The age-herald., 1900-07-18
BIRMINGHAM SURR[NDERS TO THE
 ALABAMA PRESS ASSOCIATION
Meeting Was Held in the Commercial Club Rooms and Some
 Very Interesting Addresses Were Delivered

;SSGS Were Delivered,
 
 Standard, Marion-C. H. Greer.
 Star, Anniston, F F. Stockton
 Southern Home, Livingst6n-W H. Law renee.
 Sentinel Montevallo-H. E. Whitaker and w. B. Reynolds.
 Southern Presbyterian, Birmingham-J. G. Snedecor.
 Standard Sheffield-E. M. Ragland. Sun, Tuscaloosa-M. L. Tucker.
 Southern Alliance, Ashevile- -. Sun Livingston-C. A. Allen Standard News, Edwardsville-C. L. Bur gers.
 Siftngs-Dothan-T E. Williams. Star. Ozark-Joe H. Adams. Times, Florence-M. W. Camper Times Citronelle-Mrs. Mildred B. Pierce. Times Tuscaloosa-W. c. Jemison. Tribune-Gazette, Cullman-S L. Fuller. Vineyardist, Fruithurst-J. A. Westerland and s. l.. B. Blache. Watchman, Greenshoro-Wiliam E. W.
 Yerby and Lee M Otts
 Whig and Observer, Eutaw-W. o. Mon
 roe.
 West Alabama Breeze, Newport-J. T. Beale.
 West Alabamian, Carrollton-A M. Will lett.
 Dr. B. D. Gray, pastor of the First Bap- list Church. opened the meeting with prayer, after which President w. H. Ket- tig of the Commercial Club welcomed the visitors to the city in behalf of the club. MT. Kettig said: MT. K ttie's Welcome Address Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press Associa- tion:-
 The members of the Commercial Club are especially glad to welcome you to this Magic City. We feel that this great manu- featuring city owes more to the press than to any other agency. It has been but few decades ago when the present site of Birmingham was but barren field. Few people and fewer homes were here at that time. We had then the same great natural resources that we have now, and we have had them for thousands of years. But natural resources are worth little to any community if they sleep peace fully in the earth undeVeloped and unad- vertised. Their development is due not so much as to what they are, but to the wide publicity given them. It was through the agency of the press that the great mineral district of Alabama first became known to the world It was through the press that people in distant lands learned that we could make iron cheaper in Alabama than any other place in the world. Our development did not fairly begin unt our material resources had been heralded
 
 and sudden development of the mineral district of Alabama has been beneficial to all classes of people. It has benefited the laborer, mechanic, lawyer and merchant alike.
 It has benefited the farmer more. per- haps, than any other class It gives him ready home market for his product at profitable prices It has given him a great | market he never had before, not only for cotton but for anything else that he can produce.
 The country press has also received it's benefits, for instead of paying for his sub scription formerly with cabbage, pota- toes and beans, the farmer rushes his pro- ducts to Birmingham, finally paying the happy editor in cash. Our city press has also fourished and prospered like the proverbial green bay tree. The circulation of our great Bir- mingham dailies extends from the North pole to the equator. Indeed one of our great Birmingham editors whose name I dare not mention, but whose massive bald head shines like a pillar of intelligence by day and like the evening star by night, claims that his circulation is limited only by the boundaries of the earth. We all have received our share of these blessings, but there is no agency to which more credit is due than the public press. Birmingham, the iron center of the South (and perhaps the world), Is the greatest monument to simple advertising this country mas produced. NO patent meQ- icne no product of manufacture, no mat ter what 1t owes to advertseing, has been more benefited by the prass than the city of Birmingham We hope your convention will be profita- ble in many ways to yourselves and that | a result of your deliberations, great good will come to the people of the state. Representing three hundred of our best citizens, composing the Commercial Club, voice their unanimous sentiment when bid you a hearty and cordial welcome We are proud to have you in our midst. We are glad that you selected this city as your meeting place. We hope you will feel at home here and that your stay will be pleasant. We hope that you will soon come again. Mr. Kettig was fololwed by Richard F. Johnston, president of the Birmingham | Press Club, who extended the visiting edi- | tors welcome to the city and told of the arrangements for their entertainment while l in the city. MT. Craighead's Response Erwin Craighead of the Mobile Register responded to the addresses of welcome. l saying:
 | MT. Mayor, MT. President of the Commer- cial Club, and Members of the Birming- ham Press Club: Often as I have visited Birmingham and | cordial as has been the reception given me l by a number of your citizens this hap l pens to be the first time have been called tO al