The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-02-27
'High Prices of Both Have Brought Money to
 Clarke.
Saw NH Has Moved scuthward iI Alabama Like Hugh Glacier, Moving Down and Destroy
 ing the Timber in its Path.
 r-z N4s
By wni T. sheehan.

There are three lumber producihs counties of the first rank Tn AiaDal,a' Covington, Clarke and Escampia- wilh- out having the statistics at hand the asaartion may he yentured that COW inuton and Clarke counties are turhlns onf more sawn and hewn timbers than any of the other sixty-five counties oi Alabama. .ha4
 There is significance in the fact that each of the three counties Wnicn aIe in the head of the list in the proouStlon of lumber lies close to the southern ra,nda-v of the State Baldwin was at one time the greatest lumber pro- flueer in the whole State of Alapamd' And if has perhaps sent more Jumper to the outer world than any other county, perhaps any other two coun- ties. of Alabama. But Baldwin was so conveniently approachaoie Ironl y ane two big sea ports, Mobile and Fensa- cola and so easy to get to and from bv water. that it's forest treasures nave been all but exhausted, when the pres ont is cornpared to their pristine glory
 The significance of the fact that all great lumber counties are adJacent to the southern border has us pea.Ahs ,,nan th., rapid advance and the short future of the yellow pine interests, so Tar as they affect Alabama. It means ttat fhe saw mill has moved south ward through Alabama like a huge glacier, moving down and destroying the timber that lay in its path. The insatfabie saws have eaten their way almost to the very waters of the Gulf. A few more years and saw milling on a big scale will be only a chapter of his- tory. an industrial condition, which the student Of history will study along with that of rlavery One will have gone to join the other.
 But how many years will that be? Nobody knows. But everybody knows that year after year the destroying glacier is eating it's wax steadily through the remaining yellow pine for ests There are hree or four of the big mills which claim to have enough timber to last them for twenty-five years. None names date beyond a quarter of a century. And 1t will be expiained to the enquirer that so long q probation period for the mill will be obtained by the malicious pursuance of a policy of cutting only the biggest trees and allowing the smaller to re- mai for second visit of the woods gang
 Where Lumber is King.
 But in Clarke County lumber is still king and in the high tide of it's pros- pericy. The hills and wales are rich with timber, but not so rich as they were a few ears ago. The Alabama and the Tombigbee Rivers arc the eastern and western boundaries of the county and they come together at it's southern apex. And here and there the county Is cut and traversed with wide creeks. The Southern Railroad cuts the county in two and many sta tiops and towns have sprung up along the line.
 River. creek and railroad. with hill side and valley, covered with yellow pine. what more could lumberman wish7
 Clarke County is the natural capitol of this lumber vicinity. and today the song of the saw is loudest of al Clarke County towns, is loudest within it's borders. Three big mills fringe the Tombigbee where it sweeps by the landing under the high hill and others are at work. It is a little town within itself, this noisy work shop under the bluff with its cottages for workers dotting the hillside and hilltop. Perhaps 200.000 feet of tim ber are cut. day there in the yellow pine and the hardwood mills. Great rafta of timber come down the slow moving Tombigbee. stop at Jackson and go into the outer world as lumber and timber.
 The mills have done more than turn out fine yellow pine and excellent hardwood. They have made and arc making fortunes for their owners. And NA0tG AO LtlS punt. lllE I6CIuQESSnCG Vl the lumber industry has made Jack son strong and prosperous And like a prosperous business man wearing costly and becoming clothes Jacksoh shows it's prosperity in it's appearance It shows 1t in the new and handsome homes, in the cared for fences. in the neat and substantial business houses
 They are building concrete business blocks in Jackson They are. these concrete buildings, supplanting the old en anti-bellum wooden office and store buildings, for Jackson is an old town
 The contrast is education. the con trast between the oId-fashioned wood en building and the new fashioned moulded store structures made of ce ment. They are so close together il Jackson, that one catches the full sig nifeance of the contrast. One see how fast present prosperity is treadinl upon the heels of olden traditions Nodded stone and wooden stores, Il the two are the Symbols of the C2'