The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-03-02


says in his Colonial Mobile"
tHoughton, Miffin and Co., Boston, 1881,
that the vast region draining to Mobile
Bay is III part an almost untrodden
literary field. BY the same token, the
city of Mobile ITSELF in spite of It's Gen.
turtles of history, it's healthful climate.
it's pure water, its attractive local fea-
lures, it's enviable sociology, it's varied
and remunerative resources and indus
tries, has been unaccountably overlooked
by statisticians and magazine workers
until now.
AS commercial factor Mobile has been
as IL were dead letter to the outside
world for several decades; the while it mas
quietly enriched its citizens and estab-
lished a financial credit equal to the best
in the South Whoever dates his knoWl-
edge of Mobile back to the days OF
Morse's School Geography recognizes it
simply as a cotton port with the familiar
cut of river steamer unloading bales
at the levee: and for the last fifty years
the Battle House" has identified Mobile;
just as Paris represents France.
Twice within week elderly globe trot-
ters who have compassed the Old World
in their time, have asked me whether
Mobile was in Alabama or Mississippi
Says Hamilton: 1T has been so long
severed from the Mississippi Valley,
which was colonized from its shores, that
even the historians of modern Louisiana
have known personally but little of this
original seat of that great empire. SO,
forgotten by it's offshoots, overlooked by
spectators, sidetracked by tourists, and
ignored by makers of history, it's bust
ness men have been steadily pilng up
completeness on the quiet, and building
pretentious residences of stone, brick
and wood, in colonial, medieval, and
modern styles of architecture, supple
mented by pillars, porticos, galleries.
verandahs, andeother embellishments and
aids to comfort and display; and the
evergreen oaks have gone on growing and
spreading until they span the broad
avenues, and encompass the parks and
the private grounds with giant arms
which strengthen as they lengtheD, af-
fording shade~in sweltering summer time
to the ebony hued loungers who occupy
the benches while the wellto-do citi
zens are rustcating in the mountains
of the Blue Ridge, the Laurentians and
the Aileghanies.
And now Mobile has gotten a big move
on her! This, in the vernacular of the
country, though her residents themselves
have only recently awaked to the fact.
Even her Chamber OF Commerce did not
begin to realize the magnitude of the
city's rapidly growing business until its
conscientious secretary was aroused from
the Flooding gait of His daily routine by
an influx of visitors from the great west
eagerly inquiring Is to the chances at
Mobile for business ventures and invest
ments IN manufacturing, shipping, market
gardening, ETC., and especially as to the
effect the construction of the trans
Isthmian canal will be likely to have on
the property and prosperity of the city.
And he says: 81 must confess that / was
astounded, after going into searching de-
tails, to see what strides have been made
since 1895"
Meanwhile sewers have been built,
water works have been improved and en-
larged. streets have been paved with
asphalt as fast as sewer connections were
made. and many public and private
buildings, factories and warehouses
erected, railway terminals improved,
shipping facilities increased the channel
deepened, modern hotels, club-houses and
public halls built in up-to-date size,
height. and cost, and the people have
watched the work going on without
realizing that the outlay and appropria-
tions by the Federal Government and the
municipalities will have exceeded the
sum of ten millions of dollars for public
improvements alone by the end of 1902
in those days says Secretary Eng
n no Of
our people lived up to the saying that all
things come to him VINO waits" some
western people came as visitors to Mo-
bile and with that shrewdness so char
acteristic of their section saw at a
glance. as it were, the coming greatness
of our city and invested their money.
Before our own people were aware of it
all the best opportunities for investments
had been secured and the awakening was
startling These investments of foreign
capital made known to the outside world
the advantages of Mobile. In 1900 the
real expansion year in Mobiles history
came about, and before the close of the
year over three hundred manufacturing
industries, giving employment to several
thousand persons, were in full blast.
Over seven hundred and fifty thousand
dollars had been spent by the CITY in
sanitary sewerage and improved water
works, giving cheap water and health to
our city. Property became a demand in
stead of drug on the market. Rent
signs became less conspicuous, and capt.
tai that had lain idle was put to use
New buildings were being erected, old
ones put in first-class condition. and
Mobile began to come to the front The
year 1901 showed a most marked i'm
provement over 1900. The Bienville hotel
built on the latest modern plans was
thrown open to the public That old his
toric hostelry the Battle house. became
the property of live men, who saw with
an eye to profit the coming future, lavish
ing money remodeling and refurnish-
ing the old hotel until now it has no
superior in point of comfort of service.
Owners of property saw that their stores
must be UP to the requirements of the
age, and in their places were built COM
modious and well-lighted stores with
large glass fronts. On the unmproved
real estate handsome residences were
erected and so great was the demand for
labor to meet these requirements that
no unSkilled or skilled laborer has been