The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-04-28
SOCIAL ATMOSPHERE Is GREAT FEATURE WiIsonviIIe is Blessed with Many Advantages CITY HAS NO PUBLIC DEBT Shelby County Is One of the Best Tim bered Counties In the State and
 WiIsonvlle Reaps
 Benefit.
 
CITY HAS NO PUBLIC DEBT
BY FRANK V. EVANS.

Wilsonville. April 27.--(Special. )-Here is a delightful town in Shelby county, on the old East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia division of the Southern railway. It's more distinctive features are magni- ficent distances, it's healthfulness and the purity of it's social atmosphere. This is not all, though, because Wisonville does business in commercial way which puts it among the foremost little cities of the state In fact, 1 am told that J. F. Pope, whose magnificent store buildings is an ornament to the town, is the largest mer- chant in Shelby county, and 1 verify be- lieve this is true. His stock is very large and varied and his credit ranks high among the commercial men of the state.
 Wilsonville has a population of aoout 1000. 1t is an incorporated town, with Hon. W. s. Gwin as mayor and Alder men J. r. Pope A. l.. Jackson, Justin C.. Jackson, Erwin Wingard and w. J. Vel don, who manifest much interest in the progress of the place. The tax rate is one-half of 1 per cent. and the city has no debt.
 Thirty-five hundred bales of cotton are annually received at this market besides much other country produce. The Jack son Bros. Lumber company is an impor- tant feeder to the town It has rail- road of its own running out nine miles into the we'll tmbered forests. where 1t owns and operates an immense saw mill.
 Wilsonvile enjoys the advantage of local and long distance telephone Speak, ing of telephones, the enterprising com panies are running these modern util- ities into every hamlet in the state; farm houses are connected by them, and the people thus brought into close commun- ion, as in a city. This is accounted an impressive sign of progress in Alabama.
 Has Three Churches.
 There are three churches in Wilsonville and this is a religious community There are no. saloons nor dispensary here and the people inform the writer that there is an absence of wild cats" The homes are all quiet, attractive and well-shaded and the people of the community seem happy and eontented.
 There are eight stores in this town and each of these seems to be quite busy.
 Shelby is accredited with being one of the best timbersd counties in the state. and Wilsonvile Is in the midst of these forests, drawing good revenue therefrom.
 Wilsonvile is in Coosa valley, only one and a half miles from the Coosa riv- CT, where splendid water power is ob- tainable; and the town aspires to posi- ton as manufacturing site. Induce ments are offered by their land owners to manufacturers, which will surely be ac- cepted at an early day.
 Is Delightful Dwelling Place.
 The town has almost an exclusively white population and is a most delight full dwelling place. It is out of debt and has free public school with an enroll ment exceeding 150 pupils, under the su- perintendency of Prof. J. B. Zugler This school is supported by the city and is under the general direction of the mayor and councilmen.
 The water here is pure, cold and clear, and the health of the town almost per- feet. The social atmosphere is superb.
 Wilsonvlle is ahead of most of the smaller towns of the state in that it boasts the possession of a modern auto- mobile, which glides it's owner, MT. Jack son, swiftly every day to and from his saw mills over a splendid country road.
 The farmers around Wisonville are in fine shape financially, and are rapidly abandoning the credit system. They are using improved farm machinery and are fairly up with farmers of other sections of the state in diversiication of crops. Col. ". T. Smith, a progressive farmer near here, has converted many acres of his cotton lands into hay farm and from it is receiving rich reward. Fruit culture and poultry farms are now strongly in evidence around Wisonville.