The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-03-02
Greensboro is Beautiful and
 Prosperous as Ever
BUSINESS IS EXCELLENT
Many of Her Citizens Have Become Important Figures In the
 Affairs of the
 State.
BY FRANK V. EVANS.

Greensboro. March 1.-(special.) Ut has been stated by those who study statistics that the south has regained the value of all property lost by the emancipation of slaves, and all other devastating effects of the civil war Most of this newly ac- | cumulated wealth. however, Is accounted | for by the building of cities and the es- | tablishment of manufacturing concerns, | In mining and other such industrial devel- 1 opment.
 The agricultural wealth of the south, l however. has not as yet quite overcome the disaster, but the southern farmer is today on rising ground. Said q prominent cotton planter to the writer today:
 Will Take One More Year
 'If the southern farmer can obtain 10 cents for his cotton this and one more year and If he will continue to raise his own food crops, at the beginning of 1906 | he will be as rich as he was in 186O.' This expression means much. and Is a true indication of the general outlook for the real south. Discuss as you may the price of iron and of coal, but the real basis of southern wealth is agriculture. This applies to all sections of the south. The coal and iron of the Birmingham dis trict Is but supplemental to the general income or wealth of the south. Manufac- turing industries cannot survive without the more important branch of industry agriculture.
 Are Very Cheerful.
 The farmers of Hale county are just now cheerful and under the encourage ment of remunerative prices for cotton. are more active than at any time since the war. Labor is said to be well or ganized, the stock well kept and fattened upon corn and hay of home production. The acreage of 1904 in cotton, and in the food crops too, promises to be larger than ever From the so-ealed public works negro labor has returned to the farmers under the impetus of increased remuneration, made possible by fair prices.
 Fastening Back to Farms. Clerks in stores and banks are hasten | ing back to their homes in the country to care for the farms in which they are interested by inheritance or otherwise. It Is recognized fact that farm labor has been too poorly paid in the south for
 
 of circumstances crops and low prices of product. 1t does not seem that this condition will again exist in many years to come, and the prayer is that 1t shall not.
 Typical Alabama Town.
 Greensboro is so well known as q typi- cal Alabama town and Is so thoroughly advertised that one finds it difficult to write from here a letter of new interest. But let 1t be repeated that Greensboro is the same center of culture and refine ment, of beautiful homes. of sunshine and flowers, of hospitality and of wealth that 1t was before the little city sent its colony of settlers and it's thousands of wealth to Birmingham.
 Greensboro people constitute a most inn portant part of the citizenship of the Birmingham district; and the wealth and brains which went from this town to Birmingham added immensely to the pos abilities and success of Alabama's real metropolis.
 Prominen. Public Men. Greensboro has given to the state many of her most prominent public men. It is the home and birthplace of the present speaker of the house of representatives of Alabama and Is now or has been the home of men prominent in all depart ments of state government. Hale county is always consulted in state affairs. for her people are accounted most important factors in matters political. Greensboro Is accounted. too an educa- tional center. for here Is located the Southern university, the leading Method | ist college of the state. This Is the alma mater of hundreds of Alabamians, who have gone forth and honored the insti- tuition at the bar. on the bench. in the pulpit in business and on the farm. Un- der the presidency of Dr. Hosmer the university is now In a prosperous and growing condition The attendance is quite large, and the faculty equal in strength and efficiency to that of any other insti- tuition of learning In the south. Though established in the early 50s, recent re- pairs and interior furnishings make the building appear as new The splendid lib- rary of the college is one of it's most att I tractive features.
 Fire Proved a Blessing. l The fire of two years ago has proven | a boon--a blessing in dsguise--to the | business part of Greesboro; for magnifi- cent new modern buildings have taken the place of the old and given a city-like modern appearance to the town.
 But back to the matters of the farm the writer Is informed that the old time
 
 vances to the farmer of supplies for the l year at enormous credit prices, Is now almost entirely obsolete, and that instead | the bankers are making these advances in cash at the legal rate of interest, and the farmer in turn is paying cash to the merchant. thus saving to himself enor- moust sums of money. This Is a most encourag ging fact.
 Necessary Modern Utilities. | Greensboro has good hotels. public schools. and hourishing churches with able ministers. The city has all neces- sary modern public utilities; and is grow | ing rapidly. Judge Hobson, the father of Captain Hobson of Merrimac fame, | (who, by the way. was born and reared here) Is postmaster at Greensboro. and he informs the writer that the postoffice receipts indicate a steady and rapid growth of the town. There Is no better | index to general development. Of course politics are much talked about here. The home town of Hobson is much interested in the congressional race, the railroad commission fight Is discussed. and as elsewhere in the state one finds here a division of sentiment on the o,1es-