The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-04-14
Vulcan Under Discussion.

when the cluD was calieu 10 Oruer DY President T. H. Motion it was suggested that as the women who were present as the representatives of the womens' clubs of the city, to protest against the placing of Vulcan in Capitol park would no doubt enjoy the business features of the meeting, that they be invited into the chamber and requested to let their matter come up last. President Motion appointed a committee to escort the women into the room.
 After the regular order of business had proceeded for about an hour, Rufus N. late the women be invited to present their case. Every one agreed and Mrs. w. s. Lowell and Mrs. James Weatherly stepped forward.
 Mrs. Lowell Spoke.
 Mrs. Lowell was the first speaker and her speech was greeted with applause. She said that the women present repre- sented every womens' organization in the city which meant more than three hun dred women. Mrs. Lowell stated that the women were not trying to dictate to the Commercial club, that they regretted that they had not made their protest against placing the statue in Capitol park before the club took final action on the matter. and that their efforts were directed whole ly toward the best interest of the city.
 ''We are not antagonistic to Vulcan" said the speaker. "1t has it's value as a medium of advertising our city, but it Is not a work of art such as should adorn park, dedicated largely to the commem- oration of our distinguished dead, and I predict that if it should be placed In Capitol park it would only be a year or so till it would become so unsightly that a public subscription would be raIssd to remove it."
 Mrs. Lowell thought that tho statue should either be placed in the plaza in front of the new passenger station or on Red mountain. She said that the ladies had been rendered sites for it by both John A. Topping, chairman of the board of the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad company, and Sterling A. Wood.
 Mrs. Weathsrly was the other speaker lOi lHc labitos k9llC aalu.
 We understood that the only reason that Vulcan was to be placed in Capitol park was that there was no other place to put it. Acting on this idea we went to MT. John A. Topping, I believe everybody goes to him these days. and he gave us a site for the statue on Red noun tain. and l have here an engineers map showing the situation of the proposed To- cation.
 MT. Sterling A. Wood has also tender ed us a site on the mountain that is in every way suitable for the permanent location of Vulcan"
 James Bowron spoke at length and with much feeling. He said the original idea was to place the statue on a suitable pe- destal and that the only appropriate pe- destal was some high iron hill around Birmingham. He introduced a resolution that sought to nullify the action of the Commercial club on the Vulcan location and carry out the original idea of those who contributed to it's cost. A point of order was raised and the resolution was not acted on.
 Johns Has Site.
 The speach of l.. ". Johns kept the audience in ain uproar of laughter. In the first place MT. Johns claimed Vulcan as his property by right of bona fide pur- chase, and read from a contract between President Motion and Secretary Babb of the Commercial club to substantiate his contention.
 
 MT. Johns wanted the statue placed on hill near Ensley, where it would com mand a view of the whole valley, and l where those who may go to see Vulcan can see the steel mills at the same time. I'm q ladys man myself" declared the speaker "I always have been, and I try harder to be now than ever, but God bless their sweet souls, had just as soon see Vulvan buried in a grave sixty feet long and ten feet wide, which 1t would have to be, or left to sleep in peace where he now lies slumberng as to see him stuck Up on Red mountain. He was not made for a companion for the beasts of the fields or the birds of the air, but as the proud and glorious repre- sentative of the greatest iron and coal district on this earth or any other earth. '
 Col. T. G. Bush said. among other things:
 T don't criticise those who voted to put Vulcan in the park for I know how anx- ious they were to do anything with him to get rid of him. but while I do not claim to be ladies' man, would bundle up what possess and leave Birmingham before would go counter to the judgment of 300 women on this or any other propo- sition."
 Motion Tells His Troubles.
 Mir. Motion took the floor and told of his troubles with Vulcan and after mak- ing 1t plain that he had enough of 1t, introduced a resolution providing that If the Board of Aldermen did not agree at it's next meeting to let the statue be erected in Capitol park, that it be sdver-