The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-07-24
HOPING ID SECURE l. NEW NOUN TAIN ROAD Property Owners Meet Board
 Of Revenue Today OUT ST. CHARLES STREET Citizens Contend Increased Valuation of Shades Valley Property Win
 Pay for Road in Increased
 Taxes in One Year.
OUT ST. CHARLES STREET

The condemnation proceedings against posed for the St. Charles street road over Red mountain will come mp before the Board of Revenue today at 9;9O a. m. At this time the board will hear the claim of the only property owner who has not yet either given or settled for the right of way, and it is believed that he will come across without much trouble.
 The viewers and all the persons inter- ested in the project are expected to at tend and use their influence to push the matter through. Shades valley will have a road at a per cent grade con- meeting with its richest section before the winter months begin if action is taken immediately. The cost is so low that the board members have already sgnified their intention of appropriating the neces- sary money if the right of way can be secured.
 In Shades valley there are II, 600 acres of fine land between Oxmoor and Me- Elwain and between the foot of Red mountain and the foot of Shades moun- tain. Added to this are the 21,0OO acres of fine mountain land which lies just south of the valley.
 The St. Charles street road, built at a maximum grade of per cent, which is about per cent lower than any existing road now crossing Red mountain. will , bring these thousands of acres of land two miles closer to Birmingham by reduc- ing the distance to be traveled. The road will easily increase the value of Il 900 acres of valley land to four times it's present value, an enhancement of at least s2oo per acre. At low figure, it is claimed, the mountain land will en- nance $50 per acre. hence the total in- crease due to this new road, which only cost the county about s10OO0, would amount to about sS,250OoO. while the state and county taxes on this amount will be S422 250 per year. of which the county would get half and the state the other half.
 One years taxes would more than pay for the road. These figures are compiled by an authority connected with the Board of Revenue. The statement is freely made that if the tunnel is built the en- hancement will be even greater. and the taxes would pay for both the St. Charles street road and the tunnel within a few years
 For the past 20 years the citizens of Shades valley and the county south of Birmingham have been repeatedly prom ised by the Board of Revenue that they would be given a real good entrance into Birmingham, but as yet it is claimed very little has been done. A farmer can haul more cotton in a day from Trussville to Birmingham a distance of 14 miles, than he can from Shades valley distance of two miles, due to steep graded roads.
 The whole county to the north of Bir- mingham, toward the east, and especially toward the west, where the new Bessemer county is to be, is now well supplied with good roads.
 The people toward the south are asking the question, What better use could the county put the big surplus of money which is lying in a local bank without getting any interest, than to build this St. Charles street road at a cost of Sl0,000 and the tunnel at cost of even $l00, 0,000?'' The road Is believed to be a go.