The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-09-01
ALL IlaES
 REGISTERING

Buisness Year Closes With
 Merchants in Good Hum0r
 at Advancement Over Previous YearS--M0nt- g0mery Shows
 Progress.
 The beginning of another business year finds Montgomery in . happy condition. Trade is good, cotton Is bringing a good price and merchants are In Q good hu- nor.
 Forward Is the watchword of Montgom- erians. Each recurring year indicates progress and each recurring year the re- cord shows advancement in all lines of trade and commerce. Reports from the various business houses, factories. public institutions and professional men, of Montgomery, show that during the past year the Capital City of Alabama has not only kept pace with the most progressive of Southern cities. but has challenged the paceniaker | for position.
 The most convincing proof of Montgom- ery's steady progress Is a study of an- nual statements for the past ten years. If one, for example, reads of the Mont gomery of 1893 he will be astounded at the material improvements of 1908. Perhaps the greatest achievements of the business year just closed were the completion of the lines of the Montgom- cry Traction Company, the great improve ment of the lines of the Montgomery Street Railway and the passage of an act extending the corporate limits of the city.
 With two street railway systems equip ped with the most modern cars and tracks and reaching every part of the city. Montgomery may now boast as good car l service as any cIly of like size in the country.
 Realizing that a liberal and exclusive patronage of factories already located in the city would be potent factor in | bringing others here, the Montgomery Commercial and Industrial Association two years ago. took up the question of securing more uniform support of the home institutions by the citizens of Mont | gomery. A careful canvass was made of the membership of the association and a pledge was signed by a number of the members to support home manufactures as long as the quality of their products was as good, and the prices equal to the for ! eign makes, Two hundred and seventy Tive ffcihsr&nt business men signed the agreement and their slogan is 'fsatrorfze Home Industry" The secretary of the as- sociation, in another column of this pa- per. narrates the industrial growth of the | city for the year.
 | By virtue of its commanding situation. midway between the coal and iron re- l Itrtn NfN A Iah tkn a1I1 | of the Black Belt and the piney woods | and productive lands of the Southern portion of the State. possessing a magnifi- | cent system of railroads and having per- feet access to the Gulf by water, Mon,- gomery Is destined to become one of the greatest inland cities of the South. | Approaching these facts and the inter- ests of Montgomery having been well pre- sented ito the executive body of the gov ernment by the local congressman, the industrial body. and the daily press. | the national government is preparing to make splendid addition to the postal and governmental facilities in and around Montgomery.
 | Workmen will begin this week con structing an addition to the Montgomery l Federal building. which Is to cost $75- | 900. This amount was provided by Con gress through the instrumentality of Col onel A. A. Wiley. representative in Con- gress from the Second Alabama District This extension will be built at right an- gles to the old building. The addition will be two stories high. the lower floor Icing used by the postoffice and court room and the second floor by the offices of va rious government officials.
 1 During the year four rural free delivery routes were established in Montgomery county by the government. and a fifth | route will be established on October 1 These rural routes will greatly benefit Montgomery. as they bring the business men and farmers into closer relations
 The year witnessed the successful de- livery at Montgomery of thousands of horse power of electricity for the use of to add greatly to the manufacturing of the city. This power is conducted here from Tallassee falls. and the plant is completed.
 With the annexation of the suburbs the population is increased to at least O. 0OO The city government has recently author ized an issue of s50,0o0 bonds to build school houses in the annexed district, and this will greatly improve the school facili- ties of Montgomery.
 Each year finds values of Montgomery real estate holding its own. There is no imitation of values in Montgomery dirt. It | is substantial and it Is good for invest ment.
 The claim has been made that rents in Montgomery are high. but this Is an- swered by the fact that few houses in and around the corporate limits of the city are unoccupied.
 Many handsome business buildings have been constructed during the year just closed and fine residences have gone up in all sections of the city The handsome new home of the Standard Club, and the Carnegie Library are nearing completion.
 Altogether the year has been satisfac- tory to business men of Montgomery.
 Steamer and Schooner Collide.
 Norfolk Va. Aug. 3.-The steamer Pine Beach and the three masted schoon- CT Mary l.. Crosby were In collision in Hampton Roads yesterday morning. the sailing vessel being at anchor at the time of the crash. The Pine Beach was en route from Sewell's Point to Newnort News with several passengers when her steering gear got out of order and she was carried on the schooner's bow bv a strong tide. The forward portions of both vessels were badly smashed. A panic among the passengers ensued. tug took the passengers from the steamer.