The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-09-25
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The "sky scrapero Again.
or The Advertiser

Editor The Advertisers:
 The proposition to lease tue "Foun- building has called forth a great out burst of sentiment. Sentiment Is beautiful and will always find votaries to bow at its shrine. All men, in fact, are more or less affected by 1t and sometimes its hold upon them is so When sentiment usurps the place Of judgment it becomes dangerous thing and it should be held in check.
 This question of an office building is of the utmost importance to our city and 1t is a reflection upon our busi- ness acumen to treat 1t With 1nd1Her- ence or ridicule
 If there are good, business reasons why the Fountain" site should not be devoted to an office building they should be stated so that the public can form an intelligent opinion regarding the matter, but so far the only argu- ments advanced against the project are ridicule or relate to sentiment
 This seems to be an occasion where sentiment is usurping the place of Judgment.
 There is certainly business in the proposition submitted to the City Coun- ell and I feel sure that the members who refused to give 1t hearing regret their nasty action and will be eager to redress the wrong at the next meeting of the Council.
 I have heard it suggested that the proposition did not provide for a suf- ficient rental value for the space ask ed for; this may be true, but that Is a matter which the parties in interest can no doubt adjust to the satisfaction Of all,
 If not, there may be others who would take up the matter with the Councl and pay a larger rental, but in determining the matter of rent the size and amount invested in the build ing will bear an important part.
 All things being equal would advo- cate the claim of the "Ofhce Building Committee" to first consideration from the fact that they are the representa- tives of the business mems association and are the pioneers in this movement, but whether built through their agency or not the fact remains that Montgom- cry must have another off1ce building or see Atlanta and Birmingham wei come those who knock for admittance at our door and are turned away with the response, No room here. An evidence that the Star Gazer' Is mas querading Is his failure to see that the Sky -scraper" advertises city. l wonder if he has been to Blrmlngham and Atlanta recently? If so l venture to say that one of the first things he said to his friends on his return was in regard to these same towering structures and peradventure made in viduous comparison between those cities and Montgomery because of Montgomery lack of such a structure. One of your correspondents referring to this matter, said, The public square is the most expressive feature of Mont gomery; 1t is this fine plaza that gives 1t distinction in the eyes of the stranger; 1t is here that the life of the city and the country pulsates This Is true, for I have heard more than one stranger say, that Court Square with Its fountain and flowers, surrounded with country wagons, gave Montgomery the appearance of an overgrown country | town and that 1t was a matter of sur prise to them that city of Montgom- ery's pretensions should cling to this relic of its infancy.
 There Is no doubt about Court Square as it now exists being good advertis- | ing medium. but it Is my Judgment that handsome office building occupying the fountain site would advertise the city more in keeping with our civic | pride and would relieve us of the em- l barrassment of explaining to strangers why we hold to this link of the past. Real Progress. ("Star Gazer" to whom allusion is l made above might we'll reply, when Atlanta and Birmingham sky scrapers 1 are held up to him, that the owners | of the buildings in those cities did not | obtain the most valuable property in | those cities virtually for nothing. They l bought and paid for the ground on which they built)