The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-11-26
ENS|ri n,,,,l,1,uuuI
OVER THE FUTURE
What People Are Doing fer
Their Advancement
NEW PUBLIC BUILDINGS
Schools, Street and Sidewalk Work
and Sewer Extensions Will Be
Monuments to the Present
City Administration.
BY WALTER HARPER.

BY WALTER HARPER.
| Ensley, November 24-(Special. mo
| city or town in the state is more sus-
| ceptible to changes in business tempera-
| ture from Ensley. The Steel City watches
| the industrial barometer as closely as the
| old-time farmer watched the changes in
| the moon.
| The people of this great and promising
manufacturing center can rise to the
dizzy heights of exalted optimism or sink
| to the depths of darkest despair in a
| days time For the past u years they
have shifted from one extreme to the
| other till 1t has almost become habit
with them.
| But Ensleyss timidity heretofore is en-
| tirely excusable. Here are more than
| 10000 people in the town and Immediate
| territory dependent entirely upon manu-
| featuring interests. The closing down or
| manufacturing plants means the cessa-
| ton of pay rolls and the paralysis of all
| lines of business. A long shutdown means
starvation and a deserted community
| The slightest breath of a rumor that
this or that plant may suspend temper
| arily or be moved entirely fromsthe dis
| trict precipitates a panic. For years the
| Tennessee company's operations here
| were considered as experimental There
| were numerous failures in the accomp-
| lishment of certain undertakings. The
| public always took the gloomiest view OF
| every movement and the business tenn
| perature fiuctuated violently.
Permanancy Assured.
| But that period of uncertainty has now
| passed. When the Tennessee company
| announced a few months ago that IT
| would spend millions of dollars In Sc
| curing adequate water supply for pres
| emit and future operations the people
| were convinced that the giant corpora
| ton in control of the Tennessee company
| was building for permanency In this dis
| trict This was the first real, tangible as
, surance that these nervous people had
| that Ensley had lasting future
| The announcement few days ago that
| the American Steel and Wire company
! would build a sS,ooo,oO0 plant near Ems
| ley was the plugged nit that knocked
| "Old Pessimism'' entirely out of the box.
+ A few months ago Ensley lost a rod
| mill to Gadsden. This cast a cloud over
| the community and Ensley people took
| the blow to heart right seriously, but
| now they are more than satisfied with re-
| suits. They feel that they can bear the
| loss of 81, 100000 plant with the $3,o0O,O0O
| salve that is now being applied.
And these Ensley people do not stop at
| this They have already ceased talking
SO much about the wire mill and are
specializing on the next announcement Of
the big corporation. That is characteris-
tic of Ensley. If the people are gloomy
| they are mean and persistent In their
crouch. II they are optimistic they go
the full limit, even exceed the limit
Everybody Optimistic.
! Every man in Ensley today is q full
| grown optimist. From every face hangs
| that broad chrysanthemum smile that
| soap will not remove. Every eye is turned
| to the future and every foot keyed to the
| limit Of speed.
| Ensley has more real estate men accord
| ing to population than any other town in
| Alabama. They are as busy as bees. You
| can almost hear the grinding of the adj
| vance movement in prices.
! There are no idlers. The groceryman
1 is filling to the brim the thousands of
| liberal dinner pals and the creditor is re-
ceiving payments on account. There is a
| wide contrast to the general condition ex-
1 isting IL or even six months ago.
In their great JOY the people of Ensley
! have forgotten the contest on the amend
| ment or that they are lighting annexation
to Greater Birmingham. M. H. Nc
| Dowell who made reputation for HIM
| self on the latter issue during the special
| session of the legislature, though stiil
persistent in his fight. had rather talk
| about the future of his end Of the greater
city. 1t matters not whether Ensley
| goes into Greater Birmingham or remains
| out, 1t will be a great city, and Bir-
| mingham will be proud of her. Just
| now Ensley has a compassionate, pater-
| nal interest in Birmingham. She really
| feels that she is more important than
| the mother city. But that is character
istic of Ensley. When she feels good she
feels good all over
Public improvements.
| But Ensley at normal is one of the
T! most enterprising towns In the state. The
| present city administration. like the one
| preceding, is progressive. and has made
wonderful advances in the matter Of pub
| lie improvements. d. +. Sugg, the pres
| ent mayor, spends but little time in his
| office From early morning till night he
| Is out on the streets, looking personally
! after the paving Of streets, laying of
! cement sidewalks or the building Of
! schoolhouses
| Two handsome school buildings have
| just been completed, one at Fairview,
costing about $4,000. and another in the
| Fourth ward, costing about $4,000 The
! first Is now ready for occupancy and
| the other will be completed within a few
| days.
Contract has been let and work has
| begun on new high school building
| that will cost, including equipment
| something like $4,000. During the last
| year the city has spent about 10000 on
| improving and extending the other school
| buildings of the town. With the High
school building completed. Ensley will
| have nine handsome and modern school
buildings. The present pay roll for the
| teachers is $4,000.
An automobile fire engine for the fire
| department has been purchased and will
| arrive during next month.
| Cement Sidewalks.
| Ensley has about Is miles OF first-class
| cement sidewalks and q contract has
Just been let for the building Of addi-
| tional walks and guttering that will in
| crease the total mileage to about g. The
| amount Of the new contract is $4,000. Ave
nue e and Nineteenth street, crossing the
center Of the town, have been paved
/ through the business section in every
Doctors Best Gold Formula