The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-02-06
SEEKS REMOVAL
OF COUNTY JAIL
Dr. Stage Talks on Needs of
the Future
I'm FAVOR Of SkYSCRAPER
Cites Richmond as Example of How
Parks Are Not Injured BY Ereo.
ton Of Public Buildings
and Statues.
I'M FAVOR Of SkYSCRAPER

and Statues,
In view of the arguments for and
against tho erection of court house In
Capitol parlt, DR., ], w, Stage, who be-
ran the original agitation looking to
removal of the county jail from its pres
ent site, had the following to say last
night;
at seems now that the matter Of NOV
Ing the old county iall Is being taken
seriously By the citizens of Jefferson
county, and as | was at one time looked
upon as little fllghty for beginning
this agitation, Wish now to make a few
brief and imperfect remarks, hoping
thereby, good humoredly, to relieve the
proposition of erecting twelve or fif-
teen-story building for court purposes of
Its seeming righteousness.
THE objection most frequently urged
against It Is, there is no such building
for such purpose In existence, Whether
there Is or not, I do not know but
hive been informed by competent author
tiles, that this character of building Is
likely to become the type for all public
purposes In our modern life, and that
such building could be made admirably
suited to all purposes, now demanded in
court houses, may be seen by any one
who Is at pains to observe.
Another objection, very serious to the
man who owns property, and not OF much
moment to such men as l am, who own
nothing, Is the enormous cost of such
structure. l realize, as thoroughly as
any one does, that people have to grow
to the idea OF magnificence, in either pri-
Vate or public life. This was very forclbly
set out when Thomas Reed GEAR Reea),
while speaker of the United States House
of Representatives, was demonstrated
with by a fellow congressman for his eX-
travagance, and reminded that the gov
eminent of the United States was then
costing 81, 900, coo, co., to which Mr.. Reed
made the laconc reply: This is billion
dollar country To the Director to the
erection of million-dollars court house.
the reply might be made: This is mil
lion-dolar county.
Present Building Inadequate.
"On the other hand all are agreed that
the present court house, as fine strue-
ture as 1t is, is inadequate now and is
becoming more so each year, for the enor-
nous business of this county, and that
the valuable records of this county de-
mand a safer place, as a depository, than
the present court house affords or can
be made to afford
All are dBIttu lihfMl0t Nilhh hhN ~
Jail is unsightly and unsafe and insani-
tary: that it Injuries the entire city from
an artistic point of view. and that II
damages millions of dollars worth OF
property owing to it's location. 1t is seen
by many citizens that the growth of Bir-
mingham must necessarily crowd out such
an institution as the old county Jail in its
present form
What Shape Shall 1t Assume.
I'VE come then to the greatest of I'll
the questions about this matter. What
shape shall 1t assume, and where shall
the structure stand when it takes Its
shape? TO my mind the present site
with twelve or tifteen-story building
for court purposes, would be most ld-
mirable, but it seems to me that, bette:
still, would be the center of CAPITOL parh.
In saying this, of course, ! am Keeping
In mind the great moral principle that,
if 1t could not be put in the park with
out benefltting the property owners no
jecent, l, for one, would certainly say,
If il must remain nuisace let II remain
a nuisance where 1t is, for l should never
become party TO any movement that
would take a nuisance from my door and
put it down at my neighbours door.
But there are grave objections here
also, the first is, that it would ruin tn ,
park as park. On the other hand,
those contending for this site, believe
that the small space of ground that the
building would actually occupy, compared
with the six acres in the park, would
leave a more beautiful effect, and just
as effectual a park as we now have. They
also think, looking from Red mountain
north that it would make Twentienth
street one of the handsomest business
streets of any city in this country, ana
that likewise the property adjacent To
the park would be much enhanced n
value.
What Richmond Has Done.
''The race of savages, from which dc
scended, lived along the James river.
where Powhaten threw his tomahawll
and Pocahontas padded her canoe, and
built a city, in the center of which is d
park of eleven acres, where there are
monuments to such unknown men az
George Washington and Henry Clay and
Stonewall Jackson, and yet in the midst
of this park is state house, the gov
ernor's mansion and a great library build
ing, and yet 1t remains a very beautiful
and a most servicable park.
THE objection which apparently de-
stroyed all hope of using the park for
such purposes as a court house Is, thai
1t cannot legally be done. OF this l know
nothing; it is not my business to know;
but | have enough confidence In lawyers
TO know that they have, in the history OF
the world, upset some documents that APP
peared to me to be very much stronger
than the deed recorded in the county
court house conveying Capitol park -
the city of Birmingham for park pur-
poses.
"Tne Overwhelming argument to me IS,
that the women of Birmingham have
limited at their dspleasure for a court
house to be put in Capitol park, evea
thoiiph tho I'M he mt off on the railrOa