The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-08-01
INTEREST TAKEN
 IN MANASSAS TRIP Mobile is Now Working for 35-
 Foot Channel. GREAT INCREASE IN TRADE Increase in Exports and Imports Has Been s1,2s5,522 for Every Ad-
 ditIonal Foot of Depth
 in the Channel.
GREAT INCREASE IN TRADE
BY HERvEY w. LAIRD.

great deal of interest Is manifested py Alabama national guard members In the trtp to Manassas, and it is very likely A Roodlv number will go to the maneuv- CTS on that historic battle ground. Ala bama will be allowed 916 men and General Corbin has assured AdJutant General Brandon that he will arrange to increase the quota if he finds he can get larger number to attend. It Is expected that a provisional regiment will be organized and commanded by some of the officers with generals rank.
 There are four of this class in the state, Gen. L. V. Clark of Birmingham com manding the Alabama brigade; Gen w. w. Brandon. adjutant general of the Ala bama forces; Gen. Robert F. Lgon, in- spector general and Gen. Barry Holt, quartermaster general the last three composing the Alabama military board Any of these could be authorized to com mand an Alabama regiment at Manassas and would have the same standing as other officers there of their rank. Ar engagements will be made by the adjutant general in few days and it is expected that the attendance from this state will be creditable. The recent brigade encamp- ment at Birmingham demonstrated that the Alabama soldiers are well drilled with few exceptions, and could make a fine showing even among regulars.
 Mobile Prospers.
 Mobile business men are in earnest in a renewed effort to place the Gulf City on a progressive business plane. At a recent meeting of the commercial associ- ation the matter of securing a 35-foot channel on the bar was taken up and will be pushed to some sort of final action It Is pointed out that with an expendi- ure of S5O000 by the United States the channel has been deepened from "A to 2l feet, and with an additional outlay of $9OO, 900 it can be made 35 feet deep and 800 feet wide thereby making Mobile the deepest and safest port on the Gulf Of Mexico," says the report of the commit tee.
 In a recent public utterance Captain Davis of the United States battleship Ala bama, said:
 Certainly the gulf coast of the United States needs ports and needs them badly, as the navy must have ports that 1t can freely enter at any stage of tide or weath- CT. Mobile is so obviously the one port of the whole gulf coast which would full fill all demands in it's natural advantages for defense, room, situation, and the artificial advantages for safety, etc.. that 1t seems incredible that a determined movement is not already on foot to deep en the water on the outer bar.
 Increase is Large.
 In the statistical report made to the Commercial association 1t was shown that 1903. the K ports and imports amounted to d6,7s 9,66S an increase over the year before of $57l,- 7S9, and over the year 1893, when the wa ter in the channel was only IT feet deep, of SIP 955, ,223. For the year ending June 30 1904 the figures had reached $2109O.Sl7, or S4311 ,149 ahead of the year previous.
 This is the greatest increase of any twelve months yet recorded, and is at tributed directly to the deepening Of the channel. The moral is apparent. If deep ening from II feet in 1893 to 27 feet in 1904 increases the trade of the port from S3,- S34, 446 to $21 ,09O, ,S17, the further deepening to 35 feet will surely in these prosperous times, better the trade in proportion. The ratio of increase has been $1295,522 for every foot of additional depth of the chan nel, which would make $10,364,176 for the whole eight feet more asked and the total movement in the year this is reached $31, 454, ,993.
 The Officers.
 The officers of the Mobile association are men of marked business ability. The president, Max Hamberger, Jr., is editor and owner of the Mobile Herald, one of the most successful afternoon papers in the south. ". F. Tebbetts, nrst vice president, is collector of the port of nd who has done great deal for the city since he took charge of the office four years ago. Col E. L. Russell, second vice president, is general counsel for the Mobile and Ohio railroad, and for years a leading man in the state Harry T. Hartwell, treasurer, and J. P. Wilson, secretary, are both well known for their service to their city.
 Amusing Interview.
 Alabamians read with a great deal of ar mt int l.,