The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-07-13
WALKER COUNTY
FORGING AHEAD
School System Among Best in
the State
TRACTION CASE RULED ON
Judge Jones Holds That Company Has
Right to Haul Passengers to and
From Electric Park-other
Montgomery News.
BY HERvEY w. LAIRD.

BY HERNEY w. LAIRD.
Montgomery. July 12.-(Special)-The
time was. and that not so many Years
ago, when Walker was known as a bad
Bunch" and facetiously called 1.-THE Free
State of Walker" in derision for its
crudeness and because it was charged
that many of the people never found out
that there was anywhere else on earth
outside of the county and did not care
to- Their own Walker was good enough
for them, and the rest of the world
could take about the same advice that
a certain we'll known millionaire once
gave to the public. which did not fall
in with his way of thinking. But that
has all passed away and today there
is not a county in the state that would
not be proud to be in the same class
with this same Walker. one of the rich
est and one of the most progressive in
the commonwealth.
Along with the marvellous development
of its coal properties Walker county has
built up it's intellectual standard until
1t is probably the best school county
now in the whole sixty-seven. With
its state fund. its special tax of one mill
for schools and the profits from the dis
pensary system, there is per capita
for white children of thu county of over
81 each. 1t was the first to levy the spe-
cial tax, and. in fact, has been among
the first to follow out every progressive
idea of getting education to the children
of the country and to look especially after
~. % lot
who could not help themselves so well
as those in the towns.
Comprehensive Map.
Hanging in the office of the state SUI
perintendent of education Is school
map of Walker county that cost about
s1000--not one cent from the school fund
of the county-which shows every school
district, with the creeks and rivers, coal
fields, coal seams, and all the towns and
communities. It was gotten up by Wal
ter Moore, A. B. Mitchell and Steven
Smith, with the help of others, and will
prove great help in the careful handling
of the situation in that enterprising
county.
The school funds of the county now
include S1.45 per capita for the state: 70
cents per capita from the special tax;
$1.25 per capita from the dispensaries
This, with the poll tax, gives total per
capita for the white schools of 81 and
better The state superintendent says
that this Is the largest per capita fund
of any of the coucties. The poll tax
goes back into the districts from which
it was collected. The total of the poll
tax for three years amounts to $1.05 per
CO pita for white children, or 80 cents per
capita per year. Less than one-tei.-.. of
one per cent was collected from the col
cred population, which shows how little
voting there is done by the negroes of
the county The fact is that only 50 in
all has been collected from negroes on
poll tax in three years
Prosperous County.
The prosperity of Walker county is re-
marked on frequently at the capitol these
days, as so many men come down from
that section of the country. State Audi
tor Sowell, whose residence Is there, and
who has just returned from a visit to his
friends. says that he does not know how
to estimate the future of the county. 1t
seems to be forging ahead by leaps and
bounds and he expects 1t soon to be one
of the best In that section save Jefferson,
of course. The lands are being torn up
in every direction to get out coal and
other minerals and everywhere good towns
are springing up. 1t Is fact that the
COAL Carbon Hill, Corona. Galloway and
many other towns have grown famous
In the raising of high grade coal and 1t
is estimated that this enterprise has
only Just opened up. II is getting a new
railroad In the extension of the Illinois
Central, which Will give transportation
to a lot of country not now open. All
this will add to the riches, and what is
more important to the better support Of
the schools.
DIspensary Success.
The dispensary plan for selling whisky
and other intoxicants has proven a money
maker In that county. 1t is interesting
to know that 1t is the home of L. B.
Musgrove, known as the dispensary
prophet, or the Ben Tillman of Alabama.
and that 1t has done so well is much
in the way of vindication of his services.
There was a big fight to get the plan
adopted. Most of the towns fought 1t to
the last ditch and many went through all
the courts to beat It, but it has at last
won out and is being taken care of in
the best way and with profit that is
astonishing. 1t is expected that there will
be a general adoption Of the plan over
the county save possibly in those sec
lions which have local option.
Street Car Controversy.
Judge Thomas G. Jones OF the United
States court held today, In an opinion
read from the bench, that the Montgom-
cry Traction company, had right to
haul passengers to and from Electric
park, and ruled that it might run tr
tracks to within fifty feet of the outer
buildings at the park. 1t was the result
OF an Injunction trial growing out of the
effort of the Montgomery Amusement
&C mpany to restrain the Traction company
from carrying passengers to and from
the park A temporary injunction was
granted by Judge Jones and this is the
result of the effort to make IL perma-
nent.
One of the attorneys for the Traction
company said today that this was in
effect all they were asking. The judge
holds that they have the transportation
rights which they were seeking to have
fully established, and 1t will not amount
to so much in the working out of the de-
tails. The road will run regular sche-
due in the passenger business, stopping