The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-11-25
The Rich and Fertile Lands of Wash.
ington Offer Great Inducements
to Home Seekers.

Is no bottoms In the roads and where
they cannot get to the markets more than
three months in the year. They have not
been accustomed to burying themselves
or cut loose from civilization for nine
months In the year, or to wear out their
stock and running gear and vehicles on
muddy roads. Nor do 1 blame them
They are going to have good roads. how
ever, and then all the rest will come as
surely as night follows day. The people
of Alabama are beginning to appreciate
the value of good roads and really be-
lieve they will be willing to bear a reas-
enable taxation for that purpose say
this because wherever an election has
been held recently on the question, good
roads have carried by handsome major
tiles
know that Washington is put down
In the timber belt, and while there Is yet
much timber. great deal Of 1t is being
cut and sent to the mills. and fine tim
Der 1t is, too. The stiff, black soil in the
north, the sandy lands in the central
and southern portions are easily suscept-
fble to the highest degree of cultivation
and lie well. and when thus attended the
lands become very productive, and the
pasturing lands are of the finest in the
State. There is an abundance of pure
freestone water and mineral water is
found which embraces iron. sulphur,
magnesia and alum, the most noted of
the latter being at Healing and sullivan
Springs. The Mobile and Ohio Railroad
traverses the entire county and with the
Tombigbee River furnishes ample trans
portation for all the products to the mar
ket There is much government lands
yet open to settlement
While here l went over the magnificent
property of Mr.. Howard Douglas, en-
bracing 1900 acres of some of the most
valuable lands in Alabama. He is rapid
ly utilizing his lands for the many pur-
poses for which they are so well adapted
for cotton, corn, all small grain, cattle
and hogs, and besides living at home,
raising his own meat showing me some
red, sweet. juicy hams in his smoke
house over two years old as sweet. as a
nut, he has one of the finest game pre-
serves in all the State He entertains
his friends with a lavish and generous
hospitality but he takes care Of his game,
and will not allow any more of it killed
than Is desired for the occasion, not al
lowing 1t recklessly slaughtered, and in
consequence there is plenty of all sorts
of game at all times of the year and all
who come are sure of the finest sport.
Capital Coming.
The eyes of the investors and. develop
ers have already turned In this direction
and before very many years now the
great natural advantages with which ma
ture has blessed this section will be
largely developed and manufactures of
all sorts will be established here, the
natural gas which abounds in unlimited
quantities being used for the fuel while
oil may be discovered and gushers abound
in large numbers.
Expert Opinion.
In the report of his observations of this
| immediate locanry, DR.. Eugene A. Smith,
State Geologist, who is universally ac-
knowledged to be one of the best geolo-
gists In the United States, removes all
doubt of the high value of the lands and
the possibilities that may result from
wise and prudent prospecting.
DR.. Smith says: I'm Clarke, Choctaw
and Washington counties out as far as
Frankville, moderately deep borings
along palmetto flats. and following the
line Of the Claiborne outcrops, yield
brines of varying degrees Of concentra-
tion. and very often notable quantities of
natural gas.
These salt wells, from hundreds of
borings, were utilized during the civil
war for the manufacture of salt, and a
vast quantity Of this substance was
then made. The natural gas, so far as
l am aware, has never been put to use,
but there seems to be no reason why 1t
could not In many OF the localities where
1t Is abundant. II the salt brfnes could
be evaporated by means of this gas it
would cheaper the cost OF manufacture
and the fact that the greater part of
the salt wells are close to the river, would
make the cost of transportation exceed
ingly SMALL
lie hot ho Co.
of cement can be done profitably and says
that the clays which are needed in the
industry for mixing with the lime, can
l feel confident, be obtained from some
of the beds of the Hatchetibgee forma-
ton ,outcropping along the river above
Peevey's Landing. Some of these clays
are now being tested as to their fitness
for this purpose. The quantity of lime
stone adapted to this use and lying in
the immediate vicinity of the river is
practically unlimited. In a general way
the beds which are quarried for build
ing purposes, (chimneys. etc. will be
adapted to the cement manufacture. Here
again, the contiguity of these materials
to a navigable river and a railroad make
the cost of transportation a minimum
The amount of salt and cement that could
be produced from these lands near the
river would, / think, be limited only by
the amount of capital and labor invested
Elm the lower strata Of the st. Ste
phens limestone, called by DR.. Hilgard
the jackson formation, there is nearly
everywhere a considerable thickness of
calcareous clays which contain Jumps
and Crystals of gypsum or sulphate of
lime-in some places in notable quanti-
ties. Near Isney. in Alabama, and west
ward to the Mobile and Ohio Railroad
about Shubuta, these clays are particu-