The age-herald., 1900-06-03

lieves in Buddism and Confuciansm. He worships his idols. These idols are not supposed to be gods They are simply the representatives of a divine deity. They are mere object for the eye to look upon In imagining some god The Chinaman be- lieves in his religion as we believe in ours He listens to a missionary as we would listen to a Chinaman who would come to this country as missionary and endeayor to teach his religious beliefs. Many of us would go to hear him out of curiosity just to-hear what he had to say. Yet, we have many good, earnest men of God who are endeavoring to teach the heather of China version of Christianity. They are sent from here and they are doing their work to the best of their ability, but in the three score years that American missionaries have lived in China they have accomplished practically nothing. The same amount of money expended in this country would accomplish much greater results.
 Missionaries, as a rule, live well in China. They live on the fat of the land. missionary gets a salary of S1,0OO year and is allowed s1OO for each child of his family. Or better, he is allowed a salary
 
 salary is SLIGO and for each child he gets $1oO additional. They are likewise allowed sufficient to build their own homes, and many of these homes are handsome and thoroughly comfortable. When one under stands that $1 ,00O in China is practically equivalent, for living expenses, to $4OOO in this country, it can well be understood how a missionary can live we'll on his salary.
 
 If the bank deposits of Birmingham are any indication of it's growth, Birming- ham has nearly doubled in the last nine months. In looking over some of the bank statements yesterday, I was amazed to see the tremendous growth of deposits since the statements of September of last year. The First National bank has doubled it's deposits in that time, having now about $2,6OO,0OO of deposits on hand. The Berney National bank, the Trust company, and other banks, have likewise each increased their deposits by several hundred thous- and dollars.
 I hear the Seaboard Air Line railroad will come into Birmingham in the very near future. This system will soon be in possession of the East and West railroad of Alabama and I am told that it prac- ticaly owns the Belt Line railroad which has splendid terminals in Birmingham The splendid work of John Skelton Will Hams, who is only about 35 years of age, in organizing this great railroad system, which extends from Richmond, Va, to Tampa, Fla, is an exploit probably never equalled by any man of his age in this country The system is already said to be next to the largest in the south, and one of the largest in this country. It reaches Atlanta, Savannah, Jacksonville, and has branch line from Savannah to Montgomery, we'll as the East and West from Atlanta, which extends via Carters- vile and Rockmart to Pell City; less than thirty miles from Birmingham. MT. Will Hams has proven himself to be a power in the railroad world, and other railroad people are watching with interest to see what inroads he will make into the great mining and manufacturing section of Ala bama. His shrewdness in getting possess sion of the Belt system of Birmingham puts him in position where he can enter the city and district whenever he sees fit
 2o.hnnazo.