The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-05-31
People Are Happy and Satisfied
 With Conditions
GREW FROM TRADING POST
Settlement Was Founded When Indians Were On Every Side-Has Never Encouraged Outside
 Industries.
BY WALTER HARPER.

Guntersville, May 29.-(special,)-Gun- tersville is the walled city of Alabama. It is one of the oldest and is without doubt the most exclusive
 At one time it had more wealth than any other town the same size in the state, and this distinction is still claimed In some quarters.
 Guntersville grew from an Indian trad ing post which was established here at the border of the Cherokee reservation while the territory south of the Tennessee river was still in possession of the h. dians. It has population now of about 2OO0
 It is one of the most important trading points along the river and handles almost 20OOO bales of cotton annually.
 Several of the leading mercantile firms are very old and are firmly established. There has not been a business failure few at any time
 The town commands most admirable location on the river for manufacturing purposes, but such enterprises have never been encouraged, and they remained away. It is said that Guntersville might have had number of important manu- featuring plants that have been located at other points in the state but they re- ceived no encouragement here
 The people are satisfied with what they they have and are contented and happy. The town enjoys a magnificent trade from large and productive agricultural territory, and there appears no reason for a wider expansion.
 The commercial world looks unon Gun tersvllle as the safest market in Ala bama, and this is distinction of which the people may well be proud sale in Guntersville is as good as gold and there is a continuous fight among travelling men for the business.
 Honesty and simplicity are the chief characteristics of the town, and really this Is worth more to any community than the glaring clamor of great enterprises that drowns Individuality and destroys the nerves and morals of the people.
 The town is made up of handsome and comfortable homes and substantial busi- ness houses. It has one railroad, the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis.
 The town has perhaps the finest water system in the state. The water is pumped from large pure spring nearby to a large reservoir more than 100 feet above the highest point in the town. The nat ural pressure forces the water to all parts of the town, and is amply available for all purposes. It gives unusually good fire protection.
 Guntersville was named for Edward Gunter, who established a trading post at Hobbs island near the present site of the town. "Ned'' Gunter was a Scotch man and married an Indian girl.
 Guntersville has two strong banks. The 1889. It has a paid up capital of $5o,oOO Dr. L. D. Lusk Is president W. M. Baker is vice president, w. M. Cantrell, cashier and s. A. Bradford, assistant cashier.
 The Citizens Bank of Guntersville was opened for business January l this year and has a capital stock of $25, 900. G. B. Zettler Is president and W. E. Sherman Is cashier. The directors are W. c. Rayburn, pr. D. c. Jordan, c. B. Ken nemar, c. B. Zsttler, D. Isbell and w. Seibold. A handsome new building for this lnStltutlOn IS now DelnB erected.
 Marshall county. of which Guntersville is the county seat, was established Jan uary 1, 1886. and was named for John Marshall, once chief Justice of the United States supreme court It has an area of 5S0 square miles and is composed of a wide variety of soils. The county is trav- ersed by the Tennessee river, which is bordered by some of the finest valley lands In the state. Both the north and south portions of the county are traversed by mountain ranges with broad plateaus. These plateaus have the most productive soils for high lands in Alabama. These plateaus run from 800 to HOO feet above , the level of the river