The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-10-25
SOUTHERN CITES PROSPERITY.
Cheerful Reports Com From All ln-
 austria, Centers In the South.

From the Chicago Tribune.
 It is the season of the year for taking account of stock in the large southern commercial and industrial cities. Two of them already have made reports of most encouraging character-New Orleans and Galveston The Times-Democrat of the former city. says there has been im- provenent in every line-in cotton, grain, coffee, sugar, rice and lumber; in foreign imports and exports; in receipts of pro- duce andyin return trade; and in the coast wise traffic. Financial prosperity has been even greater than commercial. The out put of manufactures has been greatly in- creased, more has been done in building than for many years past, and a great system for draining and purifying the city has been inaugurated, which has been made possible by the public spirited wo- men of that city. During the year two railroads have established terminals there.
 It has become the cotton center of the
 country has regained the coffee trade or
 the Mississippi valley; doubled its flour
 trade; gained over F per cent in the for.
 eign export trade, and 32 per cent in bank
 clearings, which were sS59, ,S55 for the
 year closing September l.
 Galveston tells the same encouraging
 story of advancing prosperity. It has
 moved into third place among exporting
 cities of the country. Its customs re-
 ceipts increased 116 per cent over last
 year. and it's export values $5,OOO,0o0 over
 1902 and $7,0OO,0O0 over 1901. It's coastwise
 trade has more than doubled. Its elevator capacity has increased to more than 4000,- Oo0 bushels, and it has fifty-three lines of steamships to foreign ports. One of the most remarkable illustrations of its en- terprise is the manner In which 1t has re- covered from the disaster of September E. 1900. It was the general opinion at that time that it was doubtful whether Gal weston could ever recover, and that the attempt should be abandoned as the city was liable to an inundation at any time. | The people of Galveston did not share the 1 general opinion. They not only resolutely | sci to work to rebuild on the old site, but ! to make A safer city by taking precau- | tions against another invasion of the sea. | A great sea wall is being constructed | to extend a little more than three miles | along the ocean front of the city. It rests l upon a concrete bed laid over bling | driven down to clay foundation, sixteen 1 feet thick at the base and five feet at the 1 ton. win A riprap of granite rocks to pro- l teet the foundation. The wall will rise 1 sayenteen feet above mean low water and | yearly two feet above the highest point l reached by the water in the hurricane of three years ago. When 1t is finished 1 Inc citv will be graded up to the height of the wall and will then rise seventeen | feet above the ocean.
 New Orleans and Galveston are not the | only fortunate southern cities. Cheering
 reports of prosperity come rom all tne | ,rd,istrial centers-Memphis. Nashville. | Atlanta Birmingham. Savannah. Mobile and Charleston They are making great
 strides ahead, which of itself must invite
 closer commercial relations with the north
 and larger investments of northern cap-
 ,tal This may conduce toward better so- | cia1 and political conditions