The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-01-14
A noAD THAT IS NEEDED.

Referring to a recent editorial in The Advertiser relating to the Talla- poosa Water Power and Electric Com pany. The Anniston Hot Blast has this comment:
 One of the purposes of this company and one of the most profitable that could interest 1t. should be the build ing of an electric road between the freight and passenger traffic. It would pass through sections of the counties of Fillmore Tallapoosa and Clay, which are exceedingly rich In agricultural, timber and mineral wealth, and which are undeveloped be- cause of the lack of means of trans portation. There Is no question but that this road would be paying in- the entire route for the development of all the needed elctrical force.
 Any one who will examine a correct map of Alabama will understand the significance of this suggestion. They will see that the road suggested would traverse a region, of country that is now almost totally devoid of transpor- tation facilities. Some of the maps show a railroad from Rollins, on the line of Talladega and Coosa Counties, np through Clay County to Bowdon, some six miles north of Ashland, but as matter of fact there is no such road. There is now a road from Tal- ladega to Pyriton, which will soon be continued to Ashland, which will open up a portion of Clay County, but that is all
 There is a large portion of Fillmore. Coosa and Clay Counties which are now without communication with the out side world. except by the old methods l of wagon travel There is no doubt of the immense and undeveloped rich ness of much of this country. In northern Coosa, in most of Clay and in much of TaIlapoosa and Calhoun there Is a vast amount of mineral wealth of which the world has learned very lit- tie. That wealth can never be de- veloped fully until one or more rail-
 roads are built. When that is done
 there will be such developments as will be something of a surprise to the ! world.
 But the minerals form only a small | part of the riches of the region that
 such road would open up. There is
 timber that is almost incalculable. Not
 only is there much yellow pine. still
 standing, but there are large quantities | of the valuable hardwoods which are l now becoming so scarce and for which I the demand is steadily and continually
 growing. This timber is now practi- calIy valueless, except for firewood, posts and rails. There would at once
 be market for 1t at good prices if 1t could be shipped to the large manu- | featuring cities.
 Nor are the agricultural and horti-
 cultural possibilities of this section to l be despised. Most of it is good wheat country, all of 1t Is well adapted
 to corn, and to all kinds of vegetables | and fruits, nor is 1t much behind other
 sections of the State as a cotton re-
 zion. The road suggested would bring
 a market for all the present and latent
 riches of the region traversed, but, as
 The Hot Blast intimates, it would pass
 by undeveloped water powers of which little is known outside the neighbor- hoods in which they are found. Take it all in all. we hardly know of any
 region of Alabama where railroad is
 needed worse or where one would pay
 better. It is really and truly g. road
 that is needed.