The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-02-25
FORWARD Is
THE GLAD CRY
OF the Birmingham District In Material
Greatness.
THE TALK OF THE PRESENT
Is the Immediate Advancement Of This
Wonderful District.
HOW 1T IMPRESSES OUTSIDERS.
Vice-President John M. Eagan Talks
Entertainingly of What He Feels
An Object Lesson in
Good Roads.
HOW IT IMpREssEs OUTSIDERS.

birmingham grows upon me-" said Vice
President John M. Eagan, of the Georgia
Central railroad. yesterday.
81 came here, and think know Birming-
ham very well; but after an absence of a
few weeks 1 return and believe know 1t
not at all.
every succeeding visit of mine to .Bir-
mingham impresses me anew with the
present greatness of the city and with it's
marvellous possibilities and probabilities.
Birmingham is the most expanding and
expansive thing know In material life.
II arrived In town last night asleep. To-
day have been looking about me. and have
been greatly pleased with what have seen.
A more perfect day, more perfect weather
I never in my life experienced, and this,
joined to practical business AFFAIRS has
cheered me as am seldom cheered.''
Then you are pleased with local conJi-
tions?" The Age-Herald reporter asked.
PLEASED? 1 am delighted No conceiv-
able condition Of things can keep Birming-
ham back. 1t must go forward Biz
mlngham is the Pittsburg of the south and
must inevitably be the south's greatest
city. Indeed, it must become ono of the
greatest of all American cities.
Local conditions tending to prosperity
are not surpassed in the world, In so far as
1 know. Birmingham must go forward.
Progress Is the logic of your material con-
dition. You couldn't keep back If you
would.
But there Is one fact for the business
men of Birmingham seriously to consider.
That is this: that the immediate advance
ment, progress and wealth of the city de-
ponds chiefly upon local effort. The people
ish to wait for outsiders to take the lead
in the city's development.
1.-THE great steel plant at Ensley and it's
consequent industries are vaster In their
import than most of you people have yet
come to comprehend. 1t means new Biz
mngham, greater than any founder Of this
town ever dreamed OF. You people merely
wish to put their own hands in their own
behalf. The great industries being con-
structed at Ensley call for smaller indus
tries, and Birmingham people need not
wait for others to push forward the great
and paramount work of organizing small
factories
Asked about the business of the Georgia
Central, Vice-Presdent Eagan said:
THE extraordinary weather of the pres
ent season has seriously interfered with
business. The roads are in such bad con-
dition that travel between the stations and
the farms has been almost impossible.
Therefore freight traffic has been unsatis-
factory. One firm of dealers in fertilizers
in Atlanta informed that they had sold
$4,000 Of fertilizers for this season and been
unable to deliver more than 5000, all be-
cause OF the weather."
HAS the fruit crop In Georgia been dam
aged?"
THAT cannot be definitely determined as
yet," said Vice-President Eagan; but we
expect a fair crop"
Mr.. Eagan came to town yesterday on
his private car, accompanied by some
friends He left his car here for the use
of some friends. who are proceeding to
Kansas City, and yesterday afternoon he
left by the Southern train for Atlanta.
Mr.. Eagan is one of the ablest railroad
magnates in the country and one Of the
most agreeable of men.