The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-11-24
PLANTERSV|LLE IS
MODEL LITTLE TOWN
Has Fine New $4,000 school
Building
SEVERAL LUMBER PLANTS
MapIesville, a Few Miles Away, Has
Large Hardwood Timber interests
Which Give Activity to
Community.
SEVERAL LUMBER PLANTS
BY WALTER HARPER.

Plantersville, November 23.-(Special.)-
The tourist looking listlessly from his
Pullman window regards the small coun-
try towns and villages through which
he is whisked as so many inanimate
specks on the face of the worlds geog-
raphy. They are necessary perhaps to
the great scheme of creation, government
and the general order of things. Dut
he can see nothing interesting in them.
He observes that there are four or
five stores ranged along the main street
paralleling the railroad track, small
church on the brow of the hill, school
house near by and few cottage homes
He sees a few uninteresting people loung-
ing about and may have some vague idea
that these are human creatures with live
passions as himself.
Most of these places are passed I'M
noticed by the average traveller.
But in each there is an element of hui
man interest, some center of attraction
that would not fail to claim the interest
of every student of human philosophy. In
each of them love, hate, death, religion.
politics and all the other issues of mortal
existence play their parts and make those
people like the people of any other com
munity OF course there are variations
and 1t is this element of variation that
gives distinctive interest to individual
communities.
Town of PIantersvilIe.
Twenty-four miles out of Selma on the
Southern railroad I stopped off the train
at Plantersville. The name of the place
appeared on the railroad schedule. That's
all l knew about the town of Planters
Vile.
The last census gave Plantersville
population of TIA people. There are "a
families now I discovered Immediately
upon my arrival that the governor had
preceded me three days. He had spent
an entire day in the town and had made
an address at the school house. He had
talked till his face was red and his voice
cracked on political issue in which he
has no personal interest or paternal care.
He had incidentally told the people OF
Plantersvilie and the surrounding coun-
try of the wonderful achievements of the
present administration and the great ex-
state could afford to spend whole day
in the town 1 could certainly spend
few hours between trains
Points of Interest
But found the town full of engag-
ing interest Every minute was occu-
pied The people are as intelligent and
as live to the great issues of the day
and the progress of the world as the
people in any other community They
lead simpler lives perhaps but are every
whit as happy as those who live In
buster centers.
Mingling with the people 1 learned Of
their hopes and sorrows, their failures
and successes. They had ambitions and
felt the responsibility of government as
people in any other section. Indeed l
found that Plantersville, though it may
appear insignificant to the casual OBJ
server from the car window, is as much
an integral part of the great state of
Alabama as Birmingham or Montgom-
cry.
County High School.
On a hill just west of the town the
people have erected $4,000 brick school
building for the county high school of
best equipped in the state. The second
term opened with almost twice the at
tendance of tho first term last year. Prof.
M ]. Bnay is principal of the school.
]. H. Witherspoon is assistant and Miss
Eva Martin Is teacher of vocal and in
strumental music
The school building is. situated on
beautiful knoll 80 feet above the town
and commands magnificent view of Big
Mulberry valley
Piantersville also has a first-class town
public school with a large attendance.
Prof. J. A. Lee is principal. The teach
ers are Mrs ]. e. Witherspoon and Miss
Sadie Pickering.
The Methodsts, Baptists, Presbyterians
and Christians have churches in the
town. The Presbyterians are now build
ing a new brick church which will be
a credit to the congregation when it is
completed.
There are several lumber plants in the
town and community which give employ
ment to numbers of people. The several
stores In the place do large business
with farmers in the surrounding valley.
which is very fertile and productive
Town Of MaplesvIIle.
Ten miles further up tho road toward
Birmingham and in Chiffon county
found Maplesville, another interesting
community with perhaps 800 people. Large
hardwood timber interests give activity
to the community. There are several
large sawmills and like industries In the
town and surrounding country.
This Ia the crossing of the Southern
and Mobile and Ohio railroads and an
important shipping point.
The centers of attractions in the town
on the day l was there were the pres
ence OF live newspaper man and a
banana car from Mobile. The people.
here too, were just recovering from a
visit from Governor Conner few days
before.