The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-08-07

 of the system is due to J. B. Mcclary. the manager Of the company, who played so important a part in the organization of inc Birmingham street car system. As a street car system. As a street railway man MT. McClary has few if any peers i, the country. The cars of the Shef- field system are larger than any now in use in the south. Prompt and convenient schedules are maintained between Shef- field and Tuscumbia and Florence, and many of the people do business in one citv and live in one of the others The excellent service of the system practically makes the Tri-Cities one large center. The Sheffield company also furnishes elec- trical power to the citizens of Sheffield and supplies water for both Sheffield and Tuscumbia.
 Building New Pipe Plant.
 Work is now in progress on the Shelf field Cast Iron and Foundry plant. which, when completed, will be the largest pipe works south of Pittsburg. This company Ia also headed by MT. Worthington. The capital stock of the company Is $o0o,O0O or which $350,OOO has been paid in The plant will give employment to over oOo men.
 Roughly estimating, the industries of Sheffield give employment to between $500 and 4000 men and have monthly payroll of some sS5,000 or $10O,0O0.
 The future prospects of Sheffield are boundless The railroads of Alabama, ever alive to the development of this great mineral district, are now preparing to construct roads that will give thls section the best facilities of any city in the south. The time Is not far distant when the Tri-Cities will be connected with the outside world by water and rail-
 .1 world.
 Another thing, it is stated that prep arations are being made to utilize the power lying unharnessed in the Mussel shoals few miles from this city.
 Want to Harness Shoals.
 For many years these shoals have been a "bone of contention' and almost a stumbling block for every successive con gress, Every year efforts have been made to rid the Tennessee of these hin- drances so as to make 1t one of the pest navigable streams in the country. These shoals it is said, have purpose. It is estimated that the energy lying dormant in them will furnish power for the entire state
 Looking to this end. it is stated that preparations are now being made to put these shoals to the use for which they were evidently intended by the Maker or this universe.
 The beauty and the glory of this section has been aptly described in the following editorial written by Editor Comstoek Of the Sheffield Reaper:
 ..If the delegates to the Baptist con vention desire to see a beautiful country, teeming with possibilities, they should take ride from Tuscumbia, to Florence. | Boarding the electric cars in the historic town in which probably the most remark able woman in the world was born-ielen Keller-and slxirting a beautiful and me- anderng stream they soon come in run view of the Southern railway shops; then a short distance further this way they be- hold below them a mammoth cast ron pipe plant in course of erection, While over to the left iron furnaces are seen Tn full blast A little further on are seen the car barns of the Sheffield company, and then looms up Sheffield's handsome pub lie school building. Turning into Mont gomery avenue one comes face to race with the Sheffield hotel, costly four story structure and an ornament to the city, Traversing a number of the c1ty business and residence streets, Rustic Park picturesque spot, is reached after a few minutes ride across fields of green Another few minutes brings one to the most inspiring scene of all-the beautiful Tennessee river, with it's huge limestone bluffs on the one side and it's fertile val leys on the other. Here nature has done her work well, painting picture that would delight the eye of an artist, pu' one that he himself could not put on can vass in all its grandeur. Crossing this waterway of beauty and of commerce as well Lauderdale county Is reached-a county that is rich in resources and rich in her enterprsing and cultured people Climbing circuitously almost preeipice the cars land one, almost before he or she knows It. in the very heart of Flor ntt f h btctor a a built on a hill and whose people are as clever as the sun ever shown upon and whose merchants and business men are as enterprising as one would find In many a days tourney
 Early History of City.
 The short and eventful history of Shelf field is full of interest and its earlier days are a striking example of boom times in Alabama" that have been so vvidly portrayed by several well-known writers. Last June Sheffield, now a city of between 1000 and SOO0, celebrated US twenty-flrst birthday.
 The first record that history gives of the present site of this city was 1877, when General Andrew Jackson passed through this section with regiment of United States soldiers, who were en- gagged in grading wagon road from Nashville, Tenn, to Columbus, Miss. The place where the Terry aciosS tho liFoi i'i the present city limits of Sheffield, IS called Jackson's landing. The road cut by Jacksons troops exists to this day and Is called the Military road.
 In 1920 General Jackson purchased large tract of land in this section on which Sheffield now stands. Shortly aft erwards General Cotfey, hnsman Of General Jackson, laid off a town near this place, but it was in the sos before Sheffield became reality The hrst sale of lots took place on May s. 1884, and was conducted by the Sheffield Land, Iron and Coal company. The sale of lots lasted for over two days and the company realized tlerefrom $S5O,Ooo. The highest price paid for one lot was $500. From that time on the growth of the city has been steady and substantial.
 E. R. NORMAN.