The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-03-16
FINE COUNTRY FUR
 STOCK RAISING Uniontown is Center of a Rich
 Territory CROPS ARE DIVERSIFIED City Rests Upon Commanding Hill and Has a Magnificent View
 of the Surrounding
 Country.
CROPS ARE DIVERSIFIED
BY FRANK v. EVANS.

BY FRANK V. EVANS.
 Uniontown, March 15-(Speeial.) )-Inelude the "canebrake" section of Alabama in the cotton belt" but place it, toe. in the "hay belt" the "corn belt" and the stock belt" In fact this, the central prairie region of Alabama is entitled to the distinction of being the greatest sec tion on earth for diversified farming The lands are most productive and the climate ever encouraging to the planter and con- dueive to most prolific soil productions
 Uniontown Is a central point of this cen tral section. and occupies the highest point in this part of Alabama. In fact, this may be called "city set upon a hill" and it cannot be hid for 1t is rich in iss surroundings and in the energy of Its people The views from this point in all directions are grand and impressive The vast prairie lands, well dotted with towns, villages and farm homes, are plainly vis- ible and present a picture most pleasing to the eyes. The town of Marion, twenty odd miles away can be seen by the naked eye, and with glasses the state university at Tuscaloosa, more than fifty miles away, can be seen at some seasons when the trees are stripped of foliage and the sun shines bright and clear.
 Is an Old own.
 Uniontown may be called an old town, if there be any such thing as an old town in Alabama. It began as 'Wardville' some time in the 2os, when the first store a log building-was erected in the center of the present flourishing uniontown Just why the name was changed to union town" the writer is not informed Per haps it was the spirit of natlonal pfioe which so strongly prevailed in this sec, ton before the days of disturbance causeu by differences of opinion between the north and the south as to what umoh really meant Or, still more likely It was the community of interest ideal, the com bned efforts, the neighborly afectloh' the pulling-together idea of this people when caused them to name this uhohtoWh. Anyway, that is the name, and IL IS not a misnomer, for there is a spirit or actiNe cooperation here which at once coih- mends itself to the visitor
 JIniontown has population, u 10 claimed of over 20OO, with fifty business houses and two banks. This market re- eeiyes from 15.0O0 to 10000 bales or coteVh per annum. and large quanuues ol nay for shipment to the markets. It IS aiso an important shipping point Tor ceoar .lii'T Der and the hard woods By the way am informed that this Alabama reu ceua, c,, is shipped by ship loads to the pe''o' factories of Germany
 The Manufacturing Industries.
 Among the manufacturing industries here are a cotton factory cotton seeu o,i mill three steam ginneries, one ol Winch is said to be the largest in the stale' one large cotton compress, and an ice iat tory. It is not out of place to here sts.'e that most of the heavy machinery TOT these manufacturing plants was ihaoe III Birmingham. s a,oo
 The city runs it's water works and elec- trio light plant The water comes rom an artesian we'll 1t is declared py ,hese people to be the purest in the state anu the supply is inexhaustible. The health of the community Is accounted almost perfect The city is also the possessoI of a dispensary, and thus controls anu reaps the sale of the ardent ana reaps the profit there from, having no competi- tton save that which is afforded by the ever-present wild cat" which seems to be as frrepresslble here as In other ols- pensary and prohibition CD towns. The municipality is governed by a board consisting of the mayor and SIX councilmen. The present mayor IS the Hon. L. A Morgan, but he retires on April to be succeeded by Capt w. J. Walden, who has been elected to the office. The new councilmen are Messrs l.. J. ParSe, l.. A. Morgan, J. 5. Ken nedy, R. H. Ware, Mir Taylor and Dr. McLain.
 Proposes Many Improvements. This administration proposes many im- provements of the city, among them sewerage system The bonded debt or the city is about $20,0OO, but this Is well cared for by the income from the elec- tric light and the water works plants. The public school system here Is ac- counted excellent. The school board is very attentive to the institution and is doing splendid work. Seven teachers are employed and the enrolment is quite full.
 Professor Sneed, colored, Is the princi- pal of the negro public school He is graduate of Booker Washington's, and is highly regarded here.
 The Episcopalian, Presbyterian Meth odist and Baptist churches here have good buildings and they all seem well attend ed. The moral atmosphere of Uniontown Is one of it's attractive features.
 Agriculture Is the Thing. Of course agriculture is the real basis of the prosperity and wealth of this sec tion, and this is what the people here like to talk and read about, It is mo- ticeable fact that there has been revo- lution going on In farming in Alabama the past few years or a Conversion as the preachers call it. Today the new era is not dawning but has already dawned in this favored section of the south. and it all means peace, progress prosperity, wealth and happiness.
 The reader knows of the establishment at this point some time ago by the state of the Canebrake Agricultural Experiment station. This enterprise is rapidly demon stratlng the great value of this soil for the production, not only of cotton, but of other valuable products II Is inspiring and teaching the gospel of diversifcation- laying special stress upon the value Of forage production and stock raising.
 Alfalfa. sorghum hay, beans, kafir mill let. sunfiower. melilotus, clover and Johnson and Bermuda grasses, are grown to perfection here. recent bulletin is- sued by this experiment station presents results which indicate that the sails of