Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1900-03-09
iTO BE CoNTINUEp.l
OF MIGHTY GROWTH.
SPLENDID PROGRESS OF ALABAmA'S
LEADING CITY.
Population of Birmingham Has In
creased From 1000 to 100000 Ia
Twenty Icnrs-What Has Wrought
This Wondrous Change.

Tho city Of birmingham had in 1850
a population Of 1000, The census taken
in 1900 will find in and near Brnins-
ham something like 100000 people.
Within tie incorporated limits Of the
civ there are now something Ike 10
Urt inhabitants. Avondalc, one Of the
suburbs, has 1000 inhabitants. East
Lake. an uniucorporuted suburb,
boasts of 1000 population. WoodlaWn
also unincorporatrd, has n population
of q. 900. East and North Birmingham,
with 1000 population, are uuin,or-
p.ratcd. Ike ElytOn. Smjthheld West
End and Powdcrly. with 5,Ioo popUla-
uyu all told. Pratt City, out>tripprd
in Tie race for importance 10y EnSLry.
has still 1000 inhabitants. EnSlcy has
anywhere between 5000 and 10000.
Er~>cmcr has within its corporate linn
it, 5000 workers and their families,
and cate city and lrondaIe add up
1000 inhabitants. The footing that
gives the whole population aS $1,000
Is. | am assured by some Of the men
WHO dislike oycgdruwn statements, too
far below 100000 to be reliable.
What is il that has brought all this
population to this place and its neigh
bolhood? Not the desire to give Biz
miugAam reputation for rapid
growth The people who suffered from
the overpushing of the early days Of
the city have learned that there is
nothing hut distress in "boominG.' 1t
may he stated with perfect confidence
that the backbone of the Improvement
OF Birmingham has been the actual de
vrlupmcnt of the marvellous mineral
resources found in the immediate
ucighhoyhood. favoring the economical
and rapid production of iron and steel.
To get the ore and coal ont of tile
hills and the pig iron out Of the ore
required ahorerS. To feed and cluthe
| the Iaborers shops well supplied with
food and clothing became necessary
and profitable. All classes of artisans
were needed to provide and equip
/ hoUseS and business places. The in
coming of moaey and the necessity Of
providing channels of business brought
! banks. The whole march of ciyiiiZa-
/ ton was soon established with repre-
SuAtutiVeS of all the classes in the line.
See what has taken place under the
/ clDUled skies of Birmingham in a few
| short months. During the year ending
July |, lN99. $3,GOOOO0 was employed
in starting some l. business concerns
Indispensable to the growth and pros.
prrty and comfort of the city and its
Suburbs. The Alabama Steel and Ship
building company began operations
with a capital of $l,00o000 The Ala
hama Steel and Wire company, with
S2,00OOOO capital the Birmingham &C.
mcnt company. with 100000 capital,
and other companies for the manulac-
ture of lumber. electricity. ice wood
work, oil, -four and cooperage supplies
all contributed to make up the amount
invested rs stated.
Nearly $1,000. 900 was also authorized
to be expended and has been in large
part spent in improving works already
in operation. 1t is plain that building
mas bttu active 10 even lne most cas-
u0l observer, and 1t is not difficult to
believe the report that S1.5O00O0 was
spent in a year in the erection of new
buildings for dwellings. 24T of them in
birmingham, at cost of about ST ,O0O,-
coo; 800 in Ensley, at cost of $3.50
600. and many in the several suburbs
enumerated in prior paragraph. The
banking capital in August last was
Sl.500,O00, and the bank clearngs in
1888 were S23,117 800. For the first six
months of 1899 they were $14.75O. SGJ,
and the showing for the last six months
undoubtedly will be better.
In popular estimation a doom" is
something like balloon. thing com.
posed largely of wind But wind will
not sustain the hungry laborer. Only
employment and pay will draw and
keep the men to whom labor Is Spri
GUS matter, for which they must have
regular and prompt compensation. II
Ia stated that there are now in the
Birmingham district something like