The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-05-15

The matter of the erection of a new
courthouse and county jail is still hang
ing fire among the members of the Board
of Revenue. Job Going. president of the
board, stated yesterday afternoon, how
ever, that he believed the commissioners
would be ready to take action one way
or the other within a few days. He states
that the boards awaiting the further ex-
preston of views from citizens.
F. T. Sentel of Pratt City stated yes
terday afternoon that the fight for new
courthouse without the thorough cooper
alton of the voters of Bessemer will be
one of the warmest Jefferson county has
seen for some time.
In the rural Districts" said Mr.. SEN
tell, II do not believe the proposition of
a new courthouse and jail will meet with
general favor. In the first place, the
was to take up with the Central of Geor-
gia the question of through sleeping car
service from Birmingham to Savannah,
which they had formerly operated, but
which for some reason had been discon-
tinued many months previous. After some
SOAh OSEOiiQShCO Will TIC Ol1ttlalS VI llicAN
road the question was settled by the IL
linois Central taking charge of the Cen
trail Of Georgia and inaugurating through
sleeping car service from Chicago to Sa-
vannah, and to Jacksonville Fla.
On September the Atlanta Birming-
ham and Atlantic railroad made it's en-
trance into Birmingham. celebration
commensurate with this occasion was held
under the auspices of your committee,
the chairman Of which cd aQ nal rT1 m
of joint committee from the Board of
Trade. Your committee spent consider
able time and labor in the preparation
for the celebration. The event was ex-
tensively heralded, and invitations to be
present at the celebration were issued to
about 1000 prominent citizens along the
new line, accompanying which was a
round trip transportation to Birmingham
good for three days. The object of this
was to bring to Birmingham represent
tative citizens from new territory that
was opened up by this new line.
A special train with the invited guests
started from Manchester on September Z
and was met at Arkwright by a special
train bearing committee of about so
prominent citizens Of Birmingham, who
had been appointed by your committee.
This committee then Joined with the
guests and escorted them to the city.
Upon their arrival in the city another
committee appointed by your commit
tee met the guests at the station with a
demonstration of much vigor and en-
thusiasm. Speeches of welcome were
made by prominent citizens, and the aft
ernoon was spent in showing the visitors
points of interest in the city. That night
at the Hillman hotel a banquet was ten
dered the guests, when 800 covers were
laid.
At the banquet were the officials of the
A, B & A. road, as well as other prom
inent railroad officials, and the event was
one of felicity, elegance, wit and humor,
and will be long remembered as a most
enjoyable occasion by those who had the
pleasure of being present. On the whole,
the celebration Of the advent of the A., B
& A road into Birmingham was one of
the most successful events ever held in
this city, and your committee wishes to
acknowledge the services rendered it by
various members of the Commercial club
and the citizens generally.
Your committee has been active for
several months with the officials of the
various railroads entering the city with
the view of securing for all tickets sold
from eastern to southern and southeast
ern point stop-over privileges for Bir-
mingham. While it has not as yet secured
a definite and favorable response to these
requests 1t feels that the matter is In
such shape that the ultimate outcome
will be favorable. This has been found
to be matter of much difficulty, in
volving voluminous correspondence and
tedious detail.
On April Is new schedule on the
North Alabama railroad was put into
effect between Sheffield and Brming-
ham, which was unfavorable to the city.
Your committee at once took the mat
ter up with the Southern Railroad COM
pany, through its proper officials, with
the view Of changing the schedule; this to
enable the people along the line to arrive
in Birmingham some time during the
morning. and after spending several hours
shopping OF otherwise, return to their
homes for the night. The present sched-
ule makes this impossible, and requires the
people to spend the night in Birming-
ham.
Mr.. W. H. Tayloe, general passenger
agent of the Southern, has extended to
your committee most courteous atten-
ton, and while he has not committed him
self definitely, at the committees request
he has promised to take the matter UNI
der consideration, and If possible to
change the schedule to meet it's views.
Your committee has had up with the
Southern railroad the question of secur-
ing better service to and from the east.
After a number of interviews with the
nigh OFFICIALS or the southern Railroad
company, and considerable correspond
ence, it is the pleasure of your committee
to announce that special, known as the
Birmingham Special, will be inaugurated
on May 16. This train will leave Bir-
mingham at $3.50 a. M, reaching New
York at 5 p. m. the following day, with
satisfactory hours for returning, and a
schedule of thirty and one-half hours.
While your committee commended for a
special service via Chattanooga, Knox
Vile and Washington, and has made ur-
gent requests for such service over such
route, 1t being, In its estimation, the
natural route, the committee feels that
the service of the Birmingham Special is
vast improvement over what the city
and this territory had before, and shows
a great deal of enterprise.
There have been other matters under
consideration by your committee, some
of which were of no great moment, while
others, the committee feels, have resulted
in the welfare of the community, and the
details of which your committee thinks
it unnecessary to enumerate.
Your committee wishes to express its
appreciation of the courteous manner in
which it has been received at all times
by the railroad officials, and to comment
upon the better and cordial feeling ex-
listing on the part of the railroads toward
the Commercial club and the city of
Birmingham.
The above submitted for your consider
alton.
RICHARD W. MASSEY, Chairman,
Railroads and Transportation Committee.
IRON HISTORY IS