The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-10-19

almost magical growth of his day and night dreams. was testimony of the mans wonderful determination. and the calm confidence in his own Judgment. He said. twenty-five years in the future, arise from those barren hills. and lonely fields, just exactly that stupendOus monument to his foresight in the great city of Bir- mingham. In letter to the Advertiser dated Birmingham. April 3, 1872 Colonel Powell said: T have seen several letters of late from this place. in which great surprise is expressed at the rapid growth of Birmingham. and in which a faint de- seription of it's Improvements is given. But Messrs. Editors the truth is the writers were afraid to tell the whole. for fear of taxing the credulity of their readers to too great an extent. The half has not been told" and when we come to minutely examine the surroundings. there is no cause for surprise Upon the completion of the South and North rail- road. Birmingham will be accessible to the great cities of the northwest having di- rect communication with Louisville, Nashville, Memphis Cincinnati and Chi cago," and he continues to name the great commercial centres which would become bound to Birmingham by the great iron chain of railroads network ing the United States, and all has come true. Continuing he says, In addition to all these Birmingham has rich and fer tile agricultural lands around it and the finest mineral country in the world. The beds of coal, iron and lime that surround 1t are simply inexhaustible. Enterprising men from the north are being daily at tached to Birmingham by the wonder full stories told of It's great wealth, now buried In the bowels of the earth. When once on the spot they find themselves spellbound by the superior quality and quantity of the ores and they at once conclude to invest" What a great pity that noble man could not live to see his prophetic words verified in the grandeur of Birmingham today, as one regal building after another rears it's proud head slSyward.
 Just think of it In April, 1872. Colonel Powell wrote as follows to the Adver tiser: Let any one who doubts, come and see for himself, and like the writer, though his expectations may run high, he will nevertheless be surprised. A It. tie more than seven months ago, the site of Birmingham was a cotton field, there was not hut upon the place."
 When the founder of Birmingham ar rived he and his surveyor and clerk. Barker and Miller) to lay off the streets they went into camp. The foundation for the first house was laid on the Sth of August, 1871 and was occupied on the 1Jl0 Ol AuBuSls the nlIle clly WdS H. corporated on December 19, by the leg islature and Col. R. IT. Heny, a talented young attorney of that day, was elected the first mayor. He was also editor of the Sun" Well, it is a common tale the heritage of all the descendants of those mighty men who pioneered Bir- mingham through its rugged infancy to stalwart manhood, and there are too many there now to mention the cour- ageous names who followed the fad of Colonel Powell. and backed his judg ment, and aided his mighty brain and arm in constructing the most marvellous city of modern times. Possibly, with the exception of Chicago, in its early life, there is nothing in American history that approaches the wonderful strides of Bir- mingham from the cotton field of 1871 to the wealthy and cultivated city of 1902.
 If we follow the pathway of Col. James R. Powell during those days between the foundation of his city and the day of his deplorabe death, we will ever find his brave spirit overcoming obstacles and each day advancing the power and pres tige of Birmingham. His letter of April 4 1872 in the Corinth (1iss.) Ledger ad- dressed to Hon. J. T. Arnold, president of the E. c. and Tenn. R. R. is almost sublime in the appeals and hopes for the greatness of his loved Birmingham He says: "Dr. Johnson is here doing good work for your enterprise, which 1 con-