The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-03-31
SPR|NGV|LLE LIES
 IN AN IDEAL SPOT People Closely Akin to Those
 of Birmingham. ARE PROUD OF THEIR LAKE It Is Worth a Trip to the City to Have the Pleasure of Feed
 ing the Docile
 Carp.
BY FRANK V. EVANS.

Springfield, March 30.-(Special.) )-What a wonderfully beautiful spot of country is this Jones valley of ours. Of course Birmingham is it's chief center and Jef- ferson county claims most of it as her own, but it extends from far below Bes- semer on the south to a point further north than this; but Springvile, in St. Clair county, claims to be the hub of it's upper end. Sprinfville, therefore, Is quite close akin to Birmingham. Only twenty mine miles distant, the people of this delightful little town are in entire sympathy with Birmingham, and it is their chief market.
 Springville is not a new town, having been started about seventy-hve years ago by the Thomasson family, the de- scendants of whom still inhabit and cul tivate the land close by, which is theirs by inheritance. It was first called Big Spring." The town has a population to- day of about 500 goodly people. It con- tains ten stores, one hotel and two livery stables. It does not boast of being a manufacturing town, nor of ever having
  factory and steam ginnery, both of which are kept quite busy, giving em- ployment to a number of men.
 The town receives from 25O0 to 5000 bales of cotton per annum; and is an important shipping point for garden truck, poultry and dairy products. A great deal of att tention is being paid to fruit culture. and l.,.r 4,s.. tl.A 1.. threatened disaster by the cold wave did no damage, and they feel assured that fruit is safe" This means much for Springville, and the country surrounding it.
 Abundant Farm Products.
 The grasses grow luxurantly on the farms near by and special attention is being paid to dairying. There are herds of Jersey cows in and around Spring vile, and it is an especially notable fact that hundreds of pounds of butter Is shipped from this point every week of the year, and Is sold in the markets at fancy prices.
 The lands here are heavily timbered and well watered. Great quantities of cedar and poplar are daily shipped from Springville, and agents are here buying for the large furniture factories of the north and west, and for exportation.
 Springville has a trading area of about twenty-five miles, and from this territory her merchants reap a profitable business and are thriving. They seem to care en- ergetically and well for this trade. The little town is beautifully located On the one side is Sand mountain. on the other Red mountain-both ridges present. ing charming natural scene. The mag nificent panoramic views in all this sec tion are frequently source of comment and of enjoyment by the traveller along the Queen and Srescent route. Spring vile is in immediate touch with coal and iron on both the north and south side of the town, and is an inviting location for any kind of manufacturing enterprise.
 Four churches-Presbyter Baptist. Methodist and Cumberland Presbyterian have fiourishing congregations and houses of worship here. The town boasts of it's splendid school, called Spring Lake Acad- emy." It is controlled by the city admin istration The building and grounds cost the city $6000 It has an enrolled this session of about 250, many of which num- Der are boarding pupils. The school is un- der the superintendency of the Rev. J. B. Stovall.