The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-06-30

pears today as it did when completed in 1929. But as to the purpose for which the building is used today, and the scenes which are now enacted within it's histor- ical walls, marks a most preceptible change in the place and gives to the old building an entirely different appear ance
 Now a College.
 For more than fifty years the walls of the old state building have not echoed and sound of the voices of noted states men and learned jurists, nor have the halls and corridors been thronged with lobbyists buttonholeing senators and rep resentatives. Instead Is heard today the voices of professors. featuring on science, on literature, on mathematics and other subjects, while the classical languages, once spoken by Horace and Homer, which one hears read today within the old build ing, takes one back to former age and distant lands Instead of the red nozed and blear-eyed lobbyist, who for merly roamed about the building, one meets today within the halls and corr- dors of the historical olds structure the beauty, the cultude. the refinement, the intelligence, the very flower of Alabama and of the souths young womanhood. For number of years the old state house has been the home of the Alabama Central Female college, an institution of learning for young women, under the control of the Baptist church of Alabama. It is today one of the leading colleges for young women in the state.
 Made Capital.
 By vote of the legislature Tuscaloosa became the capital of Alabama in the year 1926 and the removal was made from Cahaba to Tuscaloosa during the same year. The fact that twice or more each 1..r the overflow of the Cahaba river made the removal necessary. Montgomery, Tuscaloosa Selma, Greensboro, Monte vallo and Wilson's Hill were all candi- dates for the capital, but the real con- test was between Montgomery and Tus- caloosa and Tuscaloosa won the prize. which in the end proved to be to her detriment rather than to her fortune. About the same time the parent bank of the system of state banks, was also moved from Cahaba to Tuscaloosa. The state university had been established at Tuscaloosa by an act of the legislature of December IS, 1879, while Cahaba was the capital, but the university was not opened to students until April F. 1881.
 A state house had not been erected in Tuscaloosa when the capital was moved there The first session of the legislature held in Tuscaloosa convened In what was known at that time as Bell Tavern" in November, 1926. Work com menced on the new capital building in the year 1927 and the sessions of the leg islature of 1927 and 1927 were held in two-story frame building which had been erected as a temporary capital. This building has long since disappeared. The capital building was completed in 1929 and the legislature met within the new building that year and continued to meet there until the seat of government was moved.
 City Was Small.
 When Tuscaloosa became the capital the town was about as large as any town in the state There were no cities in Ala bama during those days. even Mobile and Montgomery were but small towns. Thou sands of acres of Alabama's area was then unexplored forest, inhabited by ln- dians and wild beasts. The people Of those days had no idea of the value of the coal and iron, which lay under their very feet. or of the vast wealth of the forests of the state. They devoted their entire time and energy to cotton raising,