The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-05-29
THE REMUNERATION OF SELMA,
 THE BLACK BELTS QUEEN CITY
Renewed Youth Which Has Come to Dallas County's Prosperous Capital and Some
 thing of the Causes Leading Thereto.

Black Belt does. This particular line touched a rich and fertile field. II RTS%gh RnoMb before s9 and it won Tor seims business that had heretofore been gos ing to other towns of the Black Belt"
 4 Railroad Center.
 The railroads which traverse the fertile Black Belt of Alabama spread out from Selma like the fingers from hand. The Dallas city may be on .. from the north to southern ports, or which carry the transcontinental traf- fic that goes over the Southern Pacific but 1t Is queen Of Its S own e seetion; Iaere ere farming country but what is in touch with the Central City. Take, for in. stance, the way the Southern branches fan. It has branches coming into the city from Mobile, Meridian, Birming- ham, and Rome. Ga. Then comes the excellent feeders to the city's business interests. the Myrtlewood and Floma- ton lines.
 The city has, too, direct connections with Montgomery and Atlanta ever the Western. another road which splits and draws from a prosperous and fertile farming country, in what Is properly the business territory of Selma.
 The City's Interests.
 From conditions roughly outlined here the thought Is suggested and
 
 city of the first class of Alabama the material interest of Selma and the ma terial interest of agriculture are close ly intertwine ed and interwoven. For of Alabama, agriculture Is the fixed sun in the business system and all other interests are guided and controlled by 1t. When the sun of agriculture wanes, grows cold or is in eclipse the depress- ing chill of 1t is instantly felt in these farming towns.
 was in greater eclipse than the State had ever known. Cotton was selling for less than 1t cost to make it. There and he eG hand e s fortune was heavy on every farming community of the State. Impoverished farmers were coming to tho cities. mortgages were being foreclosed, mer- chants were falling and banks were going out of business.
 Not for long did sucn condition en- in. The debility that had seized King Cotton was soon thrown off and the power of which he had been stripped and received a higher tribute. TuSV A new movement began, a movement to and not from the farm. New houses sprung up on the farms and the llanta- tions. Cabins were torn town and frame houses were built in their stead. Fences, barns and tenants houses were whitewashad and the farm houses were painted. New and modern machinery was bought. along with new furniture for the home. The family grocery bill, which at times had of a necessity been limited. now expanded. The farmer put money in the bank instead of be- ing as he had been, a supplicant for the banks favor for loans and abso- lutely necessary advances.
 Small wonder that in agricultural cit ies like Selma the blood trade ran red weak @ and siuggsh. We xnd slGall n1u %oDder DSeP that she and similar cities which still in years past caught the drum beat of progress and moved forward with light and strong steps.
 What is set down here Is written to show that a historic, a conservative city, which had but held It's own for several years, had so moved forward that it's business interests have prac- tically been doubled and it's real estate interests haVo received an impetus whose value may not be estimated.