pig iron has been one dollar or more per ton since last fall
 The pipe works and the rolling mills are rushed with orders. The great steel plant and the rod mill-two mammoth enter prises-are being hurried to completion, and will soon be in operation.
 The small industries are thriving and many new ones are being started The tendency is toward the manufacture of wide variety of articles, so that in dull times, when the large industries reduce their wage force, general trade will still be good.
 Birmingham is shipping iron to Europe steadily, and is beginning to fix the price for the world. Of the Birmingham district output 20 per cent. is taken by the local trade, 40 per cent. is shipped to American markets outside of Alabama, and 40 per cent goes to Europe. The district makes one-tenth of the iron of the United States and the proportion will increase.
 This city is practically only twenty-five years old. The census of 1890 gave 1t @ population of less than 3O.OOO. The census
 
 of 75,OOO. The growth will be faster from this time on than ever before, and the pop ulation will be almost, if not quite, doubled in the next ten years This is a conserva- tive prediction.
 Among the public spirited citizens here are B. Steiner, president of the Commercial club; Sol Haas, president of the Sloss Co.,; James Bowron, vice-president of the Ten nessee Coal, Iron and Railroad company; Major J. w. Johnston, Nelson D. Barker. F. Y. Anderson, R. c. Jemison, Henry B. Gray, A. R. Dearborn, Samuel Ullman and w. L. Sims. If Mr. Steiner, at the head of the Commercial club, hears of an industry north, south, east or west, which might likely be induced to come here, he will fetch it if he can.
 Not only is Birmingham a marvel indus trialy, but is is attractive socially. While there are many northern people and many foreigners here, the southern element large ly predominates. In view of the newness of the place and the rush and hustle that characterize it. 1 did not expect to find much atmosphere of culture. That would come by and by, l thought But to my surprise I find not only typical, southern hospitality, but a good deal of broad, genu- inc culture and intellectual activity. In ad- dition to corraling old Vulcan, Birmingham society brought hither a few of the muses- wooed and in a measure won these lovely and refining divinitieS. But first on the up- lifting side come morality, religion and the law. Churches abound There are eighty of them in round numbers and they are Tn charge of faithful, and for the most part, educated pastors. The judiciary Is learned and fncorruptble. Than the Jefferson county bar, there Is none in all the south land more luminous, witty or seVereiy non- est.
 Now come the schools. Splendid they are, especially those for young iaoies. Next come the "culture clubs," counted by the dozen Poetry, belle lettres, psychol- ogy and history are earnestly studied ana discussed in these clubs, and some Of the papers read at the weekly meetings would do credit to Boston. And last, but by no means least Birmingham has hourisnlng conservatory of music, with an excellent corps of instructors. No trashy two steps, or "coon songs are allowed to enter the institution, but musical art is advanced on classical lines. Outside of the conserVa- tory too good teachers are at work. 80 with all the kindness and grace Of manner and all the forces in operation along the lines of culture this "Pittsburg of the South," should be slow to grow sordd or vulgar.
 Speaking of Birmingham society one rarely hears bad break in English gram mar, although my olu Irleno' Colohei William P. Ellis, formerly of Buckingham county, Virginia, tells me that the average gentleman invariably uses the present for the past tense of the verb ito win.' Thus, q win," or ''I win me- $200 at poker last week, instead of q won." This usage, however, obtains in other grammatical cen- ters of the south, it is said But with this exception and perhaps few other unin, portant ones, the Queens English is, as should be inferred from what I have written touching schools and culture clubs, most kindly treated.
 THE TWO VILLAGES