The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-02-09
$ BY ID. ". McIVER.

tf Opelika, Feb. s.-(Special CorrespOn- dence.) .)-Opelika Is the metropolis of East Alabama. Being the junction of three very important railroad lines, it has grown and prospered until today it is a. beautiful and iourishing city. l can re- member when this was a small and un- pretentious town, part in Macon and part in Chambers County, the county line passing right along about where the old Cooper House stood, it being said that part of the hotel was in one county and part in the other. The county is named for the Confederate Chieftsin. General R. E. Lee and is at the foot of the hill coun- try of the State. In the northern DOT ton of the county there are red lands of the oak and hickory. where grain. fine horses and blooded cattle thrive: and in other portions are pine and hammock lands where cotton, fruit, melons and fine timber grow to perfection; while hospitah- ty and prosperity abound. There are about an equal quantity of rolling and level lands, all well adapted to the grow ing of all crops. susceptible of the very . highest cultivation, with more satisfac- tory and profitable yields; with . mild and salubrious climate. the soil is we'll adopted to the growth of corn, oats, wheat, rye, barley, potatoes, peas, corn. millet. sorghum, cotton nillo maize Kaffir corn, peanuts, cabbage onions. lettuce, beans, celery, asparagus, apples peaches. plums, pears, berries sf all E sorts, grapes of every variety and all feid and garden products that grow above the frost line and by intelligent and thrifty cultivation grow in great abundance. The city and county have . most enyiable health record, natural diseases being almost unknown, while contagious and infectious diseases do foi nd hal ported cause no alarm for it is known that they cannot spread or find an abiding place in such a climate as this.
 There are a great many thriving, indus trious, well to do farmers in the county. who have cheerful, happy homes, where dwell a race of sturdy. honest, God worshiping men, and beautiful Christian women and bright, lovely boys and girls who practice the social virtues, pursue in .dustry. build churches and school houses and in their daily lives illustrate tn" integrity and nobility of Christian civi- iization.
 No finer watered section lies in the State of Alabama. The large streams have power sufficient to operate number less mills and factories. while cool, clear branches may be seen every mile or two as one traverses the country.
 opcliks is the county seat which hss a fine court house. And what is more Indicative of the moral character of the people. there are five white churches, some of brick and stone, of the protestant Denominations, where congregations. of sobd men and women devoutly worship, besides nearly. # not quite, as many colored churches that have hourishing' congregations. who are jealous in their devotions.
 This city has a population of over 5000. There are a great many stores, nearly all of which are built of brick and some very handsome in architecture having all the modern Improvements.
 The:residence portion is laid off in beau tiful streets, most of which are lined with splendid shade trees and elegant residences Many nice dwellings have been built in the last year and a number more >sre in process of being built now. The merchants do a large. solld business and are progressive and wide awake. three banks are here ably managed. with large capital. while the professions and trades are well represented by capable. upright and moral. industrious citizens. There are two newspapers that are q crc G.t to the town and county and quite an honor to the profession in the State. The Opelika News Is owned and edited bv MeSsrs Weir and Wilson and The Upelik1 Post by Mir. NJ. salter, who has recc1tlv acquired sole interest in the paper and will not only keep 1t up to hirs standard already attainee but great ly ir1orcved it. M- Weir has been fortu- na4f en -'h .o recently associate with him in T,,e .iews. that widely krc and popular gentleman and experienced news parer mau Mir. Hugh Nj. Wilson, and together they will make a better paper of The Newj than 1t ha. ever been be fore.
 The~e are several prosperous enter pris, in the city such ts cotton factory. cotton aced oil mill. fertilizer factory frHirhrs factory, foundry, compress. electric l.Ehts. water works, telephone etc. while the railroads run from Opciika in six different direct ms besides the dummy line to Auburn. But a few hours ride On fast trains. carries enc to the cities of Columbus, Montgomery, Birmingham and Atlanta. At no distant day Opelika s destined to be large city with other manufacturing indus tries
 Auburn. the seat of the A. and Nj. College of Alabama, a hne educational Institute. is but seven miles distant con nected by the dummy. the Western Rail way and a bicycle track. This is a lively town of about 1900 inhabitants. and noted as an intellectual centre, Loach- apoka. Salem. Gold Hill, Waverly, Au- burn and Phenix City (the last having a population of several thousand) are towns of the county, filled with populations of good citizens who add largely to the wealth and value of the county. There aye other nice villages in the county where good people dwell and prosperity reiCns.
 ~l.ngctn-c. Lee County. Is here as one of the progressive, substantial and live or N6A CtafA mi fTit ' offers more inducements for sober steady. intelligent. law abiding and indus trious immegrants. who really desire to found pleasant prosperous and happy homes. All such will receive a cordial welcome at the hands of the good people of this entire county
 opelka is surrounded by rich and fertile agricultural country that has always proven self-susteining and which is capable of supporting many times the population of this city at the present time. The young men have been trained iA the various branches If business and are thoroughly in touch with the march of progress and advancement As a cot ton market its advantages are incalcula- hle and about 1e5,o00 bales Of cotton are now handled here by the warehouses and compress The cotton business is i'm nensc. but it Is hy no means the most important of the business interests of the city. The wholesale and retail dealers year after year bring here and dis tribute throughout the surrounding terri tory thousands upon thousands of dollars worth of all kinds of goods and mer- chandise Their stock is selected with d ,a11 ral