The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-04-08
tlALK OF NELSON ,b CAUSES COMMENT Cl bnS Discuss Matter of Pulp IA lie Spirit MAI BE LACKING HERE Franb<NeIson, Jr, Puts Remarks Made atG lir Association Meeting In
 g hape of an Interview.
 plr Other Opinions.
LACKING HERE

The tf made by Prank Nelson. Jr, 1 at the Aeting of the stockholders of l the Alah Sla State Fair association Frle day nighPAcaused great deal Of com ment YeslrAday in Birmingham. Mr. Nel- son statetf Ahat what Birmingham lacked was publiE spirited men, and said that there was large number of men in Birmingham who were willing to sit back with their hands folded and allow a few men to do all the public spirited work 1 A number of citizens were asked yes terday their opinion of Mir Nelsons statements or comments Some agreed with him while others thought that Bir- mingham citia9ns were as public spirited as the men of other cities
 MT Nelson, on being requested to put hls remarks before the stockholders meet ing in the form of an Interview. said:
 T said at tic meeting Friday night that own aooQ of the second mortgage ponds of the Fair association. and eheerfnllN subscribed to the proposed is- sue Of Slo0@0 first mortgage bonds l took the second mortgage bonds not because was an advoeate of the fair or thought that the purehass of the bonds was a good investment. but because the good reputation and integrity of Birmingham was at stake, and ] therefore responded to the call
 nave never ltSed in a community where did not feel like doing my duty to the public and hope that never will am not in any mercantile business. and receive no bcnant directly from a fair but it helps the merchants and a great many other teople in business. and indirectly benefits all.
 Is Best Town. 'I want to take this occasion 10 say that Birmingham is the best eitv in tbo country and that it las good many liberal enterprising people, and great many who arc too stinsy and selfish to live. Nothing. in my opinion. would do more good than a number of first elass funerals
 If every individual would do his duty 1 to the public it would make the bnrden easy and light on all andtnake Birmny- nam blossom q rose.
 "A great many merchEts and loroo property owners in the cl have s,o,,,, Independent for the reastf tbat i fav, enterprising individuals mlhe this 3greot city possible, yet they neP.r contfIhnte one cent to anything of aEnnhl,c ehar acter. They believe that Eaev a,o on. tirely responsible for theft E,od fortune but in my opinion if Birriupham had not been builded by the 4terprise Non the part of comparatively Nv in his valley. some of them woulF todav he i crossroads merchants or onel5rse farm i CTS
 'I know what I am talking About For i two years l was chairman of ine manu- i facturing committee of the cEmmercial club and during that time iiwound it almost impossible to get a greskNnumber | of our merchants and large iroperty 1 holders 10 aid in any way or Yen lend word of encouragement, looki to aid in any way or even lend q woik Of en- | eouragement, looking to thd dev k pment of this great district
 "It is simply discouraging to thse tlti- zens who want to do their duty g con cluslon l want to say that I havFhever l been a great advocate of the state fair, but these same people. as a general propo- sition. who do not aid the stale fair are the people who do not aid any enier- prise looking to the material adyAntage of Birmingham.
 "As l said, l am not speaking ftr the State Fair association but on a gtneral condition that prevails
 Other citizens expressed their options on the matter Among the stateitents were the following;
 Other Statements.
 Culpepper Exum-''I agree with Mr. Nelson that there is a lack of public spirit among q great many people in Birmingham. This is particularly true in regard to the State Fair association, when some who are directly benefited by 4 fair sit back and wait until others kxho are not directly benefited take hold of the matter and push it along
 I. A. Emery-'I have always thougt that Birmingham had | good deal of pubt lie spirit, but there can never be too many in any city,
 John L. Parker--"I wanted to get upl at the meeting Friday night and en- dorse to a large measure what MT, Nelson said. but Mir. Joseph spoke first and so said nothing He expressed my views exactly. There is lack of team work in Birmingham and not enough of the business men put their shoulders to the wheel and help things along"
 M. V. Joseph-"There Is much public spirit in Birmingham, but Mir. Nelson was right to a large extent. A few men are allowed to carry the burden. Several years ago when there were hard times every one got together and helped to get new industries and build the city up, but now many citizens do not work to- gethel as they might"
 L. Pzitz--'I am willing 10 take stock In any Birmingham enterprise Of which 1 approve if 1 am put in position to have some control over it's policies other wise I am not"
 Ben f. Barbour-'1 think MT. Nelson's talk at the meeting of the fair associa- ton Friday night was very timely Blrz mingham Is going to be great city; fl will inevitably make itself You can't keep it down. but if we are going to | bujld 1t we must be more public-spirited toward helping industries seeking loca- lion in the district We expect to raise the balance of the $lO0,0OO bond issue and continue the great Alabama state fair. 1.ven its first year l consider success from the fact that there was a sur