The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-02-11
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
KILLrNG OUT BUSINESS.
What Stopping Freight Trains on sun-
 day Will Do.

wisely preface this intrusion.
 Since 1900 1 have been actively en- way. in the uppuilding Of the Centrai' south, beginning first m Baldwin Coun- ", and continuing during all this pe- rlod in preparing reading matter Tor dissemina ton North of the Ono River, in which is set forth facts about this country as to soils, crops, seasons, fruits, grazing, road. etc. etc. ana m snort all which will be of interest to those who contemplate removing thelr homes to a milder climate and under softer skies. During this period many million copies of my publication North and South-have been circulated. mainly through the Immigration and Industrial Department of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. which takes from me each month, the larger part or my edition. am thus. while not con- indirectly in touch with it's officials and actively and intimately related to its divers efforts to serve the great sect ion touched by its rails. It Is in the sense of a participant in the uplft which now so sensibly pervades the region between the Ohio River and the shores of the Mexican Gulf that l wish to voice a vigorous protest against the attempt now betnE made in the Legfs- lature of Alabama to cripple all this work and nullify all this costly effort in stopping freight service on sunday
 Much in the same spirit that actuat-
 
 undertook to stop progress by destroy ing Stephenson's steam engines because they interfered with stage coaches, and who wrecked the earlier cotton looms because they interfered with hand- looms, these modern blockaders ignore the rights of the widely separated pub lie and attempt to erect apcient mile stones across the nodern Kings Aish- way.
 the name of religion and behind the Master who said. The Sabbath was made. for man; not man Tor the SaD- bath"
 Permit me to outline the situation as 1t appeals to me.
 From beyond the wide Tennessee down where the Gulf waves lap the shores of the Mississippi Sound country, a determined effort has been urged for the past half dozen years by the de- partment named of the Louisville, and Nashville. to develop and encourage truck farming, and fruit and vegetapie growing. Note how the proposed reg ulation will affect those who have cast their fortunes at Bay St. Louis. at Long Reach. at Ocean Springs, biloM and Scranton. and along the bay shore be- tween the latter and Mobile; who have planted out peaches and straWberries and are growing lettuce, pease, beans, early potatoes and radishes at Bay Min e.te Roberts, Foleyville, A.more, Canoe. lsreWton, Garland. Owasso, Evergreen, Marble CastIeberry, Boiling and Green vile in Alabama. In establishing these promising industries 1t has been the policy of the road to contribute the aid of d competent staff of experienced agricultural agents who go about and act as missionaries, instrucung the farmers in the details of these varied efforts and assisting in organizing To- cal associations, which, because of uni ty of action, provide carload shipments Northern markets-Louisvlile. Cincin- natl, St. Louis, Evansville. Chicago, Columbus. O., Cleveland, Toledo, De- troit, Pittsburg Buffalo. and ever far Shipping thus, by fast freight and in full carload lots, these fragile, but most appetizing edibles find their way to a multitude of Northern tables at angendered by long and severe win ter High prices are thus obtained, as much as $710 having been realized from a single acre of the strawberry crop in Castleberry. Ala, in one season.
 See what will chance should this an- cient regime be established
 Every acre thus carefully and expen- siyely prepared o,Vs1 would o,n neeame oI e,s as sky. All the long years devoted to this work. and all the money expended will have been absolutely and entirely wasted. Every fertile spot now blush ing green with the early peach buds and showing the early wberry leaves. shortly to be followed by the deep purple of the peach blooms and wide-eyed blossoms of the strawberries again to be succeeded by mYriads of crates of luscious peaches and most de- licious berries, may as well be ploughed up and returned to the uncultivated condition in which they lay less than a decade since.
 Nor does the crass injustice end here. The modern railroad Is the direct and logical successor of the ancient Kings Highway; it is not created for the stockholders not yet for the operators, but for the public. To this end, the People breathed into 1t the breath Of life and gave 1t a soul when they en- dowed it with the right of Eminent Domain. Ethically the ironmonger, whC moils his years away on the banks of the Allegheny River. surrounded by right to be served with fresh crisp Ala bama lettuce for his breakfast; to eat mealy Alabama early Irish Potatoes at noon in the early Spring time, and at night to sup on fragrant Alabama strawberries from the far South. when he is yet surrounded by ice and snow. These he cannot have If the fast freight trains that carry these perishable products are held up in crossing Ala bama and compelled tc await the term iuation of Sunday. The strawberry crop lasts but briefly. at best, ten days or two weeks sufficing tc cover the period of shipping, If sunday be extracted from these and all shipments suspend ed then, the crop must suffer in that large per centum and the business be- come that much more precarious. At the best but one paying crop of straw berries can be expected in two years. Many vicissitudes of nature occur. IS with peaches against which the grow CT must constantly fight Why add to these an arbitrary and needless handi- cap? Why urge that which hurtfully intefercs with both these out-of-d doors and indoors toilers?.
 This is written purely from the stand point of one who aims. in some degree, to help as hest he may in the empiro- building epoch which now so perVades Isthmian Canal and all that great pro- feet means to this territory.
 Others have shown in what manner this proposed reversioD to oldtime ways will hurtfullY interfere with steel mak- ing and the building up of manufacture ing industries which must of necessity compete with others in States where not exist. And where there are no doubt as genuinely Christian peo0P as are those who are now leading this on slauGht or commerce and progress in the name of a cause which deserves better exploitation. If Alabama is to carry the flag of great develonment such aS har enormous resources and splendid geogra phical sit uatiop deserves she must fall fin step with progress and not withhold that which makes for the common good Surely this is a case where that broad statement quoted above; The Sabbath was made for man; not man for the Sabbath" precisely applies.
 % < :.
 Electrical Power.
 Now Ynrk CitV INab. a. 1907