Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1905-04-15
FREDER RICK UPHAr1 ADAMS


lcrlCk pham Adams.i
man life in order t. see t.lr results of
these improvements aud to hear the
blessings which will he ShDWcrcd ON
those who have the courage To begin
them"
The above is brief extract from a
speech which aroused the staid Biz
mingham councillors and aldermen to
enthusiasm. aS by II unanimous vote
they indorscd and adopted the plan of
their youthful colleague This was in
1870
Few men have lived to see SO wild Il
dream come true. AS | stood in Corpo-
ration street which travcrScs what
once was the foul center of Birming-
hams slum district, wondered what
are Joseph ChamhcraimS sensations
when he gaZcS on that magnificent
thoroughfarc, the finest in Great Brit
ain outside of London. Where the hov-
els once rocked in filth great martS and
business palaces rear their fronts. The
district from which respectable persons
turned with loathinG is now the fash
ionahlc shopping district. Delicate fab
rics have taken the place of the rags of
the pauper. As if Aladdin's magician
had waved wand. the grcwSomc dis.
trict has disappeared | would rather
be Joseph Chamberlain and walk up
Corporation street. Birmingham, than
be able to pay the Russian national
debt
At an expense of SS,5Oo.0o the city
purchased about forty-tive acres of
slumS and proceeded to transform an
irregular strip having an extreme
length of about Il mile Starting at
New street, one of the best business
thorOughfarCS, il surveyed broad road
through the center of its new and
strange property. Having laid out new
streets in every direction, the munici-
pality offered the frontage to those who
were willing to build in consideration
of Scyenty-tiNc year leases. There was
demand from powerful interests that
the leaSeholds be extended to ninety
nine years, but Mr.. Chamberlain was
firm in his resolve that birmingham
should come into full possession of its
reward at the end of the shorter tcrm
he lllSlSl'u llHl IL NhUIu bp possible
to rent every square foot of the land
on the terms specified, and his judg
ment was accurate. He also predicted
that the average annual charge against
the taxes would not exceed SGO,OO0.
This would meet the interest on the
bonds and make up the deficit after al
lowing for rents and other revenues.
In hrin n.,tiI tod tl,,t ,,,I
cost of the investment would not cX-
coed 81 i5OO.OOO
The scheme has been greatly enlarg-
ed since its inception. but when the last
payment is made in 1880 Birmingham
will own in fee simple the most valua-
bic tract of real estate in the world
and the price paid will fall below that
set by the boy mayor" who has a
chance to live to see the partial fruition
OF his ''audaciouS Sagacty." If offered
for sale in the open market today the
former Slum hole would realize Sl3,-
OO0,O00. Its Improvement did more
than any one thing to make Birming
ham the metropolis of the midland
counties" II is no cXaggcratiOn to as
sert that the decision Of the council of
1870 had the direct effect of doubling
the value of every square foot of land
In the business district, and 1t would
be impossible to put n money value on
the blessings which have come with
lowered death rate. diminished crime,
nm aroused local pride and the prestige
which comes from n great campaign
valiantly and successfully pushed to
success