The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-05-24
Mr.. THOMPSON AND HIS
DISTINGUISHED PARTY
ARE IN BIRMINGHAM
Headed by Secretary of the treasury Leslie NJ Shaw Con-
gressmen Are Here to See the South Really ExstSCon
gresham Thompson Delighted With the Visit and Says
Much Good Has Been Accomplished.


party reached Birmingham from Mont
gomery at 9 o'clock last night and were
met by a committee Of citizens. who
escorted them to the Hillman MOTEL. In
the delegation were Mayor w. NJ. Dren-
nen, Mr.. B. F. Roden, chairman of the
committee on arrangements; Mr.. j. c.
Cobbs, Mr.. w. P. G. Harding, Postmas-
ter James w. Hughes, Mr.. Charles W.
Ferguson Mr.. Alex London and others.
Congressman Thompson and party will
he the guests of the city while here, ana
it's personnel is as follows:
Secretary of the Treasury Leslie M.
Shaw, Representative w. l. Smith and
wife of Iowa. Representative Charles e.
Littlefield and wife of Maine. Represen-
tative w. E. Brown and wife of Wiscon-
sin, Representative II. B. Dahle Of Wis
consfn. Representative A. D. Darragh of
Michigan, Representative e. w. Roberts
of Massachusetts,, Judge w. e. Fuller of
Iowa, Miss Elenor E. Pegram of Wash
ington, Mr.. and Mrs. Bryant of Wash
ingtcn, Mrs C. w. Russell of Washing
ton Mrs. Southard of Ohio, Mr.. w. j.
Hartford, Judge w. L. Chambers and
wife, Mr. Gregg and wife Of Washington,
Mr.. Mllt Saul. Mr.. Ernest w. Thompson.
Mr.. Hildebrand. Congressman Charles
w. Thompson, Secretary r. B. Webb and
Mr.. Robert Armstrong.
Entertained at Supper.
The party was informally entertained
at supper last night and today 1t Will
be taken on a trip around the horn"
and shown some of the industries of the
district. The first place visited will be
the ore beds of the Tennessee Coal, Iron
and Railroad Company on Red Noun
tain Here several speeches will be made,
the orators standing on bed of iron
forty feet thick They will have a fine
view of the city below them and can see
in the distance the smoke of Ensley,
Pratt City and Bessemer. Everything in
sight will be theirs during their stay in
the city They will not only have the
freedom of the city, but of-the entire dis
trict.
Returning from the trip the party will
dine at o'clock at the Hillman and
leave on the Alabama Great Southern
train at 615 for Chattanooga, their OBJ
iect being to reach Asheville, N. c, In
time to spend several hours there Sun
day.
Secretary of the Treasury Shaw Joined
the party yesterday in Mont tgomery.
When seen last night he expressed him.
self as greatly pleased at his reception.
Shaw Knows the South.
IT am pleased and gratihed at the cor
dial welcome extended u.s. he said, but
l must say that am In no way sur
prised at it. l have been south before
and know the hospitality of the southern
people. In fact 1 may say that I am
southern planter in a way as l own some
rice fields at Beaumont, Tex.
while l have been to Texas several
times this is my first visit to Birming-
ham. l have heard of the wonderful
mineral resources of the district and am
prepared to be very much interested In
seeing it's industries have been i'm
pressed all through my trip south by the
industries on every hand and the gen.
eral air of prosperity which pervades the
SOUTH
Congressman Thompson talked inter-
estingly of his trip.
1T has exceeded my most sanguine ex-
pectations." he said my prime motive
was to give the members of the party
an opportunity to see conditions in the
south as they really existed between the
races and to see for themselves what the
state of Alabama was doing towards edu-
eating and uplifting the colored race and
to let them see with their own eyes the
friendly and cordial relationship which
exists in Alabama between the races
Unkindness Laid Aside.
"I showed them in Tuskegee, Montgom-
cry and Mobile white and colored men
working side by side, laying brick. SHOW
ing the plane and using the paint brush
something that could not be shown North
of Mason and Dixon's line. I wanted to
let these people see and feel that the
people of the South had long ago laid
aside all unkind feeling which was pro-
duced by the war between the states.
"At every place where the north and
south came in close contact with each
| other strong and lasting ties of friendship
were made, and at the close of each meet
ing 1t reminded one of an old fashioned
Methodist love feast.
'one of the greatest surprises to these
gentlemen were the number OF cotton
mills and other industries they saw in
Georgia the Carolinas and Alabama, and
the thrift and enterprise displayed. The
Wisconsin members of our party on sew
eral occasions said that they only re-
GREETED that they too did not have cotton
mills in their state. One of them, Mr..
Barney, said to me today, so much in love
had he become with Alabama, that If he
died on the trip he wanted to be buried
here.
A Greater Revelation.
"I expect to show to these gentlemen in
Birmingham a still greater revelation
than we have been axle to show them in
the agricultural section of the state The
good news of the great possibilities
which are yet undeveloped in our state
will be carried back to the western,
northern and New England states. These
distinguished representatives will be mes
sengers who will bring capital into our
borders to enable us to build more cotton
factories, more new manufacturing en-
terprises of every kind, thereby furnish
ing employment to the deserving working
people of our state at better wages.
Secretary Shaw said to me today that
he intended to keep up the good mission
rlr hacr1 would