The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-11-16

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 a majority of our largest colleries since the first of July, still the output of coal for 1904 will exceed that of any previous year.
 . we have five trunk lines of railroads that now enter our city, and the Seaboard Air Line, making six, which will be run ming cars into our city within the next thirty days. The Brunswick and Birmin- ham have completed more than 150 miles of its track running out of Brunswick. Ga. The Illinois Central has made a number of surveys locating a line to ex- tend into our city.
 Tt will not be surprising to you gentle men to know that all southern trunk llres are trying to get into Birmingham, when 1t Is shown the amount of business that is done in Birmingham and the Birming- ham district, and the tonnage that is handled by the roads that are now here.
 Coal and Iron Furnaces.
 'The coal and iron tonnage of Alabama is equal to the entire wheat crop of the western states, and during the past year was four times the tonnage of the entire cotton crop of the southern states.
 The railroad tonnage of the Brming ham district amounts to apout 75 per cent of the total tonnage of the state of Ala bama.
 The Birmingham district furnished more tonnage than the entire state of Georgia and about twice as much as the state of Mississippi
 The number of freight cars handled out and in the Birmingham district is more than the states of Georgia, Florida and South Carolina combined.
 'The passenger receipts of this city are likewise very large, exceeding those, per- haps, of any other city and amounts to | about S1,250,000 per year.
 ] ,a t,fo of ha l. roads, the mines and manufacturing con- cerns over 75.000 wage earners are on the payrools of the Birmingham district They receive in wages nearly $s5o0,ooo monthly.
 Birmingham has 1Oe miles of street railroads, and in point of mileage 1t is the third city in the south.
 ''The banks of this city carry about 40 per cent of the bank deposits of the state
 "The population of Jefferson county in which Birmingham is located was SS, ,501 in 1S90 and In 1900 it had 14O 420. and it's estimated population today Is 1S0,0o0 to 1900OO
 Building in Birmingham.
 "In Birmingham and suburbs there were built during the twelve months of 1901 1892 houses, costing $2,313900; in 1902, 2015 houses costing s. 1891, $50; and in 1903,
 
 total of s1O, ,994, 725.
 Jefferson county is one of the sixty seven counties of the state, but pays more than one-sixth of the entire taxes of the state of Alabama. "The substantial developments that have been made is the best guarantee of the future progress of Birmingham and the Birmingham district, and all that has been done in this city, which Is less than | thirty-two years old, seems exceedingly slow and small compared with our future possibilities
 We have been so busy trying to build | up our city and district that we have not petitioned and made demands upon cer- tain officials and corporations that we should have made. Of course Birming- ham is the logical place for the capital 1 of Alabama, but we have been SO busy ' that we have never tried to secure it. It is also the place for the hgh-up officials of majority of the trunk lines that en- ter this city, but we have been so busy that we have not yet asked for them to be moved here.
 Union Passenger Station.
 Fourteen years ago, when our union | passenger station was built the press over | the state as well as our nelghboring cities, such as Memphis Nashville and Atlanta, criticized the railroads for build- l ing a union station so large. Of course 1 1t Is not necessary for me to call this matter to the attention of the railroad commission of Alabama, for they know that it is entirely too small; but we have just been so busy that we have not had time until now to beg and demand a i larger one.
 T hardly know how to impress you as would like to how busy we have been. In l fact, the people of this city have been so Lusy that they have not even had time to elect any one except myself for mayor for l the past three terms.
 q want to thank the president of your | association for inducing you to meet in our city, and again in behalf of all of our citizens l extend to you during your stay among us our most cordial welcome" "
 Kline of Pennsylvania. Theodore B. Kline of Pennsylvania re- piled to the address of welcome by the mayor saying:
 There is written upon the archives of this association, now assembled in this | busy hive of industry and duly record ed upon the proceedings of the meeting held upon the rock-bound shores of the | far away state of Maine in the year of of grace 1903, declaration made in be- half of the good state of Alabama. by it's | representative at that time, and whom | we have the honor of selecting at this time as the presiding officer of this con- | clave, which sets forth that we think | Alabama is not only the first state on the roll call-that goes without saying but that it Is the first state in the union we have everything in the world, and when the Railway Association of Commis- sloners cross the Tennessee river in order to hold their next annual convention in Alabama everything we have will be | yours.
 MT. President, in behalf of the dele gates and their friends from Pennsylvania (another first state in the union), and ] am sure that I voice the sentiments of the representatives of our sister states, when I say that we have safely crossed the Tennessee river and now sojourning in the domain of the state of Alabama we realize the boundless instinct of hos pitality of the good people of the south land and realize that everything that you have is ours; and we surrender uncondi- tiona1ly and without a murmur submit tc your commands, until we are transferred beyond the limits of your noble common. wealth. but until that time our motto will be in accord with the Indian name of yoiii state. which according to the old legend Is Here we Rest"
 We can scarcely realize what Is em- braced in the princely gift that we are the | recipients of, but we do not know that | it Is a royal heritage-an area of 52,0O' square miles with 66 separate countless land of gold and silver, a land of iron | and steel, land of coal and marble, a | land of fruit and flowers, a land of fair women and brave men-a veritable prom ised land including even the delights of the ancient Canaan with its milk and | honey.
 ' Al.