The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-11-20
rALx TOR MoNrcomrnY.

ACCprUlu& 10 SOIonnon thefo ID d time for all things. or. to use his own words, ca time to every purpose un- der the heaven" That being so, there is a time for Montgomerians to talk Montgomery, and that time is always present. We of this good capital city of Alabama have no war to make on any other city, town or community, for there is room and opportunity for all. and all can look out for themselves. and obtain their portion of the benefits which follow well directed exertion. The Advertiser is for Montgomery first, and others next.
 That movement looking to a really navigable Alabama river is largely a State matter. and a matter which will be of vast benefit to other cities and sections. but the good 1t will do our city can hardly be over-estimated. It is not merely that 1t will give us an outlet to deep water, but it means, if we can get the Coosa opened, that it will give Montgomery an inlet from a large area of country whose products now go to other markets. The Coun- try contiguous to the Coosa River con- tains almost incalculable wealth, min eral. aboreal and agricultural, and Montgomery needs a portion of 1t and must have 1t.
 Does 1t ever strike the average Mont gomery citizen that this could and should be made one of the great hard- wood manufacturing centers of the South? Probably not, but 1t is fact just the same. If a man will take his map and trace the course of the Coosa as it winds its way to the Ala hama, he will get some conception of the territory bordering on or adjacent to it. There are nine or ten counties bordering on or traverssd by 1t, and others contiguous. It is & crooked stream and winds about as if 1t was intended to accommodate as many peo- pie as possible. C
 All along the course of that river there is yet to be found variety of native hardwood. much of it of the very best quality. Oak and hickory. maple and beech. birch and holly. some cherry and walnut, and probably oth- CT varieties of wood for builders and furniture makers, is to be found in the hills, valleys and swamps of some thousands of square miles of territory. Much of this wood can never reach us by rail, even If all the roads ended in Montgomery. In many cases the trees are a long way from a railroad. and ip others the expense of getting it from the swamps and deep river valleys would make it unprofitable to cut and haul it. It cannot be boated as pine timber is, partly because some of these hardwoods will not float when green. and partly because any considerable time in the water will seriously injure fine wood. and render 1t inferior or useless for fine work.
 What is needed is an open river from Rome to Montgomery on which great lumber barges can float at all seasons without breaking cargo or injuring it. Then when the wood gets here 1t should be persuaded to stop by using the only effective argument in such cases--the argument of good mar ket. That will command anything that is for sale, and 1t would secure the hardwood. And when 1t has stopped the mills and shops should be ready to take hold of it and manufacture 1t in to the many and various articles of use and pleasure that we are all the time importing by train loads from other States. We know exactly what we are talking about when we say that millions of dollars could be kept in plies. And we also know what we say when we assert that 1t can be manu- factured in Montgomery as we'll and as cheaply as in any city in the Union.
 We know that we are talking now of what is somewhat in the background just at this time. All the interest at present is centered in the Alabama River. and that is all well enough, but we do not want the other lost sight of. While we are getting an open road to the Gulf we also want to be looking out for one to the hills and mountains. We have spoken of only one of the benefits to be derived from such g. roadway, but there are numerous oth- CTS. and they will all help to build up Montgomery. That Is the point we are driving at-and will stick to 1t.