The age-herald., 1899-07-30
GERMANS ARE TALKING OVER
 RESULT OF PEACE CONFERENCE [


 land is very high priced in the highest state of cultivation or use; and that these voca- tions are most advanced and profitable That is what is the matter mainly. In a radius of ten miles of Birmingham there are many thousands of acres that are ut- terly unoroductive and worse than unproit- able. Much of it is tied up in the owner ship of one and another exploded boom town plot. It is held at such exorbitant prices that none can afford to own it for any of the above purposes. A good many Of the areas are owned by distant stock holders. Each stockholder holds so little that he can afford to wait in hope of bet ter prices. Hence the land lies there utter ly unused. Besides, the land around Bir- mingham Is very poor. The town plot was an old plantation, and all around the ara ble land Is well worn. Trucking requires very rich land, and woe to the man who tries 1t on poor land unless he can afford to speedily enrich 1t. l have thoroughly inspected all these points. It might be very profitable were conditions different or what you might say natural. If these unused or ragged town plots were turned loose, truck- ing would be great thing. l rode out to MT. McCary's and fully investigated the trucking side. Besides, have interviewed the commission men and know the sup)ect thoroughly. Birmingham is large con sumer of fruits and vegetables, put tne country near by and remote gets the pene-
  sssippi and even the west, send truck ana fruit here. And l have 1t from the dealers as well as by personal investigation, that the business of trucking around Birmlng- ham Is virtually nothing Of course, lew men have little patcheso but consumPlion is out of all proportion to productioh'
 Poultry comes a long way, and except as fancers poultry raising around Birmlhs- ham cuts no figure. The farmers across the mountains dive in from rorty mics oq more with their covered wagons and bring a lot of poultry. But the most Of It comes from a distance on the railways.
 In dairying the same story may De toio. There are over a hundred dairymen near here and great number of cows; put the darying Is done on the old fashion or NC" Orleans. In the main the COWS do not graze but are fed. I do not know a single pas ture dairy. I visited the largest. The o"h- CT does a large and fiourishing business but has not an acre set to grass. He ouys his feed-corn, oats, cotton seed meal ana such like. He also has milk sent rom distance, as also cream. l asked hm why he did not get a large tract or fand ana soW it to grass for pasture. He sald thal ne could not pay the price asked for land "Why not sell then and buy elsewhere?' said I. "I can't unload without too great loss I paid $2O0 per acre for my lana III boom times" said he. Still think all the backing now will come to Birmingham All the profits from the above VocaIiohS are in reversion for the town.
 In this view it holds out a fund Of uh- touched prosperity, and is like ripening fruit not yet touched or plucked. l have alluded to it so fully because 1t Is an anom- ally and needs explanation.
 What seems to me one of the most con soling features of the boom was that 1t prompted a lavish spirit of expenditure on the architecture of the city. Never any where, in proportion to the size of the city, have I seen such choice and costly speci- mems of architecture as here. The churches and public buildings may really be called superb This magnificence could never have been but In day when money was plent1- full and almost everyone thought he had the purse of Fortunatus. And the private res- idences are really treat to behold, grace ful, high-perched and picturesque be- yond words. If taste and beauty are cri- teria, their occupants must be people Of great culture and wealth. I like, too, the broad, airy streets of Birmingham. Her founders, if they asked high prices for lots, certainly have an unspeakable bounty in wide streets.
 And the town takes care of it's streets Sanitation is next to a craze here. Miles upon miles has she of sanitary sewers The streets are swept with cleanliness next to godliness. You can't even spit innocent sa- liva on the pavement, nor in any public place. under s5 penalty; and to spit in the court house costs you s25. This may LOOK like "blue law" but 1t gives black eye to pavement sptting. You can see men breaking ranks all the time to spit in the street, hurrying back to resume their talk I say all this not derisively, but as informa- ton.
 The streets are naturally drained, as the topography does that
 Another thing: Birmingham has as many saloons it seems to me, as New orleans in proportion to size. And they are sumptu- ous and well patronized.
 The stores here surpass anything Know of outside of some great northern city, and a bright and busy set of men are her mer- chants.
 But I must stop now. have much more to say. I have met many public men, ana am under great obligations to Colonel J. M Kennard the eminent correspondent or the Iron Age and the Manufacturers Rec ord. He has facilitated my work by intro ducing me to many of the most eminent men in this district, with whom he IS Tn close touch by his commanding influence as . Journalist M B. HILLYARD.
 HUNTSVILLE