The age-herald., 1900-08-05

finement left their homes to come here and Invest in property. As many came via the North and South Railroad, a problem con fronted them as to how they could reach the newborn city. When they arrived at the terminal in Blount County, farm wag- ons, ox-carts, horses, mules and every con- ceivable means of transportation were a way to ride, bravely started out and walked the distance of something over thir- ty miles.
 The day of the great land sale came.
 No side deals were made, but every thing went up and down by the shout of the auc- t;oneer, who had deeds made to the highest bidder.
 Lot Sold For SfOO
 The first lot sold was 5ox1OO feet at the corner of First avenue and Nineteenth street, now occupied by large clothing store. This was sold to Major A. Marre for the magnificent sum of $l00. Since then the land has not been sold, and Major Mare holds the original title This remark able sale being ended the town was flood ed with strange landowners, but it im- mediately began to thrive. Within a year the little city proudly boasted of 54 brick stores 125 frame stores. and 25O frame dwellings.
 But it is long lane which has no turn ing" In 1913, when the light of prosperity and happiness shown brightly over all the tile city, was thrown into a fever of in- tense excitement by rumor which rap idly gained circulation that several persons had been stricken down with that dreaded disease cholera. The rumors were soon con- firmed and reports were flying over the town of men and women dropping dead in the streets, others told tales of great sui, ferings and destitution. Industry was for gotten, work on the furnace was stopped. R1 mi ere Ia 6nXEr hai people who had been happy and contented ten days before, thought only of flight from the dreaded disease which had spread over the town. The 'boom'' had collapsed, and little Birmingham was quickly depopulated. Il was deserted village.
 Heroic Deeds
 No more heroic deeds were ever chronicled than the brave acts of those who remained in the plague-st-!cken city and cared for those for whom recovery was possible. By hard and perilous work the disease was fin ally stamped out, and some of the former residents began to return.
 Just new rays of hope began to per wade the town, the great panic of Septem- Der, 1873. commonly known as Black Fri day." passed over the country, and the newborn city was again thrown into a state of depression.
 During all this time the faithful pion- eers who had begun the building of the ci.y stood like a stone wall at their posts. and with indomitable pluck finally carried their overgrown ward over the great ob- stacles which had threatened her with de- struction.
 On November 23, 1880, the first furnace went into blast. This was Alice No. l, winch Is now in operation in the western parl of ,..e city.
 Long ere the smoke from those large stacks encirced the beautiful Jones valley, life had returned to the infant Birming- ham and today magnificent city of near unto an hundred thousand souls spreads out over the valley as a monument to the sturdy pioneers of the seventies.
 ChIna's Great Wall
 From the Chicago News.
 Built by the great Chung, or Shih Hwang,