The sun., 1903-02-08
Jefferson county. q given by the last census,

\ -~~~sssSs - es'o" ~ s'W aAot Sphouo,
The county census figures. moreover,
tell In q very striking way the progressive
growth Of this remarkable Alabama in-
dustrtal centre. In 1850 the entire popu-
ia'ion OF the county. white people and
| slaves. with it's s8S ,Osi acr,s OF land, the
| Ihird largest county in the State. was only
$3.50. In 1850 II had crept w to fl ,7i6
In the war decade-iseO-7 it gained only
500 inhabitants.
FOUNDED IN 1871
But in 1871 came the founding Of Bir-
mingham-n named for Birmingham in old
England. for its founder saw its destiny
and from that time on the census figures
begin to talk. In 1880 the population of the
county had increased TO 2s,27?-,a gain Of
1927 and all due TO Birmingham. But
IT was in the 10000 decade, the decade of
the great boom in which the New Highlander
aforementioned lost his wits when he
found a fortune here. that the great leap
ahead came
In those ten years the population of
Jefferson county jumped from 23,272 to
ss.5Ol. gain OF e5,229, and all because the
spigot at last had been driven into this
Birmingham districts pract ically mex
haustible wealth-producing reservoir and
the little stream had finally begun to flow
steadily and in ever increasing volume
1t had been known for forty years that
there was the making of a great city in
this part of Jones's Valley. II had been
known that there were possibilities of
wealt h untold slumbering in these dribbling
ends Of the great Appalachian Mountain
range which a little below here melt into
the Gulf Coastal plains. 1t was believed
when Birmingham was founded, nine
years before, that the time was near at
hand, when that city which had so often
been pictured in the dreams Of those who
in the past had seen the great mineral
resources here was about to be realized
But 1t was not until the decade of lssO-9O
that the fact was fully grasped that the city
was at last here and here to stay. The
advent Of the railroads brought with it
the golden key to the vast mountain
treasure chest. Birmingham's future was
no longer doubtful.
Given unlimited beds of iron, coal and
limestone all assembled and touching at
one point and that point railroad centre
given this and the result was inevitable.
There was no use bothering about the
SOLID FOUNDATIONS FOR WEALTH.
But men we're not content TO work in the
present and accept the rewards of the
present They insisted on dragging the
future here ahead OF time. They dis
counted the future and dealt in future and
not present value. They went for wild
spree OF speculation in other words
one of those booms which always set back
the clock for years and often mean a blight
and paralysis for decades to come.
Real estate prices went kiting here until
they reached absurd figures, and still they
went on and on upward until in 1858 the
collapse came and with il such blow TO
Birmingham as in the nature Of things
hardly could occur again. Coal producing,
iron producing, manufacturing of all kinds,
came nearly to a dead stop. Crowds of
unemployed men paraded the streets de-
manding work or food. IL looked for a
time as though the very foundation of
things was about to give way.
But Birmingham's foundations are laid
in solid beds Of granite, iron and coal,
What had swept over them was only a
little transient gust of wind having no
more effect than the miniature cyclones
which swirl straws and dust along the
streets.
Collapsed as fictitious values were, and
depressed and out Of joint as were the
times in the world of finance and com
meroe in the years following, eliminating
in the disasters Of lsaa, Birmingham kept
right on growing. 1t did not grow quite
so fast, yet it's progress was bewildering
even at that.
In the decade between 1880 and 1890
Jefferson county's population gained 65.-
30: in the decade of lt9)-l9OO it increased
81 ,9is, and all OF this, or the overwhelming
majority of it, in the last Ave years Of the
decade, from 1898 on. In the two years
since 1900 1t has gained nearly 25,OOO more,
and always when jefferson county is said
il is Birmingham that is meant for the
growth, practically all Of it. has been
right here in this business community.
which should be and soon will he known
as the city Of Birmingham.
To come here and see this massive city of
granite, marble, iron and solid brick as il
is to-day and try to realize what was here
or rather what was not here. only three
decades ago, is feat to test the strongest
imagination.
GREAT RAILROAD TRAFFIC
Absolutely nothing here three decades
ago save an open, hilly country. in which
corn and cotton grew and where lived
small and widely scattered population
And now what is theref great manu-
featuring centre. with a monthly payroll
of over q, 900 900: thirty iron furnaces and
one steel plant in operation. and another.
involving a first outlay Of upward Of
4, 500 600, in course Of constructions; rail
and struct ural steel mill and all manner of
iron and steel.making concerns.
Only about thirty years ago not single
railroad in all the county; to-day five trunk
lines centring here. reaching out TO all
parts OF the country. far and near, carrying
in the Birmingham district last year 100000
tons Of coal, 2, 500, 900 tons Of coke, 100000
tons OF iron ore and nearly 100000 tons Of
limestone.
The Alabama railroads last year handled
1900, 600 tons Of pig iron. and substantially
all of 1t from the Birmingham centre OF
industry, and last year also over 100000
tickets were sold at the Union passenger
station ticket Office here, while again in the |
last wear the total freight receipts of the |