The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-23
Steel Frame of Brown-Marx Building Christened Before
 a Large Gathering
CONTRACT IS LET FOR
 NEW HISTORY HOTEL
w. H. Woodward Authorizes the Arr nouncement That Arrangements
 Are Completed and Work
 Will Begin Immediately.

the northeast corner of First avenue and Twentieth street, was hoisted and set in place yesterday afternoon at 3:sO o'clock. Although steel frame eonstrue- ton is comparatively new an unwritten law obtains like that in the navy, that a bottle of champagne must be broken in honor of the occasion. Without the christening of the first column the entire building might be hoodooed.
 At the appointed time goodly com pany of representative citizens assembled at the site of the news skyscraper. The ceremony was to be simple and informal but long before the appointed hour many baskets of champagne were in evidence
 MT. Harding Speaks.
 The steel column, surmounted by an American flag. being swung into place. w. P. G. Harding, president of the First National bank, arose and said:
 Fellow Citizens: In 1873 while this spot was yet corn field, the late Charles Linn erected here a three-story building It was known as Linn's folly; afterwards as the National bank building; and after the First National bank had vacated it. it was known as the Linn building After many ups and downs the First National moved into its present home.
 -Four years ago a new era in office buildings was inaugurated in this city When the ten-story Woodward building was erected all of us thought that great thing was done.
 But in four years we have outgrown the ten-story fashion.
 The Hotel Jefferson.
 "we are going far beyond the ten-story stage. This office building as you know. is to be fifteen stories high. It is now my privilege to make an important an- nouncement. The Hotel Jefferson Is about to be erected. All the obstacles in con nectlon with the project have been re- moved, the contracts for building mate- rial have been made and the work of construction will be started at an early date. Great applause)
 Birmingham is young mans town and this 15-story office building is the work of young men-Mr Brown and Mir. Marx.
 The Christening.
 Holding aloft a bottle of wine. MT. Hard ing said; 'I will now dedicate this steel column" Dashing the wine upon the steel. he continued: q do now declare the structure about to rise duly dedicated as the Brown-Marx buildlng-a lasting mon- ument to the enterprise and progressive spirit of two young men of Birmingham" CWarm applause)
 Champagne was opened and the clti- zens assembled touched glasses and slipped.
 Robert Jemison proposed this toast; Here is to Mir. w. H. Woodward, the pioneer of steel frame building in Bir- mingham-the man who has made all the other steel frame buildings easy" Unanimous applause.)
 Following Mir. Jemison came Henry B. Gray with a toast to the builders of the first 15-story office structure. Eugene Brown and Otto Marx, "a strong com bination, one an American gentle and the other an American Jew"
 This sentiment was received with hearty applause.
 MT. Brown and MT. Marx each respond ed briefly but happily.
 Mr. Woodward.
 There were calls for MT. Woodward, but the well-known and honored capi- taIist and builder chirped from behind a pile of steel: My speeches are all com posed and given out by Wilson Brown. As Wilson is not present my speech will go unsaid."
 Present at yesterdays ceremony in ad- dition to the gentlemen already referred to- were J. D. Moore, B. F. Moore, pr. F. D. Nabers, A. D. Lightner, Erskine Ramsay Walter Moore. w. NJ. Drennen, Julian Kendrick. w. s. Brown, J. D. Collins and John L. Kaul.
 The Brown Marx building fronts fifty six feet on First avenue and runs back 100 feet on Twentieth street.
 The Hotel Jefferson. to be erected at Fourth avenue and Twentieth street, will cover an area of 125 by 145. It will be twelve stories high and the cost, including the site will be about one million dol