The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-09-08

vantage of the enterprise and those it serves
 "The regret we have tonight is that the line is not at this time completed as designed through Bessemer. This work is in progress, and when the plans are finally completed, the line will extend from Pelham through Reeder's Gap into and through Bessemer to Birmingham.
 "Bessemer deserves her road. She heard of it, was up and after 1t before Birmingham city proper had even thought of it. She has encouraged 1t; she has helped it; she has asked only to know what the road wants in order to grant it. We are anxious for the day when the completion of the road will lead us into Bessemer and thence into Bir- mingharn.
 'The road has come a long way and has been coming a long time. It is necessarily not as strong as If 1t had reached it's maturity, or had had chance to recuperate from the effort and wear or Its Journey. It means to give the very best service in its power. It is ambitious that such service shall constantly im- prove. It is one of Birminghams roads; it is one of Alabama's enterprises. Re- member 1t comes to Birmingham In order that it might be success. blrming- ham has never fallen down yet"
 MT Rhodes said Since Birmingham was a field without house, many ora tors have been here, but rise to de- liberately declare that none have made such a great and progressive speech. He then introduced Fred M. Jackson, acting president of the Commercial club, "a pushing, energetic, patriotic citizen" MT. Jackson said:
 Mir. Jackson Has a Dream.
 "The advent of the Atlanta, Birming ham and Atlantic railroad brings inn mense possibilities for our future and our near future at that. With the com ing of this road we have nine trunk lines. which give us the same vitality as the cat and puts it beyond the range of possibility that nine disasters suf- ficient to kill can ever happen to us.
 1T am afraid that some among us do not realize how important to this com munity in the blessings they bring, csc great railroads may be and are when they are good. The wonderful prosperity which we have enjoyed Is due in larger measure than our indi- vidual vanities prompt us to admit, 70 the liberal policies of most of our great railroads. Let me indulge in a dream, a big dream, of what may be 20 years from now.
 We will have all the wealth and the advantages and power that these nine roads can bring, and are likely to have nine more roads In addition to our railroads we need not dream In order to see immense flying machines travers- ing the air bearing heavy burdens and relieving the car shortage with which a commerce multiplied a hundred times will affiict our industries. The 125,000 inh abitans of Greater Birmingham will have become 2913,000, the same as Chicago. Why not? A wonderful sys- tenn of subway electric cars will tra- verse the valley from East Lake to Bessemer and Ensley. Steel plants turning out thousands of tons every day where now we count by hundreds will cease to exist our wonder, while big concerns like the Avondale mills will be printed at the bottom of our industrial lists in the smallest type.
 "A great educational center will flourish here. The already famous Bir- mingham and Howard colleges will be institutions of learning famed all over the world for their great endowments at the hands of dead and living mill