The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-01-24
BY Charles Hallock.


When the original prospectors OF the
Gulf coast struck this lotus-laden sec
t1on with its aromatic magnolias and
sleepy live oaks draped with pendent
moss. which scarcely swayed in the sea
breeze, they shifted the golden at
mosphere, closed their eyes and wrote it
"Alabama'-h here we rest! And they
have been resting for 200 years come this
22d day of January! at which date they
are to, have bicentennial celebration,
with, music, prayer, praise and thanks
giving for the comforts of living, and the
substantial benefits received and enjoyed
in the long interim. Blessings in mod
crate degree have come toSher people IN
a continuous stream all these years, and
while the wide spreading oaks which
.beautify Mobile. the state g chief; entrepot,
have been silently growing until they
span the avenues and parks of the city,
wealth has been gradually accommodating
with steady increment, and associated
with contentment have made her citizens
enviable among cosmopolitans. Pursuing
the evn tenor Of their way segregated
in measure by a shallow harbor from
the commercial world, and overlooked by
spectators. they have been demonstrating
a problem in human sociology which the
gay world OF fashion, the jeuness dolce
OF the present day, would not recognize
and could not enjoy. If they would. TOO
deuced slow, don't you know!
But now has suddenly come great
awakening. This sleepy old gulf port,
which has "rested'' for two centuries, IS
under the impetus OF a tremendous mead
way. which is attracting the attention OF
the whole, business world. It is live
topic. No less than sixteen newspaper
correspondents and magazine writer's nave
applied for data within the week since
the New Year opened Photographs for
illustrations are in strenuous demand.
Data are useful to establish and confirm
Impressions; but observers with half an
eve can see that Mobile has gotten a
move on her which is more or less aston
fishing. 1t is worthy to be called bulge.
Sewerage, waterworks, asphalt pavements
0ong needed) warehouses, Wharves, fac
tories, breweries, sawmills, TWENTY-FIVE
OF them) public buildings, <big hotels, rail-
road extensions, all kinds of new indus
tries, attract attention. the city corpora
ton alone spending $4,000,000 last year in
public improvements, and $6,000,000 are
appropriately for the current year. The
shipping business resulting from Deepen
ing the ship channel was 400 per cent
from 1895 to 1899. .Duringsthe one year
following it Increased 50fsper cent over
the previous year, reaching a total OF
nearly $14 100000. In 1901 the increase In
the number Of steamers ent ering and
clearing was :1,172 as to 2S2in 1896, and :of
sailing vessels to 626 over $50. The Cuban
trade lastsyear was Of itself over mill
lion dollars larger than the combined ex-
port and import business Of 1894. One
firm shipped so, 600 head OF cattle. (These
are chamber Of commerce stattstics)
Mobile is 50 near to Central America that
she has nine steam lines to Cuban, Mex
lean and Central American ports. Her
Imports Of fruit, chiefly bananas and CO.
coanalts, reached total Of 3.625,111
punches and 4,324, 772 nuts in 1901. So in
innate are her commercial relations with
na1,ish- American ports that the Southern