The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-04
.ETOWAH COUNTY
 IS PRIZE PACKAGE
Few Sections Have So Great
 Variety Of Products
ATTALLA HAS FINE RECORD
Mayor Stowers Discusses Effective ness of Prohibition and Flourish ing Condition of Attalla's
 Various Industries.
By WALTER HARPER.

By WALTER HARPER.
 Attalla, June 3.-(Special )-Etowah county is a prize package. There are several in the Alabama bunch, but none has such variety of candy and toys as Etowah
 The combination is really wonderful. The soil runs all the way from high mountain gravel land to the richest alluvial river bottom.
 It has rich deposits of coal, iron ore, limestone, marble, building stone, pot tery clay, sand and in fact almost all the requisites for large manufacturing en- terprises.
 Besides the Coosa river the county is reached by number of railroads, all af- fording most excellent transportation fa- cilities. Etowah county is one of the best equipped counties in the state for large industrial development.
 County's Establishment.
 This county was first established under the name of Baine in honor of Gen. D. | w 1saine of Lowndes county, December ', 1866. but was abolished by the consti- tutional convention of 1868, and was estab- { December S. 1868. It was carved from Cherokee, DeKalb, Marshall, Blount St. Clair and Calhoun counties Etowah is an Indian name, and means "pine tree" The county has an area of 510 square miles.
 Attalla, with population of 5000 people, is situated near the geographical center of the county, and in the heart of the mining and manufacturing district. It is on the main line of the Alabama Great Southern the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis and the Louisville and Nashville railroads. It is connected with Gads- den and Alabama City by electric rail- way.
 The steel plant of the Southern Steel company is located just east of the town. In the mountains west and north are coal and ore mines
 Large Heading Mill. Attalla claims the largest heading mill. in the south, with a daily capacity of 20 cords of timber. It is running full capac- ity now.
 The Brown Milling company has an- other important plant. It turns out daily 24OO bushels of cornmeal. The Gadsden Milling company plant, located near At talla has a daily capacity of 300 bushels of corn. It makes a speciality of 'hos cake'' meal.
 The county high school is located here, and the town is now erecting handsome brick structure for the institution. The building commands beautiful view from a mountain side just south of town. It will be completed in time for the next term of the school.
 Prohibition Record. .Attalla presents a most remarkable rec ord as to the effectiveness of the proht- bition law During the year 1907, the year before prohibition went into effect there were GOO arrests in the town for drunk enness. During last year, the first year under prohibition, there were only 20 ar rests for drunkenness In discussing this feature, Mayor'W. F. Stowers said: "Attalla has made a very fine record in the observance of the pro hibition law, falling off in the num- Der of arrests from 800 to 20 during consecutive years proves conclusively the virtue of the prohibition law.
 There were a number of saloons here
 
 business closed promptly when the new edict went forth, and the town Is peace able and clean The people of Attalla are law-abiding, and see to 1t that viola tions are held down to the minimum.
 While Attalla has suffered some from the general business depression, we have no complaint to make of conditions as a whole. Attalla has held up as well as most any other manufacturing center, and tha r,roaDAct for the immediate future is growing brighter every day.
 Big Country Trade.
 We have a large agricultural trade and many of the manufacturing plants and mines in this section have continued mod crate operation.
 There seems to be good prospect for resumption of operation by the Southern Steel company, and this will bring re- turn of normal prosperity here. "Attalla has great natural advantages and will always enjoy its share of indus trial activity.
 Good Health. Good water and unexcelled natural drainage insure the good health of the town and community We have the healthiest manufacturing community in the south.
 '"The people of Attalla are proud of the Etowah County High school, which ! was recently located here, and which is now being erected. We have good churches and a splendid system of pub lie schools. Attalla is full of good, sub stantial citizens.
 "It is good place to live. We are all boosters for the Birmingham baseball team and like to see them win over the entire bunch in the Southern league"