The age-herald., 1901-11-21
TWO HUNDRED IN ATTENDANCE ON
 ROAD CONVENTION Delegates Welcomed to City In an Address by Mayor
 w. M. Drennen
CAPT. JOHNSTON SPEAKS
President Moore of Good Roads Asso. citation Explains How Roads Are Made and how the Money
 Is Obtained.

- ' The North Alabama Good Roads < ' Convention will be addressed today < \ by Capt. J. M. Falkner, Hon. O. -~ % w. Underwood, Hon. John l.. Bur . ' nett and M. A. Hayes of the South < < ern Railway. Col. J. F. D. Jackson -< < will read a paper on public roads in \ < Jefferson County. < The good roads demonstration < < win continue during the day, be- < < ginning at o'clock this morning. Y ' Machines will be in operation at . < Avondale, Thirtieth street and % < Twenty-sixth street. < Tonight M. o. Eldridgs, assistant -% < director of public road inquiries -~ < for the United States government, . < will lecture at Seels' Hall on the ' > public roads of Europe and Amer < . lea. His lecture will be illustrated ' O. by stereoptican views. % ~-<<%>><%<%<>-<<
 More than two hundred men interested in the public highways of Alabama gath cred in Seals Hall yesterday morning and at 10 o'clock the North Alabama Good Roads Convention was called to order and a movement was launched which is expected to be of vast benefit to the State.
 B. F. Roden, chairman of the citizens executive committee was chosen to pre- side over the meeting and J. Asa Roun- tree was elected secretary.
 Many of the delegates had seen the good roads demonstration in Avenue A between Birmingham and Avondale and from the close attention paid the speak CTS they were evidently eager to hear the subject of road building thoroughly discussed.
 Mayor Drennen Welcomes Them.
 Mayor Drennen made the welcome ad dress and during his speech showed him self student of road building. After ex- blaming why the good roads train was brought to this city he said in part:
 "This convention has not been called to meet here in Birmingham because lief ferson county has poor public roads for such is not the case. Colonel J. F. B. Jackson. who is commissioner of public roads for this county, informs me that we now have forty-four iron bridges and more than 200 miles of macadam road that has cost this county to construct almost s500,000, and we would not be de- prived of them for more than double their cost He further states that by extend ing our present system, which is now in most excellent condition. less than fifty miles, we would reach Jefferson connecting with Walker, Tuscaloosa, Shelby, Bibb, St Clair. Blount and Gull man counties. in fact every county that now joins Jefferson county.
 'The result of such a system of public roads as we now have in this county is that the property and farms adjoining these roads has more than doubled in value and the citizens of Birmingham and suburban towns enjoy the benefits of fresh products raised op these farms along and adjacent to these good roads The dairymen, the truck farmers and other farmers living near these roads not only enjoy the benefits of most excel lent roads, but are put in touch with our markets daily thereby receiving the benefits of any advance in farm products. Only few weeks ago the price of Irish potatoes in this city for four or five days was as hign as g per bushel while they were selling in a less radius than fifty miles of Birmingham at less than 80 cents per bushel.
 Rural Mall Service.
 with our present rural mall service that has recently been established in this county extended and our system of roads extended through adjoining coun- ties the produce farmers contiguous to such a system of roads would receive odx tya ottr Y,aa r. 0tu q and would be tho direct beneficiaries. Under present conditions our merchants wire their orders to other markets and the produce arrives here before our farm CTS learn of this great advance.
 "The farmers In this section are sell ing cotton here today for about seven cents per pound while they could have sold Irish potatoes as above stated with in the past few months at s2 per bush- el We want to interest our farmers in raising more produce and less cotton, and there is no better way to do this than by building good roads whereby they can easily market their products.
 'swe have invited you gentlemen here today in order that you may join us in witnessing practical demonstrations of road building by men who have national regulations as experts in road construc- | ton and to hear lectures by men promi- | nent in State and National affairs. As | the Chief Executive of this city and an ardent supporter of this movem ent for a | best~- system of roads for Alabama, I extend to you hearty welcome Capt. Joseph E. Johnston Speaks. | Governor Jelks and Congressman Un-