The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-17
MUCH PROSPERITY
 IN TWIN CITIES The Two DecaturS Have Enjoy ed Remarkable Growth SOME OF THEIR RESOURCES Large Sums Have Been Recently Ex- pended on New Buildings and Improvements of Many Kinds.
 Future Is Bright.
SOME OF THEIR RESOURCES
BY WILL w. NELSON.

Decatur, December -CSpecial)-The year which is fast drawing to close has witnessed great activity in the commer- cial and industrial development of Deca- tur and New Decatur. The growth of the two cities during the past twelve months has surpassed any period of like duration in their past history, not except ing even the palmy days of the boom of 1SS6-Ss, when towns sprang up like mush- rooms-in night.
 A gentleman who travels extensively all over the south and who visits the Deca- turs once or twice year, said to friend in the lobby of prominent Decatur hotel last night: T have watched with inter- est the growth of the Decaturs for sev- eral years past, but when l came here the other day I was utterly astounded at the progress the Decaturs have made since my visit during December of last year. Why, sir, l would wager my last dollar that there is not a city in the entire south of like size of the Decatllrs that has im- proved as much and as rapidly as have they during the last twelve months
 And so it is. Statistics will show that there is not city of like size in the south, or in Alabama at least, that has made lhe growth during the past twelve months that the Decaturs have made During this period more than half million dol lars has been spent in the erection of business blocks, residences ana improve ments of various kinds.
 Real estate has been, and is, constantly increasing in value, vacant stores and residences hard to find, all the people are employed at good wages and there IS work for many more, both skilled and un- skilled laborers, if they could only be had. Still with all this there is no excitement, there is no boom, there is no fctieious prices, or land company backed prin- cipally with a capital of wind, like some of the land companies of boom days. The Decaturs are simply enjoying a steady, healthy growth, with gradual advance Ill real estate, based upon values that Will stand the test of time When a man buys a city lot today he knows that on tomorrow he can sell it for what he gave for it, if not for more. The Decatur citizen has but little to say about his city. He has no time to talk of anything but bus mess. In these days of business push and business activity all his time is taken up with his own business and as the city continues to grow in population and inn portance his business grows in volume.
 Some New Buildings.
 Among the most prominent buildings
  the past year might be mentioned the following: A three-story brick school building costing $20000; Carnegie library, costing $l0,00O; d First Presbyterian church building, costing $10,000; Echols hotel, costing $20,0O0; Knights of Pythlas tenn pie, costing $10, coo; Echols Brothers livery stable, costing $5O00; Nelsons livery stable, costing 5000; Decatur News building, 5000; a $65,000 union passenger station in the course Of constructions several small brick blocks of a total cost of $25,O0. In New Decatur the following buildings. which have been built during the past year, are worthy of mention: The Casa Granda block, recently burned rebuilt at a cost of S100,000; $20.000 opera house, a pattern shop at the Louisville and Nashville railroad shops costing $lo,000; B. Crawford lumber yard and buildings, costing several thousand dollars; a $10,000 city hall $20,0O0 Young Mems Christian Temperance Union building; a $1O0oO bot ting works in the course of Construction; several small brick business blocks of total cost of about $50,000.
 Besides all this New Decatur has spent something like $25,000 In vitrifed brick street paving and general street improve ments and sidewalks. Decatur has also spent considerable sum in street im- provements and sidewalks.
 Nearly two hundred residences, costing about $150,O0O, have been built in Decatur and New Decatur during the past year.
 Street Railway System Extended.
 During the year the North Alabama Traction company has added several miles of track to their already extensive street railway system and during the summer season opened handsome park with dancing pavilion and skating rink. New Btreet cars have also just been put into service. The Decaturs now have the best street railway system of any city of like size in the south.
 The Southern Bell Telephone company has spent several thousand dollars in the extension of the city lines, in the im- provement of their system generally and in remodeling their switch boards and offices in the two Decaturs.
 The American Telephone and Telegraph company has spent considerable amount an the extension of their long distance lines in the immediate section.
 The Morgan County Telephone company, an independent company, has likewise spent large sum of money on the exten- sion and improvement of their local sys- tenn and in the construction of a long dis tance line to Mobile and the gulf coast