The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-03-20

lumber from the foundation to the caves, may at a small expense be transformed into a close imitation of rock-dressed stone by the use of what Is familiarity called "spatter gravel'-a composition of fine gravel and cement. which is smeared upon the wooden walls to the thickness of an inch or so, and sticks forever. No storm, no dampness, not even an earth quake can shake It. grasp upon the wood- en walls Whel. 1t dries 1t Is impervious to dampness; it is a slow conductor or both heat and cold. and Is as durable as brick Many of the finest mansions of Birmingham, which look as f they were built of stone are merely wooden shells covered with this sort of stucco.
 
 There is a gooS idea of civic pride here, and the citizens seem harmonious in their efforts to build up the city. The churches anc school houses give evidence of the character of the people; there are sixteen parks within driving distance of the busi- ness district; the water supply Is brought over a mountain of iron ore and is fil- tered by a city plant, Is sufficient for 500 coo people. The climate is healthful. The death rate is apparently high in com parison with northern cities. but that Is due to the large mortality among the in- fants of the colored families. The aver afse death rate among the white popula- About half the population is colorcd About hali tie population Is colored AL out half the white population is of i southern birth with an equal number of northern birth. As rule the larger mills and largest industrial organizations are owned by nortl crn capital. but the pro- fessional men and the mercantile com munlty are mostly from the south. The streets are wide and we'll paved; the hotels are good; there are no better news l.. 1G -4rrAs libraries and theatres and more than one hundred churches in the city and su- burbs. Blrmine ham has a great reputa- ton as a church-going town. and among tie V hlte population there Is compara- lively little crime or vice.
 Tke criminal class Is almost entirely ne- groes and is very difficult to deal with It Is the habit of the negro miners to come from all the country round to spend their money in Birmingham after payday. and they usually loaf here until 1t Is gone. am told that comparatively few of them show any thrift or any desire to buy homes or better their condition. They earn enormous wages compared with that paid for labor in other parts of the state A negro miner of average intelligence will earn from S3 to S4.50 per day. and 1t costs him not more than 50 cents a day to live, even with family. But most of the money Is wasted in dissipation and in the qualification of a childish taste for tr.nkets and useless things The best au- thorities tell me that not one miner in ten preteads to save his wages, and no amount of persuasion. no influence that can be brought can induce him to do so
 The banking deposits of Birmingham are now about S15.00o.0c0. and not more than s1,500.cc0 of this Is savings
 There are six trunk lines of railroad centering at Birmingham, which reach every part of the country, and this town fLrnishes nearly 70 per cent of the rail- road tonnage of Alabama. The tonnage of Birmingham Is greater than that of all the rest of the state and twice that of the entire state of Mississippi The freight receipts at the local office amounted to more than $15. 100000 last year and the passenger receipts were more than $1, 5o0,O00.
 The railways handled sS7.192 loaded freight cars last year carrying 12. 50OO00 tons of coal, 100000 tons of coke. 100000 tons of iron ore S0O.OG0 tons of limestone 1500.0OO tons of pig iron. 15O000 tons of cast iron pipe. and other merchandise In proportinon.
 The johhing trade list year amounted to about s40.000000 an increase of 400 per cent. In ten years.
 During the last four years 95f2 resi- dences have heen erected at a cost of s1sS09.125. And the building operations going on at present are larger than ever before