The age-herald., 1902-01-23
BY HOMER GEORGE.

Livingston, January 22.-(special.) )-Rap- idly recovering from one of the most destructive fires that ever visited on Ala bama city, Livingston is now lifting her head proudly to the outside world and declaring her future will be greater than her past There is no reason why this should not be so, for the little city Is situated In the midst of the richest DOT tion of the world-famed Black Belt.
 Around the town Is 8 fine farming sec tion rich in the production of cotton, and by no means poor in the bearing of corn. There Is also an abundance of timber land.
 It Is short walk from the station of the Alabama Great Southern Railroad to the business portion of the city-a walk by handsome and old-time residences. The business houses are built around a square in the center of which will be erected at an early date a court house at a cost of s25,ooo. This will take the place of the old court house which was burned in the fire which swept more than $15000O worth of valuable property away last November.
 New City Hall.
 In front of the new court house a large city hall will be built at a cost of several thousand dollars. These buildings will be as handsome as the state will be able to boast of when they are completed for the people here do nothing halfway. The plans of the court house have been pre- pared by the firm in Montgomery of which James Chapman is the leading member. The plans for the city hall building were prepared by Crouch & Hutchins. Both sets have been accepted and contracts for the work will be let within few days.
 Other new buildings are now In course of erection, while plans are being pre- pared for still more fine store houses and office structures. When they are all completed-and they will be this year Livingston will be livelier than ever.
 There are in the town about twenty-five business firms and one first-class hotel. The merchants are business men of abili- County.
 Fine Normal College.
 The famous Alabama Normal College. under the management of Mrs. Julia s. Tutwiler, and a corps of efficient in- Sl uClOAe, ID loCetiSu ANcdAAS oiC hundred of the states most promising young women are students in the normal courses in order to make first-class teach ers This institution is one of the best In the state, and has been attracting much attention during the past two years
 Mayor J. L. Norville Is president of the board of education, and it Is due to great extent to his efforts that the school has reached its present position.
 The country surrounding Livingston Is not only famed for its excellent cotton and corn qualities, but it Is well adapted to truck farming, This will be thorough ly exemplifed by MT. W. F. Carley and MT. w. G. Little during this year. l paid visits to their farms and will write something about them tomorrow.
 In Livingston the cotton marketed runs up to more than 5000 bales annual ly, while In the country more than thir- ty thousand bales are raised and sold. Eppes gets much of this cotton as does York and other towns. There are some very fine farms and farm-homes within the limits of Sumter county nearly all of which draw their supplies from Liv- ingston. The town has an excellent hotel under the management of MT. Wallace.
 Personal Gossip.
 One of the most prominent and strong est firms doing business in the city is that of Spratt and Gowdey. Both mem-