The age-herald., 1902-01-19
BY HOMER GEORGE.


 Tuscaloosa, January 1&-(speclsl. .l-For full appreciation of this city one should know all of Aiabama's history and the grandeur of her past days-clinging about the whole place like ivy on a rock build ing-quite as heavy and quite as pictur- esques quite as interesting and quite as devoid of the pose. This history and this evidence of the days gone by make everything obscure except the new and present boom that is being talked Of by everyone and made so much in evidence by the contractors and investors met in hotels.
 In the Hotel Washington, which. by the way, is a most admirably conducted house, I met some ten or twenty railroad contractors who are interested in the new roads being constructed by the Southern and the Mobile and West Ala bama companies. If you have ever met one of these railroad contractors just as he Is going out to live in the woods for few months you must have doubt less been struck by the rough, good natured worlSingman appearance. Well these gruff, lSind-hearted fellows are won ucIluliy hAPA C65cQ Wlln tItb btCl1OAI They are men who have worked in all parts of the United States. but they de- clare this more promising than any they were ever in-everyone of them.
 This afternoon they packed on wagons their tents and outfits. These will be moved up beyond Tidewater and work begun without any delay. Each man bids goodbye to jolly town fellowship, for with them work in the woods is life in the woods, until 8 contract is entirely com pleted. Thus boom is sweeping away hist ory.
 But want to go back to history. Yes terday I was fortunate enough to have Judge Cochrane, that old-time modern ideal mayor, with big, wholesome heart, to take me on a ride to some of the old places. We went to where the old fac- tory stood during the war, and where bales of cotton thread were sold, 100 only per day, at $5 each; to the old Govern or's mansion; to the old State Capitol; to the old colonial houses, so noticeable; to the modern places; to the industries, and to the buildings where Yankee pris- oners were guarded in the sixties. I passed these places and as their histories were told to me, I could not but wish I had lived in the picturesque. grand days gone by.
 
 prisoner by a Confederate guard because he looked out of window persistently, was exceeding sad. The poor man was deaf he was tired and he looked longing ly out of a window at the world passing by. The guard below had instructions not to allow such actios. He ordered the prisoner to move-once, thrice, several times Then he shot and the prisoner fell headlong to the ground dead. That incident is still spoken OF regretrully by old and young alike. especially by old soldiers.
 At the old Governors mansion, where I was told of those days when grandeur reigned, where beauty was not shorn of the joys which one experiences when spending money, adorning and bejewel- ing 1t, and when love was not 8 ques- ton of dollars or acres, I wanted to change the present life to that of the past. Then, too, wished for the State of Alabama to buy it's present Governor house commensurate with the dignity of his position. Many other States have such homes and this one certainly should not be behind the procession.
 Last night went over to the old State Capitol-now occupied by Dr. Giles Cen tral Female College, noted throughout