The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-05-14
CLANTON FORGING
TO FRONT RAPIDLY
Une of Best Little Cities In
the State
WHAT PEOPLE ARE DOING
Chiffon County Is FIourishins, Does
Not Owe Dollar, and Has
$4,000 Surplus in
Treasury.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE DOING
BY WALTER HARPER.

NidHton, May 13.-(Special. )-Clanton,
the county seat of Chiffon, is one of the
cieanest little towns in middle Ala
bama. Chiffon county is perhaps one
of the best off financially 1t does not
owe a dollar in any way and has $4,000
in the treasury. It has more than that.
There is in the fine and forfeiture fund
of the county a cash surplus of Sl100.
There is probably no other agricultural
county in the state that can make an
equal claim.
Chiffon is purely agricultural and one
of the finest in this belt. It's lands are
finely adopted not only to cotton and
corn, but to fruits and vegetables as
we'll
The Swedish colony at Thorsby, a few
miles north of Clanton, has made the
county farmous for fruit and truck gard
ening. This is one of the most success
full colonies of foreign argiculturalsts In
the south.
Thorsby is in many respects similar to
Cullman, the German colony in north
Alabama.
The town of Clanton is admirably sit
uated, about midway between Birming-
ham and Montgomery. Unfortunately it
is nearer Montgomery by shade than
Birmingham, but the good citizens are
not to be held responsible for this; it is
Birmingham's mistake
Birmingham is younger and the pio-
neers having Clanton as a guidepost
should have located the embryo metrop-
oils closer to the capital of Chiffon.
Though the younger city has outgrown
the older Clanton is every whit as spunky
per inch.
Clanton is enjoying a season of unusual
building activity just now. A number
of important and substantial business
houses have been recently constructed or
are now in course of erection and there
are perhaps a dozen handsome residences
now being built at costs ranging from
5000 to $4,000.
Among the latter are those of Dr. e.
A. Matthews, G. Higgins, E. M. Pinck-
ard w. 7. Mullins and Others Among
the new business houses are the Hop
kins Drug company, H. F. Chandler $
general store, ]. o. Wade's warehouse.
Farmers union warehouse and the Pal
| mer hotel
| The houses are all modern and would
do credit to any town. The public school
building is handsome and commodious
| frame structure.
The business section of the town has
been laid with wide cement sidewalks
throughout and the streets, which are
of fine sand and gravel, are kept in adj
| mirable condition.
| The Clanton Light and Power company
! was recently organized and the plant is
in operation, giving light and power for
public and private use ]. P. Vandiver
is president and general manager of
this enterprise, which was organized by
lacol men with home capital.
C1anton has fertilizer mixing plant
also composed of local money and talent.
This enterprise is successful and is prov
ing of real value to the farmers Of the
county.
| Clanton has two newspapers and two
| banks. I group these two classes of
| business concerns with due regard to
the recklessness of it, but the town could
| DO without neither and one is as i'm
| portant the other.
| The officers of the Peoples Savings
bank are w. E. Holloway, president;
| w. t. Callen, vice president, and John
| A. Thomas, cashier
The officers of the Clanton bank are
w. T. Mullins, president; e. A. Mat
| thews, cashier; N. A. Kicker, vice pres
ident, and E. B. Deason, assistant cash
| Ter.
| II. A. Matthews, cashier of the Clan
| ton bank, is also vice president OF
| the Peoples Savings bank. This indi-
| Gates something of the confidence that
| is reposed in him by the people of the
| town. Though he Is a politician and
mayor of the town the people are not
afraid to let him keep their money
| Mr.. Matthews has made a progressive
and popular mayor and has done much to
| put Clanton among the first-class towns
He declares it is the best town In the
state and he does 1t with such matter OF
| fact emphasis that you find yourself
unconsciously believing what he says.
Prof. W. w. Monroe is principal oil
the city public schools He is assisted
by Miss Allie Robbins and Miss Ada
Stanley. The school is in fine condition
with the attendance larger than ever be-
| fore.
Probate Judge L. H. Reynolds Is ar
enthusiastic believer in the future OF
| Chiffon county He has had q peaceful
and prosperous administration of the
county's affairs and points to the snug
cash surplus in the treasury with pride
| The genial smile on his handsome face
| Is accounted for in the fact that he Is
never worried with persistent bill col
| lectors on the first of every month or
| the county's account.
|